7.1: The experimental method Flashcards
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Identify one confounding variable that might occur in the above study (2 mark)
One confounding variable that might occur is how much sleep the participants had had the previous night
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Identify one confounding variable that might occur in the above study (2 mark).
One confounding variable that might occur is how much sleep the participants had had the previous night, why?
One confounding variable that might occur is how much sleep the participants had had the previous night, because this could affect their concentration levels when watching the fake assault
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how this confounding variable might be controlled (2 marks)
This confounding variable could be controlled by ensuring all participants had the same amount of sleep the night before
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how this confounding variable might be controlled (2 marks).
This confounding variable could be controlled by ensuring all participants had the same amount of sleep the night before, so that what?
This confounding variable could be controlled by ensuring all participants had the same amount of sleep the night before, so that their concentration levels would be the same
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how investigator effects might influence the findings from the study (2 marks)
Investigator effects might influence the findings by the physical characteristics of a researcher
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how investigator effects might influence the findings from the study (2 marks).
Investigator effects might influence the findings by the physical characteristics of a researcher, such as what?
Investigator effects might influence the findings by the physical characteristics of a researcher, such as their age or ethnic background
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how investigator effects might influence the findings from the study (2 marks).
Investigator effects might influence the findings by the physical characteristics of a researcher, such as their age or ethnic background.
What could this do?
This could affect accuracy of recall given by participants
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how demand characteristics might influence the findings from the study (2 marks)
Demand characteristics might affect the findings by participants trying to work out what answers they think the researcher requires and then giving these answers
The cognitive interview is designed to improve recall in police interviews. Researchers had some confederates perform a fake assault in front of an audience of witnesses who had replied to an advert to take part in the study. Half were interviewed using the standard police interview procedure and half by the cognitive interview technique. The amount of accurate recall was compared.
Explain how demand characteristics might influence the findings from the study (2 marks).
Demand characteristics might affect the findings by participants trying to work out what answers they think the researcher requires and then giving these answers, which might not be what?
Demand characteristics might affect the findings by participants trying to work out what answers they think the researcher requires and then giving these answers, which might not be their true recall of the fake assault
Explain what is meant by demand characteristics (2 marks)
Demand characteristics occur when participants, as they know they are taking part in research, behave in a way that they believe the researchers want them to, which might not be how they’d actually normally behave
Explain how a single blind procedure can be used to reduce the risk of demand characteristics (2 marks)
A single blind procedure involves participants not knowing which condition they are in, for example whether they are in the ‘drug’ or ‘placebo’ condition
of a study testing the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs.
This makes it more difficult for them to display what they think is the expected behaviour
