7.1 The experimental method Flashcards
define ‘aims’
A statement of what the researcher(s) intend to find out in a research study.
define ‘debriefing’
A post-research interview designed to inform participants of the true nature of the study and to restore them to the state they were in at the start of the study. It may also be used to gain useful feedback about the procedures in the study. Debriefing is not an ethical issue; it is a means of dealing with ethical issues.
define ‘ethical issues’
Concern questions of right and wrong. They arise in research where there are conflicting sets of values between researchers and participants concerning the goals, procedures or outcomes of a research study.
define ‘experiment’
A research method where causal conclusions can be drawn because an independent variable has been deliberately manipulated to observe the causal effect on the dependent variable.
define ‘Extraneous variable [EV]’
Do not vary systematically with the IV and therefore do not act as an alternative IV but may have an effect on the dependent variable. They are nuisance variables that muddy the waters and make it more difficult to detect a significant effect
define hypothesis
a precise and testable statement about the assumed relationship between variables
operationalisation is a key part of making the statement testable
define ‘Independent variable [IV]’
Some event that is directly manipulated by an experimenter in order to test its effect on another variable - the dependent variable (DV)
define ‘informed consent’
Participants must be given comprehensive information concerning the nature and purpose of the research their role in it, in order that they can make an informed decision about whether to participate.
define ‘operationalise’
Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily tested. A concept such as ‘educational attainment’ needs to be specified more clearly if we are going to investigate it. For example it might be operationalised as ‘GCSE grade in maths’
define ‘standardised procedures’
A set of procedures that are the same for all participants in order to be able to repeat the study. This includes standardised instructions - the instructions given to participants to tell them how to perform the task.
describe the experimental method
aims are stated
there are two or more levels of the IV, manipulated by the experimenter
the effect is measured on a DV which is operationalised
extraneous variables are controlled and procedures are standardised
the hypothesis states the relationship between the IV and DV
causal conclusions can be drawn
what must always be considered before conducting research
ethical issues and other related matters must ALWAYS be considered
this must always include informed consent and a debrief
