Aims and Hypothesis

Question 1

What is an aim?

Answer 1

A broad statement based on what is going to be investigated in the study

Question 2

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 2

A prediction of the findings which is a precise and testable statement of the relationship between 2 variables

Question 3

What is an independent variable?

Answer 3

The variable that the researcher manipulates or alters

It will have 2 conditions (groups)

Question 4

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 4

The measurement taken by the researcher (the thing you are studying)

Question 5

What are the 3 types of hypothesis?

Answer 5

1. Null
2. Directional
3. Non-directional

Question 6

How would you write a null hypothesis?

Answer 6

There will be no difference in ‘DV’ between participants who ‘condition 1’ and participants who ‘condition 2’

Question 7

How would you write a directional hypothesis?

Answer 7

Participants who ‘condition 1’ will get a higher score ‘DV’ compared to participants who ‘condition 2’

Question 8

How would you write a non directional hypothesis?

Answer 8

There will be a difference in ___ between participants who ‘condition 1’ and participants who ‘condition 2’

Question 9

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 9

Variables which must be controlled or eliminated otherwise they may affect the DV and damage the validity of the results

Question 10

What are the types of extraneous variables?

Answer 10

1. Participant
2. Situational
3. Confounding

Question 11

What are participant extraneous variables and how can you control them?

Answer 11

• Age, gender, social class, ethnicity, intelligence, personality
• Controlled by randomly allocating participants to groups so that any differences cancel each other out with a large enough sample

Question 12

What are situational extraneous variables and how can you control them?

Answer 12

• Time of day, lighting, temperature, materials, instructions
• Controlled by using standardised procedures and standardised instructions

Question 13

What is a demand characteristic?

Answer 13

An aspect of the research situation which leads participants to guess the aim and change their behaviour accordingly

Question 14

How can you control demand characteristics?

Answer 14

1. Deception- Participants aren’t told the research aim
2. Single blind method- Participants aren’t told which condition they’re in

Question 15

What are investigator effects?

Answer 15

Anything the researcher does which can affect how the participants behaves and the subsequent data collected

Question 16

How can you control investigator effects?

Answer 16

Double blind method- neither the researcher nor the participants know what the hypothesis is about or what condition they’re in