Component 2: Introduction to Experiments

Question 1

definition of experiment

Answer 1

a technique that assess a cause and effect relationship between an IV and DV

Question 2

4 features of an experiment?

Answer 2

• the researcher MANIPULATES the IV
• there are 2 conditions: an EXPERIMENTAL and a CONTROL condition
• the researcher RANDOMLY ALLOCATES the participants to each condition
• There is a CAUSE & EFFECT relationship between IV & DV

Question 3

What is an experimental condition?

Answer 3

IV is manipulated

Question 4

What is a control condition?

Answer 4

Iv is either constant or removed all together

Question 5

What is the Independent variable?

Answer 5

Independent variable: what we manipulate / control

Question 6

What is the dependent variable?

Answer 6

What we measure

Question 7

Ethics: informed consent?

Answer 7

informed = aware of experiment

- gives participants opportunity to give consent

Question 8

Ethics: right to withdraw?

Answer 8

Throughout experiment

Question 9

Ethics: harm?

Answer 9

Not allowed to cause harm physically or psychologically + no more harm than everyday risk

Question 10

ethics: confidentiality

Answer 10

keeping everything anonymous

Question 11

What is operationalisation?

Answer 11

Turning general questions about the subject into measurable, testable propositions

Question 12

What are the three parts of how Scientific method works

Answer 12

¹. Question & a theory (what explains and organises lots of different observations and predicts outcomes)

². Hypothesis- testable prediction

³. Test with a replicable experiment

Question 13

What is a case study?

Answer 13

Case studies take an in depth look at one individual

Question 14

What is a problem with case studies?

Answer 14

Case studies can sometimes be misleading, because by their nature they can’t be replicated as they may be overgeneralizing

Question 15

What is good about case studies?

Answer 15

• good at showing what can happen
• end up framing questions for more extensive and generalizable studies
• memorable
• a great story telling device that psychologists use to observe behaviour

Question 16

What is naturalistic observation?

Answer 16

Where researchers simply watch behaviour in a natural environment

Question 17

What are naturalistic observations great for?

Answer 17

• describing behaviour

Question 18

What are the problems with naturalistic observations?

Answer 18

• very limited in explaining behaviour

Question 19

What are surveys or interviews?

Answer 19

Asking people to report their opinions and behaviours

Question 20

What are surveys & interviews good for?

Answer 20

Accessing peoples consciously held attitudes and beliefs

Question 21

What are the problems with surveys and interviews?

Answer 21

Subtle word choices can influence results- how to ask questions can be difficult

Question 22

what is sampling bias?

Answer 22

To fairly represent a population, need to get a random sample where all the members of a target group had an equal chance of being selected

Question 23

Why can we not make firm conclusions from correlations?

Answer 23

Correlations predict the possibility of cause and effect relationships BUT THEY CANNOT PROVE THEM

Question 24

What is an experiment

Answer 24

Experiments allow investigators to isolate different effects by manipulating an independent variable, and keeping other variables constant

Question 25

What is a double blind procedure?

Answer 25

Researchers don’t know which group is experimental and which is control so they don’t intentionally influence the results through their own behaviour