Control Issues

Question 1

Experimenter Effects

Answer 1

• Depends on the type research method being used
• Interviews= interviewer effects where the interviewer may unintentionally lead to SOCIAL DESIRABILITY in the participants answers. Or they don’t CONNECT with the interviewer, therefore don’t disclose information
• Experiments= Where the experimenter influences the DIRECTIONS of the DATA, either by HELPING participants more than they should or HINDERING the participants performance to get their DESIRED results

Question 2

Counterbalancing

Answer 2

• Use to reduce ORDER EFFECTS such as practice, fatigue and getting bored in the study= effect the validity
• Typically used for REPEATED MEASURES DESIGNS= the group is split in half, one does condition 1 and then 2, the other does condition 2 then 1
• However, sometimes can be use in INDEPENDENT MEASURES if ppts are to go under many trials for the one condition eg then ppts had to view 7 video clips in Loftus and Palmer

Question 3

Field Experiments

Answer 3

• Occur in a natural setting, shows more realistic set of results
• Variables are more DIFFICULT to CONTROL because of natural setting
• Researcher can’t control the environment and therefore is HARDER to REPLICATE

Question 4

Natural experiments

Answer 4

• Psychologists take advantage of a NATURAL SITUATION in order to carry out an investigation into circumstances which they can’t themselves REPLICATE/MANIPULATE
• Lack of controls over EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES as it is conducted in a natural setting

Question 5

Lab Experiment

Answer 5

• Takes place in HIGHLY CONTROLLED and ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS
• IV is manipulated to see the effect of this change on another variable
• DV is what is measured
• EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES are highly controlled and CONSISTENCY of environment is ensured

Question 6

Operationalizing Variables

Answer 6

• Operationalising variables means making the variable MEASURABLE
• IV= making sure the difference between the EXPERIMENTAL and CONTROL condition is BIG enough to see a MANIPULATION
• DV= making sure we are only measuring the BEHAVIOUR we aim to test and making sure nothing else will EFFECT the measurement. Having a PRECISE and ACCURATE way of measuring being the factor tested

Question 7

Experimental control

Answer 7

• Extraneous variables= the general term for any variables other than the IV which may AFFECT the DV
• They are important to provide ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS for the EFFECTS on the DV
• They become CONFOUNDING VARIABLES

Question 8

Types of Extraneous variables

Answer 8

• Two types: Situational and participant
• Situational= those from the environment such as TEMPERATURE and NOISE
• Participant= Differences within the sample such as AGE, GENDER and CULTURE
• DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS are those things which encourage ppts to behave in a particular way
• Typically have CUES in the ENVIRONMENT which lead to ppts thinking they should behave in a certain way
• Once participants are aware of this= their OWN OPINIONS about what should happen will AFFECT the results
• Generally REPEATED MEASURES designs create more problems of DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS because participants see all the CONDITIONS for themselves
• Can make it obvious what the STUDY IS ABOUT, therefore potentially the results
• EXPERIMENTER EFFECTS= those aspects of the researchers APPEARANCE or BEHAVIOUR that can also lead to ppts thinking they should act in a particular way

Question 9

How to control Extraneous Variables

Answer 9

• The EV’s need to be controlled so that it;s actually the IV affecting the DV
• Controlling the EV may not eliminate the effect, but it will ensure it doesn’t effect one condition of the IV and not the other

Question 10

Variables

Answer 10

• The independent variable is the variable that the experimenter MANIPULATES or CHANGES to demonstrate a DIFFERENCE between the EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS
• The dependent variable is the variable the experimenter MEASURES. The dependent variable DEPENDS on the independent variable