control of variables Flashcards
what is the difference between extraneous and confounding variables?
> an extraneous variable is all the possible variables which might interfere with the DV,
whereas the confounding variable is one which has definitely interfered with the DV.
what is a participant variable and an example of one
differences between participants that may affect the DV (e.g - age, gender)
what is a situational variable and an example of one
features of the experiment design that may affect the DV (e.g - noise level, instructions, temperature)
what is mundane realism?
degree to which the materials and procedures involved in an experiment are similar to events that occur in the real world
(how a study mirrors the real world)
what is an example of mundane realism?
an experiment where participants are asked to read a news article on local politics in another country, has MUNDANE REALISM
define validity
whether the observed effect is a genuine one
what are the two types of validity - define each one
> internal validity - is about control and realism
external validity - is about generalising the results to other people and situations
what are the three types of external validity?
ecological
population
historical
what is ecological validity?
generalising the results to another envt (e.g - lab setting to school setting)
what is population validity?
generalising the results to all types of people (e.g - culture, age, gender)
what are demand characteristics?
when a clue from the research situation allows the participant to guess the aim of the study
what are investigator effects?
any effect of the investigators behaviour (consciously or unconsciously) that effects the outcome
what is randomisation?
using ‘chance’ where ever possible to reduce the researcher’s influence on the design of the investigation
what are examples of using randomisation?
- producing the order in which participants do a task
- randomising the order of words in a list
what is standardisation?
all participants being subject to the same environment, instructions and experience