Control Of Variables

Question 1

Why do psychologists want to control extraneous variables?

Answer 1

They want to prevent extraneous variables from turning into co founding variables which will affect the DV and make the results less valid, this is to establish that the DV is the cause and effect of the IV

Question 2

How is counterbalancing done and why?

Answer 2

-Participants are split into half and each half will both go through the same conditions however both at different times this is done to prevent order effects

Question 3

How is random allocation performed and why?

Answer 3

Participants are given the same chance to enter each condition and this is done by putting all there names in a random name generator and the first half will go into the first condition that the random name generator produces and the second half will go into the second condition.

-This is done to prevent researcher bias

Question 4

What are random errors?

Answer 4

-They are extraneous variables that cannot be predicted on the day of the experiment

Such as:

• Weather
• Participant variables such as their mood or illness

Question 5

What is a constant error?

Answer 5

• They are extraneous variables that have a detrimental effect on the DV and they include things such as participant variables like intelligence, gender, age and illness
• Constant Errors can be caused by not randomly allocating participants

Question 6

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 6

-It is an extraneous variable that remains uncontrolled which will then turn into a confounding variable which is something that effects the DV