control of variables/research issues Flashcards
what are extraneous variables?
additional unwanted variables
true or false?
EVs don’t vary systematically with IV
true
when should EVs be identified in a study?
why?
at the start - in order for researcher to take steps to minimise their influence
true or false?
confounding variables don’t vary systematically with IV
false - they do change systematically with IV
why would the outcome of a study be meaningless if confounding variables were present?
changes in the DV may be due to the confounding variable rather than the IV
what are demand characteristics?
clues that may help participants work out what’s happening during the study
what could demand characteristics lead to?
unnatural participant behaviour
what could demand characteristics help participants to predict?
experimenter’s intentions + aims of the study
what are investigator effects?
any unwanted influence of the investigator on the research outcome
what could investigator effects encourage?
give an example
a greater level of a certain behaviour (e.g. measuring words spoken after having an energy drink - if you smile more when interacting with participants, they may become more chatty)
what is randomisation?
use of chance to reduce researcher’s influence on the design of investigation
what does randomisation attempt to control?
investigator effects
what does randomisation minimise?
effects of EV/confounding variables
what is standardisation?
the process by which all participants should be subject to the same environment, information + experience
what does standardisation ensure?
ensures that experimenters act in a similar way with all participants
what does standardisation include?
standardised instructions - these are read to each participant
