Controlling variables Flashcards
What are three types of variables?
Participant
Situational
Experimental
What are participant variables?
When individual characteristics of participants affect their behaviour in an experiment
What are some examples of participant variables?
Gender
Age
Mood
Ethnicity
What are confounding variables?
Variables that aren’t accounted for in the study and can affect the results
What are situational variables?
Variables which might affect the behaviour of the participants in an experiment but relate to the environment in which the experiment is taking place
How can situational variables be controlled?
The researcher should ensure that participants in each group undertake the task in the same situational conditions
How can participant variables be controlled?
Thinking about such factors when considering the experiment
What are experimental variables?
They occur when the experimenter treats some participants differently to others
What is experimenter bias?
The researchers which are carrying out the research may be different with some participants
They may do this in order to portray a certain outcome
How can experimental variables be controlled?
The researcher might provide the participants with written instructions to minimise the contact between the experimenter and the participants
What is double blind research?
The researcher and participants don’t know what the purpose of the study is so that the behaviour of the research will not impact upon the participant
Why is double-blind research used?
To reduce experimental variables
What type of research method is counterbalancing usually used?
Repeated measures
What is counterbalancing?
The order in which the participants take part in different conditions of the experiment is varied in order to minimise the impact of order effects
What are order effects?
Behaviour is affected because participants take part in two or more conditions of an experiment and compromise of practice effect, the fatigue effect and recognising demand characteristics
