Deciding a research question

Question 1

What is the process of writing a research question?

Answer 1

1) Researcher selects an ‘interesting topic’
2) Background research and reading
3) Narrows the focus of the research to something specific
4) Identify a research problem
5) Write the research question

Question 2

What is an aim?

Answer 2

The aim gives us an idea of what the researcher wants to achieve.

Aims are focused, feasible, researchable and specific.

Question 3

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 3

A testable statement that predicts what the researcher expects to happen in their research.
1) Directional (1-tailed)
2) Non directional (2-tailed)
3) Null

Question 4

How to write a hypothesis?

Answer 4

1) Identify key variables
2) Operationalise the variables
3) Decide a direction for prediction
4) Write a hypothesis

Question 5

What is the independent variable?

Answer 5

The variable that the experimenter MANIPULATES.

Question 6

What is the dependent variable?

Answer 6

The one which the experimenter MEASURES.

Question 7

What is a co-variable?

Answer 7

Variable that can affect the outcome of the experiment/study, but is not part of the main experimental manipulation.

Question 8

What is operationalisation?

Answer 8

Stating how the IV and DV have been measured.

Question 9

What are confounding variables?

Answer 9

Variables that are not controlled for.
Found after the study to have affected the DV.

Question 10

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 10

Extra variables other than the IV that can interfere and affect the DV.
- participant variables
- situational variables
e.g. (distance, IQ, gender)