experimental methods Flashcards
what is an independent variable?
the variable the experimenter manipulates and directly affects the dependant variable
what is a dependent variable?
the variable being tested and measured in an experiment and is dependent on the independent variable
what are three examples of dependant variables in an experiment ?
1) behaviour
2) emotions
3) conditions
what do you need to do when operationalising an independent variable?
define what the change will be between two differences
what do you need to do when operationalising a dependent variable?
talk about units of measurement or the type of tests
what are participant variables?
the characteristics of each person that may impact how he/she may respond
what are situational variables?
the impact of the environment and how the participants respond
what is a standardised procedure?
when a test is made uniform or set to adhere to a specific standard
how do you control participant variables?
- using a standardised procedure
- counterbalancing
- experiment design
- single blind conditions
how do you control situational variables?
- standardised procedures
- pilot study
what is a pilot study?
a trial run done to ensure the method works as intended
how do you control experimenter bias?
using a double blind procdure
what are the six psychological variable
1) memory
2) intelligence
3) alcohol
4) stress
5) work
6) happiness
how can you operationalise each psychological variable?
1) the number of words recalled from a list
2) IQ tests
3) breathaliser / units of alcohol
4) blood pressure
5) hours or tasks per day
6) normal survey
