experimental methods

Question 1

what is the aim of the study?

Answer 1

purpose of study

Question 2

what is the hypothesis?

Answer 2

• prediction of results
• precise, testable statement
• state relationship between the variables
- independent (refers to both variables)
- dependent (what you measure)

Question 3

what are types of hypothesis?

Answer 3

1) null hypothesis:
2) alternate hypothesis:

Question 4

what are the types of alternate hypothesis?

Answer 4

1) directional/one tailed: findings suggest outcome and state the direction eg which group will better?
2) non directional/two tailed: no previous research/findings contradict and state there will be a difference between groups/conditions

Question 5

what are variables?

Answer 5

anything that can change within an investigation
1) independent variables (IV): things that are manipulated or changed by the psychologist
2) dependent variables (DV): the variables that is measured by the psychologist

Question 6

how to test level of IV?

Answer 6

to test the effect of the IV we must have different conditions
Conditions= different levels of IV

Question 7

what are the types of variables?

Answer 7

1) experimental condition: where the IV has been changed in some way
2) control condition: where the IV has not been applied or changed baseline
- to make a clear and testable hypothesis it must be operationalised
- clearly defining variables in terms of how they can be measured

Question 8

what are the control of variables?

Answer 8

Extraneous variables (EV)
- affects DV if not controlled
- a nuisance variables

Question 9

what are types of EV?

Answer 9

1) situational
2) participants
3) experimental/investigator affects
4) damand characteristics

Question 10

what are the situational EV?

Answer 10

situational- aspects of the environment that affects p’s behaviour
eg: location, audience, clear task, time of day/week

Question 11

what are the participants EV?

Answer 11

participants- refers to the ways in which each p’s varies from the other and how they could be effective the results eg: personality, age, mental health, IQ, gender

Question 12

what are the experimental/investigator effects EV?

Answer 12

anything the investigator does that has an impact on the participants performance other than what was intended eg personality, non verbal, leading q’s

Question 13

what are the demand characteristic EV?

Answer 13

P’s have figured out the aim of experimenter, so they change their behaviours

Question 14

what do the types of EV result in?

Answer 14

1) Please U effect- go along with task
2) Screw U effect- sabotage

Question 15

what is the experimental method?

Answer 15

• most used method of investigation
• conducted in a lab or any other setting that is unnatural

Question 16

what is a null hypothesis?

Answer 16

null hypothesis:
- no difference/relationship
- a statements that predicts there will be no effect on the independent variable on the dependent

Question 17

what is an alternate hypothesis?

Answer 17

alternate hypothesis:
- difference
- what you expect to happen
- a predictions that states what the effects of the independent will have on dependent variables
- directional/non directional

Question 18

what are confounding variables?

Answer 18

• EV ‘s that change systematically with the IV
• therefore, if the experiment does accidentally include CVs then the experimenter cannot be sure whether the results are the product of the IV or the CV
• impacts the internal validity- accuracy of research

Question 19

what is controlling variables?

Answer 19

• randomisation
• standardisation

Question 20

what is randomisation for controlling variables?

Answer 20

• an approach to minimise the effects of EV/CVs
• randomisation is the use of chance in order to control for the effects of bias when designing materials and deciding on condition’s

Question 21

how is randomisation done?

Answer 21

• randomly select p’s
• randomly allocate to conditions
• randomise q’s in questionnaire

Question 22

what is standardisation?

Answer 22

• the process in which procedures used in research are kept the same
• to keep all elements of a procedures identical
• the same directions must be read to each student the same question must be given
• to maintain uniformity, some procedures are quiet distraction free environment , precise reading