Experimental Methods, Chapter 6, 1 Flashcards
What is an experimental method?
This involves the manipulation of an independent variable to measure the effect on the dependent variable. Experiments may be laboratory, field, natural or quasi
What is an aim?
A general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate, the purpose of the study
What is a hypothesis?
A clear, precise, testable statement that states the relationship between the variables to be investigated. Stated at the outset of any study
What is a directional hypothesis?
This states the direction of the difference or relationship
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
This does not state the direction of the difference or relationship
What are variables?
Any thing that can vary or change within an investigation. Variables are generally used in experiments to determine if changes in one thing result in changes to another
What is operationalism?
Clearly defining variables in terms of how they can be measured
What is an independent variable?
Some aspect of the experimental situation that is manipulated by the researcher- or changes naturally- so the effect on the DV can be measure
What is a dependent variable?
The variable that is measured by the researcher. Any effect on the DV should be caused by the change in the IV
What is the difference between an aim and a hypothesis?
You formulate a hypothesis after writing an aim
What do we have a theory about energy drinks?
That they affect how much people talk because we understand that they contain sugar and caffeine and that these substances increase alertness making people chattier
What do you do after you have an initial idea?
Narrow the focus of your research to produce an aim
What are aims developed from?
Theories
As there’s a new energy drink, SpeedUpp, what do we want to know?
Whether it affects the talkativeness of those who drink it
What would an aim be in the energy drink experiment?
To investigate whether drinking energy drinks makes people more talkative
What might a hypothesis of our energy drink experiment be?
Drinking SpeedUpp causes people to become more talkative
What are the two types of hypothesis?
Directional hypothesis and non-directional hypothesis
What is the difference between directional and non-directional hypothesis?
In a non- directional hypothesis, the nature of the difference between conditions or groups is not specified
What words does directional hypothesis include?
More or less, higher or lower, faster or slower
What directional hypothesis could be in the energy drink experiment?
People who drink SpeedUpp become more talkative than people who don’t
People who drink water are less talkative than people who drink SpeedUpp
What non-directional hypothesis could be in the energy drink experiment?
People who drink SpeedUpp differ in terms of talkativeness compared with people who don’t drink SpeedUpp
How can you test the energy drink theory?
With an experimental method
What experimental method could you use to test the energy drink theory?
Gather together two groups of people, e.g. 10 in each group
Starting with the first group, we will give each participant a can of SpeedUpp to drink
The participants in the other group will just have a glass of water each
Then record how many words each participant says in a five-minute period immediately after they have had their drink
When would researchers do a directional hypothesis?
When a theory or the findings of previous research studies suggests a particular outcome
When would researches do a non-directional hypothesis?
When there is no theory or previous research, or findings from earlier studies are contradictory
What hypothesis would we use on the energy drink experiment?
Even though SpeedUpp is a new energy drink, the effects of caffeine and sugar on talkativeness are well-documented
What would happen to all the other variables that may potentially affect the DV?
They should stay constant so the researchers are confident that all the changes to the DV are due to the IV and the IV alone
How can we test the effect of the IV?
We need different experimental conditions, we need a comparison
What experimental conditions could we compare in the energy drink experiment?
Compare the participants’ talkativeness before and after drinking SpeedUpp
Compare two groups of participants- those who drink SpeedUpp with those who drink water
What are the two conditions of the energy drink experiment?
No SpeedUpp or drinking SpeedUpp
What are the two levels of IV in the energy drink experiement?
The control condition (no SpeedUpp/ drink of water) and the experimental condition (energy drink)
What directional hypothesis can we use in the energy drink experiment to compare the two groups of participants?
The group that drinks an energy drink will be chattier than the group that drinks water
What hypothesis of the energy drink experiment could we make after operationalizing the variables?
After drinking 300ml of SpeedUpp, participants say more words in the next 5 minutes than participants who drink 300ml of water
