Experiments Flashcards
What is an independent measures design?
Different participants take part in each condition, which will vary according to the independent variable
What are the strengths of an independent measures design?
Participants are less likely to experience fatigue, and it is easier to establish that the effect of the changes in groups are due to the variable being tested
What are the weaknesses of an independent measures design?
It is imporssible to control individual differences, and a larger sample size is needed
What is a repeated measures design?
An experimental design in which the same participants take part in each condition
What are the strengths of a repeated measures design?
It is unlikely that the results will be distorted by individual differences as each condition will see these differences, and the sample required may be smaller
What are the weaknesses of a repeated measures design?
Participants might guess the aim of the task as they repeat the experiment in different conditions (demand characteristics), order effects, and fatigue effect can be seen
What is the matched pairs design?
Different participants take aprt in each condition, however, each participant is matched according to certain characteristics with another participant in the other condition
What are the strengths of a matched pairs design?
Order effects should not affect the results, it is also unlikely that they will guess the aim of the study
What are the weaknesses of matched pairs design?
It is difficult and time-consuming matching the participants, and shared characteristics may be seen in different people in different ways.
What is a lab experiment?
An experiment carried out in a highly controlled environment, which will be an unnatural setting
What is a field experiment?
The setting of the experiment is natural regarding the behaviours intended to be observed, but there is still a clear IV and DV
What is a quasi-experiment?
The IV is naturally occuring or unethical to manipulate within the participants.
What are the strengths of a lab experiment?
Results are more reliable as the conditions created can be replicated, lack of extraneous variables
What are the weaknesses of a lab experiment?
Lacks ecological validity, demand characteristics
What are the strengths of a field experiment?
High ecological validity, less risk of demand characteristics
What are the weaknesses of a field experiment?
Make it hard to control extraneous variables, hard to obtain fully informed consent
What are the strengths of a quasi experiment?
Useful when its unethical to manipulate the IV, studies the ‘real effect’ so there is increased realism and ecological validity
What are the weaknesses of a quasi experiment?
Must wait for the IV to occur, can only be used where conditions vary naturally, aware they are studied - less internal validity
What is a research aim?
This is what the researchers aim to find out about a particular phenomenon or topic.
What is a research question?
The research aim o the investigation but done as a question
What is a hypothesis?
A specific, testable prediction of how one variable in an experiment will affect another variable
What is a null hypothesis?
A hypothesis that predicts that the IV has no effect on the dependent variable. Any effects are due to chance.
What is an alternative hypothesis?
A hypothesis that states there is a significant relationship between the two variables being studies and that the results were not due to chance.