Experiments✅

Question 1

What does “aim” mean?

Answer 1

Aim= a purpose/ end goal of a experiment

Question 2

What is a “hypothesis”?

Answer 2

Hypothesis=

A prediction of what will happen in the experiment

Question 3

what does operationalisation mean?

Answer 3

ensuring the thing your measuring (DV) is accurate, effects of the IV+DV

Question 4

types of hypothesis:

1. what is a directional hypothesis?
2. non directional?
3. what’s the difference between the two?

Answer 4

1. states the expected direction of your results
2. states there’s a difference but doesn’t state a direction
3. directional states more or less of something but non- directional doesn’t it just says it’s different

Question 5

variables:

1. what is a variable?
2. independant variable?
3. dependant variable?
4. what are experimental conditions?

Answer 5

1. element , feature or factor liable to vary or change
2. one u change
3. one u measure
4. methods put in place to control the IV

Question 6

research issues: (boost exp.)

1. what is a extraneous variable?
2. confounding variable?
3. demand characteristics?
4. investigator effects?

Answer 6

1. newsense variable that effects the DV e.g. some ones general mood/ talkativeness
2. unpredictable, can’t be controlled, effects the results e.g. ppl having a bad night sleep before
3. ppt may find out hidden aims due to unintentional clues exposed by experimenter e.g. some one may choose to act a certain way on purpose
4. investigators effect on the DV eg. investigator could smile indicating approval bc the response has proven their hypothesis

Question 7

how can unwanted factors be overcome?

1. what are the two ways it can be overcome?
2. what is randomisation?
3. what is standardisation?

Answer 7

1. randomisation and standardisation
2. chance methods makes things unpredictable, reduces DC’s
3. all ppts subjected to the same environments so have the same experience, fairer

Question 8

experimental designs:

1. what are the 3 designs used?

Answer 8

1. independent groups , repeated measures & matched pairs

Question 9

what are independant groups?

stength?

weakness?

Answer 9

2 separate groups experience 2 different conditions

✅ easy to make comparisons, less likely to guess aims
❌poor validity, less economical

Question 10

what are repeated measures?

what us counterbalancing?

Answer 10

all ppts experience both conditions , repeated testing system

✅higher validity , ppt variables controlled , fewer ppts needed

❌time consuming, more DC’s and CV’s, each ppt has to do tasks more than once,
❌ ppt may guess the aims opf the study order effects… CA- counterbalancing eliminates this as one group does it on one order and the other group in another

Question 11

what are matched pairs?

strength?

weakness?

Answer 11

ppts are put in pairs based on similar variables

✅order effects and DC’s are less of a problem , only do one condition
❌time consuming, costly, less economical, ppts can never be matched exactly

Question 12

types of experiment:
( category of experiment)

state what each are and a strength and weakness

1. what is a laboratory exp?
2. field exp?
3. natural?
4. quasi?

Answer 12

1. highly controlled environment, standardised procedures
   ✅easily repeated , high control good accuracy
   ❌mundane realism , low external validity ( artificial setting )
2. real life settings , IV manipulated
   ✅high mundane realism
   ❌less control - hard to find effects of variables
3. IV occurs naturally , can be articulated or real life eg hair colour
   ✅no DC’s- ppts unaware of aims
   ❌sample bias - naturally allocated into groups
4. existing differences between ppl eg age
   ✅high control - controlled conditions
   ❌confounding variables- conditions not randomly allocated