Extraneous variables

Question 1

What is an extreneous variable?

Answer 1

any variable that could effect the DV that is not the IV

Question 2

Why is the extraneous variable an issue?

Answer 2

as we don’t know whether the IV is affecting the DV or EV

Question 3

What are the types of extraneous variables?

Answer 3

-situational
-participant

Question 4

Situational

Answer 4

features of a research situation that may influence participants behaviour

Question 5

Situational variables and the order effect?

Answer 5

Order effects
-the order of which tasks are completed affects results
eg.heat and time of day

Question 6

Oder effect examples
-fatigue
-practise

Answer 6

Fatigue
-ppts do worse on 2nd test as they are tired

Practise
-ppts do better on 2nd test as they are used to it

Question 7

How to control order effects?

Answer 7

-one group does AB and the other does BA
- this counterbalances it

Question 8

How to control situational variables

Answer 8

standardize everything (make it all the same)

Question 9

Participant variables

Answer 9

the ways in which each ppt varies from the other and how this could affect the results