Factors that influence the Outcome

Question 1

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 1

Variables other than the IV that affects the results

Question 2

What are the different types of extraneous variables?

Answer 2

• Situational (environmental)
• Participant
• Experimenter Effects

Question 3

Define situational variables

Answer 3

Factors of the environment that affects results.

e.g. temperature, lighting, noise pollution, other participants in the room (where they are located)

Question 4

Define participant variables

Answer 4

Individual characteristics that the participants bring to the experiment.

e.g. personality, mood, motivation, nerves, intelligence, etc…

Question 5

Define “Placebo Effect”

Answer 5

Something that the participants are told, which influences their behaviour.

Question 6

Define experimenter effects

Answer 6

The experimenters’ personal characteristics that could affect the results.

e.g. the experimenters’ mood, perception; how they interpret the results from the experiment, tired, attitude towards participants.