Investigations Flashcards
Investigation aim
The purpose of study
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a statement predicting the probable outcomes of an investigation.
It should contain:
The IV and DV being investigated (more on this in a minute)
A direction (such as increase, decrease, higher, lower, worse, better, etc)
A comparison of the groups being tested
Independent Variables (IV)
The variable that the research manipulates of controls
Dependant Variables (DV)
The variable that is being measured by the researcher
Operationalising
Operationalising variables refers to specifying exactly how the variables will be manipulated or measured in a particular controlled experiment
Extraneous variables
A variable other than the IV that may have an unwanted effect on the DV and results of an investigation
Controlled Variables
A variable that is held constant to ensure that the only influence on the DV is the IV. This prevents it from becoming an extraneous variable.
Confounding Variables
Unwanted variables that have affected the DV and results in an investigation, and it cannot be determined whether the IV or the confounding variable caused the change in the DV
Difference between an extraneous and confounding variable?
Extraneous variables are considered prior to a study to avoid them becoming confounding variables afterwards
Population
The whole group of people
Sample
A subset of the population, based on a specific factor and will be participating the in experiment
Random Sampling
Simple random sampling is a type of probability sampling in which the researcher randomly selects a subset of participants from a population
Stratified Sampling
Stratified sampling is a method of obtaining a representative sample from a population that researchers have divided into relatively similar subpopulations
Experimental Group
The group exposed to the IV and receives the experimental treatment
Control Group
The group that forms a baseline level to compare the experimental group with
Controlled Experiment
Controlled experiments are a type of investigation in which the causal relationship between two variables is tested in a controlled environment; more specifically, the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable is tested while aiming to control all other variables
Within Subjects Design
A within-subjects design is an experimental design in which participants complete every experimental condition
Between Subjects Design
A between-subjects design is an experimental design in which individuals are divided into different groups and complete only one experimental condition
Mixed Design
A mixed design refers to an experimental design which combines elements of within-subjects and between-subjects designs. This allows experimenters to note differences that occur within each experimental group over time, and also compare differences across experimental groups
Case Study
A case study is an in-depth investigation of an individual, group, or particular phenomenon that contains a real or hypothetical situation and includes the complexities that would be encountered in the real world
Identification
Identification is a process of recognition of phenomena as belonging to particular sets or possibly being part of a new or unique set. It is used by psychologists to then ascribe phenomena to their respective label or group
Classification
Classification is the arrangement of phenomena, objects, or events into manageable sets. It is used to create labels or groups for phenomena that may help to provide some functional or theoretical benefit