Key Terms Flashcards
Lab experiment
The IV is manipulated by the researcher and the experiment is carried out in a lab or other contrived setting away from the participants normal environment
Field experiment
The IV is manipulated by the experimenter but this time the experiment is carried out using participants in there normal surroundings.
Quasi experiment
The IV is naturally occurring, not manipulated by the researcher.
Repeated measures
This involves using the same people in each condition.
Independent measures design
This involves using different people in each condition.
Matched pairs design
This involves using different people in each condition but an attempt is made to make participants as similar as possible on certain characteristics.
Participant variables
Are characteristics of the individual participant that may influence results
Situational variables
Are any features of the research situation which influences a participants behaviour and therefore the results.
Order effects
If doing the same activity twice participants may do better the second time because practise or worse because of boredom.
Demand characteristics
These are cues that let the participant know the true meaning of the experiment resulting in them changing their behaviour.
Alternative hypothesis
This predicts how one variable is likely to affect another variable. It predicts that the IV will affect the dv.
A null hypothesis
Predicts that the IV will not affect the DV.
A two tailed hypothesis
Predicts that the IV will have a significant affect on the DV but doesn’t predict the direction in which the experiment will go.
A one tailed hypothesis
This predicts that not only will the IV have a significant effect on the DV but also the direction in which the effect will go in.
Operationalisation
Refers to the process of making variables physically measurable or testable.
Target population
The group of people the researcher is interested in studying.
Sampling methods
The different ways in which researchers can obtain a sample of people from within the target population to take part in their study.
Sample
The actual group of people used the the research
Self selecting
This is when people volunteer to take part in the study. Often adverts will be distributed which contain details about be research.
Opportunity
A sample is collected by using people from the area around you.
Abstract
A summary of a piece of research that outlines the aim, method, participants, results, and conclusions presented at the start of the research paper.
Altruistic behaviour
selfless behaviour; behaviour that is unselfish in its concern for others.
appendices/appendix
a section that may appear at the end of a research paper which contains any list of materials, calculations, raw data, and anything else the reader needs to fully understand and research.
biased sample
a sample that is not representative of its target population or of people in general.