Psychology SAC 2 Flashcards
Dependent Variable (DV)
the aspect of a participants’s behaviour or experience that is assumed and expected to change as a result of the manipulation of the IV selected by the researcher.
Controlled Variable
Is one that is considered to have an effect on the dependent variable in an experiment so it needs to be held constant (‘controlled’) to remove its potential effects.
Independent variable (IV)
Referred to as the ‘treatment’ variable to which participants may be exposed (or not exposed).
What do systematic errors affect?
Systematic errors will reduce accuracy.
Accuracy
How close it is to the true value of the quantity being measured.
Cofounding variables
A variable other than the IV that has an effect on the DV, but cannot be separated from the IV.
Placebo
A false treatment used so that none of the participants know whether they are being exposed to the experimental condition.
Placebo effect
Occurs when there is a change in a participants behaviour due to their expectations about the treatment.
Single-blind procedure
When the participants do not know whether they have been assigned to the control or experimental group(s)
Double-blind procedure
When the participants or the experimenter know which participants have been allocated to the control and the experimental group(s)
Ethics
Refers to the moral principles and codes of behaviour that apply to all psychologists, regardless of the field in which they work.
What are the different parts of ethics?
-Beneficence
-Non-maleficence
-Respect
-Justice
-Integrity
Beneficence
Where research is considered through the scope of maximising the benefits to society while minimising harm to others.
Non-maleficence
In the medical profession, the principle of non-maleficence involves avoiding causing any kind of harm at all.
Respect
The research is shown through the consideration of an individuals welfare.
Justice
Ensures fair treatment for all, from selection through to result collection.
Integrity
Involves the researcher’s commitment to the honest conducting and reporting of research.
Ethical Guidelines are?
-Voluntary participation
-Informed consent
-Withdrawal rights
-Confidentiality
-Deception
-Debriefing
Voluntary participation
Ensures that a participant willingly decides to take part in an experiment.
Informed consent
Needs to be obtained before an experiment commences.
Withdrawal rights
refers to the right of the participant to cease their participation in a study at anytime without negative consequences or pressure to continue.
Confidentiality
Is a participant’s right to privacy with regard to access, storage and disposal of information collected about them that is related to research.
Deception
In research should not occur unless it is necessary. It is used in some cases where giving participants information about an experiment beforehand might influence their behaviour during the study and thus affect the accuracy of results.
Debreifing
involves participants being informed of the study’s true purpose once the experiment has ended.
The role of attention
The role of attention (sustained, divided, selective) in making sense of the world around us.
Attention
refers to actively focusing on particular information while simultaneously ignoring other information.
Internal stimuli
Information or sensations originating from within our body.
External stimuli
Information or sensations that originate outside our body.
Sustained attention
allows us to fully process information or complete a task.
Example: Watching a movie without needing to pause or rewind to understand the plot.
Divided attention
Allows us to process multiple sources of information or stimuli more efficiently.
Example: Driving while following directions from your navigation system.
Selective attention
Acts as a filter that helps us to prioritise incoming information according to its performance.
Example: Focusing on what one person says and ignoring the sounds of other conversations or stimuli that may distract you.
Sensation
involves receiving sensory information from the environment. This is done via sensory receptors (specialised cells in your sense organs).
What do sensory receptors receive?
Sensory receptors receive specific types of raw information. Eg. eye = photoreceptors = receive electromagnetic light.
3 steps involved in sensation:
-Reception
-Transduction
-Transmission
Extraneous Variables
Is any variable other than the IV that can cause a change in the DV.
Order effects
Occurs when participants’ responses in the various conditions are affected by the order of conditions to which they were exposed.
