Research issues Flashcards
What are confounding variables?
A type of EV, that varies systematically with the IV
What are extraneous variables?
Any variable, other than the IV, that may affect the DV if not controlled
What are demand characteristics?
Any cue from the researcher that may be interpreted by the participant as revealing the purpose of an investigation- leading to a participant changing their behaviour
What are investigator effects?
Any effect of the researcher’s behaviour on the DV
What is randomisation?
The use of chance methods to control for the effects of bias
What is standardisation?
Using the exact same instructions and procedures for all participants within a research study
What are participant variables?
Differences between participants
What are some examples of participant variables?
Age, gender, mood, ethnicity, personality, intelligence, reactivity, expectations
How to reduce participant variables?
Random allocation (outliers are spread out across groups), repeated measures design (some participants are used twice)
What are situational variables?
Differences in the set up of the experiment
What are some examples of situational variables?
Heat, noise, distractions, order effects, time of day
How to reduce situational variables?
Standardised procedure (everyone must follow the same procedure), same order/ timings/ equipment/ surroundings for all
What are investigator variables?
Differences due to the person running the experiment
What are some examples of investigator variables?
Body language, confirmation bias (mind made up), demand characteristics
How to reduce investigator variables?
Placebo condition (some secretly left out to see if researcher affects behaviour), single blind (participants don’t know who has the placebo), double blind (participants and researchers don’t know who has the placebo)
