Research Issues

Question 1

What are extraneous variables

Answer 1

Any variable other than the IV that has an affect on the DV if it is not controlled

Question 2

Outline the 3 types of extraneous variables

Answer 2

Participant variables - when there are differing individual characteristics of the participants that may give them an advantage in the study making results not directly comparable or generalisable, so influences the DV Situational variable - when the factors in environment affect the DV such as temperature or time of day
Investigator variable - when the person leading the study give conscious or unconscious behaviours or cues that may influence the DV

Question 3

What is a confounding variable

Answer 3

A variable that changes systematically with the IV, amplifying the IV making it harder to control than an EV

Question 4

What are demand characteristics

Answer 4

When participants guess or figure out what the aim of the study is so they change their behaviour to help or harm the study employing artificial behaviour

Question 5

What is randomisation

Answer 5

Refers to doing things by chance to reduce experimenters bias and unconscious choices, for example, allocating participants into their conditions by choice.
Controls bias

Question 6

What is standardisation

Answer 6

Using the exact same instructions and methods for each participant to control EV of non-standardised information which would make results incomparable