research method key terms

Question 1

independent variable

Answer 1

an aspect of the experimental situation that is manipulated by the researcher

Question 2

dependent variable

Answer 2

the variable that is measured by the researcher

Question 3

experimental group

Answer 3

the group in an independent group’s design containing the independent variable as distinct from the control

Question 4

control group

Answer 4

a group of participants who receive no treatment

Question 5

confounding variables

Answer 5

varies systematically with the independent variable

Question 6

validity

Answer 6

whether a measure actually measures what it claims to be measuring

Question 7

internal validity

Answer 7

a type of validity concerned with what goes on inside a study

Question 8

external validity

Answer 8

the degree to which a research finding can be generalised to

Question 9

reliability

Answer 9

the consistency of results over multiple attempts

Question 10

replication

Answer 10

repeating a study to see if you can get the same results

Question 11

generalisable

Answer 11

a measure of how useful the results of a study are

Question 12

demand characteristics

Answer 12

any cue that may be interpreted by participants as revealing the purpose of an investigation