Research Methods Flashcards
How many types of experimental methods are there?
3
What are the 3 experimental methods?
Lab experiments, Field, Quasi
Are experimental methods considered to be the most or least scientific method?
Most
What is an independent variable?
The variable in the experiment that changes
What is a dependent variable?
The variable that is measured
What are extraneous variables?
Variables other than the IV that have an effect on the DV
What is a confounding variable?
A type of extraneous variable that cannot be controlled
What is a hypothesis?
A testable statement made by the researcher which predicts the outcome of the experiment
What is the difference between non-directional and directional hypotheses
Non-directional give a general prediction, stating that there will be a difference between the experimental groups
Directional gives a specific prediction of the expected direction of the results
What is an experimental design
A way in which participants are allocated to conditions in an experiment
Experimental Design: Independent Groups
Different pps are used for each condition. This should be done by random allocation
Evaluate independent groups
S: avoids order effects such as fatigue as they only participate in one condition
S: reduced bias due to random allocation
W: difference between pps may affect results e.g. age and sex
W: requires more people
Experimental design: Repeated Measures
The same pps are used for both conditions
Evaluate repeated measures
S: participant variables r reduced so results r more reliable
S: Fewer people needed so it’s less time consuming
W: order effect - the pps may improve over time or get worse due to fatigue so results will be interfered with
Experimental designs: matched pairs
Each condition uses different but similar pps
