Research methods Flashcards
Explain an experimental method
The manipulation of an independent variable to test it’s effect on the dependent variable, can be field, lab or quasi.
Define the aim of an experiment
A clear statement of what the experiment intends to find
What is a directional hypothesis
A hypothesis that describes the direction of the relationship between the two variables
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
A hypothesis that states that there is a change between the two variables but not the direction of it
What is an independent variable
The variable that you change
What is a dependent variable
The variable you measure
what is operationalisation
making the variables measurable
what are extraneous variables
A variable that if not controlled can affect the results of the experiment
What are confounding variables
Variables that are unexpected and therefore can’t be controlled and can also affect the results of the experiment as it makes the reason for the result unclear
What are demand characteristics?
Any clue within the experiment that could hint to the intent of the experiment, allowing participants to act in a specific way either to either please the experimenter or sabotage the experiment
What are investigator effects?
Conscious or unconscious biases from the investigator to manipulate the experiment to play out to his expectations
What is randomisation?
The process of using chance methods in the design of the experiment in order to limit investigator effects
What is standardisation?
Using the same formalised procedures and instructions for all participants
