Research Methods Flashcards
Aim
a general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate ; the purpose of the study
Hypothesis
a clear precise testable statement that states the relationship between the variables to be investigated and stated at the outset of any study
Directional Hypothesis
the researcher makes clear the sort of difference that is anticipated between two conditions or two groups
-include words such as less, higher, lower, faster,
Non-directional Hypothesis
states that there is a difference between conditions or groups of people but the nature of the difference is not specified
Experimental method
involves the manipulation of an iv to measure the effect on the dv
-lab, field, natural
When do psychologist use a directional hypothesis?
when the findings of previous research studies suggest a particular outcome
When do psychologist use a non-directional hypothesis?
when there is no previous research, or findings from earlier studies are contradictory
Independent variables
some aspect of the experimental situation is manipulated by the researcher so the effect of the dv can be measured
Dependent Variables
the variable that is measured by the researcher . any effect on the dv should be caused by the change in the iv
Why should all variables other than the IV and the DV remain constant in an experiment?
so the researcher can be confident that the cause of the effect on the dv was the IV alone
Operationalisation
clearly defining variables in terms of how they can be measured
Extraneous Variables
any variable, other than the iv that may have an effect on the dv if it is not controlled
-are nuisance variables that do not vary systematically with the iv
