Research Methods- Aims and Hypotheses Flashcards
What is an aim?
A statement of a study’s purpose
Why should research have an aim beforehand?
So that it’s clear what the study intends to investigate
What is a null hypothesis?
What you’re going to assume is true during the study
What often is the null hypothesis?
A prediction that there will be no relationships between the key variables in a study or that there will be no difference between the scores from the various conditions of an experiment
When do you accept the alternative hypothesis?
If the data forces you to reject the null hypothesis
What is a directional hypothesis?
When the hypothesis states which conditions will do better and which will do worse
What is a non-directional hypothesis?
It states that there will be a change but doesn’t say the direction
What is a variable?
A quantity whose value can change
What is the independent variable?
A variable directly manipulated by the researcher
What is the dependent variable?
The variable that you think will be affected by changes in the IV
What is an extraneous variable?
Any variable other than the IV that could affect what you’re trying to measure
What is a confounding variable?
If an extraneous variable actually affects the DV
What is operationalisation?
Describing the process by which the variable is measured
What does operationalisation allow?
Others to see exactly how you’re going to define and measure your variables
