Research Methods - EVs & Research Procedure

Question 1

What is cause and effect?

Answer 1

If the only thing that has affected the DV is the IV, the experiment has demonstrated cause and effect - any change to the DV is due to the IV

Question 2

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 2

Any variable, that isn’t the IV, that may have an effect on the DV.
These are controlled to demonstrate cause and effect.

Question 3

What are situational variables?

Answer 3

Features of the environment that may influence a participants behaviour
(Eg - time of day)

Question 4

What are participant variables?

Answer 4

Any individual differences between participants that may affect the DV
(Eg - IQ)

Question 5

What are experimenter/investigator effects?

Answer 5

Things the experimenter does that affect the IV

Eg - giving more info to some than others

Question 6

What does it mean by ‘instructions to participants’?

Answer 6

All participants should be given the exact same info throughout an investigation (standardised instructions)
Before a study, the researcher should write down word for word what will be said to each participant

Question 7

What’s standardisation?

Answer 7

Using exactly the same standardised procedure & instructions for all participants in a research study

Question 8

What’s randomisation?

Answer 8

The use of chance in order to control for the effects of bias
For example, a memory experiment may require them to recall words from a list, the order souls be random.