RESEARCH METHODS - Experimental research: extraneous variables

Question 1

Define: extraneous variable

Answer 1

unwanted variables other than the IV that may cause a change in the DV.

Question 2

What are the 3 types of extraneous variables?

Answer 2

Participant variables, situational variables and experimental variables

Question 3

Why are EV’s unwanted?

Answer 3

They make it difficult to conclude if the change in the DV is caused by the IV.

Question 4

Ideally potential extraneous variables are __________ and __________ prior to the commencement of an experiment

Answer 4

Identified and controlled

Question 5

Define: participant variables and provide examples

Answer 5

Variables other than the IV associated with the personal or individual characteristcs of participants which can affect how they respond (DV) to the research procedures
eg. gender, intelligence, personality, mood, motivation, cultural background

Question 6

Name one method how participant variables can be controlled and why is effective?

Answer 6

Random allocation: theoretically, participant differences will be spread evenly across all conditions.

Question 7

Define: situational variables

Answer 7

Extraneous variables associated with the specific research study setting or context and how participants respond to the research procedures
eg. background noise, time, testing venue, testing conditions, air temperature

Question 8

4 methods of controlling situational variables?

Answer 8

Variables associated with the experimenter’s behaviour which may affect how the particiapnts respond to the research procedures (including biases in treatment of data)
eg. fatigue, expectations, personal issues, health, gender, appearance

Question 9

Describe Rosenthal 1966

Answer 9

Lab assistants were used as research participants
Were told to place certain rats (maze bright/maze dull) in a maze.
Actually, the rats were randomly allocated
Results showed that the maze bright rats learned the maze the quickest
Concluded: expectations can cause subtle differences in how researchers treat groups, resulting in a change of results

Question 10

Describe Rosenthal and Jacobson 1968

Answer 10

Children were randomly allocated to classes
Howeer, some teachers were told their classes had "academic promise" while others were not
At the end of the year, the "academic promise" class showed much higher gains in IQ scores than others.

Question 11

2 methods of preventing experimenter variables?

Answer 11

Using double-blind procedures: both participants and researchers are unaware of the CONDITIONS to which the participants have been allocated
Researches that come into contact with the participants are unaware of the EXPECTED RESULTS

Question 12

Define: confounding variables

Answer 12

A variable other than the IV that has an unwanted affect on the DV, making it impossible to determine which of the variables has produced the predicted change in the DV

Question 13

What is the difference between extraneous and confounding variables?

Answer 13

Ask Ms Lee-Ack, bitch.