Research Methods; Pilot Studies, Controls and Variables

Question 1

Participant variables:

Answer 1

Differences between participants (e.g. their stage of development such as age, or ability such as IQ).

Question 2

Investigator/research variables:

Answer 2

Factors such as researcher behaviour, appearance or gender, which could affect participant responses.

Question 3

Situational variables:

Answer 3

The setting where the experiment takes place, such as keeping light, sound and temperature levels consistent.

Question 4

Confounding variables:

Answer 4

Variables that affect the results of the DV which we can’t separate from the effects of the CV and the IV on the DV.

Question 5

Controlling for Participant Variables:

Answer 5

Repeated measures design: controls for participant variables by having all participants experience all conditions and are compared with themselves across conditions. A matched pairs design also achieves this.
Random allocation: assigns participants to different groups in an experiment randomly, ensuring each has an equal chance of being placed in any group. This helps evenly distribute participant characteristics (e.g., age, intelligence, gender) across groups, reducing the risk of these characteristics affecting the results.

Question 6

Controlling for Demand Characteristics:

Answer 6

Single-blind design: do not tell the participants about the aims, hypotheses or intents of the study.

Double-blind design: do not tell the participants or the researcher about the aims, hypotheses or intents of the study.

Deception: misleads participants about the true purpose of the study.

Unobtrusive measures: collect data without directly interacting with participants or making them aware they are being studied,

Placebos: use a placebo control group to ensure any effects are due to the treatment rather than the participants’ expectations. Participants are uninformed of which they are receiving.

Question 7

Controlling for Social Desirability:

Answer 7

Researchers need to ensure anonymity to enable participants to have a confidant.

Question 8

Controlling for Investigator Effects:

Answer 8

Counterbalancing: a method used to control for order effects (practice, boredom or fatigue effects can influence participants’ performance in subsequent conditions) in repeated measures designs, where participants are exposed to multiple conditions.

Randomisation: the process of using random methods to order or select elements in an experiment, such as stimuli, task sequences, or participants.

Standardisation: maintaining uniform procedures for all participants in an experiment. This means that all participants are treated in the same way, given the same instructions, and exposed to the same conditions.

Double-blind design: do not tell the participants or the researcher about the aims, hypotheses or intents of the study.