Research Methods - The Experimental Method

Question 1

What is an experiment?

Answer 1

A research method in which the effect of two or more conditions of the IV on a DV is measured, other variables controlled, in order to investigate a cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 2

What is the dependent variable?

Answer 2

The variable being measured, that varies as a consequence of the changes in the IV.

Question 3

What is the dependent variable?

Answer 3

The variable being measured, that varies as a consequence of the changes in the IV.

Question 4

What are extraneous variable?

Answer 4

Factor other than the IV which could affect performance on the DV, and so distort the results.

Question 5

What are the levels of the IV?

Answer 5

The different conditions under which participants are tested in an experiment that are manipulated, changed or compared by the researcher are the levels of the IV.

Question 6

What is the control condition?

Answer 6

An experiment characterised but the absence of the IV. It is used as a baseline for comparison with an experimental condition.

Question 7

What does operationalisation mean?

Answer 7

The definition of variables so that they can be accurately manipulated, measured or quantified and replicated is called operationalisation?

Question 8

What does the term experimental design?

Answer 8

The term “experimental design” refers to the way in which participants are allocated to levels of the IV.

Question 9

What is the independent measures design?

Answer 9

An experimental design in which different participants are used for each level of the IV.

Question 10

What is the repeated measures design?

Answer 10

An experimental design in which each participant performs every level of the IV.

Question 11

What is the matched participant design?

Answer 11

An experimental design in which participants are arranged in pairs. Each pair is similar in ways that are important to the study and one member of each pair performs one of the levels of the IV.

Question 12

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 12

Features of an experimental setting that indicate to participants the aims of the study and so can influence their behaviour.

Question 13

What is meant by the term ‘single blind’?

Answer 13

A single blind experimental procedure ensures that participants are unaware of the level of the IV in which they are performing. This helps to reduce the effect of demand characteristics.

Question 14

What is meant by the term ‘double blind’?

Answer 14

A double blind experimental procedure protects against both demand characteristics and researcher bias. It ensures that neither the researcher working with the participants nor the participants themselves are aware of which condition an individual is in.

Question 15

What is meant by the term ‘researcher effects”?

Answer 15

Researcher effects are the negative influences researchers can have on a study by their presence or beliefs.

Question 16

What is meant by the term ‘participant variables’?

Answer 16

Participant variables are individual differences between participants (such as age, skills, personality) that could affect their responses in a study.

Question 17

what is the order effect?

Answer 17

In a repeated measures design, order effect (either practice or fatigue effects) can produce changes in performance between conditions that are not the result of the IV, so can obscure the effect on the DV.

Question 18

What is the practice effect?

Answer 18

The practice effect refers to the situation where participants’ performance improves because they experience the experimental task more than once. They might become more familiar with the task or recall they previous answers.

Question 19

What is the fatigue effect?

Answer 19

The fatigue effect refers to the situation where the participants’ performance declines because they have experienced an experimental task more than once. They might be bored or tired.

Question 20

What is meant by the term “counterbalancing”?

Answer 20

Counterbalancing is used to overcome order effects in a repeated measures design. Each possible order of levels of the IV is performed by a different sub-group of participants. This can be described as an ABBA design. as half the participants do condition A then B, and half do B then A.

Question 21

How are the participants allocated to levels of the IV in a true experiment?

Answer 21

In a true experiment, a researcher can randomly allocate participants to different levels of the IV.

Question 22

How are the participants allocated to levels of the IV in a quasi experiment?

Answer 22

In a quasi experiment, an experimenter makes use of an existing change or difference in situations to create levels of an IV, and then measures the DV in each condition.

Question 23

What is a field experiment?

Answer 23

A field experiment is a study in which the researcher manipulates an IV and measures a DV in the natural setting of the participants for the activity being tested.

Question 24

What is a laboratory experiment?

Answer 24

A laboratory experiment is a study conducted in an artificial environment in which the experimenter manipulates an IV and measures the consequent changes in a DV, while carefully controlling extraneous variables.

Question 25

What are standardised instructions?

Answer 25

A set of spoken, written or recorded instructions presented to participants to tell them what to do. This ensures that all participants receive identical treatment and information, so differences between their performance on the DV are more likely to be the result of the IV.

Question 26

What are situational variables?

Answer 26

Factors in the environment surrounding participants that can affect their performance on the DV, and so could obscure the effect of the IV.

Question 27

What is mundane realism?

Answer 27

The extent to which an experimental task represents a real world situation.

Question 28

What is generalisability?

Answer 28

The extent to which findings from one situation or sample will apply to other situations or people.