Research Methods:Types of experiment , experimental design and terminology

Question 1

What is an aim?

Answer 1

a statement or question about what you are intending to research

Question 2

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 2

a precise , testable statement of what the researcher predicts will be the outcome of an experiment

Question 3

What is a null hypothesis?

What is an experimental hypothesis?

Answer 3

-a statement of no difference (the IV wont impact the DV)

-statement of how the IV will effect the DV

Question 4

What is an independent variable?

Answer 4

the variable that is manipulated by the researcher

Question 5

What is the dependent variable?

Answer 5

the variable that the researcher measures

Question 6

What is a directional hypothesis?

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 6

states the kind of difference you are expecting between the groups/conditions

states their will be a difference but unknown as to which way

Question 7

What does operationalisation mean?

Answer 7

turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable and testable observations

Question 8

What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 8

any variable apart from the IV that may affect the DV

Question 9

What is a cofounding variable?

Answer 9

a type of EV that is related to the IV so can act as another IV

Question 10

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 10

cues that may indicate the aim of a study to ppts

Question 11

What does standardisation mean?

Answer 11

process of procedures used in research being kept the same

Question 12

What is counter-balancing?

Answer 12

where one group does the conditions in one order and the other does them in the opposite order
-ensures each condition is tested equally

Question 13

What are order effects?

Answer 13

when ppts responses are affected by the order of conditions to which they were exposed

Question 14

What is a lab experiment?

What are the strengths(2)and weaknesses(2)?

Answer 14

conducted in a controlled environment
the IV is manipulated by researcher

+precise control of variables so can be confident that the IV has caused the change in DV
+easier to replicate which allows us to check reliability

-high control can make it artificial which make its difficult to generalise findings so can lack ecological validity
-may behave differently in a lab to real life

Question 15

What do standardised instructions allow?

Answer 15

allow experiments to be done by anyone at any time

Question 16

What is a field experiment?

What are the strengths(2) and weaknesses(2)

Answer 16

carried out in a real life setting , but the researcher still manipulates the IV

+higher ecological validity as done in a natural setting so findings can be generalised more easily
+ppts less likely to show demand characteristics as they behave more naturally as they aren’t aware they are being studied

-less control over EVs which lowers validity as cant establish cause and effect
-ethical issues as ppts often aren’t aware they are taking part

Question 17

What is a natural experiment?

What are the strengths(2) and weaknesses(3)

Answer 17

done in a natural environment , researcher does not manipulate the IV

+high ecological validity
+useful to look at situations where IV manipulation would be unethical

-loads of EVs that cant be controlled (cant est cause and effect)
-not easy to replicate
-risk of cofounding variables due to no random allocation

Question 18

Name the three experimental designs

Answer 18

independent groups
repeated measures
matched pairs

Question 19

What is an experimental design

Answer 19

how ppts are allocated to different conditions of an experiment

Question 20

Describe an independent groups design

2 points

Answer 20

-each ppt takes part in 1 condition
-they are randomly allocated to their condition

Question 21

What are the 2 strengths of an IG design and what are the 3 weaknesses?

Answer 21

+no order effects
+reduced chance of demand characteristics

-no control over ppt variables
-differences between conditions many be due to use of different people instead of the IV
-need twice as many ppts

Question 22

Describe a repeated measures design

2 points

Answer 22

-same ppt is used in both conditions
-same person does each task and is tested several times

Question 23

What are the 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses of a RM design?

Answer 23

+ppt variables are eliminated
-less time consuming as you need less ppts

-order effects may alter performance
-increased chance of demand characteristics

Question 24

Describe a matched pairs design

2 points

Answer 24

-ppts matched as closely as possible with another using a pre-test
-each member of the pair is randomly allocated to one of the conditions

Question 25

What are the 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses of a MP design?

Answer 25

+no order effects
+control of ppt variables

-time consuming as have to match ppts
-requires more ppts

Question 26

How do you control the issues with each of the experimental designs?

Answer 26

IG-random allocation to conditions
RM-counterbalancing conditions controls order effects
MP-random allocation

Question 27

What does random allocation do?

Answer 27

chooses individuals entirely by chance with no regard to will of researchers/ppts preference or condition