RM: Aims and Hypothesis

Question 1

What is an aim?

Answer 1

The purpose of the study/what the research intends to investigate

Question 2

What is an IV?

Answer 2

The variable that is changed or manipulated in the experiment

Question 3

What is a DV?

Answer 3

The variable that is measured, what the hypothesis is based on

Question 4

What is an EV?

Answer 4

An outside variable which could affect the DV, that is not the IV, which should be controlled for

Question 5

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 5

A precise, testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the study’s outcome

Question 6

What is operationalization?

Answer 6

To make the hypothesis testable and measurable so someone else could re-test the experiment in the same way

Question 7

What is a null hypothesis?

Answer 7

Predicts no difference between groups/conditions or that any difference will be due to chance

Question 8

What is an alternative/hypothesis hypothesis?

Answer 8

Predicts a difference between groups/ conditions

Question 9

What is a directional hypothesis?

Answer 9

Predicts a relationship between conditions and states the direction of the difference

Question 10

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 10

Predicts a relationship between conditions but doesn’t state which direction of the difference/relationship

Question 11

When do you use a non/directional hypothesis?

Answer 11

Directional: used when there has been previous research related to the aim of the investigation
Non-directional: used when there has been no relevant previous research to the study’s aim/contradictory research