The Experimental Method Flashcards
What is the experimental method?
A research method including the random allocation of participants and the manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect
What is the independent variable?
A factor in an investigation which is manipulated by the researcher
What is the dependent variable?
A factor measured by the researcher in an investigation
What is operationalisation of variables?
The process of defining variables into measurable factors
What is an extraneous variable?
A factor apart from the IV that may affect the DV
What are the three types of extraneous variables?
Participant variables, situational variables and experimenter variables
What are participant variables?
Factors like participants age, gender and intelligence
What are situational variables?
The experimental setting and environment
What are experimenter variables?
The personality and appearance of the inspector e.g. gender may make a difference in the results
What four things may demand characteristics lead to?
Trying to please the researcher by giving the ‘right’ answer
Trying to please the researcher by giving the ‘wrong’ answer (screw you effect)
Acting unnaturally out of nervousness and fear of judgement
Acting unnaturally out of social desirability bias
What are demand characteristics?
Features of a piece of research which allow the participants to work out its aim/hypothesis. Participants may then change their behaviour accordingly
What are investigator effects?
Ways in which a researcher unconsciously influence the results of research
e.g. physical appearance, voice/accent, interpretation of data
How can we reduce investigator effects?
Double blind trial
What is a double blind trial?
Where both the participant and investigator are ‘blind’ to what condition the participant is in
