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PSYC210 > Topic 2 IV > Flashcards

Topic 2 IV Flashcards

1
Q

What is in independent variable?

A
  • The experimental factor (s) that distinguish groups

- Manipulated by the experimenter

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2
Q

What is a manipulated variable?

A

A factor directly manipulated by experimenter e.g. whether participant gets drug A, B, C

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3
Q

What is a subject variable?

A

A factor NOT directly manipulated by experimenter e.g gender or where they live

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4
Q

If the IV is manipulated what experiment will it be?

A

A TRUE experiment

causal

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5
Q

Under a True experiment what can be found out?

A
  1. Prediction

2. Explanation

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6
Q

If the IV is Subject what experiment will it be?

A

A QUASI experiment

correlation

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7
Q

Under a Subject experiment what can be found out?

A
  1. Prediction

NOT EXPLANATION

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8
Q

If IV (X) observes result Y what are the four possible explanations for this?

A
  1. X causes Y
  2. Y causes X
  3. 3rd Factors Z causes X and Y
  4. Chance
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9
Q

Explain X causes Y

A

Difference between IV levels is directly responsible for difference between the groups on the DV

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10
Q

Explain Y causes X

A

Observed difference on DV is determining what level of the IV participants are in e.g. elderly with responsibility vs health

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11
Q

Explain 3rd factor causes both X and Y

A

A third factor determines which level of the IV participants are in , and also determining observed differences between groups on the DV

e. g. smoking (IV) and hearth disease (DV , Y/N)
- stress is the third factor
- Can cause people to smoke
- Can cause heart disease

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12
Q

What is a control group? And how is it different from the experimental group?

A
  1. The comparison group (baseline)

2. Differs from experimental groups by absence of experimental treatment

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13
Q

What is the placebo effect?

A
  • The group believes they are receiving the treatment but are not. Start to feel ‘effects of the treatment’
  • Performance in group gives estimate of size of placebo effect
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14
Q

What is the effect of incorrectly choosing levels of the independent variable?

A

Obscures the effect of the Independent variable

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15
Q

What is a Single-Blind Study?

A

Used when dealing with placebo / experimental intervention groups where the participant must not know which group they are in

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16
Q

What is a Double-Blind Study?

A

Neither participant nor experimenter knows the condition that the participant is assigned to

17
Q

What are Demand Characteristics?

A

Cues in a situation that people interpret as ‘demands’ for a particular behaviour

  • Participants bring attitudes that influence behaviour
  • Environment and experimenter can contribute
18
Q

Describe a between subjects experiment

A

Each participant is tested in only one IV level

-subject variables in between-subjects design may act as confounds

19
Q

Describe matching

A

A way to control subject variables which may have acted as confounds

Impactful variables are matched in treatment conditions e.g. same amount of variable in each group

20
Q

What is error variance?

A

It’s that we vary in response without being influenced by variables e.g. you can’t hit the keyboard at exactly the same time each time therefore gives variation

21
Q

What decreases due to error variance?

A

The likelihood of detecting actual difference between levels of the Independent variables

22
Q

What is the participant condition for Within-subjects design?

A

Each subject is tested in every level of the IV

23
Q

In a within subjects design what does each participant serve to themselves as?

A

As his or her own control for confounding

24
Q

What is a problem with within-subjects design?

A

Order Effect = order in which participants experience levels can cause confounding

Practice Effect = participants’ results could be impacted by repeating a task (can be postive of negative)

25
Q

What technique protects against order effects?

A

Counterbalance

26
Q

Explain counterbalancing

A

Each treatment condition is equally exposed to practice effects and demand characteristics

e.g. 1/2 participants are tested deprived -> rested
1/2 participants tested rested -> deprived

27
Q

What is a control variable?

A

Any extraneous variables that are held constant during experiment

28
Q

What can uncontrolled variables become?

A

Confounding variables

29
Q

What three things are important to control in a study?

A
  1. Participants/ subject variables
  2. Demand characteristics
  3. Experimental materials

PSYC210 (28 decks)

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