Unit 1 - Variables + How operationalised Flashcards
What is an independent variable?
Is what you are manipulating/changing.
What is a dependent variable?
Is what you are measuring.
What is the control of extraneous variables?
You have to make sure that the experiment is controlled so that no extraneous variable could have influenced the results.
What are participant variables?
Age, intelligence, gender…
How are participant variables controlled?
Either having repeated measures or matched participants design. Or if using independent measures, allocate participants to conditions on a random basis.
What are situational variables?
Order effects, if doing the same activity twice, may be better the second time.
How are situational variables controlled?
Either independent or matched participants design. If repeated measures are used, this should be counterbalanced.
What are environmental factors?
Time of day, temperature, noise…
How are environmental factors controlled?
Impose controls to have few differences.
What are demand characteristics?
When the participants know the aim of the study and act unnaturally.
How are demand characteristics controlled?
Don’t tell participants the aim of the investigation (single blind)
How can variables be operationalised?
The process of making variables physically measurable or testable. Through recording an aspect of observational behaviour that is assumed to be indicative of variable. It may be required of the IV and DV.
