Variables and operalisation Flashcards
Independent variable
-The variable that the researcher manipulates in order to get separate sets of results (DV)
Dependent variable
-The variable that the researcher measures in order to draw conclusions.
Co-Variables
-The two variables measured when finding a correlation.
Extraneous variable
-Any variable other than the IV, which could affect the DV of all the participants’ behaviour equally.
Confounding variable
-Variables of a study that are not being measured or manipulated by the researcher, that affect some participants’ behaviours but not others.
Operationalisation
-Defining your IVs into groups that can br studied and measured.
Participant variables
-These extraneous variables are related to individual characteristics of each participant that will affect their responses.
-E.g intelligence, anxiety, age.
How to deal with participant variables.
-Repeated measured experimental design=same participants in both the experimental and control conditions.
-Matched pairs design=matching the participants on abilities, characteristics, or backgrounds in rachh condition.
Situational variables
-Factors in the environment that can unintentionally affect the dependent variable in of a study.
-E.g noise, temperature, odours, lighting, and even the time of day.
How to deal with situational variables.
-Standardise procedures=ensure all participants are tested under the same conditions and the environment is controlled.
Order effects
-Differences in research participants’ responses that result from the order (e.g, first, second, third) in which the experimental materialsbare presented to them.
-E.g getting bored or better at a test in repeated measures experimental designs.
How to deal with order effects.
-Counter balancing=alternste the order in which the participants perform in different conditions of an experiment.
-ABBA=half the participants’ complete condition A first, then condition B, whereas the other half of participants complete condition first, then condition A.
Researcher effects
-Researcher unintentionally or unconsciously influence the outcome of any research they are conducting.
-E.g non-verbal communication, physical characteristics, and bias in interpretation of data.
How to deal with researcher effects.
-Double blind design=both the participants and the person conducting the research don’t know the aim of the experiment.
Aim
-A statement of what a researcher intends to find out in their research study.
Research hypothesis
-A prediction of the outcomes of a research study - not written as a question.
Experimental hypothesis
-Research hypothesis for experiments - difference in DV when the IV is changed.
Alternative hypothesis
-Hypothesis for non-experiments, e.g, correlation studies.
Directional hypothesis
-Predicts the direction a DV will change when the IV is manipulated or the direction of relationship (+ or -) in a correlation study.
-Used when previous research indicates the outcome of the study.
Non-directional hypothesis
Simply predict there will be a change on the DV when an IV has been manipulated or that there will be a relationship in a correlation study. It doesn’t predict a direction.
-Used when there is no previous research or findings from previous research, it is inconclusive, so the researcher is unsure of the outcome of the study.
Null hypothesis
-A prediction that any difference or correlation is not significant and is due to chance.
