Experimental Variables
What is: Independent measure design?
Participants are split into groups, with each groups tested in only one condition of a study.
What is the strengths of Independent Measures Design?
There are no order effects as participants only take part in one condition of the study.
What is an Independent Variable?
The variable directly manipulated by the researcher.
What is the purpose of conducting a literature review in psychological research?
The purpose of conducting a literature review in psychological research is to review and summarize existing research and knowledge on a specific topic. It helps researchers gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research, identify gaps in knowledge, and inform their own research design and hypothesis.
Define counterbalancing
Counterbalancing: where half of the participant group experience condition A then condition B, while the other half experience condition B then condition A.
What is experimental design
The name given to research design when used in an experiment
What is the weakness of repeated measures design?
Demand characteristics are more likely as participants are more able to guess the aim.
What is a situational variable?
An extraneous variable present in the environment of the study
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a self-report measure in psychological research?
Advantages of using a self-report measure in psychological research include easy administration, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to directly assess individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Disadvantages include potential response biases, social desirability bias, and limitations in individuals' self-awareness or accurate reporting.
Identify the independent and the dependent variables in the following investigation
A study to investigate whether cats or dogs sleep longer
A study to see if age affects the amount of sleep we need
A study to investigate whether cats or dogs sleep longer:
Independent variable: Type of animal (cats or dogs)
Dependent variable: Duration of sleep
A study to see if age affects the amount of sleep we need:
Independent variable: Age of the participants
Dependent variable: Amount of sleep needed
What is research design?
How participants are allocated to the condition of a study
Matched pair designs strength
Fair comparison can be made between the groups as they are equally matched
What is a Null hypothesis?
a prediction that the results will fail to show any difference that is consistent or systematic.
Explain the difference between random assignment and random selection in experimental research.
Random selection refers to the process of randomly choosing participants from a larger population to be included in a study. Random assignment, on the other hand, involves randomly assigning participants to different groups or conditions in an experiment. Random selection helps ensure that the sample represents the population, while random assignment helps control for potential confounding variables and ensures equal distribution of characteristics across groups.
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What is: Repeated measure design?
The same participants are used in all conditions of a study.
What is a control problem of a repeated measures design?
Order effects need to be controlled using counter-balancing or randomisation
What is the Single-Blind Technique?
When information about the study is withheld from participants?
Describe the difference between a correlational study and an experimental study, and provide an example of each.
A correlational study examines the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them. It assesses the degree and direction of association between variables. For example, studying the relationship between exercise and stress levels.
Write a null-hypothesis for the following investigation:
A study to see whether trained rats can run in a maze faster than untrained rats.
A study to look at the relationship between hours spent on social media and exercises
Null-hypothesis for the study on trained rats and maze running:
Null-hypothesis for the study on social media hours and exercise:
What is matched pair design?
Different participants are used in each condition of the study, but are matched for likeness on important characteristics.
What is the control problem of the Independent measures design?
Participants can be randomly allocated to each condition
Define Triangulation
when more than one measure is taken for a behaviour to cross-validate the findings.
A researcher conducted a study on the effects of a new drug on anxiety levels. The study used a double-blind design. Explain what a double-blind design is and why it is important in this type of research.
In a double-blind design, neither the participants nor the researchers directly involved in the study know which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group. This is achieved by using coded or anonymous treatments and placebos. The purpose of a double-blind design is to minimize bias and increase the validity of the results. It helps prevent the placebo effect, where participants' beliefs or expectations influence their responses, and it also reduces experimenter bias, where researchers' expectations or unintentional cues may influence the results.
How would you go about controlling extraneous variables in the following investigations?
• A group of researchers were planning to investigate bystander behaviour in a local shopping centre. They decided to take turns throughout the week to drop their shopping in full view of other shoppers.