Experimental Design 101
This term refers to the variable that the researcher manipulates in an experiment.
What is the independent variable (IV)?
This type of bias occurs when a researcher's expectations unconsciously influence how they interpret or collect data.
What is researcher/experimenter bias?
This term refers to turning an abstract concept, like "generosity" or "memory," into something that can be concretely measured in a study.
What is operationalization?
This ethical principle requires participants to be told about a study and agree to take part before it begins.
What is informed consent?
This theory holds that specific brain areas are responsible for specific functions or behaviours.
What is localisation of function?
This experimental design uses the same participants in every condition, so each participant acts as their own control.
What is a repeated measures design?
This type of bias occurs when participants answer questions in the way they believe is more socially acceptable, rather than truthfully.
What is social desirability bias?
This term refers to whether a measure actually captures what it claims to measure.
What is validity?
This ethical principle requires participants to be able to leave a study at any point without penalty.
What is the right to withdraw?
This brain imaging technique detects changes in oxygenated blood flow to show real-time brain activity.
What is fMRI?
This term describes any variable other than the IV that could affect the DV if it isn't controlled.
What is an extraneous (or confounding) variable?
This type of bias occurs when the sample used doesn't represent the wider population the study aims to generalize to.
What is sampling bias?
This term refers to the consistency of a measure — would you get the same result if you repeated it?
What is reliability?
This set of three principles — using alternatives where possible, minimizing the number of animals used, and minimizing pain/distress — guides responsible animal research.
What are the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement)?
This term describes the brain's ability to reorganize itself structurally and functionally in response to learning or experience.
What is neuroplasticity?
This technique involves assigning participants to conditions using a random method (e.g. drawing lots or a random number generator), helping ensure that participant variables are spread evenly across groups in an independent measures design.
What is random allocation?
In the HM case study, the fact that researchers were predominantly Western raised concerns about this type of bias potentially overlooking other factors in how memory is understood and expressed.
What is cultural bias?
This term refers to research that relies on people reporting their own thoughts or feelings, usually through a questionnaire or interview, rather than a more objective test.
What is self-report?
This term describes protecting a participant's identity, often by using initials or a fake name instead of their real one.
What is anonymity/confidentiality?
This chemical messenger plays a key role in memory and has an excitatory function. To test its function, researchers often use scopolamine.
What is acetylcholine?
This type of experiment uses a pre-existing, naturally occurring independent variable — such as age, gender, or a diagnosed condition — meaning participants cannot be randomly allocated to conditions.
What is a quasi-experiment?
This type of bias occurs when studies with dramatic or significant findings are more likely to get published than those with null or ambiguous results, skewing the field's overall picture.
What is publication bias?
This medical imaging technique takes a picture of brain structure, useful for measuring things like the size of a specific brain region.
What is an MRI (scan)?
This term describes weighing the potential scientific benefit of a study against the potential harm or risk to participants.
What is a cost-benefit analysis?
This research methodology, comparing identical and fraternal twins, is commonly used to estimate how much a behaviour like intelligence or aggression is genetically influenced.
What are twin studies?