Aims, Hypothesis and Variables

Question 1

What is an aim?

Answer 1

A general statement outlining what the researcher is investigating.

“To investigate”

Question 2

Example of an aim:

Answer 2

“To investigate the effect of leading questions on eye witness testimony”
“To investigate the effects of music genres on mathematic ability”

Question 3

What is an independent variable?

Answer 3

Variable in the experiment that the researcher is manipulating to see what effect it has on the DV. (May also be something that changes naturally.)

Question 4

Example of an IV

Answer 4

• The music genre
• The knife/pen (J+S study)

Question 5

What is a dependant variable?

Answer 5

Variable in the experiment that is measured.
Affected by the manipulation of the IV.

Question 6

Example of a DV

Answer 6

• The math test scores
• Recall accuracy of perpetrator (J+S study)

Question 7

What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 7

Any variable other than the IV that affects the DV
- affects ALL conditions

Question 8

Example of EV

Answer 8

Participant characteristics. e.g. IQ, gender, age

Question 9

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 9

Any variable other than the IV that affects the DV
- affects only 1 condition
- (Usually situational factors)

Question 10

Example of CV

Answer 10

• Noise
• Temperature

Question 11

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 11

A testable statement in which researchers predict the outcome of the results and prove it right or wrong.

Question 12

Template of Hypothesis writing:

Answer 12

There will be a SIGNIFICANT increase/decrease/difference in the DV when IV1 compared to IV2.

Question 13

Identify differences between aim and hypothesis.

Answer 13

An aim is a general statement outlining what the researcher is investigating whereas a hypothesis is a testable statement in which researchers predict the outcome of the results and prove it right or wrong.

Question 14

Examples of hypothesis:

Answer 14

There will be a significant increase in the math test scores when listening to jazz compared to pop.

There will be a significant decrease in the accuracy of the recall of the perpetrator when anxiety is present compared with no anxiety.

Question 15

What is operationalisation?

Answer 15

Clearly defining variables so that they can be measured numerically and specifically.

Question 16

Why do we operationalise the DV?

Answer 16

• To make findings more objective
• Helps researcher replicate studies

Question 17

How could you operationalise intelligence?

Answer 17

Get people with similar IQ results

Question 18

How could you operationalise mathematical ability?

Answer 18

Make people do a standardised math exam (could be GCSE)

Question 19

How could you operationalise memory?

Answer 19

How many words from a list of 40 can they remember in a minute.

Question 20

Example of a hypothesis with an operationalised DV:

Answer 20

There will be a significant increase in a standardised GCSE maths exam score when listening to jazz while revising compared to pop.

Question 21

Null hypothesis:

Answer 21

Statement suggesting no affect
Can be either directional or non-directional

Question 22

Alternate hypothesis

Answer 22

Statement suggesting there is an effect
Can be either directional or non-directional

Question 23

What is a directional hypothesis?

Answer 23

A hypothesis that is specific about whethere the change will be an increase or a decrease
(There is usually prior research on the topic)

Question 24

What is a non-directional hypothesis?

Answer 24

A hypothesis that is certain about the difference but not the direction of the difference between the DV and 2 conditions
(Usually no prior research on the topic.)

Question 25

Example of directional null hypothesis:

Answer 25

There will be no significant increase in standardised GCSE maths exam scores when listening to jazz while revising compared to pop.

Question 26

Example of non-directional null hypothesis:

Answer 26

There will be a significant DIFFERENCE in the math test scores when listening to jazz while revising compared to pop.