Control Issues

Question 1

What is counter-balancing?

Answer 1

• A method that ensures that each condition is tested 1st or 2nd in equal amounts.
• It is where 1/2 the PPs experience Condition A then B, whereas the other 1/2 of PPs experience Condition B followed by Condition A.
• Cancels out order effects.

Question 2

What are order effects?

Answer 2

• When PPs begin to guess what comes next in the order, thus affecting validity of results.

Question 3

What are experimenter effects?

Answer 3

• A form of reactivity in which a researcher’s cognitive bias causes them to subconsciously influence the PPs of an experiment - e.g., by emphasising a particular q.

Question 4

What are experimenter effects in interviews?

Answer 4

• Researcher may have a personal connection with a PP.
• Close interaction may occur between researcher and PP, which may mislead PPs.
• Interviewers are carefully trained to remain neutral and minimise biasing the answers an interviewee gives.

Question 5

What are experimenter effects in Questionnaires?

Answer 5

• The way a question is phrased may be misleading –> Influences the answers given.

Question 6

What is Social Desirability?

Answer 6

• When PPs answer questions in a way that will make it look like they adhere to social norms, instead of telling the truth. Often done to make themselves look better.

Question 7

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 7

• When PPs behave unnaturally as they behave in a way that they believe the researcher wants them to.

Question 8

What are PP Variables?

Answer 8

• Differences between the PPs themselves.

- Can include things such as age, gender, social class, mood.

Question 9

What are Situational Variables?

Answer 9

• Changes that occur in the situation the PPs are in.

- Can include things like noise, temperature, weather, lighting etc.

Question 10

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 10

• Any variable other than the IV that may potentially affect the DV.

Question 11

What are confounding variables?

Answer 11

• These are a special class of extraneous variable - Where the EV changes systematically with the IV.
• Means researchers cannot be sure that any change in the DV was due to the IV.

Question 12

What is operationalisation?

Answer 12

• Operationalisation is where researchers refer to HOW they will define and measure a specific variable that is used in the study.
• Enables easier replicability = reliable.