Experimental designs

Question 1

Define experimental design

Answer 1

How ppts are allocated to different levels of the IV

Question 2

Define demand characteristics

Answer 2

• Cues in the experimental procedure that might indicate the study aims to ppts which can lead to ppts altering behaviours to match perceived experimenter aims. Reduces validity.

Question 3

Define random allocation

Answer 3

• The researchers divide the participants and allocate them to certain groups using a random method.

Question 4

Define particpant varibles

Answer 4

• Individual differences between ppts that could affect their behaviour in a study.
• By hiding or exaggerating differences across conditions.

Question 5

Give examples of partcipant varibles

Answer 5

• Age
• Personality
• Intelligence

Question 6

Confounding varibles

Answer 6

• A type of extraneous varible that acts systematically on 1 condition.
• Which could hide or exaggerare differences between conditions,
• Making it harder to understand the effect on the IV or DV

Question 7

Order effects

Answer 7

• The way in which that the order of the presentation of stimuli or task can influence outcomes, resulting in practice or fatigue effects

Question 8

Practice effects

Answer 8

• When the repetition of the expeirimental task , causes the particpants performances to improve over time.

Question 9

Fatigue effects

Answer 9

• When the repetiton of the expeirmental task, causes the ppts perfomance to decline due to tiredness or boredom

Question 10

Randomisation

Answer 10

• Each ppt is randomly allocated to perform in different conditions, to ensure they have an equal chance of partcipating in different conditions.
• Controls for order effects

Question 11

Counterbalancing

Answer 11

• Every possible order of the conditions are perfomed by a different subgroup of ppts.
• This can be described as an ABBA design (half of ppts do A then B other half do B then A)
• Controls for order effects