L1- Experimental Methods

Question 1

What is the independent variable?

Answer 1

• variable researcher manipulates to determine its effect on the dependant variable
• divided into levels called experimental conditions

Question 2

What is the control condition?

Answer 2

Provides a standard against which experimental conditions can be compared

Question 3

What is the dependant variable?

Answer 3

The variable that is being measured

Question 4

What are extraneous variables?

Answer 4

Variables other than the IV that COULD affect the DV

Question 5

What are confounding variables?

Answer 5

Variables other than the IV that HAVE affected the DV (light, noise)

Question 6

How do you operationalise?

Answer 6

Define and measure

Question 7

What are laboratory experiments?

Answer 7

• experiment carried out in controlled environment allowing for high control over IV and eliminate EV to minimise impact on results
• observe and measure change in DV caused by manipulation of IV
• participants randomly allocated

Question 8

Advantages of lab experiements

Answer 8

+ high control- easy to control EV and prevent them from becoming confounding variables
+ can manipulate IV to establish cause and effect between IV and DV
+ easily repeated to see if similar results obtained- if so then reliable

Question 9

Disadvantages of lab experiments

Answer 9

• demand characteristics- behave more positively (social desirability bias), data invalid
• high control= lacks mundane realism and ecological validity

Question 10

What are field experiments?

Answer 10

• experiment carried out in natural setting
• IV still manipulated to see effect on DV
  -e.g. observe people in street

Question 11

Advantages of field experiments

Answer 11

+ more mundane realism and ecological validity than lab
+ cause and effect between IV and DV can be established as IV is manipulated
+ less chance of demand characteristics- not even aware taking part, behave naturally, valid data

Question 12

Disadvantages of field experiments

Answer 12

• less control over EV compared to lab- effect on DV may be caused by EV not IV, invalid data a
• less control over sample- sample may not be representative
• difficult to repeat- unreliable
• ethical issues- lack of consent

Question 13

What are Natural experiments?

Answer 13

• sees effect of naturally occurring IV on DV

Question 14

Advantages of natural experiments

Answer 14

• high mundane realism and ecological validity compared to lab
• useful when impossible or unethical to manipulate IV in lab/field

Question 15

Disadvantages of natural experiments

Answer 15

• low control over EV compared to lab
• difficult to repeat, unreliable
• difficult to determine cause and effect due to low control

Question 16

What are quasi experiments?

Answer 16

• naturally occurring IV which is a difference between people that already exists (gender, age)
  -examined effect of this IV on DV
• take place in lab

Question 17

Advantages of Quasi experiments

Answer 17

• high control, effects of EV minimised, more likely DV affected by IV not EV
• easy to replicate due to strict control

Question 18

Disadvantages of Quasi experiment

Answer 18

• lacks ecological validity- artificial setting
• demand characteristics- guess aim of experiment and response accordingly, data invalid

Question 19

Types of experiments

Answer 19

-lab
-field
-natural
-quasi

Question 20

What are the experimental conditions?

Answer 20

• when the IV is divided into levels

Question 21

What is reliablity?

Answer 21

Reliability is a measure of whether something stays the same, i.e. is consistent.

Question 22

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 22

Demand characteristics occur when the participants try to make sense of the research and act accordingly to support the aim of the research- validity

Question 22

What is social desirability bias?

Answer 22

Participants’ behaviour is distorted as they modify this in order to be seen in a positive light.

Question 23

Mundane realism

Answer 23

describes the degree to which the materials and procedures involved in an experiment are similar to events that occur in the real world

Question 24

What is ecological validity?

Answer 24

, a measure of how test performance predicts behaviours in real-world settings

Question 25

What is validity?

Answer 25

• the extent to which a research technique actually measures the behaviour it is claimed to measure.
  -( For example, a relationship questionnaire is not a valid measure of aggression)