L2 - RESEARCH DESIGN

Question 1

Define indepdent variable?

Answer 1

Variable that is manipulated by the experimenter

Question 2

Define dependent variable?

Answer 2

Outcome variable, which is assumed to be affected by changes in the independent variable

Experiment determines the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable/

Question 3

• Participants are randomly assigned to either do 10 minutes of exercise or 10 minutes of sedentary activity. They then complete a cognitive task, and scores on the cognitive task are compared

Whats the independent and dependent variable in this

Answer 3

Indepdent = type of activity
Dependent = scores on cognitive task

Question 4

Whats the levels of the independent variable?

Answer 4

Different values taken by the independent variable
- independent variables can have many different levels

For example, if the indepdent variable is amount of caffeine consumed then levels would be like 5mg, 25mg, 75mg and so along

Question 5

Define extraneous variable?

Answer 5

Variable that have the potential to affect the dependent variable.

Question 6

What makes the extraneous variable a confounding variable?

Answer 6

If an extraneous variable changes systematically with your indepdent, then this is a confounding variable
- provides an alternative explanation for our results

For example, when a researcher is examining whether particpants reading speed differs between a story presented as a printed book, and a story presented
on a computer screen. She finds that reading speeds are faster for the printed book.
• Potential confounding variables: font characteristics, story content, presentation angle

Question 7

Why is it important to establish a cause and effect?

Answer 7

Necessary for understanding the relationship between different things

For example, a study shows a positive correlation between he amount of sleep children have and gcse scores, so if we know that the amount of sleep causes a change in gcse scores, then this would be a good target for an intervention to improve gcse scores

Question 8

What did Anderson find in his study on violent crimes?

Answer 8

He found that violent crime rates were higher in hotter years in North America. And that heat may increase aggression

Question 9

Why can’t we immediately conclude that heat causes aggression?

Answer 9

Because correlation does not equal causation—other factors could be influencing the results

Question 10

What are some alternative explanations for increased violent crime in hot weather?

Answer 10

More people outside, increased alcohol use, or seasonal events could lead to more conflict.

Question 11

Whats a confounding variable?

Answer 11

A factor other than the one being studied that could influence the outcome (e.g., alcohol use affecting aggression).

Question 12

What is one experimental method to test the heat-aggression theory?

Answer 12

Placing participants in hot vs. cool environments and measuring their irritability or aggression.

Question 13

What was the aim of Rule et al. (1987)’s experiment?

Answer 13

To test whether heat causes aggression using a controlled experimental design.
He randomly assignedd participants to 21 and 33 degree rooms and wrote endings to story some with ambiguous scenarios that could be interpreted aggressively or non-aggressively

Question 14

What were the key findings of Rule et al. (1987)?

Answer 14

Participants in the 33°C room showed significantly more aggression in their story completions than those in the 21°C room. Because it was experiment with random assignment and controlled conditions, it allowed a clearer link between heat and aggression

Question 15

Whats the key advantage of experiments over correlational studies?

Answer 15

Experiments can demonstrate cause and effect, while correlational studies can show only associations. Cause and effect helps us to understand what actually influences behaviour

Question 16

What do they do in a true experiment?

Answer 16

• Manipulates an independent variable
• Holds all other variables (i.e. extraneous variables) constant
• Measures any change in the dependent variable

Question 17

Whats a control group?

Answer 17

Give a baseline measure of what would have without the treatment
To see what the outcome would happen if its without treatment

Question 18

Whats placebo groups?

Answer 18

An insert substance or treatment that doesn’t contain any active ingredients
Allowing to see whether the effects of a treatment are due to particpants expectations of an effect

Question 19

Strengths of experiments

Answer 19

• isolate cause and effect relationships between the iv and dv
• can control extraneous variables
• easy to replicate and modify/ extend

Question 20

Weakness of true experiments?

Answer 20

• not always possible/ practical to manipulate the independent variable
• can sometimes be artificial
• reactivity effects - particpants react differently to normal as they know they are in an experiment
• participants cannot give their personal account of their behaviour

Question 21

What’s quasi experiemnts?

Answer 21

A: A quasi-experiment is used when it is not possible, practical, or ethical to randomly assign participants to conditions. Instead, researchers study existing groups (e.g., age, medical conditions, birth season).

Question 22

4 common simple experimental designs in psychology?

Answer 22

1. Indepdent sample design - different partipants in each condition
2. Repeated measures design - same partipants take part in all conditions
3. Matched pair design - partipants are paired on relevant characteristics, each person in a pair is placed in a different condition
4. Single particpants and small N design - focused on detailed data from on or a few individuals, often using repeated observations

Question 23

What are participant/subject variables, and why are they a concern in independent samples designs?

Answer 23

They are individual differences that can affect results. In independent designs, group differences may be due to these, not the independent variable.
.

Question 24

How can participant variables be controlled in independent samples designs?

Answer 24

Use random allocation, pre-test participants, and ensure groups are similar on key traits (e.g., memory ability).

Question 25

What is a repeated measures design and its key benefit?

Answer 25

It's when the same participants do all conditions. This controls for participant differences. Also called a within-subjects design

Question 26

How is repeated measures design different from multiple testing?

Answer 26

Repeated measures tests the same variable under different conditions. Multiple testing uses different tests, not repeated ones.

Question 27

What are order effects in repeated measures designs and how can they be controlled?

Answer 27

Order effects occur when the order of conditions influences results (e.g., practice). They can be controlled by counterbalancing — varying the order for different participants

Question 28

Q: What are some advantages and disadvantages of repeated measures vs. independent samples designs?

Answer 28

Repeated measures: Advantages: Controls participant differences Disadvantages: Order effects, experimenter demands, participant dropout, waiting between conditions Independent samples: Advantages: No order effects Disadvantages: Groups may differ (non-equivalence), more expensive, assumption of equal variances

Question 29

When should you use independent samples vs. repeated measures designs?

Answer 29

Use repeated measures when possible to reduce variability. Use independent samples if: • It’s unethical/impractical for participants to do all conditions (e.g., autism vs. neurotypical). • Order effects can’t be controlled. • Participants must be naive each time. • A control group is needed (e.g., to compare intervention effects).

Question 30

What is a matched pairs design and its main advantage?

Answer 30

Participants are paired based on a variable that might affect results, then split into different groups to make groups equal before the experiment

Question 31

What is a potential downside of matched pairs?

Answer 31

It weakens results if the matching variable isn’t related to the dependent variable

Question 32

What are small N designs and when are they used?

Answer 32

Studies using one participant across multiple conditions, often used when participants are rare (e.g., brain injury) or testing takes a long time.

Question 33

What are the advantages and disadvantages of small N designs?

Answer 33

Advantages: Detailed, intensive study of individual behavior Useful for rare cases or long-term testing Disadvantages: Limited generalizability to the wider population Risk of individual differences affecting results

Question 34

What is a multifactorial design?

Answer 34

A study with more than one independent variable to see their separate and combined effects on a dependent variable.

Question 35

Give an example of a multifactorial design.

Answer 35

Examining if smoking affects lung performance differently in males and females (IV1: smoker status; IV2: sex).

Question 36

What are the advantages of online experiments?

Answer 36

They can be run without face-to-face contact, allow quick recruitment of many participants, and reach a more diverse sample.

Question 37

What are the disadvantages of online experiments?

Answer 37

They can’t test physical conditions or use specialist equipment, have less control over participants’ actions, and may face technical problems.

Question 38

Professor Khan is examining the effects of birth order on emotional attachment. She compares three different groups of participants: 1) those who only have younger siblings; 2) those only have older siblings; and 3) those who have both younger and older siblings. She measures emotional attachment using a questionnaire. Use this information to answer the following questions. 1) What type of design does Professor Khan use? a. Within subjects, because each participant contributes data to each level of the independent variable. b. Within subjects, because each participant contributes data to only one level of the independent variable. c. Between subjects, because each participant contributes data to each level of the independent variable. d. Between subjects, because each participant contributes data to only one level of the independent variable

Answer 38

D

Question 39

What would be an appropriate null hypothesis for this study? Birth order will not be affected by differences in emotional attachment. There will be no effect of birth order on emotional attachment. Emotional attachment will differ between the different birth order groups There will be no correlation between ratings of emotional attachment and ratings of birth order

Answer 39

B