variables

Question 1

what are variables

Answer 1

things that can be changed or altered such as characterisitics or values. they are generally used in psychology experiments to determine if changes to one thing results to changes in another

Question 2

what are variables used in correlational studies

Answer 2

covariables

Question 3

what are covariables

Answer 3

measurements that have been made that are compared to see if they are associated.

Question 4

how are covariables used in correlational studies

Answer 4

two measured covariables (height and weight) are assessed for a relationship. the direction and strength between covariables can be described.

Question 5

how can the direction and strength of covariables be described

Answer 5

positive relationship - one co-variable increases so does the other.
negative relationship - one covariable increases, the other decreases

Question 6

why is the relationship between two covariables not a causal relationship

Answer 6

one doesn’t cause a change in the other

Question 7

what are the variables in an experimental setup

Answer 7

independant and dependant variables

Question 8

what are independant variables

Answer 8

the variables the researcher manipulates. these variations in the independant variable form the conditions of an experiment

Question 9

how do the variations in the IV form the conditions of an experiment

Answer 9

by having a different value of this variable in each experimental condition.

Question 10

what are dependant variables

Answer 10

the variables the researcher measures

Question 11

how do researchers claim to have a causal relationship between two variables

Answer 11

their manipulation of the IV causes a change in the measurement of the DV

Question 12

why do variables have to be operationalised

Answer 12

clearly stating what the variable is and how it is to be measured

Question 13

what are some examples of operationalised dependant variables

Answer 13

includes the measurement scale

Question 14

what can happen if other variables that influence the dependant variable aren’t controlled

Answer 14

there won’t be an accurate measurement of the independant variable’s influence on the dependant variable. this could suggest the findings aren’t true as the researcher didn’t set the study up in a way that controls for other explanations in the findings - the study would lack internal validity

Question 15

what is the difference between internal and external validity

Answer 15

Internal validity refers to the degree of confidence that the causal relationship being tested is trustworthy and not influenced by other factors or variables. External validity refers to the extent to which results from a study can be applied (generalised) to other situations, groups or events.

Question 16

what needs to be done to test the causal relationship between the IV & DV

Answer 16

controlling confounding variables and minimising the effect of extraneous variables

Question 17

what are extraneous variables

Answer 17

any variables aside from the IV that could influence the measurement of the dependant variable. this could potentially cause an error and show a causal relationship between the IV & DV that isn’t really there or hiding one

Question 18

give examples of extraneous variables

Answer 18

demand characteristics
participants variables
situational variables
order effects

Question 19

what are demand characteristics

Answer 19

if the participant thinks they have discovered the aim they may alter behaviour to match what they think the researcher wants. this could be due to cues from the researcher (such as body language or tone of voice) or the setup that makes the aim obvious

Question 20

what is the problem with demand characteristics

Answer 20

researcher is measuring the effect of demand characteristics on the dependant variable not the effect of the change in the independant variable

Question 21

what are participants variables

Answer 21

characteristics like age or gender or cultural background can influence behaviour.

Question 22

what is the problem with participants variables

Answer 22

in an independant groups design if there are more people with relevant characteristics, prior knowledge or skills related to the task in one condition, this can lead to a difference in performance between conditions unrelated to the IV

Question 23

what are situational variables

Answer 23

environmental factors present in one condition but not the other condition that could reasonably lead to change in behaviours between the conditions.

Question 24

give examples of situational variables

Answer 24

this could be related to temperatures, noise or visual differences

Question 25

what are confounding variables

Answer 25

variables other than the IV that changes systematically between the levels of IV. as you change the IV you will also change the confounding variable.

Question 26

what is the problem with confounding variables

Answer 26

it hides the IV's true effect or lack of effect on the dependant variable as the researcher is measuring the confounding variables influence in addition to the IVs.

Question 27

when do extraneous variables become confounding

Answer 27

if they aren't controlled before the experiment

Question 28

how are extraneous variables controlled

Answer 28

actions taken to minimise effect of extraneous variables on the DV

Question 29

how are participants variables controlled

Answer 29

random allocation

Question 30

what is random allocation

Answer 30

removes potential bias in assigning more participants with relevant characteristics to one condition in an independant groups design

Question 31

what is the problem with random allocation

Answer 31

more participants with relevant characteristics can end up in one group due to chance

Question 32

what is randomisation used for

Answer 32

to assign materials used for different levels of the IV.

Question 33

give an example of where randomisation would be used

Answer 33

for e.g randomising the individual words into separate word lists for each condition. this is an attempt to stop all the "easy to remember words" appearing in one of the word lists and becoming an extraneous variable.

Question 34

how is random allocation used in matched pairs design

Answer 34

relevant characteristics are masured before the study adn the top two participants are randomly assigned to separate groups.

Question 35

how is order effects controlled

Answer 35

counterbalancing

Question 36

what is counterbalancing

Answer 36

attempts to control (not eliminate). order effects. uses the ABBA format. 1/2 the participants complete condition A then B then the other 1/2 completes this vice versa. this means order effect such as practice and fatigue influence each condition equally.

Question 37

how are situational variables controlled

Answer 37

standardisation

Question 38

what is standardisation

Answer 38

only aspects of the environment that could reasonably influence the results are listed in the standardised procedures. this list includes a script of standardisation instructions that is read in the same way to each participants ensuring that each participant has the same experience aside from the variation in the IV.

Question 39

how are demand characteristics controlled

Answer 39

single/double blind trials

Question 40

what happens in a single blind trial

Answer 40

the participant doesnt know the aim of the experiment

Question 41

what happens in a double blind trial

Answer 41

both the participant and the researcher who is directly testing the participant dont know the aim of the experiment

Question 42

how do single and double blind trials control demand characteristics

Answer 42

this is an attempt to stop the researcher (consciously or unconciously) from influencing the participants behaviour with their body language or tone of voice.

Question 43

give an example of where standardisation is used

Answer 43

in standardised procedures/scripts

Question 44

what are pilot studies

Answer 44

a small scale version of the main research study conducted before the main study (using the same methodology)

Question 45

what is the aim of a pilot study

Answer 45

to improve the quality of the main research study by assessing the experience of the participants in the pilot

Question 46

give a list of what a pilot study can reveal

Answer 46

- unexpected extraneous variables that need to be controlled - instructions, tasks or interview questionnaires may be confusing - participants may reveal they discovered the aim and act according to demand characteristics - researcher may find that conducting the study is time consuming in its current setup and may need to alter the standardised procedures or tasks - in an observation it may be clear the behavioural categories aren't fully operationalised

Question 47

what is peer review

Answer 47

before publication the researcher needs to show their written up study to other experts in the field. as part of the peer review process, unaccounted for variables may be identified that have confounded the results.

Question 48

what can peer review show

Answer 48

if the study lacks internal validity and therefore needs to be repeated

Question 49

what happens with any remaining extraneous variables

Answer 49

researchers try to minimise effects of extraneous variables as much as possible. any remaining extraneous variables are a source of random error but do not invalidate the experiment