Key terms from class booklet

• Laboratory experiment


  An experiment where all variables are controlled or manipulated. It is carried out in an artificial environment
• Field experiment


  This is an experiment that is carried out in a natural setting, and the researcher still manipulates the IV
• Natural experiment


  This is an experiment carried out in a completely natural setting, there is no manipulation from the researcher, they are just watching what happens naturally
• Quasi experiment 


  The naturally occurring, but the DV may be measured in a lab. The IV must be a difference that naturally occurs in people. This is not a true experiment as the IV is not randomly assigned.
• Independent measures

  Participants are places in separate groups. Each group does one level of the IV. We compare the results (DV) of the two groups
• Repeated measures

  All participants receive all levels of the IV. We compare the performance DV of the two tests
• Matched pairs

  Two groups of the participants but match participants on key characteristics believed to affect the performance on the DV. Then treated as an independent groups design
• participant variables


  any characteristic or aspect of a participant's background that could affect study results
• investigator effects


  occur when a researcher unintentionally, or unconsciously influences the outcome of any research they are conducting
• demand characteristics


  occur when participants can guess the nature of the experiment and change their behaviour to fit with what the researcher wants. They may also try and sabotage the experiment
• experimental design


  if the researcher makes the experiment more engaging, the participant pays attention to the task and not the fact they are being observed.
• single blind design


  participants aren't told the true purpose of the research. however the researcher is aware
• double blind design


  neither the researcher nor the participant know the true purpose of the research
• Falsifiability


  The principle that a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the possibility of it being untrue.
• Objectivity


  If something is objective, it is not affected by the personal feelings of the reader
• Replicability

  The extent to which research can or can't be repeated
• Empirical method


  Scientific approaches that are based on gathering evidence through direct observation
• Popper's Hypotheticodeductive method


  The idea that science moves forward via hypothesis testing and falsifiability
• Falsifiability


  The theory that something cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the possibility of being untrue
• Kuhn's paradigm shifts


  The result of scientific revolution
• Hypothesis


  A theory that is yet to be proved
• Experimental/alternative hypothesis


  States that there is a relationship between the two variables being studied
• Null hypothesis


  States there is no relationship between the two variables being studied
• Directional (one-tailed) hypothesis


  When a prediction is made about the specific effects of an experimental variable or treatment
• Non-directional (two-tailed) hypothesis


  A hypothesis that does not predict the direction of the difference or relationship
• Pilot studies


  A small scale trial investigation
• Independent variable


  The variable that is manipulated in the study
• Dependent variable


  The variable that is measured
• Extraneous variable


  A term for any variable other than the IV that might affect the DV
• Confounding variable


  When EVs are important enough to cause a change they become these
• Operationalisation


  Provides a clear identification of the observable behaviours or actions to be recorded. This enables the behaviour under review to be measured objectively
• Generalisability


  The ability to generalise findings from the sample to other people or the target population
• Random sampling 


  A sample of participants produced by a random method
• Opportunity sampling 


  A sample of participants which are available and willing to participate
• volunteer sampling


  Sample of participants that rely on volunteers
• stratified sampling


  Sample of participants produced by identifying subgroups in a population
• Systematic sampling


  A method in which the first participant is picked randomly and the rest are selected every nth term
• Demand characteristics 


  These occur when the participant changes their behaviour in a way to make the result less valid
• Validty

  Whether something is true
• Internal validity 


  Whether the test is measuring what it intends to measure