Experimental methods

• What is an aim?

  A general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate
• what is a hypothesis?

  a clear, precise and testable statement that states the relationship between the variables to be investigated
• what are the two different hypothesis?

  • directional
  • non-directional
• what is a directional hypothesis?

  when a clear difference is anticipated between the conditions or groups
• what is a non-directional hypothesis?

  a difference is stated but nature not specified
• what is operationalisation?

  clearly defining variables in terms of how they can be measured
• what is a null hypotthesis?

  there is no relationship between the variables being stated and the results are due to chance, not the manipulation of the IV
• what are extraneous variables?

  any variables other than the IV that affect the DV
• what are demand characteristics?

  cues that might indicated the study’s aims to the participants
• what can the cues in demand characteristics lead to?

  changes in behaviour.
• what are the 2 effects in demand characteristics?

  • please you effect
  • screw you effect
• what are investigator effects?

  researcher intentionally or unconsciously influences the outcome of any research they are conducting
• what are situational variables?

  anything in the environment that can affect results
• what are participant variables?

  anything about the participant that can affect the results
• what are the 2 ways to control extraneous variables?

  • standardisation
  • randomisation
• what is standardisation?

  using the same procedures and instruction for all participants
• what is randomisation?

  use of chance to reduce the researchers influence on the design of the investigation