Scientific Processes

• Pilot studies are a small scale prototype of a study carried out in advance. Pilot studies aim to identify issues with: Experimental design, instructions for PS, measuring instruments.
• The three experimental designs are: repeated measures, independent groups and matches pairs.
• Repeated measures is when same PS take part in each condition. A strength of RM is fewer PS are needed. A limitation of RM is order effects.
• Independent groups is where two separate groups do different conditions at random allocation. A strength of using independent groups design is that it avoids order effects. A limitation is that more PS are needed meaning the experiment becomes more expensive.
• Matched pairs is when, pairs of participants are matched from the sample, in terms of key variables such as age or IQ. A strength of matches pairs is that it reduces participant variables, however they aren't fully eliminated.
•  Ethical issues take into consideration the welfare of the participants, the integrity of the  research and the use of the data. They cover, deception, right to withdraw, informed consent, confidentiality and protection from harm.
• You can control extraneous variables by: Random allocation, counterbalancing, randomisation and standardisation.
• Investigator effects is when a researcher acts in a way that supports their hypothesis. This can be counteracted by double blind trials.
• Double blind trails is when the study brings in another researcher to observe the study without telling them the aim or hypothesis.
• The independent variable is manipulated. The dependant variable is measured.
• Random allocation is when PS are assigned to their group condition at random. This reduces participant, much as mathematical ability.
• Counterbalancing combats order effects with a repeated measure design. Half of the sample completes the condition in reverse order to the other half.
• Situational variables are variables that are related to the situation in which the experiment is conducted.
• Randomisation is when trials are presented in a random order.
• Standardisation helps control situational variables by keeping methods identical to each condition or sample group.