A statement of what the researcher intends to find out in an investigation.
Continuous variable
A variable that can take on any value within a certain range.
Dependent variable
The variable which is being measured in an experiment.
Directional hypothesis
States the direction of the predicted difference between the two conditions or two groups of participants.
Experiment
A research method in which causal conclusions can be drawn because an independent variable is deliberately manipulated to observe the effect on the dependent variable.
Hypothesis
A precise and testable statement about the predicted relationship between the variables. Should be operationalised.
Independent variable (IV)
The condition which is directly manipulated by an experimenter in order to test its effect on the DV.
Intervening variables
Variables that come in between two other variables and can explain their association.
Non-directional hypothesis
Predicts simply that there is a difference between two conditions or two groups of participants, without stating the direction of the difference.
Null hypothesis
An assumption that there is no relationship
Operationalise
Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily tested.
