research methods

• independent variable 


  the variable directly manipulated by the researcher.
• dependent variable 


  the variable being measured in a study
• operationalisation 


  making the variables in an investigation detailed and specific
• extraneous variable 


  a variable that is not controlled, which could affect the results of a study.
• confounding variable 


  a extraneous variable that affects the results of the study so that the effect of the IV is not truly being seen
• situational variable 


  an extraneous variable present in the environment of the study
• order effects 


  when participants improve or worsen in the second condition because the have practiced or become fatigued.
• demand characteristics


  when the participant alters their behaviour in response to the perceived aims of the investigation.
• investigator effect 


  when a researcher unintentionally gives clues to participants, altering their behaviour.
• participant variables 


  extraneous variables specific to the participants of a investigation, for example their mood, ability or personality.
• standardised procedure 


  where the procedure of a study is the same across all conditions.
• counterbalancing


  where half of the participant group experience condition A then condition B, while the other half experience condition B then condition A.
• randomisation 


  when participants are randomly assigned to condition A or B as their first or second test condition.
• validity 


  whether the test measures what was intended.
• reliability


  the consistency of an outcome or result of an investigation (a measure)
• internal validity


  whether the measures used in a test genuinely test what they were designed to test
• external validity 


  whether the findings are generalisable to the target population.
• qualitative methods 


  ways of conducting research that find out new information rather than testing a prediction; often resulting in gathering qualitative data.
• researcher bias 


  when a researcher interprets the outcome of a study according to their own view (subjective)
• triangulation


  when more than one measure is taken for a behaviour to cross-validate the findings
• objective

  not open to interperetation, ubiased