variables

• variables needs to be operationalized
• extraneous variables make it hard to determine cause and effect
• extraneous variables may effect the dependent variables
• a confounding variable is not an independent variable but does systematically with the IV
• what are the potential extraneous variables?

  demand characteristics, investigator effect, situational variables, participant variables
• demand characteristics happen in an experiment participants are usually unsure what they do so they look for cues about how they should behave
• you can control demand characteristics through single blind design and deception
• the investigator effect are any cues from the investigator that encourage certain behaviour from the participant
• you can control the investigator effect with double blind designs and inter-rater reliability
• situational variables are features of a research situation that may influence participants behaviour
• you can control situational variables by standardising the experiment