Research Issues

• Extraneous variables


  - Any variable apart from the IV which can affect the DV if not controlled.

  - However, they can be maintained or eliminated.
• Confounding variables


  Factors that cause differences between the experimental group and the control group other than the independent variable
• Demand characteristics


  Any aspects of a study that communicate to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave.
• Investigator effects


  Any effect of the investigators behaviour on the research outcome
• Randomisation


  The use of chance in order to control for the effects of bias when designing materials and deciding the order of conditions.
• Standardised


  When every example of a product is exactly the same as the others