Psychology

• What can be drawn from an experiment when the independent variable (IV) is manipulated?

  Causal conclusions
• What is the relationship between the independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV) when the IV is not manipulated?


  There is an association or correlation between them
• What are the terms used when the IV and DV are not called IV and DV?

  They are called 1st and 2nd variables and become co-variables
• What is one reason that the independent variable (IV) cannot be manipulated in an experiment?

  Ethical reasons
• Why can't researchers ethically make people vape in an experiment?

  Because it raises ethical concerns
• Why can't researchers manipulate the gender of a child in an experiment?

  It is unethical to manipulate gender
• What is the aim of a research study?


  It is a statement of what researchers intend to find out
• What are some ethical problems in conducting experiments?

  • Not using people under 16 or those considered vulnerable
  • Ensuring informed consent from participants
  • Providing a debrief and allowing participants to withdraw data
• What does operationalizing an independent variable (IV) involve?


  Giving it a measure, such as hours
• What should researchers do before beginning an experiment?

  Brief the participants with a script
• What is informed consent in research studies?


  It is telling participants what they are expected to do and allowing them to refuse to take part
• What can be drawn from an experiment when the independent variable (IV) is manipulated?

  Causal conclusions
• What does it indicate when the independent variable (IV) is not manipulated?

  It indicates an association or correlation between variables
• What are the terms used instead of IV and DV in some experiments?

  1st and 2nd variables, referred to as co-variables
• Why might the independent variable (IV) not be manipulated in an experiment?

  Due to ethical reasons
• Give an example of an ethical reason that prevents manipulation of the IV.

  Experiments on vaping cannot ethically make people vape
• Why can't gender be manipulated in an experiment?

  Because it is not ethical to change a person's gender
• What does operationalizing an IV involve?

  Giving it a measurable form, such as hours
• What is the aim of a research study?

  A statement of what researchers intend to find out
• What are the ethical problems researchers must consider?

  • Not using participants under 16 or vulnerable individuals
  • Providing a debrief if participants wish to withdraw data
  • Briefing participants on the study's script before beginning
  • Obtaining informed consent from participants
• How does a hypothesis differ from aims in research?

  A hypothesis defines a relationship between IV and DV, while aims state intentions
• What are the definitions of key terms in research?

  • Aims: Intentions of what researchers want to find
  • Debriefing: Informing participants about the study and ethical issues
  • Ethical issues: Rights and wrongs of the research
  • Experiment: Causal conclusions drawn with manipulated IV affecting DV
  • Extraneous variables: Variables that are not of interest but may affect the DV
  • Hypothesis: Displays relationships between IV and DV
  • Operationalizing: Formulating variables for easy testing
• What are extraneous variables?


  They are nuisance variables that should be controlled to avoid affecting the DV
• What is the importance of standardised procedures in experiments?

  They ensure consistency across participants, allowing for order and repeatability
• What is a confounding variable?


  A variable that causes confusion by affecting the DV
• What is mundane realism in research?


  It refers to how a study mirrors the real world and mimics the environment
• What is the formula for writing a hypothesis?

  Mark 1 - Operationalise IV, Mark 2 - Operationalise DV
• What does internal validity refer to?


  It refers to whether the observed effect was due to experimental manipulation rather than extraneous variables
• What does external validity refer to?

  It refers to the degree to which generalization can occur
• What is the cyclical structure of the scientific process?

  • Occurs if hypotheses cannot be proved right
  • May require a change in paradigm
  • Paradigm: A generalized set of beliefs on how the world works
  • Hard to change unless supported by substantial research and evidence
• Why is a comparison condition necessary in experimental design?

  To determine if the IV affected the DV
• What are the types of experimental designs?

  1. Repeated measures design

  • All participants receive all levels of IV
  • Weakness: Order effects

  1. Independent group design

  • Two groups with different levels of IV
  • Weakness: Requires more participants

  1. Matched pairs design

  • Participants matched based on specific criteria
  • Weakness: Time-consuming and difficult to control all variables
• What is an order effect in repeated measures design?

  It refers to how performance may be affected by the order in which tests are taken
• How can researchers deal with order effects?

  By using two different tests of the same difficulty or employing counterbalancing
• What is counterbalancing in experimental design?

  It is a technique to overcome order effects by ensuring each condition is tested first or second in equal amounts
• What is the ABBA method in counterbalancing?

  A technique where conditions are tested in alternating order
• What is the weakness of independent group design?

  It requires more participants than repeated measures design
• What are demand characteristics in research?


  They occur when participants guess the aim of the study
• How can researchers reduce demand characteristics?

  By randomly allocating participants or using matched pairs designs
• What is a single blind study?

  Only the participants do not know the aim of the study