research methods

• Independent Variable (IV)

  • Definition: A variable changed during the experiment.
  • Purpose: To see its effect on the dependent variable (DV).
• Dependent Variable (DV)

  • Definition: The variable measured or tested by the researcher.
  • Purpose: To observe the effect of changes in the IV.
• Operationalisation

  • Definition: Clearly defining variables so they can be measured.
  • Purpose: To ensure accurate and consistent measurement of variables
• Aim

  • Definition: A general statement of the study’s purpose.
  • Example: To investigate whether drinking energy drinks makes people more talkative.
• Directional Hypothesis


  A directional hypothesis says what will happen. For example: "Coffee will make you more alert."
• Non-Directional Hypothesis


  A non-directional hypothesis says there is a relationship, but doesn't say what will happen. For example: "There is a relationship between exercise and mood."
• Directional Hypothesis


  A directional hypothesis is a statement that predicts a specific direction or outcome of a relationship between two variables, such as stating that there is a positive correlation between two variables.
• Non-Directional Hypothesis


  A non-directional hypothesis is a statement that predicts a relationship between two variables without specifying the direction of the relationship, such as stating that there is a correlation between two variables.
• Hypothesis


  A hypothesis is a educated guess or statement that is tested by collecting data and evidence to see if it is true or false. It is a scientific prediction that tries to explain a phenomenon or solve a problem.
• Directional Hypothesis (One-Tailed Hypothesis)


  A directional hypothesis predicts a specific difference or relationship between two conditions, using words like "less", "more", "higher", or "lower".
• Non-Directional Hypothesis (Two-Tailed Hypothesis)


  A non-directional hypothesis predicts a difference or relationship between two conditions without specifying the direction. It says "there will be a difference" or "there will be a relationship" without mentioning "more", "less", "higher", or "lower".
• extraneous variables 


  any other variables that impact the dv apart from the iv

  not being investigated but can affect the results
• participant variables 


  variables that are connected with any characteristic of an individual participant
• situational variables

  variables that are connected with that research situation
• independent groups

  where two groups are exposed to different experimental conditions.
• repeated measures

  all participants experience both conditions of the experiment
• matched pairs

  participants are grouped together into pairs based on an equivalent variable, such as age or gender and then randomly assigned into groups