variables

• what is control?

  the extent to which any variable is held constant or regulated by a researcher
• what is mundane realism?

  how far a study mirrors the real world. whether research environment is realistic so if it was encountered in the real world it would be the same
• why do psychologists control extraneous variables?

  so they don’t become confounding variables
• what is a confounding variable?

  a variable which varies systematically with the IV. Findings may be meaningless because it can cause unwanted changes in the DV
• what is an extraneous variable?

  nuisance variables. a variable which doesn’t vary systematically with the IV. it is not an alternative IV but may have an effect on the DV.
• examples of participant variables?

  age, gender, mood, background, ethnicity, IQ, personality, memory, beliefs, past experiences
• how to control participant variables?

  sample (large and random), design (same participants/ match closely), allocate randomly to conditions
• examples of situation variables?

  time of day, order effects, demand characteristics
• how to control situation variables?

  standardise (procedure/ instructions same), counterbalance, deception (distractor questions/ lying about aim), single blind (participants unaware)
• examples of experimenter variables?

  tone of voice, subtle cues/ signals, muscle tension, gestures
• how to control experimenter variables?

  double blind (participant and researcher unaware), inter-rater reliability (multiple people checking)