PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH METHODS II

What does hypothesis mean? Is an idea or explanation that you then test through study and experimentation What is an extraneous variable? Something that may impact the experiment but is not supposed to What is an aim? A general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate; the purpose of the study. What is the purpose of an aim? To identify what variables the study is investigating and to explain the outline and purpose of the study What is an experimental hypothesis? This is a prediction about the expected outcome of an experiment. It is written as a precise statement. What is a null hypothesis? This is the hypothesis that the researcher is trying to disprove. What is operationalization? Explaining precisely how IV can be manipulated and how DV can be measured. What is a directional hypothesis? A one tailed hypothesis - it will specifically state the direction of the results. What is a non-directional hypothesis? A two tailed hypothesis - it won’t specify the expected direction of the results. What are the four types of experiment? Lab experiment / field experiment / natural experiment / quasi experiment What is a lab experiment? Setting - a tightly controlled artificial experiment. IV - deliberately manipulated by the experimenters. DV - the experimenters measure it. It will produce quantitative data. Extraneous variables - attempt to control and minimize them. What is a field experiment? Setting - natural real word environment. IV - deliberately manipulated DV - measured Extraneous variables - minimal control What is a natural experiment? Setting - any setting IV - not manipulated, but naturally occurring (event or experience) DV - measured Extraneous variables - little to no control What is a quasi-experiment? Setting - any setting IV - preexisting characteristics, so not manipulated DV - measured Extraneous variables - little to no control What is reliability? Procedures and conditions being controlled and kept the same across all conditions allowing for replication What is validity? The extent to which an experiment is accurate in measuring what it claims to measure What is demand characteristics? Behavior from participants in the experimental setting which may be unnatural and affect how they perform on tasks. What is mundane realism? The extent to which the tasks used in the experiment are representative of tasks completed in everyday life. What is internal validity? The extent to which an experiment can be repeated to check the consistency of the results.