RESEARCH METHODS EXAM QUESTIONS, ANSWERS & MARKS

What is an experiment? - correct answer An experiment is a research technique in which an IV is manipulated / and the effects of this on a DV are observed and measured. / Other (extraneous) variables are held constant. / A true experiment is one in which the IV is directly under the experimenter's control (as in laboratory or field experiments). / In natural and quasi-experiments the IV varies on its own and some would argue that, because of this, they are not really experiments. (5 marks) Identify one difference between an experiment and a correlation - correct answer The main difference between an experiment and a correlation is that experiments enable us to talk about 'cause and effect' / whereas correlations simply describe patterns of linear relationship between pairs of data / and do not allow us to make cause and effect statements. / In addition, an experiment is a research method / but correlation is a technique of data analysis applied to data gathered by some other means. (5 marks) What is an independent variable (IV)? - correct answer An IV is the influencing factor / which a researcher manipulates in an experiment / in order to observe its effect on a DV / for example, in a study of the effect of alcohol on driving ability, the IV would be the amount of alcohol given to the drivers. (4 marks) What is a dependent variable (DV)? - correct answer A DV is the factor in an experiment which is influenced by changes in the IV / and which is observed and measured by the researcher. / In the example given in 3, the DV would be driving ability. (3 marks) What is a confounding variable? - correct answer A confounding variable is an influence in an experiment that is not the IV yet causes changes in the DV. / For example, researchers may find age affects IQ in that older people do less well than younger people. / However, this could be due to the confounding variable of how the test is approached. Older people may be more careful and less concerned about 'beating the clock' than are younger people, consequently, their scores are lower. (3 marks) What is an extraneous variable? - correct answer Extraneous variables are all other variables apart from the IV and DV that need to be controlled in an experiment / e.g. the testing environment, time of day, instructions to participants. / If extraneous variables are not taken care of they could obscure the effect of the IV / or, if systematic, turn into a confounding variable. (4 marks)