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1. What is an
An experiment is a research technique in which an IV is
experi- ment?
manipulated / and the ettects 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
2. Identify one own and some would argue that, because of this, they are not really
differ- ence experiments. (5 marks)
between an
The main ditterence between an experiment and a correlation is that
experiment and
experi- ments enable us to talk about 'cause and ettect' / whereas
a correlation
correlations simply describe patterns of linear relationship between
pairs of data / and do not allow us to make cause and ettect
statements. / In addition, an experiment is a research method / but
correlation is a technique of data analysis applied to data gathered
3. What is an
by some other means. (5 marks)
inde- pendent
variable (IV)? An IV is the influencing factor / which a researcher manipulates in an
experiment
/ in order to observe its ettect on a DV / for example, in a study of the
4. What is a
ettect of alcohol on driving ability, the IV would be the amount of
depen- dent
alcohol given to the drivers. (4 marks)
variable (DV)?
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
5. What is a con-
the example given in 3, the DV would be driving ability. (3 marks)
founding
variable? 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 attects IQ in that older people do less well than younger people. /
However, this could be due to the confounding variable of how the test
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is approached. Older people less concerned about 'beating the clock' than are younger people,
may be more careful and consequently, their scores are lower. (3 marks)
6. What is an extrane- Extraneous variables are all other variables apart from the IV and DV
that need
ous variable? 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
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could obscure the ettect of the IV / or, if systematic, turn into a confounding
variable. (4 marks)
7. What is a
control group?
12.
8. Distinguish be-
tween indepen-
dent groups,
matched pairs
and repeated
mea- sures
designs
9. What are
practice
effects?
10. What are order
ef- fects?
11. What is
counter-
balancing?