RESEARCH METHODS EXAM QUESTIONS, ANSWERS & MARKS

RESEARCH METHODS EXAM QUESTIONS, ANSWERS & MARKS What is an experiment? 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 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)? 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)? 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? 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? 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) What is a control group? In a simple two-sample experiment, control group participants are affected by everything the experimental group experiences with the exception of the IV. / Scores from the control group thus provide baseline data / against which scores from the experimental group can be compared. (3 marks) Distinguish between independent groups, matched pairs and repeated measures designs These are experimental designs / used to control variation due to individual differences between participants. / In a simple experiment comparing two conditions, the independent groups design consists of two different groups of participants / who have been allocated by chance to either of the two conditions. / Matched pairs designs involve pairing participants on variables relevant to the study / then splitting the pairs and randomly allocating the members of the pair to one or other condition. / In a repeated measures design, participants undergo both conditions in the experiment. (7 marks) What are practice effects? Practice effects occur in repeated measures