A-level Psychology - Research methods Questions and Answers Already Passed

Document Content and Description Below

A-level Psychology - Research methods Questions and Answers Already Passed Aim ✔✔A general expression of what the researcher intends to investigate Hypothesis ✔✔A precise and operationalise... d statement about the assumed relationship between variables Directional Hypothesis ✔✔States the direction of the predicted difference between two conditions or two groups of participants Non-directional Hypothesis ✔✔Predicts simply that there is a difference between two conditions or two groups of participants without stating the direction of the difference Independent Variable ✔✔Some event that either naturally varies or is directly manipulated by an experiment in order to test it's effect on another variable Dependent Variable ✔✔A measurable outcome of the action of the independent variable in an experiment Operationalise ✔✔Ensuring that variables are in a form that can be easily measured. Experimental method ✔✔A researcher causes the independent variable to vary and records the effect of the IV on the dependent variable. The DV must be operationalised. Control ✔✔(Refers to) The extent to which any variable is held constant or regulated by a researcher Extraneous Variables ✔✔'Nuisance' variables that do not vary systematically with the IV. A researcher may control some of these. Confounding Variable ✔✔Change systematically with the IV so we cannot be sure if any observed change in the DV is due to the CV or the IV. CVs must be controlled. Demand Characteristics ✔✔Refers to any cue from the researcher or research situation that may reveal the aim of the study Investigator Effect ✔✔Any effect of the investigator's behaviour on the outcome of the research (the DV) Randomisation ✔✔The use of chance when designing investigations to control for the effects of bias Standardisation ✔✔Using exactly the same formalised procedures for all ps in a research study Control groups ✔✔Control groups are used for the purpose of setting a comparison. They act as a 'baseline' and help establish causation. Single Blind Design ✔✔A ps doesn't know the ai [Show More]

Last updated: 1 year ago

Preview 1 out of 26 pages