Research Methods: The Experimental Method

Question 1

What does research in psychology employ

Answer 1

Employ various methods to investigate the human mind and behaviour

Question 2

The methods used to investigate the human mind and behaviour can be be broadly categorised into what

Answer 2

Into deceptive, correlation and experimental research each with this own set of experiments

Question 3

Definition of variable

Answer 3

Factors that can change in an experiment. These include variables that are manipulated, measured, or controlled

Question 4

Definition of control group

Answer 4

The group in an experiment that does not receive the IV or receives a standard condition, is used to compare against the experimental group to see if the IV caused change

Question 5

Definition of experimental group

Answer 5

The group that receives the IV (the treatment or change). Their performance is compared to the control group.

Question 6

Definition of conditions

Answer 6

The different versions of the experiment, based on levels of the IV

Question 7

Definition of cause and effect

Answer 7

The idea that one variable (the IV) directly causes a change in another variable (the DV).

Question 8

What is the experimental method

Answer 8

Is a research method that involves manipulating one or more variables (independent variable) to observe the effect on another variable (dependent variable), while controlling other potential influencing factors

Question 9

What is the experimental method crucial for

Answer 9

For establishing cause and effect relationships in psychology

Question 10

Essentially, in simple terms what is the experimental method

Answer 10

A psychologist comes up with an interesting theory, then they have to find a way to test this

Question 11

What is the experimental method their way of

Answer 11

Their way of testing their theory

Question 12

By creating conditions themselves, psychologists can see what

Answer 12

They can see to what extent their theory is likely true or not

Question 13

Definition of aims

Answer 13

Are general statements that describe the process of an investigation

Question 14

What is an hypothesis

Answer 14

Is a statement that is made at the start of a study and clearly states the relationship between variables.
Example: ‘listening to music whilst studying will help students to remember more content.’

Question 15

What two types of hypotheses are there

Answer 15

Directional or non-directional

Question 16

What is a directional hypothesis

Answer 16

With a directional hypothesis the researcher makes clear the sort of difference that is anticipated between two conditions or two groups of people.

Question 17

What is a non-directional hypothesis

Answer 17

With a non-directional hypothesis the researcher simply states that there will be difference between conditions or groups of people but what the difference is, is not specified

Question 18

When do psychologists tend to use a directional hypothesis

Answer 18

When the findings of previous research studies suggest a particular outcome

Question 19

When do psychologists use a non-directional hypothesis

Answer 19

When there is no previous research, or findings from earlier studies are contradictory, they will instead decide to use a non-directional hypothesis

Question 20

Definition of dependant variable

Answer 20

Is what is being measured by the researcher .i.e how much content is being recalled

Question 21

In order to make sure that what is being measured by the researcher as a result of the IV, what should the researcher do

Answer 21

Should control for all other variables

Question 22

Definition of independent variable

Answer 22

Something that has to change or manipulate in order to see the effect

Question 23

In order to test the effect of the IV what do we need

Answer 23

Different experimental conditions, if we simply had some participants listen to music whilst studying, how would we know what they were like before?

Question 24

We need a comparison so what could we do

Answer 24

1. Compare the same participants before and after
2. Compare two diffferent participants

Question 25

Once you have done either comparisons what are you able to create

Answer 25

Able to create two conditions (these are the two levels of the IV): the control condition and the experimental condition

Question 26

What is operationalisation of variables

Answer 26

Operationalisation means clearly defining variables in terms of how they can be measured, thus means making variables as measure able as possible