AICE Psych 1.1 Vocab

Dependent Variable

The factor in an experiment that is measured and is expected to change under the influence of the independent variable.

Independent Variable

The factor under investigation in an experiment that is manipulated to create two or more conditions (levels) and is expected to be responsible for changes in the dependent variable.

Experiment

An investigation that allows researchers to look for a causal relationship; an independent variable is manipulated and is expected to be responsible for changes in the dependent variable.

Uncontrolled Variable

A variable that either acts randomly, affecting the DV in all levels of the IV, or systematically, ie. on one level of the IV (called a confounding vairable) so can obscure the effect of the IV, making the results difficult to interpret, the effects of which have not or canot be limited or eliminated.

Experimental Condition

One or more of the situations in an experiment that represent different levels of the IV and are compared (or compared to a control condition)

Control Condition

A level of the IV in an experiment where the IV itself is absent. It is compared to one or more experimental conditions

Experimental Design

The way in which participants are allocated to levels of the IV

Independent Measures Design

An experimental design in which a different group of participants is used for each level of the IV (condition)

Demand Characteristics

Features of the experimental situation which give away the aims. They can cause participants to try to change their behaviour, for example to batch their beliefs about what is supposed to happen, which reduced the validity of the study.

Random Allocation

A way to reduce the effect of confounding variables such as individual differences. Participants are put in each level of the IV such that each person has an equal chance of being in any condition.

Repeated Measures Design

An experimental design in which each participant persons in every level of the IV

Participant Variables

Individual differences between participants (such as age, personality, and intelligence) that could affect their behaviour in a study that would hide or exaggerate differences between levels of the IV.

Confounding Variable

An uncontrolled variable that acts systematically on one level of the IV so could hide or exaggerate differences between levels and therefore ‘confound’ or confuse the results making it difficult to understand the effect of the IV on the DV.

Order Effects

Practice and fatigue effects are the consequences of participating in a study more than once, for example in a repeated measures design. They cause changes in performance beteen conditions that are not due to the IV, so can obscure the effects of the DV.

Practice Effect

A situation where participants’ performance improves because they experience the experimental task more than once, for example due to familiarity or learning the task.

Fatigue Effect

A situation where participants’ performance declines because they experience the experimental task more than once, e.g. due to a physical tiredness or boredom with the task.

Randomisation

A way to overcome order effects in a repeated measures design. Each participant is allocated to perform in the different levels of the IV in a way that ensures they have an equal chance of participating in the different levels in any order.

Counterbalancing

A way to overcome order effects in a repeated measures design. Each possible order of levels of the IV is performed by a different sub-groups of participants. This can be described as an ABBA design, as half the participants do condition A then B, while the other half do B then A

Matched Pairs Design

An experimental in which participants are arranged into pairs. Each pair is similar in ways that are important to the study and one member of each pair performs in a different level of the IV.

Controls

Ways to keep potential confounding variables constant, for example between levels of the IV, to ensure measured differences in the DV are likely to be due to the IV, raising validity.

Standardisation

Keeping the procedure for each participant in a study (eg. and experiment or interview) exactly the same to ensure that any differences between participants or conditions are due to the variables under investigation rather than differences in ways they were treated.

Reliability

The extent to which a procedure, task, or measure is consistent, for example, that it would produce the same results with the same people on each occasion.

Validity

The extent to which the researcher is testing what they claim to be testing

Pilot Study

A small-scale test of the procedure of a study before the main study is conducted. It aims to ensure that the procedure and materials are valid and reliable, so theat they can be adapted if not.

Replication

Keeping the procedure and materials exactly the same between studies when attempting, for example, to verify results or to enable other studies to use the exactly the same techniques to answer related questions

Operational Definition

The clear description of a variable such that it can be accurately manipulated, measured, or quantified, and the study can be replicated. This includes the way that the IV and DV in experiments, and the co-variables in correlations, are described.

Placebo

A pill or procedure given to a patient who believes it to be a real treatment which in fact has no active “ingredient”, ie. no active drug in the case of a pill and no therapeutic value in the case of an intervention.

Field Experiment

An investigation looking for a causal relationship in which an independent variable is manipulated and is expected to be responsible for changes in the dependent variable. It is conducted in the normal environment for the participants for the behaviour being investigated and some control of variables is possible.

Generalisation

To apply the findings of a study mroe widely e.g. to other populations and settings

Ecological Validity

The extent to which the findings of research conducted in one situation would generalise to ther situations. This is influenced by whether the situation (e.g. a labratory) represents the real world effectively and whether the task is relevant to real life (has mundane realism)

Hypothesis

A testable statement based on the aims of an investigation

Alternative Hypothesis

The testable statement predicting a difference in between levels of the independent variable in an experiment (or a relationship between variables in a correlation)

Non directional (two-tailed) Hypothesis

A statement predicting only that one variable will be related to another, for example that there will be a difference in the DV between levels of the IV in an experiment (or that there will be a relationship between the measured variables in a correlation.)

Directional (one-tailed) Hypothesis

A statement predicting the direction of a relationship between variables, for example in an experiment whether the levels of the IV will produce an increase or decrease in the DV.

Null Hypothesis

A testable statement saying that any difference or correlation in the results is due to chance, that is, that no pattern in the results has arisen because of the variables being studied.

Informed Consent

Knowing enough about a study to decide whether you want to agree to participate

Right to Withdraw

PA participant should know they can remove themselves, and their data from a study at any time

Protection from Harm

Participants should not be exposed to any greater physical or psychological risk than they would expect in their day-to-day life.

Deception

Participants should not be deliverately misinformed (lied to) about the aim or procedure of the study. If this is unavoidable, the study should be planned to minimise the risk of distress, and participants should be thoroughly debriefed. It may be done to reduce the effects of demand characteristics but should be avoided.

Privacy

Participants’ emotions and physical space should not be invaded, for example they should not be observed in situations or places where they would not expect to be seen.

Confidentiality

Participants’ results and personal information should be kept safely and not released to anyone outside the study.