Confounds in Research Design - Psych1040

These flashcards cover key concepts related to confounds, variables, research designs, and hypotheses in research methods based on the lecture notes.

What is an independent variable (IV)?

A manipulated variable presumed to cause change in another dependent variable.

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

A measured attribute or behavior presumed to result from changes in the independent variable.

What are extraneous or nuisance variables?

Variables not being manipulated or measured but contribute to obtained results, adding noise to the data.

What is a situational variable?

A subclass of environmental extraneous variables, such as temperature or auditory noise, that may affect the experiment systematically.

What is the null hypothesis?

There is no relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable; obtained results are due to chance alone.

What is the alternate hypothesis?

There is a relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable; obtained results are unlikely to have occurred due to chance.

What is random assignment?

A method used in experimental research designs to eliminate extraneous variables by randomly distributing participants into different groups.

What is a repeated measures design?

An experimental design where the same participants are measured multiple times under different conditions.

What is counterbalancing?

A technique used in repeated measures design to control for order effects by varying the order of conditions among participants.

What is a correlational design?

An observational research design that investigates the relationship between two or more variables without direct manipulation.

What is a quasi-experimental design?

A type of research design where groups are pre-existing and not randomly assigned.

What is the carryover effect?

A phenomenon in repeated measures design where the effect of one condition persists and influences subsequent conditions.

What is the difference between progressive effects and carryover effects?

Progressive effects are systematic changes in participants' performance due to practice or fatigue, while carryover effects are specific influences from one condition to another.

What are the pros of independent group designs?

Casual relationships can be established, and random assignment reduces average differences between groups.

What are the advantages of observational research?

Can be conducted in natural settings and is suitable for studying variables that cannot be directly manipulated.

What is the hallmark of longitudinal designs?

The efficient use of participants in naturalistic settings with big archival datasets.