WJEC Psychology Research Methods –
AS Exam/100 Q’s and A’s
Aim - -What the researcher intends to find out
-Confounding Variable - -A variable which might potentially affect the
dependent variable and confound the results
-Debrief - -To inform the participants about the nature of the study - a way
of dealing with ethical issues
-Dependent Variable - -The variable measured by the experimenter
-Ethical Issues - -Conflicting sets of values between researchers and
participants
-Experiment - -A research method where causal conclusions can be drawn
-Hypothesis - -A precise, testable statement about the assumed relationship
between variables
-Independent Variable - -The variable which is manipulated
-Operationalise - -Ensuring that variables are in a form that is easily
testable
-Standardised Procedures - -A set of procedures that are the same for all
participants
-Valid Consent - -Participants must be given comprehensive information
concerning the nature and purpose of the research and their role in it, so
that they can make an informed decision about whether to participate
-External Validity - -The degree to which a research finding can be
generalised to other settings, other groups of people and over time
-Extraneous Variable - -A variable which makes it more difficult to detect
the effects of the independent variable
-Internal Validity - -The degree to which an observed effect was due to the
experimental manipulation rather than other factors
-Mundane Realism - -How a study mirrors the real world
, -Validity - -Whether an observed effect is genuine
-Confederate - -An individual who is not a real participant and has been
instructed how to behave by the investigator
-Directional Hypothesis - -States what kind of effect the variables will have
on each other
-Non-directional Hypothesis - -Does not state what kind of effect the
variables will have on each other
-Null Hypothesis - -The assumption of no relationship between the variables
-Pilot Study - -A small-scale trial run of a study to test any aspects of the
design, with a view to making improvements
-Repeated Measures Experimental Design - -All participants receive all
levels of the independent variable
-Advantages of a Repeated Measures Design - -Can control participant
variables
Less participants needed
-Disadvantages of a Repeated Measures Design - -Order effects may affect
performance of the participants
Participants may guess the aims of the study
-Independent Groups Experimental Design - -Participants are placed in
separate groups, where one group does one level of the IV and the other
group does the other level
-Advantages of an Independent Groups Design - -No order effects
No demand characteristics
-Disadvantages of an Independent Groups Design - -Cannot control
participant variables
More participants needed
-Matched Pairs Experimental Design - -Two groups of participants who are
matched on key characteristics believed to affect performance on the DV
-Advantages of a Matched Pairs Design - -No order effects
No demand characteristics
Participant variables controlled (to an extent)
-Disadvantages of a Matched Pairs Design - -Time-consuming
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