Psych CHAPTER 1

Used to test a cause and effect relationship between variables under controlled conditions.

Any factors that can change in amount or type over time.

- IV (Independent Variable): the variable that is manipulated or changed in some way in order to assess it effects on the participants' responses.

- DV (Dependent Variable): is expected to change as a result of the IV. Is 'dependent' on the IV.

- Control condition: provides a standard to be compared against. The IV is not present.

- Experimental condition: is exposed to the IV.

- States the causal relationship between the IV and DV to be tested.

• - Must include:
• - the IV
• - the DV
• - the population

• - Individual Participant Differences
• - Demand Characteristics
• - Placebo Effects
• - Experimenter effects
• - Order effects (practice and carry-over)
• - Artificiality
• - Use of non-standardised instructions

e.g. age, sex, memory, intelligence, personality, mood, motivation, social skills etc.

• Ways to control this variable:
• - Matched participant design
• - Double-blind or single-blind procedure
• - Participant allocation and selection.

A cue expressed by the experimenter or is present in some aspect of the research study which influences the way participants respond. They respond in a way they feel is expected of them rather than responding naturally.

• Ways to control this variable:
• - Placebo

Occurs when there is a change in the responses of participants due to their belief that they are receiving some kind of treatment and responding according to that belief.

• Ways to control this variable:
• - Single-blind procedure

Occurs when there is a change in a participant's response due to the researcher's expectations, biases or actions, rather than to the effect of the IV.

• Ways to control this variable:
• - Double-blind procedure

Occurs when performance, as measured by the DV, is influenced by the specific order in which the conditions, treatments or tasks are presented.

• Practice effects are the influence on performance (DV) that arises from practising a task.
• Carry-over effects are the influence that a task has on performance in a subsequent task that follows it.

• Ways to control this variable:
• - Counterbalancing

Laboratory based research with a lack of realism and differences to real life settings. This can produce demand characteristics which causes a participant to react unnaturally.

When research procedures are non-standardised, this means that they are not kept uniform or the same for all participants.

• Ways to control this variable:
• - Use of standardised instructions.

• - Counterbalancing
• - Single and Double-blind procedures
• - Placebos
• - Standardised instructions and procedures

Involves systematically changing the order of treatments or tasks for participants in a ‘balanced’way to ‘counter’ the biasing influence or unwanted effects on performance of any one order.