Research Methods Revision Notes
Aims:
• A general statement about the purpose of the study - what the research is
investigating.
Hypothesis:
• A clear, testable statement that predicts the outcome of the research, stating the
relationship between the variables involved.
Directional
• States the direction of the effect or difference.
• Used if previous research exists that makes them think a specific effect of
outcome is likely.
Non-directional
• States that there will be an effect of difference but does not state the direction.
• Used if there is little or no previous research or the research has been
contradictory, and they are unsure of the likely outcome.
Hypotheses should state the independent variable and the dependent variable:
• IV - The variable you expect to have an effect on the results.
• DV - The variable you are expecting to be affected by the action of the IV.
(HYPOTHESES SHOULD OPERATIONALISE THE VARIABLES)
,Experiments have 2 conditions:
Experimental - participants are exposed to the IV.
Control - participants are not exposed to the IV.
(All other variables should be held constant across the two conditions).
,Variables & Control
• An experiment will have an IV that is manipulated to see how this affects the DV.
Extraneous Variable:
• Other variables that might interfere - should be controlled or removed.
Nuisance Variables:
• Variables that are straightforward to control and may ‘muddy’ the results but do not
vary systematically with the IV.
Confounding Variables:
• Variables that change systematically with the IV.
• May cause a difference in results that the researcher wrongly attributes to the IV.
Participant Variables:
• The differing individual characteristics that may impact how a participant responds
in an experiment.
• To avoid this, the researcher should RANDOMLY ALLOCATE the participants to each
condition - this will make it more likely that a range of participants are spread over
the two conditions.
Demand Characteristics:
• Clues (or cues) that are presented to participants in an experiment to try to work out
what is being measured or how.
• This helps the participants work out what is going on - this may mean their
behaviour changes as a result.
, Participant Reactivity:
• Participants may act in a way they think are expected or the opposite to sabotage
the study.
• Difficult to avoid as humans will try to make sense of any situation, they find
themselves in - it can be a significant extraneous variable in experimental research.
Investigator Effects:
• May happen at any stage in the research process, including the selection of
participants, the procedure, and the materials.
• Researchers themselves may have an unwanted effect on their results by being more
friendly or encouraging to the participants.
• RANDOMISATION may be used to reduce any unintentional influence on the part of
the researcher.
Standardisation:
• All procedures should be STANDARDISED to ensure that the only difference between
the two conditions is the IV.
• Standardised instructions - all participants get the same information in the same
way.
Situational Variables:
• Features of the procedure and environment that may have an unwanted effect on
the DV are called situational variables.
Aims:
• A general statement about the purpose of the study - what the research is
investigating.
Hypothesis:
• A clear, testable statement that predicts the outcome of the research, stating the
relationship between the variables involved.
Directional
• States the direction of the effect or difference.
• Used if previous research exists that makes them think a specific effect of
outcome is likely.
Non-directional
• States that there will be an effect of difference but does not state the direction.
• Used if there is little or no previous research or the research has been
contradictory, and they are unsure of the likely outcome.
Hypotheses should state the independent variable and the dependent variable:
• IV - The variable you expect to have an effect on the results.
• DV - The variable you are expecting to be affected by the action of the IV.
(HYPOTHESES SHOULD OPERATIONALISE THE VARIABLES)
,Experiments have 2 conditions:
Experimental - participants are exposed to the IV.
Control - participants are not exposed to the IV.
(All other variables should be held constant across the two conditions).
,Variables & Control
• An experiment will have an IV that is manipulated to see how this affects the DV.
Extraneous Variable:
• Other variables that might interfere - should be controlled or removed.
Nuisance Variables:
• Variables that are straightforward to control and may ‘muddy’ the results but do not
vary systematically with the IV.
Confounding Variables:
• Variables that change systematically with the IV.
• May cause a difference in results that the researcher wrongly attributes to the IV.
Participant Variables:
• The differing individual characteristics that may impact how a participant responds
in an experiment.
• To avoid this, the researcher should RANDOMLY ALLOCATE the participants to each
condition - this will make it more likely that a range of participants are spread over
the two conditions.
Demand Characteristics:
• Clues (or cues) that are presented to participants in an experiment to try to work out
what is being measured or how.
• This helps the participants work out what is going on - this may mean their
behaviour changes as a result.
, Participant Reactivity:
• Participants may act in a way they think are expected or the opposite to sabotage
the study.
• Difficult to avoid as humans will try to make sense of any situation, they find
themselves in - it can be a significant extraneous variable in experimental research.
Investigator Effects:
• May happen at any stage in the research process, including the selection of
participants, the procedure, and the materials.
• Researchers themselves may have an unwanted effect on their results by being more
friendly or encouraging to the participants.
• RANDOMISATION may be used to reduce any unintentional influence on the part of
the researcher.
Standardisation:
• All procedures should be STANDARDISED to ensure that the only difference between
the two conditions is the IV.
• Standardised instructions - all participants get the same information in the same
way.
Situational Variables:
• Features of the procedure and environment that may have an unwanted effect on
the DV are called situational variables.
