Designing and conducting experiments, inc. field, lab

Independent and dependent variables

Experimental and null hypotheses

Directional (one-tailed) and non-directional (two-tailed) tests and hypotheses

Experimental and research designs: repeated measures, independent groups and matched pairs

Operationalisation of variables, extraneous variables and confounding variables

Counterbalancing, randomisation and order effects

Situational and participant variables

Objectivity, reliability and validity (internal, predictive and ecological)

Experimenter effects, demand characteristics and control issues

Quantitative data analysis

Decision making and interpretation of inferential
statistics

Case study of brain-damaged patients, including Henry Molaison (HM) and the use of qualitative data, including strengths and weaknesses of the case study

Assessment Questions:

1. One research method commonly used in the Cognitive Approach is the laboratory experiment. Describe the main features of the laboratory experiment as a research method.

2. Jared decided to investigate how many household objects could be recalled by participants when rehearsal was prevented. He conducted a laboratory experiment where he displayed 25 household objects to the participants for one minute. Jared then asked the participants to count backwards from 20 before they attempted to recall as many household objects as they could.

a. State a fully operationalised directional (one-tailed) hypothesis for Jared’s experiment. (3)

b. Describe an appropriate participant design that Jared could use for this experiment. (3)

c. Stats Question – insert a file here AS Paper 1 2015; cant copy as its a table