2023-2025 Year 12 A-Level Psychology - Research Methods: IV DV AIM - RN
An Independent Variable (IV) is the variable that the researcher deliberately changes or manipulates to test its effect on another variable (the dependent variable). It is the cause or factor believed to influence the outcome being measured.
What is an Independent variable?
The variable that changes OR is manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the DV.
Key Terms
What is an Independent variable?
The variable that changes OR is manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the DV.
What is a dependent variable?
This is the variable that the researcher measures to see the effect of the IV.
When identifying the IV in an experiment what must you look for?
Look for the different conditions - the factor that is changing will be the IV.
Define operationalisation?
Operationalisation means to be specific and clear when defining the independent and dependent variable in an experiment, to make it easier to measu...
Why is operationalising important?
If variables are vague (not operationalised) then it would not be possible to repeat the research to check for consistent results.
How does operationalisation impact reliability?
Operationalisation increases reliability as if variables are operationalised the other researchers can repeat the research in the same way to check...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What is an Independent variable? | The variable that changes OR is manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the DV. |
What is a dependent variable? | This is the variable that the researcher measures to see the effect of the IV. |
When identifying the IV in an experiment what must you look for? | Look for the different conditions - the factor that is changing will be the IV. |
Define operationalisation? | Operationalisation means to be specific and clear when defining the independent and dependent variable in an experiment, to make it easier to measure. |
Why is operationalising important? | If variables are vague (not operationalised) then it would not be possible to repeat the research to check for consistent results. |
How does operationalisation impact reliability? | Operationalisation increases reliability as if variables are operationalised the other researchers can repeat the research in the same way to check for consistent results. |
Practice: Operationalised ‘memory.’ Top tip: You need to provide the scale or measurement where possible. | e.g. number of words correctly recalled out of 30 |
What is an aim? | This is a general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate, the purpose of the study. |
What is the difference between an aim and a hypothesis? | This is a general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate whilst a hypothesis is a specific testable statement in which the researcher predicts what will happen between the variables. |
An experiment was conducted under the following conditions: Condition 1: 20 people learned and recalled Word list A in the same location. Condition 2: The same 20 people learned Word list B in one location and recalled Word list B in a different location. Identify the operationalised dependent variable in this study. | Number/amount of words recalled correctly (from word lists or word list A and word list B). |
The variable that changes OR is manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the DV is called what? | An independent variable |
What is the variable that the researcher measures to see the effect of the IV. | A dependent variable |
When someone thing is specific and clear when defining the independent and dependent variable, what is it called? | It is Operationalised. |
Why do we operationalise? | To make it easier to measure. |
What is a general statement of what the researcher intends to investigate called? | An Aim |
What is a hypothesis? | A hypothesis is a specific testable statement in which the researcher predicts what will happen between the variables. |
A researcher wanted to investigate the effect of room temperature on levels of aggression. Operationalise the DV (what you measure) in this study. | DV- score on a aggression questionnaire (score out of 50. 0 – being not aggressive and 50 being extremely aggressive |
A researcher wanted to investigate whether concentration is better in the mornings than the evenings. Operationalise the IV (what we manipulate). | Time memory test is taken (9am or 9 pm). |