A-Level Research Methods part 1

State the IV of this study: A teacher is doing a Psychology course and decides to try a little experiment with her class of eight-year-olds. She gives half of the class a test in the morning, and half of them do the same test in the afternoon to see if time of day affects their performance.

• When they take the test (time of day)

• Their performance of the test (score out of 10)

• The test they are given (KS2 maths)

• Their level of aggression (1-10)

State the DV of this study: In order to study the effects of sleep deprivation, students are asked to limit their sleep to five hours per night for three nights and then sleep normally for the next night. Each day the students’ cognitive abilities are assessed using a memory test.

• Number of hours of sleep (5 for 3 nights, normally for 1 night)

• Cognitive ability (score on memory test out of 30)

• The test they are given (memory test)

• Their level of tiredness (1-10)

Which of these is the best example of an aim?

• There will be no difference in aggression between boys and girls

• There will be a difference in aggression between boys and girls

• To investigate aggression in boys and girls

• Boys will be more aggressive than girls

How could we operationalise aggression?

Which of these would be the control condition/ group?

• 10 patients receive a new drug to treat schizophrenia

• 25 patients receive a new therapy to treat depression

• 5 patients receive a placebo

• 15 patients receive no therapy

Which of these is a null experimental hypothesis?

• There will be no difference in aggression between boys and girls

• There will be a difference in aggression between boys and girls

• To investigate aggression in boys and girls

• Boys will be more aggressive than girls

What type of hypothesis is this: Boys will be more aggressive than girls.

• Directional alternative experimental

• Non-directional alternative experimental

• Null

• Directional alternative correlational

Which of these is a two-tailed hypothesis?

• There will be no difference in aggression between boys and girls

• There will be a difference in aggression between boys and girls

• To investigate aggression in boys and girls

• Boys will be more aggressive than girls

Why would you choose to use a non-directional alternative hypothesis?

• When there is previous research so that you know what to expect

• When there is no previous research on your topic

• When there is previous research, but the studies have found conflicting results

• When you know what will happen

Which is the best definition of an extraneous variable?

• A variable that does not vary systematically with the independent variable but may have an effect on the dependent variable

• A variable that is not the independent variable but does vary systematically with the IV