PSY 3400 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Statistical Inference, Observer-Expectancy Effect, Observational Techniques
19 Sep 2016
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Remember to read the chapter in the textbook before you proceed to the following supplemental materials! Experimental research: in an experiment, the researcher manipulates an independent variable (iv) in some systematic way to understand the effect of this manipulation on a dependent variable (dv). Observational research: using observational methods, the researcher takes existing situations and tries to see what the effect of something is without directly changing it. The primary distinction here is control of extraneous variables. Experiments control variables whereas observational techniques take existing situations and attempt to see the effect of a variable without directly manipulating it. If extraneous variables are allowed to vary, they can produce changes in your dependent variable and obscure the effects of your manipulated iv. Independent variables: these are manipulated by the experimenter. In order to qualify as an experiment, you must expose participants to at least two levels of your iv.
