Understanding Research Methods Terminology

What is the primary purpose of correlational analysis in research?

• To establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables

• To determine if there is a relationship between two covariables

• To manipulate variables to observe outcomes

• To test the effectiveness of a new treatment

What is counterbalancing used for in a repeated measures design?

• To increase the sample size

• To control for order effects

• To ensure random assignment

• To measure the dependent variable

In which type of observation are participants unaware that they are being observed?

• Overt observation

• Covert observation

• Participant observation

• Structured observation

What is a critical value in the context of hypothesis testing?

• The average score of all participants

• The value that a test statistic must reach for the hypothesis to be accepted

• The number of participants needed for statistical significance

• The mean difference between two groups

What is the main aim of debriefing participants after a study?

• To collect additional data

• To reveal the true aim of the research and return participants to their original state

• To recruit participants for future studies

• To provide participants with their individual results

What does deception in research involve?

• Providing participants with all the details of the study

• Misleading participants about the purpose of the study

• Ensuring participants are fully informed

• Observing participants without their knowledge

What are demand characteristics in a research study?

• The specific requirements for participant selection

• The cues that influence participants to guess the purpose of the study

• The statistical methods used to analyse data

• The ethical guidelines for conducting research

Which of the following is NOT a method to control for demand characteristics?

• Using a double-blind procedure

• Providing a detailed explanation of the study's purpose

• Using deception

• Randomising the order of conditions

What is the role of a dependent variable in an experiment?

• It is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher

• It is the variable that is measured to see the effect of the manipulation

• It is the variable that remains constant throughout the experiment

• It is the variable that is used to control for confounding factors

Which of the following best describes a repeated measures design?

• Different participants are used in each condition of the experiment

• The same participants take part in all conditions of the experiment

• Participants are randomly assigned to different groups

• Participants are observed in their natural environment