![]() For example, in the memory experiment, the intelligence and motivation levels of the participants may have an impact on their score on the memory test. Variables & ControlĪs well as the IV and DV, other variables exist which potentially affect the results of experiments.Įxtraneous variables: Variables other than the IV which may have an effect on the DV if not controlled for. ![]() This is an operationalised hypothesis, and it is directional, in this case. ‘Participants between 20 and 25 years of age will score more highly on a memory test than participants between 60 and 65 years of age’. This can be used in a hypothesis as follows: ‘Memory ability’ (the DV) could be operationalised as ‘the score on a test of memory’ or ‘the number of words successfully recalled’. For example, ‘Age’ (the IV) could be operationalised as ‘participants between 20 and 25 years of age and participants between 60 and 65 years of age’. For the purposes of experiments, IVs and DVs must be operationalised- put into a form which is measurable. All other variables should be controlled as far as possible, so that it is the IV that affects the DV and nothing else. The result, which should be affected by the change in IV, is the dependent variable (DV). Independent and dependent variables: In an experiment, the variable manipulated or changed by the researcher is the independent variable (IV). If there is no previous research, or previous research is contradictory, and a non-directional hypothesis would be used. There is also the null hypothesis, which predicts that there will be no difference between the conditions, for example ‘there will be no difference between young and older people in performance on a memory test’.ĭirectional hypotheses are used when previous research indicates what the results will be, for example if other studies have found that young people have better memories than older people, we can predict that the result will go the same way. The above hypotheses are known as the experimental/alternative hypothesis.
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