1. Unit 1 Research Methods (can be examined in Unit 1&2)
Variables
Unit 1 Research Methods (can be examined in Unit 1&2)

2. I think people perform better at a task in front of an audience
I think people perform better at a task in front of an audience. That bit of nervous energy you get makes you do things better
This is a THEORY – an explanation for behaviour.
We need to test this theory by coming up with an AIM and a HYPOTHESIS

3. Which ‘performance’ task shall we choose?

4. Aim & Variables
All psychological studies start with an aim – a general statement that explains the purpose of the study
Aim: To investigate whether performance on a task (throwing balls into a bucket) is affected by an audience being present or not
Independent variable: The thing that is varied or changed by a researcher to see if affects the DV. In a well designed study this should be the only thing allowed to influence the DV. Our IV has two conditions: in front of an audience, or without an audience
Dependent variable: The thing that will be measured by a researcher to see if changing the IV has had any effect. This should be clear and precise, e.g. “how many balls out of 10 land in the bucket” rather than “how good you are at getting the balls in the bucket”

5. Hypotheses A hypothesis states the relationship between IV and DV
A null hypothesis states that there is no relationship between IV and DV
The number of balls thrown into the bucket is not affected by the presence or absence of an audience
An alternative hypothesis states that there is a relationship between IV and DV
The number of balls thrown into the bucket is affected by the presence or absence of an audience (non-directional alternative hypothesis)
Or/
The number of balls thrown into the bucket is increased by the presence of an audience (directional alternative hypothesis)

6. Check your understanding:
A researcher uses an actor to serve students in a college canteen. When she hands them their change, half of the students she touches lightly on the hand, and half she does not. The researcher then asks each student to rate the likeability of the actor on a scale of 1 (extremely dislikes) to 7 (extremely likes)
Write an aim for this study
What is the independent variable
What is the dependent variable
Write a suitable null hypothesis
Write a suitable alternative hypothesis

7. Extraneous Variables
A variable that is not the IV but that might affect the DV. If EVs are not controlled, the researcher cannot be certain what caused any change that occurs in the DV.
In other sciences you will have called these control variables
Some EVs are easy to control, some cannot be controlled but need to be taken into account
What extraneous variables do we need to control in our experiment?

8. Complete your study!
Complete your experiment
What did you find?