1 WWJSF Who are they and what are they known for? 2. Define and give examples: I
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1 WWJSF Who are they and what are they known for? 2. Define and give examples: Independent Variable, Dependen Confounding Variable, operational definition, double blind, informe consent 3. The scientific method - Create an experiment clearly stating each of the following parts Theory, hypothesis, operational definitions, replication issues, sta istical significance, experimental groups, control group(s) 4. Name and describe the parts of the neuron and their function 5. Describe the neural impulse in detailExplanation / Answer
2. Independent variable is the variable which is introduced and manipulated by the researcher in an experiment to study its effect on another variable. For instance, in a study on the effect of loud music on memory, the exposure to music is the independent variable and the researchers can vary its introduction and absence to establish whether it can influence the participants ability to recall a list of words.
The dependent variable is the variable which is being studied in a research and it is the one one which is hypothesised to be related to the independent variable. For instance, in the previous example of music, the recall of words on a list would be the dependent variable.
Confounding variable is a factor which affects the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. Thus for instance, the participants’s motivation to remember words, interest or dislike of a particular type of music played in the experiment, age, the difficulties level of the words to be recalled, etc. can also additionally affect the accurate recall of the words and the results can thus be due to such confounding variables rather than the independent variable itself. These would thus ‘confound’ or intervene in the study.
Operational definition is a clear, concise and detailed definition of the measures in a study. When collecting the data, it is essential that everyone has the same understanding and collects data in the same way. This is achieved by framing operational definitions for each variable in terms of magnitude. Operational definitions of the independent variable such as the presence of loud instrumental music in a room, and of the dependent variable such as the number of words recalled accurately on a free recall test, are examples of operational definitions in our example.
Double blind is a research procedure used to decrease researcher bias and increase the reliability of the findings in which neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving a particular treatment. For instance, in our example of the music experiment, participants are not aware of whetehr they are a part of the experimental group or the control group and they would thus be less likely to be influenced by social desirability and respond in the way which they consider is expected out of them to prove the hypotheses. Secondly, the researchers who give instructions to the participants are also unaware of which is the experimental and the control group and they thus give the same set of instructions to the two groups about learning list of words and then assessing the Particpants on a free recall test. Thus, the experimenters administer the trials without showing any implicit bias in their test procedures.
Informed consent is an ethical process in behavioral and scientific research by which researchers describe their research project and obtain the subjects' consent to participate in the research based on the participants’ understanding of the methods, goals and consequences of the study. For instance, in order to carry on the experiment on the effect of loud music on memory, the reserachers may approach a group of college students and ask them whetehr they would want to volunteer as research participants. In soliciting the consent or approval of the participants, the researchers would describe the details of the study, the purpose behind their experiment and its consequence she for the community such as to propose an administrative plan for noise reduction in the campus during examinations, etc, the method of experimentation being used, the amount of time and effort required by the participants, and also highlight the participants’ right to keep their personal information confidential and their right to decline or withdraw from the study at any point of time.
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