What is the primary difference between standardisation and randomisation?

Standardisation focuses on keeping the environment and instructions identical for all participants to ensure consistency. Randomisation focuses on using chance to assign participants or order stimuli to eliminate researcher bias.

When should a researcher use counterbalancing instead of random allocation?

Counterbalancing is used in repeated measures designs where participants perform in all conditions. Since they cannot be randomly allocated to just one group, counterbalancing alternates the order of conditions to cancel out practice or fatigue effects.

How does standardisation differ from operationalisation?

Operationalisation is the process of defining variables in measurable terms (e.g., 'aggression' as 'number of hits'). Standardisation is the process of keeping the actual conduct of the study (e.g., the room, the script) identical for everyone.

What is a common error when researchers do not use random allocation in independent groups?

The researcher may succumb to selection bias, where participants with certain characteristics (e.g., higher motivation) are accidentally clustered in one condition. This makes it impossible to tell if the IV or the participant's traits caused the results.

What happens to a study's reliability if procedures are not standardised?

Reliability decreases because the study cannot be accurately replicated. If different participants receive different instructions or timings, the results will be inconsistent and untrustworthy.

Why is it a mistake to let participants choose which experimental group they join?

This creates a confounding variable known as participant effects or selection bias. The groups will no longer be comparable because their self-selection might reflect underlying differences that influence the dependent variable.

Define 'Standardised Instructions'.

These are a set of identical directions read or shown to every participant in a study. They ensure that every individual understands the task in exactly the same way, removing 'instructional variation' as an extraneous variable.

What is 'Random Allocation'?

It is the process of assigning participants to different experimental groups using a random method, such as a coin toss or computer generator. It ensures that every participant has an equal chance of being in any condition.

Define 'Order Effects'.

Order effects are changes in participants' performance due to the sequence in which they experience conditions. Common examples include the 'practice effect' (improvement) and the 'fatigue effect' (decline in performance).

Why does standardisation improve the internal validity of a study?

It ensures that extraneous variables (like different noise levels or varying instructions) are controlled. This allows the researcher to be more confident that the independent variable is the sole cause of changes in the dependent variable.

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Research Procedures

Summary

Research procedures are the systematic protocols used to conduct a study, focusing on standardisation and randomisation to ensure that results are reliable and valid. By controlling extraneous variables, these procedures allow researchers to isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, facilitating replication and the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships.

1. Definition & Core Concepts

Research Procedures refer to the specific, step-by-step actions and protocols followed by a researcher during an investigation. These procedures encompass everything from how participants are greeted to how data is recorded and analyzed.

The primary goal of formal procedures is to minimize the influence of extraneous variables, which are factors other than the independent variable that could potentially affect the results. Effective procedures ensure that any observed change in the dependent variable is truly caused by the manipulation of the independent variable.

Two fundamental pillars of robust research procedures are standardisation, which ensures consistency, and randomisation, which eliminates systematic bias.

A diagram showing how standardisation and randomisation act as controls to prevent extraneous variables from interfering with the relationship between the Independent Variable and the Dependent Variable.

2. Standardisation

Standardisation involves keeping all aspects of the research environment and process identical for every participant and across all conditions. This ensures that the only difference between groups is the independent variable itself.

Key elements of standardisation include providing identical instructions, using the same briefing and debriefing scripts, and ensuring that the timing (e.g., duration of a task) is consistent for everyone.

By using standardised materials and environments, researchers increase the reliability of the study. This consistency allows other researchers to replicate the study exactly to see if they obtain the same results.

3. Randomisation

4. Counterbalancing

5. Key Distinctions

6. Exam Strategy & Tips

Research Procedures

Summary

1. Definition & Core Concepts

Two fundamental pillars of robust research procedures are standardisation, which ensures consistency, and randomisation, which eliminates systematic bias.

2. Standardisation

3. Randomisation

Randomisation is the process of making research decisions by chance rather than by researcher choice to eliminate human bias. This is crucial for ensuring that the study remains objective and that groups are comparable.

In practice, this involves random allocation, where participants are assigned to different conditions using methods like drawing names from a hat or using a random number generator. This helps distribute individual differences (like intelligence or personality) evenly across groups.

Randomisation also applies to the order of stimuli. For example, if participants are asked to memorize a list of words, the order of those words should be randomised for different participants to prevent 'order effects' from skewing the data.

4. Counterbalancing

Counterbalancing is a specific procedure used in repeated measures designs, where the same participants take part in all conditions of the experiment. Since random allocation to groups is impossible here, researchers must control for order effects.

Order effects occur when the sequence of tasks influences performance, such as participants becoming bored (fatigue effect) or getting better through practice (practice effect).

The procedure involves splitting the group in half: one half completes Condition A then Condition B, while the other half completes Condition B then Condition A. This ensures that any effects of the order are balanced out across the entire dataset.

5. Key Distinctions

Feature	Standardisation	Randomisation
Primary Goal	Consistency and Replicability	Bias Reduction and Objectivity
Mechanism	Keeping everything the same	Using chance to make decisions
Focus	Environment, Instructions, Materials	Participant allocation, Stimuli order
Impact	Increases Reliability	Increases Internal Validity

While standardisation focuses on the sameness of the experience, randomisation focuses on the unpredictability of assignments to prevent systematic errors.

6. Exam Strategy & Tips

Identify the Design First: Before suggesting a procedure, check if the study is 'Independent Groups' or 'Repeated Measures'. If it is repeated measures, you MUST mention counterbalancing to control for order effects.
Be Specific with Standardisation: When asked how to standardise a study, don't just say 'keep it the same.' Specify that you would use a standardised script for instructions or ensure the room temperature and lighting are identical.
Check for Bias: Always look for ways a researcher might have accidentally influenced the outcome. If they chose which participant went into which group, suggest random allocation as a fix.
Link to Validity: In your answers, explain that these procedures improve internal validity because they ensure that the Independent Variable is the only factor affecting the Dependent Variable.