IA+Objectives

**Experimental design **
> effect).
 * Define the aim of a study.
 * State a research and null hypothesis of a study.
 * State the independent and dependent variable in an experiment.
 * State operational definitions of variables.
 * Describe potential confounding variables.
 * Explain the controls needed for an experiment (for example, maturation, contamination, placebo
 * Explain effects of participant and researcher expectations and bias (including demand characteristics, expectancy effect, observer bias).
 * Explain the use of single- and double‑blind techniques.
 * Discuss the strengths and limitations of experimental designs (for example, independent samples, repeated measures, matched pairs, single participant).
 * Discuss sampling techniques appropriate to quantitative research (for example, random, opportunity, systematic, stratified).
 * Discuss how participants are allocated to experimental and control groups (for example, matched pairs, random allocation).
 * Explain the concept of representative sampling.
 * Discuss the concepts of internal and external validity.
 * Discuss conditions that increase a study’s reliability.
 * Apply descriptive statistics to analyse data (for example, mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Distinguish between levels of measurement (including nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Apply appropriate graphing techniques to represent data (for example, bar chart, histogram, line graph).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Apply an appropriately chosen statistical test (for example, Wilcox on matched pairs signed ranks test, Mann–Whitney U test, sign test, chi squared test) in order to determine the level of significance of data (HL only).

**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Sampling procedures **

 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Discuss sampling techniques appropriate to quantitative research (for example, random, opportunity, systematic, stratified).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Discuss how participants are allocated to experimental and control groups (for example, matched pairs, random allocation).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Explain the concept of representative sampling.

**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Evaluation of research **

 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Discuss the concepts of internal and external validity.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Discuss conditions that increase a study’s reliability.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Apply descriptive statistics to analyse data (for example, mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Distinguish between levels of measurement (including nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Apply appropriate graphing techniques to represent data (for example, bar chart, histogram, line graph).
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Apply an appropriately chosen statistical test (for example, Wilcox on matched pairs signed ranks test, Mann–Whitney U test, sign test, chi squared test) in order to determine the level of significance of data (HL only).