📚 Year 7 Edexcel Psychology: Key Points for Experiments / Practical Assessments | Year 7 Edexcel 心理学：实验/实践考核要点
In Year 7 Edexcel Psychology, one of the most exciting skills you will develop is how to design, conduct and evaluate simple psychological experiments. Your practical assessments will test your understanding of the scientific method – from writing a clear hypothesis to identifying variables and collecting data fairly. This article covers the key points you need to remember to score well in any experiment-based task.
在 Year 7 Edexcel 心理学课程中，你将培养的最令人兴奋的技能之一就是如何设计、实施和评估简单的心理学实验。实践考核将检验你对科学方法的理解——从撰写明确的假设到识别变量并公平地收集数据。本文涵盖了在任何实验类任务中取得好成绩所需记住的要点。
1. What is a Psychological Experiment? | 什么是心理学实验？
A psychological experiment is a carefully controlled procedure where a researcher changes one thing (the cause) and measures how it affects another thing (the effect). It is the best way to find out if one variable actually causes a change in another. Psychologists use experiments to test theories about human behaviour and mental processes.
心理学实验是一种严格控制的程序，研究者改变一个因素（原因）并测量它如何影响另一个因素（结果）。这是弄清一个变量是否真的引起另一个变量变化的最佳方法。心理学家使用实验来检验有关人类行为和心理过程的理论。
For example, you could investigate whether drinking a glass of water before a test improves performance by manipulating water intake and measuring test scores. This simple idea follows the same logic as more complex psychological studies.
例如，你可以通过控制饮水来研究考试前喝一杯水是否会提高成绩，并测量测试分数。这个简单的想法遵循了与更复杂的心理学研究相同的逻辑。
2. Independent and Dependent Variables (IV & DV) | 自变量与因变量
The independent variable (IV) is the factor the experimenter deliberately changes or manipulates. It is the ’cause’ in a cause-and-effect relationship. The dependent variable (DV) is the factor that is measured; it is the ‘effect’ that may change because of the IV. Remember: the IV is what you change, and the DV is what you measure.
自变量（IV）是实验者故意改变或操纵的因素。它是因果关系中的“因”。因变量（DV）是被测量的因素；它是可能因自变量而改变的“果”。记住：自变量是你改变的变量，因变量是你测量的变量。
Suppose you want to test whether the amount of sleep affects reaction time. The IV would be the hours of sleep (e.g. 4 hours vs. 8 hours), and the DV would be the reaction time recorded in seconds. Identifying IV and DV correctly is one of the most important marks in practical write-ups.
假设你想测试睡眠时长是否影响反应时间。自变量将是睡眠小时数（例如 4 小时与 8 小时），因变量将是以秒为单位记录的反应时间。正确识别 IV 和 DV 是实验报告中最重要得分点之一。
3. Control Variables: Keeping Things Fair | 控制变量：保持实验公平
Control variables are all the other factors that must be kept the same across conditions to ensure a fair test. If you do not control these variables, you cannot be sure whether the IV or something else caused the change in the DV. Controlling variables makes your experiment valid.
控制变量是所有其他必须在不同条件下保持不变的因素，以确保实验公平。如果你不控制这些变量，就无法确定是 IV 还是其他因素导致了 DV 的变化。控制变量使你的实验有效。
In the sleep and reaction time experiment, control variables might include: the type of reaction time test used, the time of day the test is taken, the noise level in the room, and that no participant drinks caffeine beforehand. A table is a useful way to plan your variables.
在睡眠与反应时间实验中，控制变量可能包括：使用的反应时间测试类型、进行测试的时间段、房间内的噪音水平，以及参与者事先不能摄入咖啡因。使用表格是规划变量的好方法。
| Variable Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Independent Variable (IV) | Hours of sleep (4 or 8) |
| Dependent Variable (DV) | Reaction time (seconds) |
| Control Variables | Same test, same room, no caffeine |
4. Writing a Hypothesis | 撰写假设
A hypothesis is a clear, testable prediction about the outcome of your experiment. It states how you think the IV will affect the DV. A hypothesis must be specific and measurable; it is not just a guess. In Year 7, you will usually write a directional (one-tailed) hypothesis that predicts the direction of the effect.
假设是一个关于实验结果的清晰、可检验的预测。它说明了你认为 IV 将如何影响 DV。假设必须是具体且可测量的；它不仅仅是一个猜测。在 Year 7 阶段，你通常会写一个方向性（单尾）假设，预测效应的方向。
An example of a well-written hypothesis: ‘Participants who sleep for 8 hours will have faster reaction times (measured in seconds) compared to participants who sleep for only 4 hours.’ This includes both the IV and DV and shows the expected difference. Avoid vague terms like ‘better’ – use measurable quantities.
一个撰写良好的假设示例：“与只睡 4 小时的参与者相比，睡 8 小时的参与者反应时间（以秒为单位）会更快。” 这包括了 IV 和 DV，并显示了预期的差异。避免使用“更好”等模糊词汇——使用可测量的量。
A simple template you can use is: ‘Participants in condition A will show [direction] [DV] than participants in condition B.’ Make sure your hypothesis is operationalised, meaning the variables are defined in a way that can be tested.
你可以使用的一个简单模板是：“条件 A 中的参与者将比条件 B 中的参与者表现出[方向][DV]。” 确保你的假设是可操作化的，即变量的定义方式使其能够被检验。
5. Experimental Design: Independent Groups & Repeated Measures | 实验设计：独立组与重复测量
Experimental design refers to how you allocate participants to conditions. The two most common designs you will meet are independent groups and repeated measures. In an independent groups design, different participants take part in each condition (e.g. one group has 8 hours’ sleep, a different group has 4 hours). This avoids practice effects but can be affected by individual differences between the groups.
实验设计指的是你如何将参与者分配到不同条件。你会遇到的两种最常见的设计是独立组和重复测量。在独立组设计中，不同的参与者参加每个条件（例如，一组睡 8 小时，另一组睡 4 小时）。这避免了练习效应，但可能受到组间个体差异的影响。
In a repeated measures design, the same participants take part in all conditions (e.g. the same people are tested after 4 hours of sleep and again after 8 hours of sleep). This controls for individual differences but can lead to order effects, where the order of conditions influences results (participants might get tired or improve with practice).
在重复测量设计中，相同的参与者参加所有条件（例如，同一批人在睡 4 小时后和睡 8 小时后分别接受测试）。这控制了个人差异，但可能导致顺序效应，即条件的顺序会影响结果（参与者可能会疲劳或因练习而提高）。
For a Year 7 practical assessment, it is important to state which design you chose and give one reason for your choice. For example: ‘I used independent groups to prevent participants guessing the aim of the study when doing both conditions.’
对于 Year 7 实践考核，重要的是说明你选择了哪种设计，并给出一个选择理由。例如：“我使用了独立组设计，以防止参与者在完成两个条件时猜到研究目的。”
6. Standardised Procedures | 标准化程序
Standardised procedures mean that every participant is given exactly the same instructions, materials, and environment during the experiment. This ensures that any differences in the DV are due to the IV and not to variations in how the experiment was conducted. Standardisation increases the reliability of your experiment.
标准化程序意味着在实验过程中，每位参与者都获得完全相同的指导语、材料和环境。这确保了 DV 的任何差异都是由 IV 造成的，而不是由于实验实施方式的变化。标准化提高了实验的可靠性。
In your practical work, you should write a step-by-step list of instructions that a stranger could follow to repeat your experiment exactly. For example, a standardised instruction might be: ‘Read the following list of 20 words silently for 2 minutes. When the timer stops, turn over the paper and write down as many words as you can remember.’
在你的实践作业中，你应该写出一份分步指令清单，一个陌生人也能按照它精确地重复你的实验。例如，一个标准化指令可能是：“默读以下 20 个单词的列表，持续 2 分钟。计时器停止时，翻过纸，写下你能记住的尽可能多的单词。”
Control of environmental factors, such as lighting, room temperature, and seating, is also part of standardisation. Always mention these details in your write-up to show you understand the importance of consistency.
对环境因素的控制，如光照、室温和座位安排，也是标准化的一部分。在你的报告中始终提及这些细节，以表明你理解一致性的重要性。
7. Ethical Considerations | 伦理考量
When working with human participants, psychologists must follow ethical guidelines to protect people from harm. Even in Year 7 classroom experiments, you need to show awareness of basic ethical principles: informed consent, right to withdraw, confidentiality, and protection from psychological or physical harm.
当与人类参与者一起工作时，心理学家必须遵循伦理准则以保护人们免受伤害。即使在 Year 7 的课堂实验中，你也需要表现出对基本伦理原则的认识：知情同意、退出权、保密以及免受心理或身体伤害的保护。
Informed consent means you explain what participants will do and get their agreement before starting. For minors, you would need a parent or guardian’s consent, but in a classroom simulation, you can still explain the task and ask for verbal agreement. Participants must also know they can stop at any time without giving a reason (right to withdraw).
知情同意意味着你在开始之前要向参与者解释他们将做什么并获得他们的同意。对于未成年人，你需要父母或监护人的同意，但在课堂模拟中，你仍然可以解释任务并请求口头同意。参与者还必须知道他们可以随时退出而无需给出理由（退出权）。
Confidentiality means keeping personal data private and not using names in reports. In your practical, use participant numbers instead. Finally, you must ensure your experiment causes no embarrassment, stress, or discomfort. If your experiment involves any mild deception, a debrief should be provided afterwards, though Year 7 experiments are usually very straightforward.
保密意味着保持个人数据私密，不在报告中使用姓名。在你的实践中，改用参与者编号。最后，你必须确保你的实验不会引起尴尬、压力或不适。如果你的实验涉及任何轻微欺骗，之后应提供事后解释，不过 Year 7 的实验通常非常简单明了。
8. Collecting and Recording Data | 收集和记录数据
Data collection must be systematic and accurate. You should design a data table before you start collecting results. A good table has clear headings, units of measurement, and space for all participant results. It is also helpful to have a column for the mean or total score.
数据收集必须系统且准确。你应该在开始收集结果之前设计一个数据表。一张好的表格有清晰的标题、测量单位，以及记录所有参与者结果的空间。有一列用于计算平均值或总分也很有帮助。
For example, in a memory experiment, your raw data table might look like this:
例如，在一个记忆实验中，你的原始数据表格可能如下所示：
| Participant | Condition A: Words recalled with music | Condition B: Words recalled in silence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 15 |
| 2 | 10 | 14 |
| 3 | 9 | 13 |
| Mean | 10.3 | 14.0 |
You can calculate the mean by adding up all the scores in one condition and dividing by the number of participants. Use the formula:
你可以通过将一个条件下的所有分数相加并除以参与者人数来计算平均值。使用公式：
Mean = (Sum of all scores) ÷ (Number of scores)
Always label your data clearly and check for any anomalous results (outliers). An outlier is a score that is very different from the others and might need to be noted in your evaluation.
始终清晰地标记你的数据，并检查任何异常结果（离群值）。离群值是一个与其他分数非常不同的分数，可能需要在你的评估中注明。
9. Drawing Conclusions | 得出结论
After analysing your data, you need to write a conclusion. A conclusion states whether your results support or do not support your hypothesis. You should refer to the mean scores or other descriptive statistics as evidence. Avoid saying you ‘proved’ something; instead, use phrases like ‘the results suggest that…’ or ‘this indicates that…’.
在分析了你的数据之后，你需要撰写结论。结论要说明你的结果是否支持你的假设。你应该引用平均分或其他描述性统计量作为证据。避免说你“证明”了什么；而应使用诸如“结果表明……”或“这表明……”之类的表述。
For instance, if you found that the silent condition resulted in a higher mean recall (14.0 words) compared to the music condition (10.3 words), your conclusion might be: ‘The results support the hypothesis that participants recall more words in silence than while listening to music. This suggests that background music may interfere with short-term memory.’
例如，如果你发现安静条件下的平均回忆数（14.0 个单词）高于音乐条件（10.3 个单词），你的结论可能是：“结果支持了参与者在安静条件下比在听音乐时能回忆更多单词的假设。这表明背景音乐可能干扰短时记忆。”
If the results were not as expected, you must report them honestly and suggest why the hypothesis was not supported. A good scientist never changes data to fit the prediction!
如果结果不如预期，你必须诚实地报告，并提出假设未得到支持的原因。一个好的科学家绝不会修改数据来拟合预测！
10. Evaluation: Strengths and Weaknesses | 评估：优点与不足
Evaluation means looking back at your experiment and thinking critically about what worked well and what could be improved. This is one of the most challenging but important skills. You should comment on validity (did you measure what you intended to?), reliability (would you get similar results again?), and any practical problems.
评估意味着回顾你的实验，批判性地思考哪些做得好以及哪些可以改进。这是最具挑战性但最重要的技能之一。你应该评论效度（你是否测量了想要测量的东西？）、信度（再次测试是否会得到相似结果？）以及任何实际问题。
Common strengths for a simple classroom experiment might include the use of standardised instructions and careful control of environmental noise. Weaknesses might be a small sample size, limited age range of participants, or the artificial nature of the task, which affects ecological validity (how well the findings apply to real life).
一个简单课堂实验的常见优点可能包括使用了标准化指导语和小心控制了环境噪音。缺点可能是样本量小、参与者年龄范围有限，或者任务的人为性，这影响了生态效度（研究结果多大程度上能应用于现实生活）。
To improve your experiment, you could suggest: using a larger, more diverse sample, conducting the experiment in a more natural setting, or using a counterbalancing procedure if you used repeated measures. Always link your suggested improvement to a specific limitation you identified.
要改进你的实验，你可以建议：使用更大、更多样化的样本，在更自然的环境中进行实验，或者如果你使用了重复测量，则采用平衡顺序的程序。始终将你建议的改进与你指出的具体局限性联系起来。
Published by TutorHao | Psychology Revision Series | aleveler.com
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