psych 300 b Flashcards
1st midterm Conceptual concepts
What is an independent variable (IV)?
The independent variable is the variable that the researcher manipulates or categorizes to examine its effect on the dependent variable.
What does the conceptual level of an independent variable represent?
The broad idea of what the IV represents.
Example: Caffeine intake and its effect on memory.
b) Research Level definition of an IV:
How the IV is structured in the study.
Example: Two groups: One receives caffeinated coffee, and the other receives decaf.
(c) Operational Definition:
How the IV is specifically manipulated or defined in measurable terms.
Example: Participants in the caffeine condition drink 200 mg of caffeine (a standard cup of coffee), while the control group drinks decaf (0 mg caffeine).
Dependent Variable (DV)
The dependent variable is the outcome being measured in response to changes in the independent variable
(a) Conceptual Level:
The general idea of what is being measured.
Example: Memory performance after consuming caffeine.
(b) Research Level:
The specific way memory is assessed in the study.
Example: Participants are asked to recall a list of words after consuming coffee.
(c) Operational Definition
The exact way the DV is measured numerically.
Example: Memory performance is measured as the number of correctly recalled words out of 20 on a memory test.
Q: A researcher is studying how different exercise intensities (Low, Medium, High) affect heart rate (measured in beats per minute).
What is the scale of measurement for the IV (Exercise Intensity)?
What is the scale of measurement for the DV (Heart Rate in BPM)?
IV: Ordinal (Exercise intensity levels have an order but no equal intervals).
DV: Ratio (Heart rate is measured in BPM, has a true zero, and meaningful ratios).
Q: A psychologist records participants’ favorite colors (Red, Blue, Green, etc.) and their anxiety levels on a scale from 1 (Low Anxiety) to 10 (High Anxiety).
What is the scale of measurement for the IV (Favorite Color)?
What is the scale of measurement for the DV (Anxiety Level)?
IV: Nominal (Categories with no intrinsic order).
DV: Ordinal (Ranked anxiety levels, but the difference between scores is not necessarily equal).
Q: A researcher investigates how different levels of stress impact mood. Stress is measured using a standardized stress index (ranging from -10 to +10), and mood is measured using a Likert scale from 1 (Very Unhappy) to 7 (Very Happy).
What is the scale of measurement for the IV (Stress Index Score)?
What is the scale of measurement for the DV (Mood Rating on a 1–7 Scale)?
IV: Interval (Stress index scores have equal intervals, but there is no true zero—zero does not mean “no stress”).
DV: Ordinal (Likert scales represent rankings but do not have equal intervals between points).
