S1 Wk 3 - Variables and Measurement

Question 1

what is a variable

Answer 1

things we are trying to control and measure

anything that varies between people, over time within context

Question 2

variables are …….. and can be used ………

Answer 2

related to one another

to predict one another

Question 3

what is random variations

Answer 3

sometimes called noise or error

means that individuals vary naturally

Question 4

what is an independent variable

Answer 4

value that is fixed or controlled and NOT dependent on something else in our study

Question 5

what are the levels of the IV

Answer 5

the conditions or groups used in a study

Question 6

what is the dependent variable

Answer 6

depends on something else

something we think is affected by another variable

Question 7

what is between subjects

Answer 7

comparing different groups of people

independent measures

Question 8

what is within subjects

Answer 8

compares same ppts across different groups

repeated measures

Question 9

what is an experiment

Answer 9

involves manipulating the IV

Question 10

what is interval data

Answer 10

measurements with an equal interval between each point on the scale

can be + or -

e.g. temp, time of day, date in years, money in bank account

Question 11

what is ratio data

Answer 11

measurements with an equal interval between

mathematically meaningful absolute zero

e.g. height, weight, money in pocket

Question 12

what does SPSS refer to interval and ratio as

Answer 12

scale

Question 13

what is discrete data

Answer 13

can be counted in whole numbers

subdivision of the values doesn’t make sense

Question 14

what is continuous data

Answer 14

Variable is continuous if it can be subdivided further

Question 15

what type of data are ratio and interval usually

Answer 15

continuous

Question 16

what type of data do parametric tests use

Answer 16

interval or ratio data

Question 17

what type of data do non-parametric tests use

Answer 17

ordinal or nominal

Question 18

What does parametric mean

Answer 18

Refers to the setting of parameters required to be able to compare data to the model

Question 19

What does internal validity mean

Answer 19

Are the study’s conclusions Justified by the evidence presented

Question 20

What does reliable mean

Answer 20

Consistent; tells us the same thing over time

Question 21

What does valid mean

Answer 21

Actually measures what it’s supposed to measure

Question 22

how do we calculate variance and standard deviation

Answer 22

find the mean

for each data point, minus the mean and square it

sum the values from step 2

divide the by the number of data points (-1 maybe)

square root for the standard deviation

Question 23

what is normal distribution

Answer 23

Normal variation, some low scorers, some high scorers, most people fall in the middle of the scale

Question 24

what is the variance

Answer 24

how far away individual scores are from the parameters such as the mean