Unit 2 - Chapter 5 - Types of Variables

Question 1

What kinds of factors can be measured with variables?

Answer 1

1. Duration
2. Frequency
3. Rate/Intensity

These factors are tangible … they are concrete and can be measured

Question 2

What sorts of factors are intangible?

Answer 2

Theoretical concepts such as:

1. Motivation
2. Hunger
3. Anxiety

Question 3

How do tangible variables relate to theoretical concepts?

Answer 3

By use of the operational definitions used to measure the concepts

Question 4

What is a variable?

Answer 4

Some aspect of a testing condition that can change or take on different characteristics with different conditions.

Question 5

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 5

• A measure of the behaviour of the subject
• The dependent variable is the response that the person or animal makes
• This response is generally measured using at least one of several different dimension

Question 6

What is frequency?

Answer 6

The number of times that a behaviour is performed

Question 7

What is rate?

Answer 7

The number of times that a behaviour is performed, relative to time

Question 8

What is duration?

Answer 8

The amount of time that a behaviour lasts

Question 9

What is latency?

Answer 9

The amount of time between an instruction and when the behaviour is actually performed

Question 10

What is topography?

Answer 10

The shape or style of the behaviour

Question 11

What is force?

Answer 11

The intensity or strength of a behaviour

Question 12

What is locus?

Answer 12

Where the behaviour occurs in the environment

Question 13

What is one of the goals of science?

Answer 13

To find relationships among events in the world. These relationships are sought between the dependent and independent variables

Question 14

What is the independent variable?

Answer 14

• The condition manipulated or selected by the experimenter to determine its effect on behaviour
• The variable believed to cause some change in the value of the dependent variable
• The stimulus of stimulus-response psychology
• Can often be thought of as what the researcher does to the subject
• The dependent variable is what the subject does back

Question 15

What are levels?

Answer 15

• Every independent variable has at least two values; otherwise, it wouldn’t be a variable
• These values are commonly called levels
• The different values of an independent variable

Question 16

What is a variable of interest?

Answer 16

• ## A variable for which its role in the cause and effect of an observed relationship is not clear

Question 17

What is a subject variable?

Answer 17

A difference between subjects that cannot be controlled but can only be selected

Question 18

What are examples of subject variables?

Answer 18

Poverty, sex, age, or intelligence … these independent variables cannot be controlled by the researcher.

Question 19

What is a confounded variable

Answer 19

• A variable that varies with the independent variable

- One whose effect cannot be separated from the supposed independent variable