Unit 2.3 - Variables and Measure Flashcards
How do we refer to data? Provide an example.
It is always plural and never singular.
- ex. Data are valuable. Data were collected.
Never: Data is valuable. Data was collected.
What commonly make up the participants of psychology experiments?
- Undergrad psych students (main body of participants)
- Clinical patients
- Community volunteers
- Children
- Prisoners
- Animals
What type of measures are there?
- physiological tests (measure things in the body such as saliva tests)
- Cognitive tests (IQ Tests)
- Interviews
- Observations
- Archival research (data set already collected) or case studies (examines 1 person for long period of time)
What are three types of variables and what do they do?
- Independent variable (IV), which is the predictor or cause
- Dependent variable (DV), which is the outcome or effect)
- Extraneous Variable (cofounding or distractor), which influences both independent and dependent variable
What are the four types of cofounding variables?
- Measure and statistically control
- Measure and match
- Measure and exclude
- Random assignment
What is the measure and statistically control? Provide example.
Control variables that are easier to measure and consistently control for it. Example includes controlling for rainy weather.
What is measure and match? Provide example.
Matching variable. Example includes equal number of men and women to see differences in gender affects (individual differences).
What is measure and exclude?
Exclusion variable that may be excluded. Examples include people using other substance rather than cannabis which causes collisions - excluded.
What is random assignment?
Assuming under the assumptions of mathematics, that when we randomly collect data from people, these different attributes should be distributed in a certain type of mathematical spectrum (normal curve). There will be variance and these balance out b/c of randomness of data collected.
