Variables

Question 1

What’s a variable?

Answer 1

It’s something that can change like a characteristic or value, like happiness, mood, lighting etc.

Question 2

What’s an independent variable? (IV)

Answer 2

The variable that is directly manipulated (changed) by the researcher in order to test it’s effect on the dependent variable (DV).

Question 3

What’s a dependent variable? (DV)

Answer 3

The variable that is measured.

The DV gives a measurable outcome of the action of the IV in an experiment.

Question 4

What are extraneous variables? (EV)

Answer 4

Variables in a study that aren’t being measured or manipulated but affect the results (DV) of ALL participants behaviours equally (E.G. background noise, time of day etc).

Question 5

What are confounding variables? (CV)

Answer 5

They affect some participants but not others and have a negative consequence for the validity/reliability of results. So such variables confuse (cofound) the results, making it hard to establish and a cause and effect relationship.

Question 6

What are situational variables?

Answer 6

Variables in the situation/environment (E.G. noise)

Question 7

What are experimenter variables?

Answer 7

Variables caused by the experimenters behaviour (E.G. tone of voice).

Question 8

What are participant variables?

Answer 8

Variables relating to the participants (E.G. participants personality).

Question 9

What are co-variables?

Answer 9

A variable in a correlational analysis that varies in relation to another variable.

Question 10

What does operationalisation of variables mean?

Answer 10

Once the variables are identified, the IV and DV have to be operationalised. Operationalisation means that we clearly define what it is we are testing so that it can be measured in an objective way (E.G. stress could be operationalised as an increase in heart rate, perspiration, heavy breathing etc).