Variables Flashcards
Three Hass avocado trees will be put in different scenarios. One tree will grow under
artificial light, the other under sunlight, the last will receive no sunlight at all In order to see
which will grow more. What is the Independent variable? What is the dependent variable?
How can you operationalize this study?
IV: Sunlight, no sunlight, artificial light
DV: The growth of the tree
Operationalisation: By measuring the size of the three in inches.
Define dependent variable:
The variable that is measured as a result of the effect of the independent variable.
Define independent variable:
The variable that is manipulated by the researcher to see the effect it has on another variable.
Define random allocation
Assigning participants to each variable through a random method such as sorting from a hat.
Define counterbalancing
Reversing the order of the treatment for certain participants in order to eliminate the effect of the order of treatments
Define randomization
Randomizing the order of the procedures.
Define standardization
All parts of the procedure and experimental setup are kept the same for every participant in order to increase reliability and replicability.
Mr. Gould is conducting research to see who can run the 100 meter dash faster. Jamaicans or Cubans? For Jamaicans, he recruited Usain Bolt. For the Cubans he recruited Mr. Galguera.
Is this confounding variable or extraneous variable? Why?
Confounding variable because Dr. Gould is not taking into account many of the
personality/participant variables as to why this research is skewed.
Dr. Gould is conducting an experiment in order to see who runs faster in a marathon. A Kenyan or an Ethiopian. The Ethiopian is running on a concrete surface. The Kenyan is running on a rocky surface.
Is this confounding variable or extraneous variable? Why?
Extraneous because the surface is having an effect on the results of the study.
Students from a MIT Calculus class will compete against MAST Academy students to see if college students perform better than high school students. Is this a participant, situational, or investigator variable? Why? How can you control it?
Participant variable because the researcher is not taking the difference between participants into account. This can be controlled by comparing MIT students to CAL Tech students instead of high school students.
A study wants to measure if location has an effect on test results. Therefore, two similar students are going to be put in two different situations before taking the same Algebra test. One will be given time to prepare at the school library while the other has to study on a New York Subway during rush hour.
Is this a participant, situational, or investigator variable? Why? How can you control it?
Situational variable because the environments are extremely different. You can control this variable by having them both study at the library.
A researcher wants to see who’s a better speller, women or men. For this research, he’s going to have a male literature professor from Harvard and a female high school dropout because he wants men to do better.
Investigator variable because the researcher has a bias for males. One way to control this variable is by having the researcher pick his sample through a double-blind procedure.
