Variables Flashcards
What are we going to study?
Independent and Dependent Variables
What is the Independent Variable?
IV: The one we believe is causing the change, usually manipulated by experimenter.
Ex: The effects of pornography viewing on perceived attractiveness of partner.
What are the IV Levels?
The different values of an independent variable.
Ex: Level 1: Porn, Level 2: No Porn
What are subject variables?
IVs that the experimenter does not manipulate.
Ex: Male or Female, Race, Poverty.
What are Confounding Variables?
AKA: Extraneous Variables One that varies with the IV systematically, Are not the IV you are interested in, May have caused the change in the DV. Ex: Color preference and gender.
What is a Dependent Variable?
DV is what we think will be changing.
What are the different types of DVs?
- Correctness
- Rate or Frequency
- Degree or Amount
- Latency or Duration
What is the DV Correctness?
The # of something you get correct.
Ex: How many accurate text messages sent
What is the DV Rate or Frequency?
The # of responses given in a time period.
How many text messages sent out in a day
What is the DV Degree or Amount?
Degree: Responses on a Scale
Amount: Amount of something
Ex: How often do you send text messages
How many text messages you sent out in a day
What is the DV Latency or Duration?
How long it takes you to make a response or how long a response lasts for.
Ex: How long does it take you to make a text message.
What are the types of Variables?
Quantitative
Categorical
What is a Quantitative Variable?
Variable varies in #
Ex: # of children
What is a Categorical Variable?
It varies in kind.
Ex: Are you a parent? Male or female.
What are the types of Quantitative Variables?
Continuous
Discrete
What is a Continuous Quantitative Variable?
Falls along a continuum and is NOT limited to a certain # of values.
Ex:
What is a Discrete Quantitative Variable?
Falls into distinct bins with NO intermediate values.
Ex: 1, 2, 3 not 1.5
What is an Operational Definition?
An exact description of how to derive a value for a characteristic you are measuring.
What is a measurement of variables?
Assigning numbers to events or objects.
What are the different Scales of Measurement?
Nominal Scale
Ordinal Scale
Interval Scale
Ratio
What is a Nominal Scale of Measurement?
Naming Categories
#’s are just placeholders, have no meaning, no value
Values of the same kind get the same #
What is an Ordinal Scale of measurement?
’s are meaningful, imply rank.
Not an equal distance between #’s
Organizational/order
Ex: Running for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place
What is an Interval Scale?
Between this and that.
The differences are meaningful and equal with out a 0.
What is a Ratio Scale of measurement?
Differences are meaningful and equal with a zero.
Is always going to be an open ended question. Count or weight.
Spaces between #’s are or are not equal.
Absolute 0: The absence of the characteristic being studied.
What is a Population Sample?
Every person to whom my research question is relevant to.
Relevant: It applies to a person.
Whole college
What is a Sample Sample?
Subset of individuals drawn from the population sample.
Study a sample to apply to a population.
1 Class from the college.
What are the different Sampling Techniques?
Probability Sampling and Nonprobability Sampling
What is Probability Sampling?
Random sampling
Every person or item has an equal and individual chance for being chosen for the study.
What is a Nonprobability Sample?
A non random sample.
What are the types of Probability or Random Sampling?
Stratified Random Sampling
Systematic Random Sampling
Multi-Stage Random Sampling
What is a Stratified Random Sample?
(Stratification) Identify subgroups in population and then randomly sample form these groups to get the same proportions in our sample as in our population.
What is Systematic Random Sampling?
(Systematic Rule)
Randomly choose a place to start choosing participants then use a systematic rule to select from there on.
What is a Multi-Stage Random Sample?
(Multiple levels)
A final random sample is selected through a series of randomly selected decisions used to eliminate potential participants
What are the types of Nonprobability Samplings?
Convenience Sampling Purposive Sampling Quota Sampling Systematic Sampling Stratified Sampling Multi-Stage (non-random) sampling
What is a convenience sampling?
sample chosen on convenient access.
What is purposive sampling?
Sample is formed by including available persons who meet a specific criteria.
What is a Quota Sampling?
Persons of specified groups are added to sample until a pre-specified # is met but not randomly.
What is a Systematic (non-random) Sampling?
sample selected with a systematic rule but not in a random way.
What is a stratified (non-random) sampling?
subgroups in population not random.
What is a Multi-Stage (non-random) sampling?
non random process of elimination.
Why is proper sampling important?
External Validity
What is External Validity?
Our ability to (generalize) our findings from out sample to the population.
What are Basic Research Strategies?
Single Strata Approach
Cross-Sectional Design
Longitudinal Design
Sequential Design
What is a Single Strata Approach?
One group or one item being studied
What is a Cross-Sectional Design
groups of individuals studied at one point in time.
What are the is the potential problems of a Cross-Sectional Design?
Cohort effect or generation gap.
What is a Longitudinal Design?
Study one group of people over an extended period of time.
Potential Problems of a Longitudinal Design?
Cohort Effect
What is a sequential Design?
marriage of cross sectional and longitudinal designs and allows for direct testing for cohort effects
