Variables and Measures Flashcards
What is a dependent variable?
Affected by the independent variable
Measured by the researcher
What is an independent variable?
Have an effect on a particular outcome
Manipulated by the researcher- known as a true independent variable
Assigned to levels/conditions
What is the intervening variable?
Same as the mediator variable
It intervenes the effect that variable A has on variable B
What is a suppressor variable?
Same as the masked variable
Reduces the true relationship between both other variables
What is a third variable?
A variable which influences the relationship between two variables
What is a continuous variable?
A variable which the possible scores have every possible value in its range e.g. decimal points
What is a nominal variable?
Measuring variables consist of categorise cases in terms of two or more named categories
What are binominal variables?
Nominal variables measuring 2 different values e.g. friends and non-friends
What are multinominal variables?
Nominal variable has more than 2 values e.g. friends, stranger and acquaintance
What are quasi independent variables?
Naturally occurring
Independent variables that can’t be manipulated
For practical or ethical reasons
Not randomly assigned to a level or condition
What is operationalisation?
Transform conceptual variables into operational variables
Operational variables can be measured or manipulated, gives the researcher a more precise definition
e.g. We aimed to investigate the effect of caffeine on attention. We predicted greater attention in the 150mg group vs the 50mg and 10mg groups.
Caffeine has been operationalised into attention
What is contagion assumption?
people are more likely to join in with a larger group than a smaller group
