Psychology: Types of Variables

Study Notes

Types of Variables in Psychology

Independent Variable: A variable that is intentionally changed or manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
Dependent Variable: A variable that is being measured or observed in response to the independent variable.
Extraneous Variable: A variable that can affect the outcome of the study, but is not the focus of the research.
Control Variable: A variable that is held constant to prevent it from affecting the outcome of the study.

Confounding Variables

Confounding Variable: A variable that can affect the outcome of the study and is related to both the independent and dependent variables.
Lurking Variable: A confounding variable that is not directly measured or observed.

Operational Definitions

Operational Definition: A clear and specific definition of a variable, including how it will be measured or manipulated.

Levels of Measurement

Nominal Level: Categorical data, where variables are grouped into categories (e.g., male/female).
Ordinal Level: Data that has a natural order or ranking, but the differences between the levels are not equal (e.g., rankings in a competition).
Interval Level: Data that has equal intervals between the levels, but no true zero point (e.g., temperature in Celsius).
Ratio Level: Data that has equal intervals between the levels and a true zero point (e.g., height in meters).

Types of Variables in Psychology

In a study, the Independent Variable is intentionally changed or manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
The Dependent Variable is the variable being measured or observed in response to the independent variable.
Extraneous Variables can affect the outcome of the study, but are not the focus of the research.
Control Variables are held constant to prevent them from affecting the outcome of the study.

Confounding Variables

A Confounding Variable affects the outcome of the study and is related to both the independent and dependent variables.
A Lurking Variable is a confounding variable that is not directly measured or observed.

Operational Definitions

An Operational Definition is a clear and specific definition of a variable, including how it will be measured or manipulated.

Levels of Measurement

Nominal Level data is categorical, grouping variables into categories (e.g., male/female).
Ordinal Level data has a natural order or ranking, but the differences between levels are not equal (e.g., rankings in a competition).
Interval Level data has equal intervals between levels, but no true zero point (e.g., temperature in Celsius).
Ratio Level data has equal intervals between levels and a true zero point (e.g., height in meters).

Variable in Psychology

Definition and Types

A variable is a measurable, manipulable, or controllable factor or characteristic in an experiment or study.
Variables can be independent (cause) or dependent (effect) variables.

Independent Variable

Intentionally changed or manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable being measured or observed in response to the independent variable.

Control Variable

A variable that is held constant to minimize its influence on the outcome.

Extraneous Variable

A variable that can affect the outcome, but is not of primary interest to the researcher.

Operationalization

The process of defining and measuring a variable in a way that is specific, clear, and consistent.
Involves identifying the specific behaviors, attitudes, or characteristics to be measured and how they will be measured.

Measuring Variables

Quantitative Variables

Variables that can be measured numerically (e.g., scores, ratings, times).

Qualitative Variables

Variables that cannot be measured numerically, but can be categorized or described (e.g., gender, ethnicity).

Importance of Variables in Psychology

Variables help researchers identify cause-and-effect relationships and make predictions.
By manipulating variables, researchers can isolate the effects of specific factors on behavior or outcomes.
Understanding variables is crucial in developing theories and interventions in psychology.

Description

Understand the different types of variables in psychology, including independent, dependent, extraneous, and control variables. Learn how they are used in research and their importance in psychology studies.