PSYC 201W Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Operational Definition, Theoretical Definition, Schizophrenia
14 May 2016
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Ex. hair colour, type of music, psychiatric diagnosis. Variable levels exist on a continuum from low to high. # of children, whether or not the person is schizophrenic. Intermediate values are possible precision limited only by measurement tools. Ex height (62. 675 inches), weight, reaction time (in practice, ultimately converted into discrete values) In experiments the manipulated variable (being controlled by experimenter) Variable that is assumed to be caused by the manipulation of the independent variable. Situational variables (ex. placed in loud room or quiet room) Task variables (ex. identifying red rot, blue dots) Subject variables (differs between groups of people, ex. age, whether left or right handed) (not necessarily true iv) Psyc researchers often interested in phenomena that are not directly observable (ex. depression, anxiety) (infer they exist based on behavior) Mediator variables provide a causal link in explaining the process by which the iv influences the dv.
