PSY 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Frequency Distribution, Operational Definition, Psy
Document Summary
There are two main forms of variables: discrete variables are variables with separate, indivisible categories. Continuous variables can be divided into fractions: continuous variables have limits. Limits are what separate adjacent scores, and there is always an upper limit and a lower limit: the limits are halfway points between scores. Constructs are attributes or characteristics which cannot be directly observed, but can be used to describe or explain behavior. Examples of constructs are: self-esteem, personality traits, mental illness traits, social support, and like literally hundreds of other things. Operational definitions use a set of procedures to measure a behavior, and then use those measurements to represent a construct. Note the two parts: the procedures to measure a construct, defining the construct in terms of the measurements. In other words: we have to define things by how we measure them! A common operational definition is using a psychometric scale. Chapter 2: intro frequency distributions // 10 sept. 2018 // page 1.
