PNB 3RM3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Causal Inference, Confounding, Dependent And Independent Variables
12 Jul 2017
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Things to consider when setting up your independent variable. Make sure there are no alternate variables that cause effect. Regulate (control) other aspects of the research environment. Good controls allow you to make a causal statement. Rule out all possible alternate explanations for the relationship between independent and dependent variable. Confounding variables create confusion - any variable that varies systematically with the levels of your independent variable, thereby producing an alternate explanation for your effect. Extraneous is distributed equally across all levels of independent variable. Easy to hold some environmental factors constant - factors that vary from this constant are extraneous variables (i. e. If the constant is a comfy chair, an uncomfortable chair is an extraneous variable) Hold timing of when people are being run constant), so balance across conditions (hold experiments at different times of day) Use random assignment to distribute differences so that there are no systematic differences between groups.
