SOCPSY 2K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Confounding, Dependent And Independent Variables, Bulgarian Lev

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Social Psychology
• Course: SOCPSY 2K03
• Professor: Paul Glavin

Document Summary

Independent variables (x: a variable that has an effect on another variable, change in this variable leads to change in the other. No: correlation does not mean causation, correlation is not sufficient evidence for causation, non-spuriousness. X: where we sit: does seating in class affect grades, our grade is dependent of where we sit, dep. Y: our grades: pattern to the two variables, may be some other condition (arriving early and choosing where you sit, those who study better may have chosen to sit at the front) Is it an individual, group, organizations, or a social artifact: ex: single/married men, non-for-profits, canadian/us newspapers, individuals, groups, organizations, social artifacts (product of human creation, song, painting ) Faulty reasoning about units of analysis: mix-up in the unit of analysis and the level at which we draw our conclusions: If we are studying individuals conclusions at the individual level.