Psychology 2800E Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Beck Depression Inventory, Heart Rate Variability, Operational Definition

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2800E
• Professor: Patrick Brown

Document Summary

Variables (chpt 5 white, chpt 3 stan, lectures) Types of variables dimensions of interest may be physical length, weight, vol, velocity: easy to measure and produce facts. Quantitative vs categorical variables: quantitative variables vary in amount (ex. grades on exam, speed of response) can have more or less, categorical variables vary in kind (ex. type of major, gender) 3: either/or (either you"re in psych or you"re in bio) 1. 5, 1. 5 to 2. 5: apparent limits the points indicated by a number (1, 2, 3, discrete variables can only take certain specific values, ex. integer values, countable (ex. ppl in this room) Some quantitative variables are continuous, some are discrete, but categorical variables aren"t expressed using #s. Indication of scientific progress of a field is the extent to which it states its laws quantitatively: ability to state laws quantitatively means, phenomenon is regular enough to make a reasonably precise statement about it.