PS295 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Dependent And Independent Variables
Types of Variables
Participant (Subject) Variables:
-qualities that participants naturally differ on
-current mood, intelligence, age
Situational (Context) Variables:
-qualities of the environment that participants are tested/studied in
-room temperature, noise level, time of day
-participant and situational variables are things researchers try to control in the research
Stimulus Variables:
-qualities of the stimulus present to participants
-a stimulus is anything that elicits a response in participants
-intensity of electrical stimulation, video clip, mental task
Response Variables:
-qualities of the responses made by participants as a result of the stimulus
-reaction time, blood pressure, test score
-stimulus variables are manipulated, and response variables are measured
Independent Variables:
-the cause
-manipulated or measured (in quasi-experimental research) by the researcher
