PSY 130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Psych
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Experimental variables: good research goes from theoretical to experimental prediction, the experimental variables are the basic elements of an experiment, which are divided into two types: independent variables, and dependent variables. An independent variable determines how different groups are divided in the experiment. The experimenter also manipulates this, such as when participants are allocated to separate erent experimental conditions randomly. The independent variable could be the amount of a drug each group takes, how much fear each group produces, or the type of story each group writes. For example, if level of anxiety is the independent variable, a researcher could tell group a to give a speech before a dozen critical people, group. B to give a speech before a few supportive people, and group c to give nothing about a speech. The researcher may use anxiety level as the independent variable generating conditions of high, moderate, and low anxiety.
