PSYCH 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: UMASS-Amherst
• Department: Psychology & Brain Sciences
• Course: PSYCH 100
• Professor: Rahhal Tamara

Document Summary

Use when want to find relationships between x and y. Not manipulating, just measuring: positive correlation 2 variables rise and fall together, negative correlation when 1 variable rises, the other falls, no correlation 2 variables are not related at all. Can"t predict y from x: illusory correlation made up correlation. Also 3 rd variable problem: 3 rd variable problem a third variable is causing the correlation, but because that variable is not being studied, it appears as though x and y are correlated. Months in which more people eat ice cream have more murders. Could appear that ice cream and murder are correlated, but really the third variable is. Heat because more ice cream is eaten in the summer months. Manipulate an event/variable so people experience it a certain way to examine differences in their behavior. Answers whether variable x is a cause of variable y. Strengths: determine cause/effect, scientist can have control over situations.