PSYB01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Normal Distribution, Social Desirability Bias, Standard Deviation
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Construct: is specified in a theory in order to describe, explain and predict a wide range or related empirical findings ex. intelligence, personality, memory, anxiety or attention (indirect observable material entities) Can be measured by collecting data (physiological recordings, objective pencil-and- paper tests, etc) A construct needs to be translated into an operational definition (refer to chapt 2) ex. Construct of anxiety can be operationalized in the form of 3 distinct variables: measures of psychophysiology, observational ratings and self-report. An operational definition identifies the independent variables that are expected to produce the construct. *recall: ecological validity -> the extent to which a study or experiment approximates the actual real-life phenomenon under investigation. Experimenters aim to design ecologically valid studies* intervening variable: a hypothetical internal state that is used to explain relation between independent and dependent variables. Provides a theoretical framework to study attitudes, actions and feelings two theoretical constructs (social scientist, corey keyes): mental health and mental illness.
