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Variables

The document outlines various types of variables used in experiments, including dependent, independent, task, environmental, and subject variables. It explains the distinctions between qualitative and quantitative variables, as well as the roles of moderate, intervening, active, and attribute variables. Additionally, it provides examples and definitions to clarify the characteristics and significance of each variable type in research.

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Tanmay L. Joshi
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
3 views

Variables

The document outlines various types of variables used in experiments, including dependent, independent, task, environmental, and subject variables. It explains the distinctions between qualitative and quantitative variables, as well as the roles of moderate, intervening, active, and attribute variables. Additionally, it provides examples and definitions to clarify the characteristics and significance of each variable type in research.

Uploaded by

Tanmay L. Joshi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Variables & its types

Dr. Tanmay Laxmikant Joshi


M:9890614667
https://www.chaitanyapsychology.com/
➢ Dependent variable
➢ Independent variable
▪ Task variable
▪ Environmental variable
▪ Subject variable
o Natural subject variable
o Induced subject variable
➢ Relevant variables
▪ Subject relevant variables
▪ Situational relevant variables
▪ Sequence relevant variables
➢ Qualitative variables
➢ Quantitative variables
➢ Continuous variables
➢ Discrete variables
➢ Moderate Variables
➢ Intervening Variables
➢ Active Variables
➢ Attribute Variables
• Variables are the characteristics or conditions that are
manipulated, controlled or observed by the experimenter.
• Attributes of the objects, events, things and beings which can
be measured.
• Ex: Intelligence, anxiety, aptitude, income, education,
achievement.
➢ Dependent variable:
• Experimenter makes a prediction.
– Also called as Response variable
➢ Independent variable (IV):
• Also called as
– controlled variable
– stimulus variable.
• It is manipulated, measured and selected by the experimenter for
the purpose of producing observable changes in the DV
➢Task variables:
• Characteristics which are associated with a behavioral task
presented to the subject.
• It includes the physical characteristics of the apparatus as well
as many features of the task procedures.
• The simplicity or the complexity of the apparatus is likely to
produce a change in the behavioral measure.
• Ex: habit interference (TY method and MA method).
➢Environmental variables:
• Characteristics of the environment tend to produce changes in
the behavioral measures (DV).
• Ex: Noise, temperature, levels of illumination, time of the day.
➢ Subject variables:
• Characteristics of the subjects which are likely to produce changes
in the behavioral measures (DV).
➢ Natural subject variables: those variables which subjects carry
within themselves before the start of the experiment.
• Ex: Age, sex, intelligence, anxiety.
➢ Induced subject variables: variables which are induced by the
experimenter’s instructions.
• Also called as instructional variables.
➢Relevant variables:
– Control variables
– Extraneous variables
• In experimental situations those variables which are controlled
by the experimenter because they are not of direct interest but
are likely to produce changes in the behavioral measures.
➢Subject relevant variables:
• Variables which constitute the characteristics of the subject
and are controlled by the experimenter because he does not
want to study their effect upon the behavioral measure (DV).
• Ex: age, intelligence, race, aptitude, personality classification.
➢Situational relevant variables:
• Environmental and task variables whose effects on the DV are
controlled by the experimenter because they are likely to
produce unwanted changes in the DV.
• Ex: temperature, levels of illumination, complexity of task.
➢Sequence relevant variables:
• Variables which arise from the different ordinal positions that
the conditions of the experiment occupy in a sequence.
• Ex: practice, fatigue, adaptation.
➢ Qualitative variables:
• Variables which consists of categories that cannot be ordered in
magnitude.
• Frequently used in Sociology.
• Ex: Sex, race, religion.
➢ Quantitative variables:
• Variables which consists of categories that can be ordered in
magnitude.
• Frequently used in Psychology and education.
• Ex: Age, intelligence, intensity of sound.
– Continuous variables
– Discrete variables
➢Continuous variables:
• Capable of being measured in any arbitrary degree of fineness
or exactness.
• The measurement is subject to the limitations of available
tools.
• Ex: Age, height, intelligence.
➢Discrete variables: (categorical variables):
• Not capable of being measured in any arbitrary degree of
fineness/exactness because the variables contain a clear gap.
• Ex: the number of members in a family.
➢ Moderate variables:
• Special types of IV; also called secondary IV.
• These variables are selected by the experimenter because he
suspects that these variables may alter or moderate the
relationship between the primary IV and the DV.
➢ Intervening variables:
• These variables are theoretically exists and tend to influence the
behavioral measure (DV).
• Such variables cannot be seen and or manipulated by the
experimenter and
• Effect of such variables can be inferred from the effects of the IV
as well as the moderator variables upon the D.V.
➢Active variables:
• A variable which is manipulated by the experimenter.
• Ex: reward, punishment, method of teaching.
➢Attribute variables:
• A variable which is nor manipulated but measured by the
experimenter.
• Ex: age, sex, race, anxiety.
MAILING ADDRESS
[email protected]

Thank you! Psychology: Applied Perspective

https://www.chaitanyapsychology.com 16

PHONE NUMBER
9890614667/ 7020736225

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