Scribd
Upload
0 views4 pages

Variables

Uploaded by

Nimra Ijaz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0 views4 pages

Variables

Uploaded by

Nimra Ijaz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Variables

Variables in psychology are things that can be changed or altered,


such as a characteristic or value. Variables are generally used in
psychology experiments to determine if changes to one thing result in
changes to another.
Variables in psychology play a critical role in the research process. By
systematically changing some variables in an experiment and
measuring what happens as a result, researchers are able to learn
more about cause-and-effect relationships.
There can be many variables in an experiment, but the two key
variables that are always present are the independent and dependent
variable.
Independent Variable:
• The independent variable (IV) is the variable that the psychologist
chooses to manipulate or change. This represents the different
conditions that are being compared in any study.
• It is the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific
experiment to test the effects on the dependent variable.
• The independent variable is the one that the researcher
intentionally changes or controls.
• An example of an independent variable in psychology: In an
experiment on the impact of sleep deprivation on test performance,
sleep deprivation would be the independent variable. The
experimenters would have some of the study participants be sleep-
deprived while others would be fully rested.
Dependent Variable:
• The dependent variable (DV) is the variable that the psychologist
chooses to measure. It is always hoped that the IV is directly
affecting the DV in an experiment.
• It is the variable being tested and measured in a scientific
experiment.
• The dependent variable is 'dependent' on the independent variable.
As the experimenter changes the independent variable, the effect
on the dependent variable is observed and recorded.
• In the previous example, the scores on the test performance
measure would be the dependent variable.
Is there a difference in IQ based on gender?
Since the IQs of the groups are being compared, we're looking to see
if IQ depends on a person's gender. This makes IQ the dependent
variable. That makes 'gender' the independent variable since we're
looking to see if a person's gender influences their IQ. Each gender
classification would be considered a level of the independent variable.

Extraneous Variable:
• A variable which either acts randomly, affecting the DV in all levels
of the IV or systematically, i.e. on one level of the IV (called a
confounding variable) so can obscure the effect of the IV, making
the results difficult to interpret.
• An extraneous variable is any variable other than the independent
variable that may affect the outcome of an experiment, potentially
introducing error. It can confound results if not controlled, leading to
misleading conclusions. Researchers try to identify and control
these variables to ensure the validity of their findings.
• This type of variable is one that may have an impact on the
relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
• Is any variable that you're not investigating that can potentially
affect the dependent variable of your research study.

For Example
o Time of Day: If testing cognitive abilities, performance might
differ in the morning versus the evening.
o Temperature: When studying plant growth, unexpected
temperature fluctuations can influence results.
o Participant Mood: A participant's mood can affect their
responses in an experiment.

There are two basic types of extraneous variables:

• Participant variables: These extraneous variables are related to


the individual characteristics of each study participant that may
impact how they respond. These factors can include background
differences, mood, anxiety, intelligence, awareness, and other
characteristics that are unique to each person.
• Situational variables: These extraneous variables are related to
things in the environment that may impact how each participant
responds. For example, if a participant is taking a test in a chilly
room, the temperature would be considered an extraneous variable.
Some participants may not be affected by the cold, but others might
be distracted or annoyed by the temperature of the room.

Other extraneous variables include the following:

• Demand characteristics: Clues in the environment that


suggest how a participant should behave
• Experimenter effects: When a researcher unintentionally
suggests clues for how a participant should behave

Confounding Variable:
• Extraneous factors that affect the performance of participants. In an
experiment they would therefore affect scores on the DV, and so
could obscure the effect of the IV.
• If a variable cannot be controlled for, it becomes what is known as a
confounding variable. This type of variable can have an impact on
the dependent variable, which can make it difficult to determine if
the results are due to the influence of the independent variable, the
confounding variable, or an interaction of the two.
• Confounding variables are factors other than the independent
variable that may cause a result.
• A confounding variable is a type of extraneous variable that not only
affects the dependent variable, but is also related to the
independent variable.
For Example
You collect data on sunburns and ice cream consumption. You find that
higher ice cream consumption is associated with a higher probability of
sunburn. Does that mean ice cream consumption causes sunburn?
Here, the confounding variable is temperature: high temperatures
cause people to both eat more ice cream and spend more time
outdoors under the sun, resulting in more sunburns.

You might also like