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Defining Variables
Defining Variables
Defining Variables
Variables in Research
Concepts
Represent common characteristics of phenomena. Abstractions formed by generalizing form particulars. Examples:
weight mass attention audio acuity sports car cocktail dress
Constructs
Deliberate, conscientious inventions for specific scientific purposes. Examples:
Reading readiness (included visual perception, sight-sound discrimination, audio acuity, and left-to-right orientation.
Creativity Learning Permissiveness Intelligence Motivation Leadership
Variables
Any event, category, behavior, or attribute that can:
take on different values, and can be measured.
Examples:
age test score class size type of instruction group assignment size of print achievement motivation creativity
Values of Variables
Measurements (numbers) assigned to variables. Examples:
VARIABLE Sex Religion Math ach. VALUE 0 if male; 1 if female 1 if Catholic; 2 if Protestant; 3 if Jewish; 4 if other Score on some math test
Independent Variables
True independent variables:
Experimental. Manipulated. Controlled.
Dependent Variables
Effects. Outcomes. Measured variables. Dependent variables are functions of independent variables.
dv ! f iv ach ! f hrs.of study
Attribute Variables
Characteristics or Attributes. May effect the dependent variables. Examples:
age sex race experience attitude advantagement
Extraneous Variables
Nuisance or controlled variables. Irrelevant to the focus of the study. Can affect interpretation of results. Examples:
time of day side of building age of school building sequence of events sex of investigator current events
Confounding Variables
Extraneous variables whose effects on the dependent variables cannot be distinguished from those of the independent variable(s). Usually occurs when an extraneous variables is correlated with one or more independent variables.
Intervening Variables
Black box variables. Invented to account for internal, unobservable psychological processes that intervene between independent and dependent variables. E.g. learning intervenes between teaching and achievement: ind var p int var p dep var
Continuous Variables
Numerical data in research can be classified as either continuous or discrete. Variables that can take on any of a continuously ordered set of values within some specified range. Examples
age experience achievement dogmatism motivation intelligence
Discrete Variables
Variables whose values can only be whole numbers. Characterized by gaps in the measurement scale. Typically represent counts of things.
number of children size of family school enrollment number of books
Continuous or Discrete?
The distinguishing characteristic between continuous and discrete variables. concerns the continuity of the underlying attributes or traits being measured--not the measurements themselves.
Variables that often appear discrete are actually assumed to be continuous. For example scores on tests are usually considered to be continuous.
Constructive Definitions
Dictionary-type definitions. Define a variable in terms of other variables, concepts, or constructs:
anxiety: apprehension or vague fear. intelligence: mental acuity, the ability to think abstractly. achievement: successful completion or accomplishment.
Constructive Definitions
To be scientifically useful, all constructs must possess constitutive meaning. Constructive definitions open the door to ambiguity. Constructive definitions are insufficient for scientific research. For example, define creativity in such a way that the meaning would be clear to others.
Operational Definitions
Specify the activities or operations that are necessary for measuring, categorizing, or manipulation of the variable. Facilitate replicability. Two types of operational definitions:
Experimental operational definitions. Measurement-based operational definitions.