VARIABLES
VARIABLE
A variable is anything that can vary, i.e.
changed or be changed, such as memory,
attention, time taken to perform a task, etc.
Variable are given a special name that only
applies to experimental.
One is called the dependent variable and the
other the independent variable.
In an experiment, the researcher is looking
for the possible effect on the dependent
variable that might be caused by changing
Independent variable (IV)
Variable the experimenter manipulates (i.e.
changes) – assumed to have a direct effect on
the dependent variable.
Dependent variable (DV)
Variable the experimenter measures, after
making changes to the IV that are assumed to
affect the DV.
example
For example, we might change the type of
information (e.g. organized or random) given
to participants to see what effect this might
have on the amount of information
remembered.
In this particular example the type of
information is the independent variable
(because it changes) and the amount of
information remembered is the dependent
variable (because this is being measured).
Operationalising Variables
It is very important in research to clearly
define what you mean by both your IV and
DV.
Operational variables
Operational variables (or operationalizing
definitions) refer to how you will define and
measure a specific variable as it is used in
your study.
example
if we are concerned with the effect of media
violence on aggression, then we need to be very
clear what we mean by the different terms. In this
case, we must state what we mean by the terms
“media violence” and “aggression” as we will
study them.
Therefore, you could state that “media violence” is
operationally defined (in your experiment) as
‘exposure to a 15 minute film showing scenes of
physical assault’; “aggression” is operationally
defined as ‘levels of electrical shocks administered
to a second ‘participant’ in another room’.
example
In another example, the hypothesis “Young
participants will have significantly better
memories than older participants” is not
operationalized. How do we define "young",
“old” or "memory"? "Participants aged
between 16 - 30 will recall significantly more
nouns from a list if twenty than participants
aged between 55 - 70" is operationalized.
The key point here is that we have made it
absolutely clear what we mean by the terms
as they were studied and measured in our
experiment.
If we didn’t do this then it would be very
difficult (if not impossible) to compare the
findings of different studies into the same
behavior.
Operationalization has the great advantage
that it generally provides a clear and
objective definition of even complex
variables. It also makes it easier for other
researchers to replicate a study and check
for reliability.
Extraneous Variables
When we conduct experiments there are
other variables that can affect our results, if
we do not control them. The researcher
wants to make sure that it is the manipulation
of the independent variable that has changed
the changes in the dependent variable.
Hence, all the other variables that could
affect the DV to change must be controlled.
These other variables are called extraneous
or confounding variables.
Extraneous Variables
These are all variables, which are not the
independent variable, but could affect the
results (e.g. dependent variable) of the
experiment.
Extraneous variables should be controlled
were possible. They might be important
enough to provide alternative explanations
for the effects.
four types of extraneous
variables
1. Situational Variables
These are aspects of the environment that
might affect the participant’s behavior, e.g.
noise, temperature, lighting conditions, etc.
Situational variables should be controlled so
they are the same for all participants.
Standardized procedures are used to
ensure that conditions are the same for all
participants. This includes the use of
standardized instructions
2. Participant / Person Variable
This refers to the ways in which each
participant varies from the other, and how
this could affect the results e.g. mood,
intelligence, anxiety, nerves, concentration
etc.
Example
For example, if a participant that has
performed a memory test was tired, or had
poor eyesight, this could effect their
performance and the results of the
experiment. The experimental design
chosen can have an affect on participant
variables.
Participant / Person Variable
Situational variables also include order
effects that can be controlled using
counterbalancing, such as giving half the
participants condition 'A' first, while the
other half get condition 'B' first. This prevents
improvement due to practice, or poorer
performance due to boredom.
Participant variables can be controlled using
random allocation to the conditions of the
independent variable.
3. Experimenter / Investigator Effects
The experimenter unconsciously conveys to
participants how they should behave - this is
called experimenter bias.
The experiment might do this by giving
unintentional clues to the participants about
what the experiment is about and how they
expect them to behave. This affects the
participants’ behavior.
Experimenter / Investigator Effects
The experimenter is often totally unaware of
the influence which s/he is exerting and the
cues may be very subtle but they may have an
influence nevertheless.
Also, the personal attributes (e.g. age,
gender, accent, manner etc.) of the
experiment can affect the behavior of the
participants.
4. Demand Characteristics
these are all the clues in an experiment
which convey to the participant the purpose
of the research.
Participants will be affected by: (i) their
surroundings; (ii) the researcher’s
characteristics; (iii) the researcher’s behavior
(e.g. non-verbal communication), and (iv)
their interpretation of what is going on in the
situation.
Demand Characteristics
Experimenters should attempt to minimize
these factors by keeping the environment as
natural as possible, carefully following
standardized procedures. Finally, perhaps
different experimenters should be used to see
if they obtain similar results.
EXAMPLE
Suppose I wanted to measure the effects of
Alcohol (IV) on driving ability (DV) I would
have to try to ensure that extraneous
variables did not affect the results. These
variables could include:
Familiarity with the car: Some people may drive better
because they have driven this make of car before.
• Familiarity with the test: Some people may do better
than others because they know what to expect on the test.
• Used to drinking. The effects of alcohol on some people
may be less than on others because they are used to
drinking.
• Full stomach. The effect of alcohol on some subjects
may be less than on others because they have just had a
big meal.
If these extraneous variables are not
controlled they may become confounding
variables, because they could go on to affect
the results of the experiment.