Variables

What are variables? (3)

a key feature of scientific research to establish cause and effect, helps to explain where a behaviour or thought originates, and how to predict and change behaviour through treatments

What is an independent variable? (3)

the cause, a variable that is manipulated by the researcher, differing between each condition of the experiment

What happens to the independent variable in a natural experiment?

the independent variable changes naturally in a natural experiment

What happens to the independent variable in a quasi experiment?

the independent variable is a fixed characteristics in a quasi experiment

What is the dependent variable? (2)

the effect, the variable measured by the researcher

How is a dependent variable involved in an experiment? (2)

the researcher manipulates the independent variable to see if it effects the dependent variable, the researcher studies whether the dependent variable depends upon the independent variable

How is a dependent variable involved in a correlation?

the researcher studies whether the two variables have an association

What happens to every other variable other than the independent variable in an experiment?

every other variable is controlled between conditions

Where there is a significant difference between results of different conditions in an experiment, what can we conclude? (2)

that the independent variable caused the change in the dependent variable, so we can establish a cause and effect

What are extraneous variables? (2)

extraneous variables are any variable other than the independent variable that might be affecting the dependent variable, these are nuisance variables a researcher would try to control

what are covariables?

in correlations there are two co-variables rather than one dependent variable and one independent variable

What are controlled variables? (2)

variables the researcher has decided to keep the same in all conditions of an experiment, to prevent the variables from becoming extraneous variables

How can a researcher establish a cause and effect? (3)

the researcher has to be able to manipulate the independent variable, for example by random allocation, also one condition should be a control condition to provide a baseline for comparison with experimental conditions

What are the requirements for a true experiment? (2)

a researcher needs to be able to randomly allocate the independent variable, so only lab and field experiments are true for scientific research

Why are natural experiments, quasi experiments and correlations not considered true for scientific research?

as the researcher cannot randomly allocate the independent variable