PSYC 201W Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Theoretical Definition, Standard Deviation, Face Validity
28 Jul 2016
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Qualitative: ie hair colour/ types of music: variable levels are categories, have different kinds. Quantitative: variable levels exist on a continuum from low to high, differences in amount of something (ie how many siblings/loudness. Discrete: intermediate values are impossible ie: # of children, families have 12 or 3 kids, not 3. 4 kids. Continuous: can take on infinite range of values, precisions limited by measurement tool, such as height. Iv: presumed to be casual, it is a variable that is manipulated o. Dv: variable assumed to be caused by manipulation of iv// measured. Constructs: ideas that must be operationalized before they can be measured (ie: happiness levels, describe happiness as smiling more) Psychological researchers often interested in phenomena that is not directly observable. This happens through operationalization: underlying construct ----> measurable var. Mediator vars provide a causal link in explaining the process by which the iv influences dv.
