PSYCH101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Behavioural Genetics, Heredity, Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Toni Serafini

Document Summary

Variables: (cid:858)things" that change: dependent variables: variables that are measured eg: measure depression etc. Independent variables: variables that are changed or change eg: change context, i. e look at mood from three different contexts. Correlation: variables are related to one another: most research is correlations i. e it identifies relationship between 2 variables, eg: class/people around you/mobile phone that distract you. Researchers manipulate various variables, observe the test-subjects, and take an educated guess. Independent and dependent variables: testing and null hypothesis: null: no differences, not null: means differences exist. No significant differences between experimental and control groups, so without changing iv, if any difference in result, then it is due to pre existential differences. Logic: two alike groups, pre test, manipulate iv for one group only, post test, resulting differences between these 2 groups(pre-test to post-test) must be due to independent variables. Methods used when researcher cannot manipulate variables under study: naturalistic observation, case studies, surveys.