PSY100Y5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Observational Error, Scientific Method, Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: UTM
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY100Y5
• Professor: Dax Urbszat

Document Summary

The scientific study of behavior allows us to say what causes people to behave a certain way. Scientific method- something is being caused by another thing (allows us to prove causation) We like to be able to prove that some variable (x) causes people to behave a certain way (y) while other variables (z) that might affect behavior are held constant. Independent variable- what we manipulate to cause change in something you are measuring. (effect on dependent variable) holds everything constant. When we have a dependent variable, 3 things should be known: what behavior is being measure, how are you measuring it, what are the units. Once when x is there (to causes behavior) Once when x is not there (to see that the behavior does not get caused) While controlling for other relevant cause (zs) What is the effect of x on y while controlling for zs.