PSYC 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Participant Observation, Dependent And Independent Variables, Confounding

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Rebecca Jubis

Document Summary

Independent variable (i. v) what the experimenter manipulates or changes to see if it has an effect on behavior. Dependent variable (d. v) the (cid:271)eha(cid:448)io(cid:396) that(cid:859)s a(cid:272)tuall(cid:455) (cid:373)easu(cid:396)ed to see if the i(cid:374)depe(cid:374)de(cid:374)t variable had an effect. Example: testing if increasing dosages of alcohol has effect on memory. Group with 0 oz, 2 oz, and 4 oz of alcohol. Iv = amount of alcohol dv = memory. Used (cid:449)he(cid:374) (cid:455)ou (cid:449)a(cid:374)t to des(cid:272)(cid:396)i(cid:271)e o(cid:396) (cid:373)easu(cid:396)e people(cid:859)s (cid:374)atu(cid:396)al (cid:271)eha(cid:448)io(cid:396) i(cid:374) a (cid:374)atu(cid:396)al setti(cid:374)g. You have no control, where as in a lab setting you do. Time consuming due to lack of control/making things happen. Must safeguard against subject reactivity (where the subject reacts to the knowledge of being observed, reactions form that point on wont be natural). You can pretend to be a participant during observations but in reality you are not, but must be careful as not i(cid:374)flue(cid:374)(cid:272)i(cid:374)g othe(cid:396) people(cid:859)s (cid:271)eha(cid:448)io(cid:396)