PSY 2174 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Categorical Variable, Nonparametric Statistics, Parametric Statistics
15 Feb 2017
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February 7th, 2017 (cid:498)not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. (cid:499) albert einstein. Research involves studying single or multiple events. These events are termed variables which can be manipulated and/or observed and measured. Variables are usually quantified in some way so that analytic procedures can be applied. Variables can be broadly classified into categories: you usually attach numerical values to them in order to make them quantifiable. Just used as identifiers: arbitrary values given so you can put them into (usually) a software and use them to perform analyses. Behavioural variables are publically observable or overt responses that you can observe people participating in: psychology has a major interest in behaviour so that many variables studied are part of this category. Behaviour is usually in response to something, thus making stimulus variables an important cluster to study: internal and external events can influence how one responds, ex.
