Variables

• What are the definitions of Independent Variable (IV) and Dependent Variable (DV)?

  • Independent Variable (IV): The variable that is directly manipulated or changed by the researcher.
  • Dependent Variable (DV): The variable that is being measured in a study.
• In a study to see whether chocolate consumption affects mood, what is the independent variable?

  Chocolate consumption
• What is operationalisation in research?

  • Making the variables in an investigation detailed and specific.
  • Important for making IV and DV easily testable and measurable.
• Identify the IV and DV in the following studies: 1. Age affects driving performance, 2. Male or females have a better memory, 3. Weather affects behaviour in a school, 4. People are more obedient towards a person in authority.

  1. IV: Age, DV: Driving performance
  2. IV: Gender, DV: Memory
  3. IV: Weather, DV: Behaviour
  4. IV: Authority figure, DV: Obedience
• What is an extraneous variable?

  An extraneous variable is a variable that is not controlled, which could affect the results of a study.
• What are the two types of extraneous variables?

  • Situational variables: Changes in the situation affecting participants (e.g., weather, time of day).
  • Participant variables: Differences between participants themselves (e.g., intelligence, personality).
• What is a confounding variable?

  A confounding variable is a variable that is not included in an experiment, yet affects the relationship between the two variables in an experiment.
• How can confounding variables affect research results?

  They can confound the results of an experiment and lead to unreliable findings.
• In the example of ice cream sales and shark attacks, what is the confounding variable?

  Temperature