Week 2 - Variables and hypothesis

Question 1

framing research steps

Answer 1

(broad to specific)

research problem - > lit review -> question -> hypothesis + variable -> predictions

Question 2

research question

Answer 2

can be answered by collecting data

Question 3

4 points - Good research question is…

Answer 3

• feasible
• significant
• ethical
• clear

Question 4

feasible

Answer 4

means necessary to answer question (doable, resources needed, etc.)

Question 5

significance

Answer 5

importance, contribution (justification)

Question 6

clear

Answer 6

REPLICABILITY

Question 7

hyptotheses

Answer 7

specific prediction that is either supported or rejected (NOT PROVEN)

• includes variables

Question 8

variables

Answer 8

event, situation, behaviour, characteristic that varies

- 1(+) level, not constant
eg well being, intelligence, etc.

Question 9

IV

Answer 9

manipulated and hypothesized to affect dependent variables

Question 10

DV

Answer 10

“outcome”, “depends” on IV’s influence

Question 11

variable measurement scales (4)

Answer 11

• nominal
• ordinal
• interval
• ratio

Question 12

nominal

Answer 12

categorical

• no quantitative difference
• frequency count, %

Question 13

ordinal

Answer 13

keeps order

• categorical + first -> last order
• no meaning for intervals/differences between different values
• median

Question 14

interval

Answer 14

differences, no zero (not absence of quality)

• diff: # on scale meaningful + equal in size
• mean, mode/median, standard deviation

Question 15

ratio

Answer 15

differences, absolute zero

Question 16

correlation coefficient

Answer 16

R (+1 and -1)
|1|: perfect correlation
- strong: 0.7
- moderate: 0.3-0.7

Question 17

constitutive variable definition

Answer 17

dictionary definition

Question 18

clarification by example (variable definition)

Answer 18

example

Question 19

operational definition**

Answer 19

researchers identify actions/operations necessary to measure/manipulate/identify variable

Question 20

5 sources of ideas

Answer 20

• common sense
• observation
• theories
• past research
• practical problems

Question 21

relationships between variable types

Answer 21

• (+) linear
• (-) linear
• curvilinear
• none

Question 22

confounding variable

Answer 22

third-variable problem

- introduces alternative explanations, reduces validity