Measurement + Experimental Design
● Psychology: the scientific study of behaviour
● Why do people behave the way they do?
We want to be able to explain why people behave the way that they do & we wanna be able
to make a causal statement.
EXAMPLE → the presence of a celebrity makes you more shy
● We want to be able to prove that….some variable (x) **independent variable, its
always changing** causes people to behave a certain way (y) **measurable
variable/dependent variable** while other variables (z) that might affect behaviour are
held constant..
Independent, Dependent + Controlled Variables (IV, DV AND CV)
● So we set up experiments to find out….
“What is the effect of X on Y while controlling for Zs?”
WE BASICALLY DO THIS EVERY LAB BUT W/ DIFF X, Y, AND Z!!
X is always changing, aka independent
Y is the measure of behaviour aka dependent **always a measure!!*
WHEN YOU ARE REFFERING TO THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE YOU HAVE TO KNOW 3 THINGS!
1) What behaviour are you
measuring? 2) How are you measuring
it?
3) What are the units of measurement?
Control variable is the things you have to make sure to keep constant
The scientific method: being able to prove that some variable (x) causes a behaviour (y) while
holding other variables (z) that might affect behaviour are held constant.
EXAMPLE → so theres an experiment where u wanna see if this medicine causes weight gain
- using a bunch of rats, 6 will be given saline/placebo and 6 will be given medicine
- NOTE NOTHING HAS CHANGED, SAME RATS, SAME ROOM, SAME
TEMPERATURE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS MEDICINE
- seeing the results, the medicine rats got fatter while the other did not
To prove x causes y, need to measure y twice
For the scientific method, we have to measure twice… (allows you to prove cause)
- when you measure the 1st time or in condition #1, an independent variable is present.
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- then measure the 2nd time or condition #2, independent variable is not present
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