variables


 * Experiment-a very powerful type of study that psychologists conduct in order to determine whether one variable causes another variable.
 * Double-blind procedure-neither the test person or the researcher knows who is in the control group and the experimental group
 * Placebo effect- sham medical intervention intended to lead the recipient to believe that the intervention may improve his/her condition
 * Experimental condition- research participants will be exposed to the treatment
 * Control condition-participants will not be exposed to the treatment
 * Random assignment means that participants are assigned to either the experimental or control group by chance
 * Independent variable-the factor that the researcher manipulates
 * Dependent variable- is the outcome that is measured,or, the variable that might change depending on the independent variable
 * Extraneous and confounding variable: variables **other than** the independent variable which may have an effect on the dependent variable . They are important when designing your experiment because they could potentially alter your results leading to misinterpretation and flawed conclusions!

Variables Worksheet
Name: jaclyn fries

Please identify the independent variables, dependent variables, control variables and suggest possible extraneous or confounding variables for each of the following problem students.

1. This study will investigate the relationship between parental drug addition and the incidence of birth defects in infants.

- Independent: Parental drug addiction (cause)

- Dependent: Incidence of birth defects in infants (effect)

- Extraneous: Type of drug used by parent, gender, economic class (not accounted for in study)

2. The purpose of this research is to study the effects of repetition on long term and short term memory of adult college students.

- Independent:

- Dependent:

- Extraneous:

3. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of positive reinforcement on the self concept levels of male and female fifth grade students.

- Independent:

- Dependent:

- Extraneous:

4. This study will compare the differences between counselors and non-counselors on a measure of self-disclosure.

- Independent:

- Dependent:

- Extraneous:

5. This research investigates the relative effectiveness of two types of incentives, token and praise, on math achievement in high school sophomores. Gender differences are also analyzed.

- Independent:

- Dependent:

- Extraneous:

6. This study will study dropout rates of male students compared to female students.

- Independent:

- Dependent:

- Extraneous: 