IMPORTANT TERMSIMPORTANT TERMS

RSCH 7100 Educational Research

ObjectivesObjectives

Differentiate between concept and construct.

Distinguish between types of variables:• categorical continuous

• dependent independent

CONCEPTCONCEPT

Abstraction from observed events General heading to simplify events Distillation of common characteristics Directly OBSERVABLE

CONCEPT EXAMPLESCONCEPT EXAMPLES

tree dog chair G. P. A. quiz grade IQ score GRE test score a test score # of words spoken operational definition level of hearing threshold

CONSTRUCTCONSTRUCT

Used to summarize observations Provides explanations Higher level abstractions Combines concepts Accounts for observed regularities

and relationships

CONSTRUCT EXAMPLESCONSTRUCT EXAMPLES

motivation listening vocabulary

intelligence reading readiness extroversion scholastic aptitude justice anxiety

WHICH ARE WHICH?WHICH ARE WHICH?

Score on the Georgia exit exam CONCEPT

Anxiety CONSTRUCT

golf ball CONCEPT

WHICH ARE WHICH?WHICH ARE WHICH?

# of correct answers on a quiz CONCEPT

School readiness CONSTRUCT

Computer literacy CONSTRUCT

VARIABLESVARIABLES

defined as a factor--thing that varies

characteristic or condition that changes or has different values for different individuals

CATEGORICAL VARIABLECATEGORICAL VARIABLE

Attribute used when participants are classified by sorting them into groups

Consists of separate indivisible categories

no values can exist between two neighboring categories

Examples of Categorical Variables

Examples of Categorical Variables

home language--English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Cajun

ethnicity--Caucasian, African-American, Asian-American, Native-American

DICHOTOMOUS VARIABLEDICHOTOMOUS VARIABLE

A categorical variable when ONLY two groups are used

Examples Gender Male--Female Awake Yes--No Course Grade Pass--Fail Residence Citizen--Alien

CONTINUOUS VARIABLECONTINUOUS VARIABLE

Infinite number of values within a range

Divisible into an infinite number of fractional parts

Examples of Continuous Variables

Examples of Continuous Variables

IQ scores height age weight Anxiety levelsIOWA test scores GRE scores quiz scores

WHICH ARE WHICH?WHICH ARE WHICH?

age broken down into groups of 11-15, 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34

CATEGORICAL Iowa Tests of Basic Skills test scores

CONTINUOUS American or Foreigner

DICHOTOMOUS

WHICH ARE WHICH?WHICH ARE WHICH? Income

CONTINUOUS Income: below $5, between $6 - $10,

between $11 - $15, and $16 - $20 hour CATEGORICAL

Income: Yes No DICHOTOMOUS

DEPENDENT VARIABLEDEPENDENT VARIABLE

Object of study Depends on/varies with independent

variable Observed for changes to assess the

effect of the treatment What is being MEASURED

DEPENDENT VARIABLEDEPENDENT VARIABLE

LAST variable cited Academic achievement or learning Abbreviated as DV

DV EXAMPLESDV EXAMPLES

What is the effect of parental status on SELF-CONCEPT among teenagers?

What is the effect of exercise on WEIGHT LOSS among senior citizens?

Is there a significant difference between boys and girls in MATH ACHIEVEMENT at the middle school level?

INDEPENDENT VARIABLEINDEPENDENT VARIABLE

Manipulated/changed by the experimenter

We study its effects Causative agent Occurs antecedent to the dependent

variable Experimental treatment

INDEPENDENT VARIABLEINDEPENDENT VARIABLE

FIRST variable cited Predictions made FROM independent

TO dependent variable Abbreviated as IV

IV EXAMPLESIV EXAMPLES

What is the effect of PARENTAL STATUS on self-concept among teenagers?

What is the effect of EXERCISE on weight loss among senior citizens?

Is there a significant difference between BOYS and GIRLS in math achievement at the middle school level?

TYPES OF IVSTYPES OF IVS ACTIVE

directly manipulated by researcher prior to data collection

look for its effects on the DV it acts on and causes changes in DV people can be placed in any of its

levels

Examples of Active IVExamples of Active IV

method of teaching (i.e., computer-based instruction, traditional instruction, cooperative groups)

method of grouping (homogeneous, heterogeneous, mixed-age, mixed-grade, same-grade)

exercise method (none, aerobic, abs)

TYPES OF IVSTYPES OF IVS

ATTRIBUTE an IV that cannot be manipulated Characteristics that cannot be

changed at will people can be placed in only one

level--the one they are already in an IV used as a descriptor of study

(i.e., all in study same on that IV)

Examples of Attribute IVExamples of Attribute IV

Age sex Ethnicity social class Marital Status Geographic Location Hearing Loss

WHICH IS WHICH IV?WHICH IS WHICH IV? Amount of alcohol consumed

ACTIVE Socioeconomic status

ATTRIBUTE---researcher cannot make someone low SES one day and

high SES next day Degree of vision loss

ATTRIBUTE

WHICH IS WHICH IV?WHICH IS WHICH IV?

Computer vs traditional instruction ACTIVE

Blonde vs red haired males ATTRIBUTE

Four different levels of exercise ACTIVE

TO BE REMEMBEREDTO BE REMEMBERED

Whether an IV that is normally active is active depends on use in particular study.

If all persons in study are same in regard to an active IV (e.g., same method of instruction), then that active IV is an attribute variable in that study.

ACTIVE--ATTRIBUTE VARIABLE

ACTIVE--ATTRIBUTE VARIABLE

All of sample exercise 10 minutes daily

• ATTRIBUTE All of sample have imbibed 10

ounces of alcohol• ATTRIBUTE

WHICH IS WHICH?WHICH IS WHICH?

What is the effect of anger on aggressiveness?

IV is DV is anger aggressiveness Anger--active or attribute IV?

ACTIVE

WHICH IS WHICH?WHICH IS WHICH?

What is the effect of sleep deprivation on final exam grades among college students?

IV is DV is sleep deprivation exam grades Sleep deprivation-active or attribute IV?

ACTIVE

WHICH IS WHICH?WHICH IS WHICH? What is the effect of gender and age

on memory skills of preschool children?

IV is DV is gender/age memory skills Gender and age-active or attribute

IVs? ATTRIBUTE

Yes,Yes,We are

DONE!!