IMPORTANT TERMS u RSCH 7100 u Educational Research

Objectives u Differentiate between concept and construct. u Distinguish between types of variables: categoricalcontinuous dependentindependent

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

CONCEPT EXAMPLES u treedogchair u G. P. A.quiz grade u IQ scoreGRE test score u a test score# of words spoken u operational definition u level of hearing threshold

CONSTRUCT u Used to summarize observations u Provides explanations u Higher level abstractions u Combines concepts u Accounts for observed regularities and relationships

CONSTRUCT EXAMPLES u motivationlistening vocabulary u intelligencereading readiness u extroversionscholastic aptitude u justiceanxiety

WHICH ARE WHICH? u Score on the Georgia exit exam u CONCEPT u Anxiety u CONSTRUCT u golf ball u CONCEPT

WHICH ARE WHICH? u # of correct answers on a quiz u CONCEPT u School readiness u CONSTRUCT u Computer literacy u CONSTRUCT

VARIABLES u defined as a factor--thing that varies u characteristic or condition that changes or has different values for different individuals

CATEGORICAL VARIABLE u Attribute used when participants are classified by sorting them into groups u Consists of separate indivisible categories u no values can exist between two neighboring categories

Examples of Categorical Variables  home language--English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Cajun u ethnicity--Caucasian, African- American, Asian-American, Native- American

DICHOTOMOUS VARIABLE u A categorical variable when ONLY two groups are used u Examples u GenderMale--Female u AwakeYes--No u Course GradePass--Fail u ResidenceCitizen--Alien

CONTINUOUS VARIABLE u Infinite number of values within a range u Divisible into an infinite number of fractional parts

Examples of Continuous Variables u IQ scoresheight u ageweight u Anxiety levelsIOWA test scores u GRE scoresquiz scores

WHICH ARE WHICH? u age broken down into groups of , 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, and u CATEGORICAL u Iowa Tests of Basic Skills test scores u CONTINUOUS u American or Foreigner u DICHOTOMOUS

WHICH ARE WHICH? u Income u CONTINUOUS u Income: below $5, between $6 - $10, between $11 - $15, and $16 - $20 hour u CATEGORICAL u Income: Yes No u DICHOTOMOUS

DEPENDENT VARIABLE u Object of study u Depends on/varies with independent variable u Observed for changes to assess the effect of the treatment u What is being MEASURED

DEPENDENT VARIABLE u LAST variable cited u Academic achievement or learning u Abbreviated as DV

DV EXAMPLES u What is the effect of parental status on SELF-CONCEPT among teenagers? u What is the effect of exercise on WEIGHT LOSS among senior citizens? u Is there a significant difference between boys and girls in MATH ACHIEVEMENT at the middle school level?

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE u Manipulated/changed by the experimenter u We study its effects u Causative agent u Occurs antecedent to the dependent variable u Experimental treatment

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE u FIRST variable cited u Predictions made FROM independent TO dependent variable u Abbreviated as IV

IV EXAMPLES u What is the effect of PARENTAL STATUS on self-concept among teenagers? u What is the effect of EXERCISE on weight loss among senior citizens? u Is there a significant difference between BOYS and GIRLS in math achievement at the middle school level?

TYPES OF IVS u ACTIVE u directly manipulated by researcher prior to data collection u look for its effects on the DV u it acts on and causes changes in DV u people can be placed in any of its levels

Examples of Active IV u method of teaching (i.e., computer- based instruction, traditional instruction, cooperative groups) u method of grouping (homogeneous, heterogeneous, mixed-age, mixed- grade, same-grade) u exercise method (none, aerobic, abs)

TYPES OF IVS u ATTRIBUTE u an IV that cannot be manipulated u Characteristics that cannot be changed at will u people can be placed in only one level--the one they are already in u an IV used as a descriptor of study (i.e., all in study same on that IV)

Examples of Attribute IV u Agesex u Ethnicitysocial class u Marital Status u Geographic Location u Hearing Loss

WHICH IS WHICH IV? u Amount of alcohol consumed u ACTIVE u Socioeconomic status u ATTRIBUTE---researcher cannot make someone low SES one day and high SES next day u Degree of vision loss u ATTRIBUTE

WHICH IS WHICH IV? u Computer vs traditional instruction u ACTIVE u Blonde vs red haired males u ATTRIBUTE u Four different levels of exercise u ACTIVE

TO BE REMEMBERED u Whether an IV that is normally active is active depends on use in particular study. u 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 u All of sample exercise 10 minutes daily ATTRIBUTE u All of sample have imbibed 10 ounces of alcohol ATTRIBUTE

WHICH IS WHICH? u What is the effect of anger on aggressiveness? u IV is DV is u anger aggressiveness u Anger--active or attribute IV? u ACTIVE

WHICH IS WHICH? u What is the effect of sleep deprivation on final exam grades among college students? u IV is DV is u sleep deprivationexam grades u Sleep deprivation-active or attribute IV? u ACTIVE

WHICH IS WHICH? u What is the effect of gender and age on memory skills of preschool children? u IV is DV is u gender/agememory skills u Gender and age-active or attribute IVs? u ATTRIBUTE

Yes, u We are u DONE!!