Variables and Research Quality
Define research variables and evaluate control, validity, reliability and confounding.
How to study Higher Psychology
Build each answer from accurate psychological knowledge, named evidence, application to behaviour, analysis and justified evaluation.
Core concepts
Concept 1
independent and dependent variables
Exam cue: State exactly how each variable is changed or measured.
Concept 2
extraneous and confounding variables
Exam cue: Explain how a confound offers an alternative explanation.
Concept 3
operational definitions
Exam cue: Judge quality using evidence from the actual procedure.
Concept 4
internal and ecological validity
Concept 5
reliability and replicability
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Calling every uncontrolled factor a demonstrated confound.
Guardrail: Avoid deterministic claims, unsupported causation and generic evaluation disconnected from the named evidence.
Treating reliability as the same as validity.
Guardrail: Avoid deterministic claims, unsupported causation and generic evaluation disconnected from the named evidence.
Claiming realism guarantees valid causal inference.
Guardrail: Avoid deterministic claims, unsupported causation and generic evaluation disconnected from the named evidence.
Memory anchors
Independent variable
The factor manipulated or used to define conditions in an experiment.
Dependent variable
The measured outcome.
Extraneous variable
A factor other than the research variable that could affect the outcome.
Confounding variable
An uncontrolled factor that varies systematically and offers an alternative explanation.
Validity
The extent to which the study measures or tests what it claims.
Reliability
The consistency of a measure, procedure or result under comparable conditions.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
What is an independent variable?
What is a dependent variable?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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