04 Types of Variables

8/2/2019 04 Types of Variables

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Types of VariablesConceptual Variables

Operational Variables





Ways to measure highway safety

Option A:

Total number of car crashes

in a calendar year.

e.g., Crashes in Utah droppedfrom 59K to 57K in 2011.

Option B:

% of Alcohol related deaths

in a calendar year.

e.g., Alcohol related deaths

dropped from 27% to 25% in

2011.

These are just two ways to measure highway safety.



Operationalizing your variables

Defining a fuzzy(abstract) concept

to make it clearly

distinguishable or

measurable.

Understand it in

terms of concreteobservations.

Aggression

Liking

There are numerous ways

to operationalize your

variables.

Degree of shockadministered

# of smiles duringinteraction

Abstract

concepts

Concrete

measurements



From abstract to concrete measurement

To formally test our research questions, weneed to move from conceptual definitions to

specific definitions of our variables/measures.

(psych word: operationalize)



Correlational Example

V ariable A V ariable B

Self Data:

How satisfied are you with

your job? (5-pt scale)

Life Data:

Recording sales or

commissions in a month.



Conceptual vs. Operational IVs

Conceptual Definition

Abstract description of variable

Gender (subject variable)

Threat Condition (highvs. low)

Operational definition

Concrete measurement of variable

Male, female

High threat = speakingin front of a largecrowded auditorium

Low threat = speakingalone in an empty

auditorium



Different ways to

operationalize aggression?



Self-report for Aggression

Aggression

PROMPT: I see myself assomeone who

0 = never true

1 = sometimes true

2 = often true

Higher numbers indicategreater aggression.



Informant report for Aggression

Aggression

Teachers report of childs aggressive

behaviors during class.



Informant report of Aggression

Aggression

Clinicians report onclients levels of:

Verbal aggression Physical aggression

against self

Physical aggressionagainst other objects

Physical aggressionagainst other people.



Behavioral measurement of Aggression

Aggression

Physiological measure of hormone associated with

aggression.

Changes in testosteronein relation to aggression.



Archival (records) measurement of Aggression

Aggression

Crime rates in the UnitedStates across a variety of

crimes.

Indicator of culturalaggression.



Other examples of Operational variables

Laboratory Behaviors Time spent working on a task

How close the participant sits to a confederate

Performance on a test

PhysiologicalMeasures

Heart rate; blood pressure

Cortisol (stress) levels

State-level changes

Change in self-esteem (pre- & post-manipulation)

Changes in values (beliefs about Obama

before/after clip)



Practice!



Practice!

Conceptual V ariables

Employee Satisfaction

Attraction

Operational Definitions

# of days to work showing up

on time (B data)

# of years working for a

company (L data)

Employers rating (I data)

Employees rating (S data)

# of inches a person places

their chair next to anotherperson (B data)

# of millimeters of pupil

dilation (B data)

Persons rating (S data)



Practice:

Conceptual vs. Operational Variables Practice: Each group will be given one CONCEPTUAL variable.

Operationalize the conceptual variable using at least

3 of the 4 types. Self-report Data

Peer-report Data

Life Data (records)

Behavior data (observations)

Documents

04 Types of Variables