Читать книгу Methods in Psychological Research - Annabel Ness Evans - Страница 55

Research in psychology involves various kinds of variables. There are variables you want to manipulate (independent variables) to see if they affect other variables that you measure (dependent variables). Then there are variables you want to control (control variables). Researchers must determine how they will define these variables so that they can be measured and controlled. The Harlows, as we discussed earlier, in one experiment, manipulated the contact comfort of the surrogate mother monkey—this was an independent variable (high- and low-contact comfort). The attachment behavior of the infant (i.e., which surrogate the infant clung to when stressed) was the dependent variable. The size of the surrogate mother, the type of event that produced stress, and the size of the cage were control variables in that they were constant. Researchers have to consider the potentially important variables when they decide how to test their hypotheses.

You have your hypothesis, and you have decided what variables you will measure and control. Now you must select the research design.