Constant

Quantitative Variable

Categorical Variable

Abstract Construct

Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Population

Population

Example of a Variable: Height and Chosen Major

Non-Experimental Research

Variable Distribution

Psychological Construct

Measurement

Operational Definition

Participant Variable

Psychological Measurement

Distribution of a Variable

Which of the following best describes a variable in psychological research?

A researcher wants to study 'self-esteem' in a psychology experiment. Because self-esteem is an internal psychological state that cannot be directly observed or physically measured like height, it cannot be considered a variable in empirical research.

A variable is defined as any characteristic that can change or vary. To apply this concept, match each specific research scenario to the type of variation it is designed to measure.

A developmental psychologist conducts a longitudinal study, tracking the 'vocabulary size' of a single child every month from ages two to five. In this research design, 'vocabulary size' is classified as a(n) ____ because the quality of the characteristic changes over time.

A researcher is evaluating different characteristics to determine how to measure them in a study. Based on the definition of a variable, arrange these items from the characteristic that is the most straightforward to measure to the one requiring the most complex operational definition to be studied empirically.