Chapter 6: Research questions and variables
Research questions should be specific rather than general.
Background information, as well as a literature review, helps to
establish the research question. The research question is usually
expressed as a general question about the relationship between two
or more variables.
Concept: a particular idea that can be described in words. It is
closely associated with qualitative research.
Variable: Something that varies, and this variation can be
measured. It is associated with quantitative research.
Constant: Something that does not vary (The opposite of a
variable).
Some variables influence other variables. Your two main types of
variables are:
The independent variable (IV): This is the factor which is
measured, manipulated or selected by the researcher to
determine its relationship to an observed phenomenon that
constitutes the dependent variable.
In other words, this is the variable which, by nature, changes and
influences other variables.
The dependent variable (DV): This is the factor which is
observed and measured to determine the effect on it of the
independent variable.
OR It is the factor that appears, disappears, diminishes or amplifies
as the experiment introduces, removes or varies the independent
variable.
In other words, it is the variable which changes because of the
changes in the independent variable. (The independent changes the
dependent.)
A sociological example of where these two interact would be a
study of the rate of divorce for people who married before the age
of 23, and after the age of 23. Because we have determined the age
categories, it is the independent variable. The rate of divorce
changes from one age category to another as a consequence.
Therefore it is the dependent variable.
Other types of variables include:
Moderator variable: The factor which is measured, manipulated
or selected by researchers to determine whether it has an influence
on the relationship between the dependent and independent
variables. (In other words, is it interferes with the interaction
between the dependent and independent variable). An example of
, this would be when researchers try to determine how a child's social
understanding increases with age, yet they must take the child's
socio-economic background into account because that will also
influence it.
Control variables: Factors which are controlled by the researcher
so that their effect on the experiment will be cancelled. For
example, when measuring children's height for their age,
malnourished children will skew the results as they bring another
factor (a moderator) into the picture. Therefore, they should be
excluded. The children's nutritional levels should be controlled.
Two other variables, which are related to the independent variable,
also play an important role. The Antecedent variables: This
appears before the independent variable and determines it. For
example, when measuring the growth rate of certain crops after
different amounts of fertiliser are added to the ground, the farmer's
wealth will influence how much fertiliser he can buy in the first
place. His wealth is then an antecedent variable. The other variable
related to the independent variable is the Intervening variables:
This is a consequence of the independent variable, and determines
the variation of the dependent variable. If this is held constant, the
dependent variable will not vary. This is the opposite of the
antecedent variable. An example of this would be if an increase in
the amount of fertiliser meant that more time was needed for
weeding, that time should be kept constant. This will prevent the
crop output from being affected.
Extraneous variables: A variable that influences both the
independent and dependent variable. This gives a false idea of the
relationship between the independent and dependent variable. For
example, people who are afraid of hospitals will say that more
people die when they go to hospital than people who stay out of
hospital. However, going to hospital does not cause you to get ill
and die. Rather, hospitals and death rates are both linked to a third
variable – the patient's poor health.
It is important that researchers identify all these variables before
starting their research.
The main functions of concepts are to facilitate communication and
to help classify the elements of reality (to help classify things in
life). Also, concepts are the building blocks of theories. But they can
only be effective if everyone shares most general concepts. There
are two main types of definitions.
Conceptual definitions: This is the definition of a concept in
terms of a set of other concepts. So, we understand the concept of
courage because we already knew the concept of bravery. This links
Research questions should be specific rather than general.
Background information, as well as a literature review, helps to
establish the research question. The research question is usually
expressed as a general question about the relationship between two
or more variables.
Concept: a particular idea that can be described in words. It is
closely associated with qualitative research.
Variable: Something that varies, and this variation can be
measured. It is associated with quantitative research.
Constant: Something that does not vary (The opposite of a
variable).
Some variables influence other variables. Your two main types of
variables are:
The independent variable (IV): This is the factor which is
measured, manipulated or selected by the researcher to
determine its relationship to an observed phenomenon that
constitutes the dependent variable.
In other words, this is the variable which, by nature, changes and
influences other variables.
The dependent variable (DV): This is the factor which is
observed and measured to determine the effect on it of the
independent variable.
OR It is the factor that appears, disappears, diminishes or amplifies
as the experiment introduces, removes or varies the independent
variable.
In other words, it is the variable which changes because of the
changes in the independent variable. (The independent changes the
dependent.)
A sociological example of where these two interact would be a
study of the rate of divorce for people who married before the age
of 23, and after the age of 23. Because we have determined the age
categories, it is the independent variable. The rate of divorce
changes from one age category to another as a consequence.
Therefore it is the dependent variable.
Other types of variables include:
Moderator variable: The factor which is measured, manipulated
or selected by researchers to determine whether it has an influence
on the relationship between the dependent and independent
variables. (In other words, is it interferes with the interaction
between the dependent and independent variable). An example of
, this would be when researchers try to determine how a child's social
understanding increases with age, yet they must take the child's
socio-economic background into account because that will also
influence it.
Control variables: Factors which are controlled by the researcher
so that their effect on the experiment will be cancelled. For
example, when measuring children's height for their age,
malnourished children will skew the results as they bring another
factor (a moderator) into the picture. Therefore, they should be
excluded. The children's nutritional levels should be controlled.
Two other variables, which are related to the independent variable,
also play an important role. The Antecedent variables: This
appears before the independent variable and determines it. For
example, when measuring the growth rate of certain crops after
different amounts of fertiliser are added to the ground, the farmer's
wealth will influence how much fertiliser he can buy in the first
place. His wealth is then an antecedent variable. The other variable
related to the independent variable is the Intervening variables:
This is a consequence of the independent variable, and determines
the variation of the dependent variable. If this is held constant, the
dependent variable will not vary. This is the opposite of the
antecedent variable. An example of this would be if an increase in
the amount of fertiliser meant that more time was needed for
weeding, that time should be kept constant. This will prevent the
crop output from being affected.
Extraneous variables: A variable that influences both the
independent and dependent variable. This gives a false idea of the
relationship between the independent and dependent variable. For
example, people who are afraid of hospitals will say that more
people die when they go to hospital than people who stay out of
hospital. However, going to hospital does not cause you to get ill
and die. Rather, hospitals and death rates are both linked to a third
variable – the patient's poor health.
It is important that researchers identify all these variables before
starting their research.
The main functions of concepts are to facilitate communication and
to help classify the elements of reality (to help classify things in
life). Also, concepts are the building blocks of theories. But they can
only be effective if everyone shares most general concepts. There
are two main types of definitions.
Conceptual definitions: This is the definition of a concept in
terms of a set of other concepts. So, we understand the concept of
courage because we already knew the concept of bravery. This links
