Page 10 - Mind Map_Methods of Enquiry in Psychology

 The variables on which the effect of independent variables is observed is called
dependent variable.
 It represents the phenomenon the researcher desires to explain.
 It is effected that change in the dependent variable will ensue from changes in
the independent variable.
 Example- the change in behavioural pattern is the dependent variable.

 Thus, the independent variable is the cause, and dependent variable is the effect
in any experimental situation.
 Independent and dependent variables are interdependent. Neither of them can be
defined without the other.
 Both the variables are chosen because of the researcher’s theoretical interest.
 Any behavioural event contains many variables.
 Independent variable do not only influence the dependent variables but there
exists other RELEVANT OR EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES that influence the
dependent variables.

3. Extraneous Variable –
 The other variables that influences the dependent variable other than the
independent variable in an experiment is called extraneous variables or
relevant variables.
 The researcher are not interested in examining their effects so they need to be
controlled in an experiment so that the researcher is able to pin-point the cause
and effect relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
 There are three major types –
a) Organismic Variables – anxiety, intelligence, personality etc.
b) Situational or Environmental Variables – noise, temperature, humidity
(that is occurring at the time of conducting the experiment)
c) Sequential Variables- Exposure to many conditions may result in

experimental fatigue or practice effect, which may influence the results of
the study and make the interpretation of the findings difficult.
 In order to control relevant variables, experimenters use several control
techniques –
a) Eliminate the relevant variables from the experimental setting. For
example, experiment may be conducted in a sound-proof and air-
conditioned room to eliminate the effect of noise and temperature.
b) When elimination is not possible, efforts should be made to hold them
constant so that their effect remains the same throughout the experiment.
c) For controlling organismic (e.g fear, motivation) and background variables
(such as socio-economic class, caste etc) matching is used.