1. As we are beginning our exploration of experimental research, I wanted to share the following short video outlining the process of experimental design:
Research Methods: Experimental Design
What are your thoughts on this video?
2. When we discuss strengths and weaknesses of various research methods, the factors of reliability and validity are important considerations. The following short video provides a brief summary of these factors:
Validity versus Reliability
What are your thoughts on this video?
3. Some Independent variables would be the students age, grade, and school. The reason that is an independent variable is because the variable of their age is not dependent on any other variables.
Dependent variables would be the amount of sleep each child gets that aren't getting 7 hours of sleep, amount of homework and study time each child does nightly, and any other factors that may contribute to the amount of sleep a child my get a night. Those variables are dependent because those are things that can change.
When looking at answering the hypothesis you have to look at many factors or variables on why some students do not get at least 7 hours of sleep.
What do you think of this answer?
4 We are testing the effect of sleep on the behavior (how well students do on the exam) by the amount of sleep they had (7 hours or less) night before the exam.
The independent variable is the amount of sleep (7 hours or less) and the student's exam results is the dependent variable - students who received the 7 hours of sleep before the exam that did better on the exam compared to students who received less than 7 hours of sleep the night before the exam (Gordon, 2016, Ch. 8, pp. 195).
A dependent variable is what you measure and what is affected during the experiment. It is called dependent because it "depends" on the independent variable. In a scientific experiment, you cannot have a dependent variable without an independent variable (Science Buddies, 2018).
An independent variable is the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment. Independent variables are the variables that the experimenter changes to test their dependent variable. A change in the independent variable directly causes a change in the dependent variable (Science Buddies, 2018).
What do think of this answer?
5. An independent variable is the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment. Independent variables are the variables that the experimenter changes to test their dependent variable. A change in the independent variable directly causes a change in the dependent variable (Science Buddies, 2018).
What do you think of this answer?
6. Do you think that the amount of hours of sleep that the students actually get is the only independent variable, or is there more? Reading through the chapter and about dependent and independent variables I kept getting them confused.
When you say that there is nothing that can affect the independent variable, it makes it more understandable for me. Dependent variables are things that are dependent on something and can be manipulated and independent variables can stand alone.
How can you show more clarity for a better understanding?