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    IV

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    Maureen Pusing
    Intervening variables are hypothetical constructs used to explain relationships between observed independent and dependent variables, but are not directly observable themselves. They are interpretations of observed behaviors rather than facts. To avoid circular reasoning, intervening variables must have multiple operational definitions that are correlated with each other. The more operational definitions that are correlated, the more useful the intervening variable concept. Concepts like attitude, intelligence and personality traits may have limited usefulness due to relying on only a few operational definitions.

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    IV

    Uploaded by

    Maureen Pusing
    69 views15 pages
    Intervening variables are hypothetical constructs used to explain relationships between observed independent and dependent variables, but are not directly observable themselves. They are interpretations of observed behaviors rather than facts. To avoid circular reasoning, intervening variables must have multiple operational definitions that are correlated with each other. The more operational definitions that are correlated, the more useful the intervening variable concept. Concepts like attitude, intelligence and personality traits may have limited usefulness due to relying on only a few operational definitions.

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    Intervening variables are hypothetical constructs used to explain relationships between observed independent and dependent variables, but are not directly observable themselves. They are interpretations of observed behaviors rather than facts. To avoid circular reasoning, intervening variables must have multiple operational definitions that are correlated with each other. The more operational definitions that are correlated, the more useful the intervening variable concept. Concepts like attitude, intelligence and personality traits may have limited usefulness due to relying on only a few operational definitions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    69 views15 pages

    IV

    Uploaded by

    Maureen Pusing
    Intervening variables are hypothetical constructs used to explain relationships between observed independent and dependent variables, but are not directly observable themselves. They are interpretations of observed behaviors rather than facts. To avoid circular reasoning, intervening variables must have multiple operational definitions that are correlated with each other. The more operational definitions that are correlated, the more useful the intervening variable concept. Concepts like attitude, intelligence and personality traits may have limited usefulness due to relying on only a few operational definitions.

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    of 15

    Intervening Variables

    Intervening variables are hypothetical internal


    states that are used to explain relationships
    between observed variables, such
    independent and dependent variables.
    Intervening variables are not real things. They
    are interpretations of observed facts, not facts
    themselves. But they create the illusion of
    being facts.
    EXAMPLE learning, memory, motivation,
    S:
    attitude, personality, traits, knowledge,
    understanding, thinking, expectation,
    intelligence, intention.

    Intervening Variables

    Not Real?

    Lets look again at the experiment by Tolman


    & Honzik (1930) on latent learning in rats,
    specifically, the group that received a reward
    every time they reached the goal box.
    One of the Independent Variables was the
    number of practice trials the rats received.
    They got 1 trial per day, so each rat got an
    increasing
    number
    of trials.
    The Dependent
    Variable
    was the number of
    wrong turns (errors) that rats made on a trial.
    The following graph shows a relationship
    between the independent variable and the
    dependent variable.

    Tolman and Honzik, 1930


    Practice
    Independent
    Trials

    Average
    0 Errors
    2
    4
    6

    10

    Variable

    Errors

    Learnin
    Intervening
    g

    Dependent
    Variable

    Variable
    Theoretically, an internal
    state of learning intervened
    between the independent
    variable and the dependent
    variable.
    It was this state that caused
    errors to decrease, not the
    practice trials.
    1
    10

    Trials (1 Trial per


    Day)

    17

    Operational Definitions
    Intervening variables are studied by means of
    operational definitions, which are descriptions
    of procedures that are assumed to have some
    link to the internal state.
    Operational
    Definition

    Practice
    Independent
    Trials
    Variable

    Learnin
    g
    Intervening
    Variable

    Operational
    Definition

    Errors
    Dependen
    t Variable

    Operational Definitions
    Intervening variables have no existence apart
    from these observed variables. They are just
    words, interpretations of facts, like theories.

    Operational
    Definition

    Practice
    Independent
    Trials
    Variable

    Learnin
    g
    Intervening
    Variable

    Operational
    Definition

    Errors
    Dependen
    t Variable

    Operational Definitions

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g

    As explanations of behavior, intervening


    variables can lead to an error in logic called
    circular reasoning in which you explain
    something in terms of itself and so dont get
    beyond the original facts.
    To avoid circular reasoning, you must have two
    or more operational definitions of the same
    internal state, and they must be correlated.
    Heres an example of circular reasoning that
    results from having just one operational
    definition.

    Operational Definitions
    GOAL

    Two rats receive a


    food reward when
    they run from the
    Start box to the Goal
    box of a straight alley
    runway.
    They get an equal
    number of practice
    trials and run equally
    fast.
    One day, the rat on
    the left is observed to
    run much faster than
    the rat on the right.

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g
    GOAL

    Operational Definitions
    GOAL

    Why the difference in


    running speeds?
    You may want to
    explain it in terms of
    motivation, defined
    as an internal state
    that causes an
    organism to move
    toward a goal.
    More specifically, you
    could say that the fast
    rat was hungrier
    than the slow rat.

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g
    GOAL

    Operational Definitions
    GOAL

    This is circular
    reasoning. It sounds
    like an explanation
    but
    it isnt.
    Running
    speed toward
    a food reward is a
    legitimate operational
    definition of hunger.
    Its OK to infer
    different levels of
    hunger from running
    speeds, but its
    circular to then use
    hunger to explain
    those running speeds.

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g
    GOAL

    Operational Definitions

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g

    Running
    Speed

    defines
    explain
    s

    Hunger

    A second operational definition of


    hunger is needed to break this circle.

    Operational Definitions
    Running
    Speed

    defines

    Hunger

    defines

    Hours of Food
    Deprivation

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g

    For example, the


    fast rat may have
    been deprived of
    food longer than
    the slow rat.
    Hours of food
    deprivation could
    be used as an
    operational
    definition of
    hunger.

    Operational Definitions
    Running
    Speed

    defines

    Hunger

    defines

    Hours of Food
    Deprivation

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g

    Different levels of
    hunger could be
    inferred from the
    different periods
    of deprivation,
    and then these
    hunger levels
    could be used to
    explain the
    different running
    speeds without
    circularity.

    Operational Definitions
    Running
    Speed

    defines

    Hunger

    defines

    Hours of Food
    Deprivation

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g

    The more
    operational
    definitions you
    have that are
    correlated with
    each other, the
    more useful
    would be the
    underlying
    intervening
    variable.

    Operational Definitions
    Questionnaire
    Responses
    define

    Correlate
    d?

    Attitude

    defines

    Everyday Behavior

    Circular
    Reasonin
    g

    By this
    standard, how
    useful would
    you say are
    the concepts
    of attitude,
    intelligence
    and
    personality
    trait?

    Observing Internal
    Events
    Intervening variables differ from other kinds of
    internal events that are real and can be
    directly observed.
    Conscious experiences are private events that
    are directly sensed by the individual and not
    open to observation by others, like self-talk,
    feelings, and sensations.
    Biological processes are open to observation
    by others using appropriate devices, like an
    EEG machine to measure electrical activity of
    the brain.

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