writing assignment 3

Week 3 Writing Assignment: Defining and Measuring Variables

For this writing assignment you’ll need to create two different research designs using some combination of the variables

included below. In the first study, one of the variables in column A must be your IV and one of the variables in column

B must be your DV. In your second study, one of the variables in column B must be your IV and one of the variables in

column A must be your DV. You cannot use the same variables for both study designs!

Variable A Variable B

Hours Spent Studying Attractiveness

Anxiety Mood

Minutes Spent Exercising Number of Alcoholic Drinks Consumed

For each study, you will need to:

a. Identify the two variables you are using (1/2 pt for each study, 1 pt total)

b. Identify whether each is the IV or the DV (1/2 pt for each study, 1 pt total)

c. Provide a hypothesis using the two variables identified in part A. (1/2 pt for each study, 1 pt total)

d. Describe how you will measure the IV (e.g., how will you manipulate the variable). Specify the number of

conditions and explain what participants will do or be exposed to in each condition. (1 pt for each study, 2 pts

total)

e. Identify the scale of measurement for the IV and explain how you know that this is the scale of measurement for

this variable. (1 pt for each study, 2 pts total)

f. Describe two different ways to measure the DV (e.g., how you will measure the outcome). For each, explain

what you will measure and how you will measure it. (2 pts for each study, 4 pts total)

g. Identify the scale of measurement for each of the different possible DVs you identified in part F explain how you

know that this is the scale of measurement for each variable. (1 pt for each study, 2 pts total)

Your write up for this assignment should be about 1-2 pages in length. Please be sure to completely separate out your

responses for each study and either label each component of your response or include each component in a separate

paragraph. This means that you should either have A – G for Study 1 and A – G for Study 2 or seven paragraphs for

Study 1 and seven paragraphs for Study 2. Your submission should be written using full sentences. All content should be

written in your own words – no quotes allowed!

Your assignment must be double spaced with 1” margins and typed in size 12 Times New Roman font. It should be free

of spelling and grammar errors (2 pts).

You must save your document as a .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, .wpd, or .wps. file. Contact the instructor ([email protected])

if you need to use another format to ensure that it will be acceptable. Once you have completed and saved your work,

your finished assignment must be submitted through the “Week 3 Writing Assignment” drop box on Blackboard. The

drop box is located in the “Week 3 Online Assignment” folder.

To receive full credit, you must submit your completed assignment by 11:59 pm on Wednesday 6/10. Late submissions

will lose 1% of their grade for every hour that passes after the due date until the assignment is 48 hours late. After 48

hours, the late penalty will be 50% until one week after the due date. Assignments submitted more than a week late will

be graded in order to provide feedback, but no credit will be awarded.

Grading criteria are included above. If you have any questions or need clarification about this assignment or the grading

criteria, please e-mail the instructor ([email protected]) or attend an online office hour. It is your responsibility to

make sure that you fully understand the assignment, and no credit will be given to students who do not complete the

assignment correctly or who fail to complete this assignment.