Some texts use the terms "predictor" and "criterion" in place of "independent"
and "dependent" for correlational questions. Of course, statistical terminology
is a mess. How about a factorial design with two independent variables vs. a
question of whether two variables are independent--both problems commonly
represented with a 2-way table. No wonder that students get confused!
Dennis Goff wrote:
> Stuart McKelvie asks:
> Also: Should we have another name for the "independent" variable
> when
> it is not truly experimentally manipulated? And should we have
> another name for the "dependent" variable in this situation?
>
> We have wrestled with this problem within our department. Some of us prefer
> to call these variables "independent" because of their place in statistical
> analyses. That certainly makes things easier for our students, but I argue
> that the label "independent" should be reserved for those variables that the
> experimenter manipulates.
**********************************************************************
* Mike Scoles * [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* Department of Psychology * voice: (501) 450-5418 *
* University of Central Arkansas * fax: (501) 450-5424 *
* Conway, AR 72035-0001 * *
************ http://www.coe.uca.edu/psych/mscoles.htm ****************
