IA Operationalizing variables.

[Alex .]

For my IA I need to operationalize the IV and the DV, my teacher mentioned how to do this but I got confused. Could someone just give me a method with an example please?

[blindpet]

Operationalizing is a bit weird and it is easiest to understand with an example which I've done here and here. If you still don't understand just reply in here and I'll come up with something .

[Alex .]

So, would you call these operationalized:

"The independent variable (IV) was whether music was played i.e. “silence” or “rock music,” and the dependent variable (DV) was the recall ability of the participants, based upon the number of correct answers given, in the questionnaire they completed out of eight questions."

Also the IA title is "The effects of music upon memory."

[blindpet]

I would say in your study you are operationally defining memory for music as the number of correct answers they give on the questionnaire. My understanding is that operational definitions in this case relate more to the DV rather than the IV. What is the theory for remembering music based on it being silent or rock? Silly question but does the silent music lack lyrics?

[Alex .]

The silent condition will just be silence, and the rock condition will be a thirty second long instrumental taken from The White Stripes song Little Acorns. Neither of the conditions will have any lyrics.

I hypothesize that the silent condition will return more correct answers.

[blindpet]

OK. why do you hypothesize that? Do you see why I've put more emphasis on the operationalization of the DV rather than IV?

[Alex .]

Mainly because there will be less of a distraction in silence. No, I don't understand why.

[blindpet]

OK cool, so you are not sure about the distraction theoretically? The reason I put more emphasis on the operationalization of the DV is because you have good theoretical reasons for thinking that how well people will recall music is related to their memory for the music whereas the reason for why silent music should have a better recall than rock music is more theoretically unclear.