Psychology / Unit 1 Psych 0045 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Underspecified Variable
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The idea
A variable is underspecified when the report does not say how it was measured, making the study impossible to repeat.
In practice
A study reports that "screen time reduces wellbeing" without stating what was counted as screen time or as wellbeing.
Where people slip
Underspecification is not always sloppiness. It also hides the choices that produced the result.
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