Chapter 4: Studying Behavior

In the scientific study of behavior, any event, situation, or behavior that varies is called a(n) __________.

A)observation
B)constant
C)category
D)variable

Which of the following is NOT a variable?

A)number of inches in a foot
B)hair color
C)age
D)grade point average

The number of students in a class is an example of a __________ variable.

A)situational
B)response
C)participant or subject
D)mediating

The time it takes participants to complete a computer task is an example of a __________ variable.

A)situational
B)response
C)participant or subject
D)mediating

The marital status of research participants is an example of a __________ variable.

A)situational
B)response
C)participant or subject
D)mediating

Psychological processes that explain the effects of a situational variable on a particular response are called __________ variables.

A)situational
B)response
C)participant or subject
D)mediating

Dr. M measured students' performance on a verbal task by recording the number of words they correctly identified during a five-minute session. The number of words correctly identified is referred to as the __________ definition.

A)task
B)response
C)operational
D)concrete

Researchers found that as the temperature in a city increased there was also an increase in the number of crimes reported. This is an example of a ___________ relationship.

A)positive linear
B)negative linear
C)curvilinear
D)amplified linear

There is a __________ relationship between the number of classes students miss and final exam scores. As the number of days absent increase, the scores on the final exam decrease.

A)positive linear
B)negative linear
C)curvilinear
D)amplified linear

When researchers study the relationship among variables using the __________ method, behavior is observed as it occurs naturally.

A)nonexperimental
B)field experiment
C)experimental
D)causal

In the nonexperimental method, the third-variable problem refers to _________.

A)experimenter intervention
B)an extra-operational definition
C)confounding variables
D)the need to add another variable in the study

The experimental method eliminates the influence of extraneous variables to ensure that any differences between groups is due to the __________ variable.

A)dependent
B)manipulated
C)control
D)third

In an experimental study, the __________ variable is considered to be the "cause."

A)extraneous
B)independent
C)dependent
D)subject or participant

The major disadvantage of conducting a lab experiment is the ___________.

A)artificial atmosphere
B)lack of control over extraneous variables
C)inability to manipulate independent variables
D)dependence on student participants

___________ validity refers to the ability to draw conclusions about causal relationships.

A)External
B)Construct
C)Internal
D)Conclusion

When the experimental method is used, ______________ validity is maximized.

A)external
B)internal
C)conclusion
D)construct

A variable must have two or more levels or values.

A)True
B)False

A variable is an abstract concept that must be defined in terms of the specific method used to measure or manipulate it.

A)True
B)False

A positive linear relationship is sometimes referred to as a nonmonotonic function.

A)True
B)False

In a negative linear relationship, the direction of the relationship changes at least once.

A)True
B)False

If two variables are confounded, you can easily determine which of the variables is operating in a given situation.

A)True
B)False

When the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable is plotted on a graph, the dependent variable is always placed on the vertical axis.

A)True
B)False

The ex post facto design describes research in which groups are formed on the basis of some actual difference rather than through random assignment.

A)True
B)False

Ethnic group is an example of a subject variable.

A)True
B)False

Validity refers to the accurate representation of information.

A)True
B)False

External validity refers to the adequacy of the operational definition of variables.

A)True
B)False

Achieving high internal validity may conflict with achieving high external validity.

A)True
B)False