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Chapter 4 Review Questions (p

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Chapter 4 Review Questions (p. 108)

1)Which of the following choices is not an operational definition for a funny joke?

1. Duration of time (in seconds) spent laughing during a 1-minute comedy skit.
2. Ratings on a scale from 0 (not funny) to 5 (very funny).
3. The extent to which a joke or comment causes laughter.

2.Based on the description of the following hypothetical study adapted from published research, answer the questions below:

A study tested the hypothesis that wearing different clothing can influence how people describe their personalities. Researchers first gained consensus on a list of personality traits associated with individuals in formal wear (e.g., cultivated, accurate) and casual wear (e.g., easygoing, tolerant). They then asked some participants to arrive in formal wear and some to arrive in casual wear and then had them rate their own personality traits. As predicted, they found that participants in formal wear rated themselves with more “formal-appropriate traits,” whereas those in casual wear rated themselves with more “casual-appropriate traits.”

1. What is the construct being measured in this study?
2. What is the operational definition for the construct?
3. Was the hypothesis confirmed? Explain.

3. For each of the following examples, (1) name the variable being measured, (2) state whether the variable is continuous or discrete, and (3) state whether the variable is quantitative or qualitative.

1. A researcher records the month of birth for patients with schizophrenia.
2. A professor records the number of students who were absent for a final exam.
3. A researcher asks children to choose which type of cereal they prefer (one with a toy inside the box or one without). He records the choice of cereal for each child.
4. A therapist measures the time (in seconds) that a mother ignores a crying child before giving the child attention.

4.State the scale of measurement for each of the following variables.

1. Duration (in seconds) of blushing following an embarrassing mishap.
2. The type of drug used during a clinical trial (brand name or generic).
3. Rating of risk-taking on a scale from −2 (not likely) to +2 (very likely).
4. The ranking of a participant’s top five favorite music artists.

5.A researcher shows that students’ self-efficacy, or belief in their abilities, can predict future college academic performance. Which type of criterion-related validity does this illustrate?

6.State whether each of the following examples is likely to have high or low content validity.

1. A friend places a posting on an online dating website and completely and honestly fills in the required fields concerning his personal information.
2. You find a job posting that does not explain key information concerning salary, benefits, and hours of availability required.
3. A researcher measures the construct love by having participants rate a group of characteristics known to be associated with it (e.g., caring, trustworthiness, commitment).