Chapter 4: Studying Behavior

Which one of the following is a situational variable?
1. reasoning ability
2. temperature in the room
3. performance on a weight-lifting task
4. ratings for the humor of several comic strips
When a researcher manipulates the temperature of a room in order to examine the effect it has on task performance, the different temperature conditions are referred to as the ________ of the variable.
1. participants
2. responses
3. reliability
4. levels
Dr. Wellers asks student teachers to assign a punishment for misbehavior displayed by an attractive versus unattractive child. The response variable would be:
1. the student teachers
2. assigned punishment
3. the child's attractiveness
4. the misbehavior
Dr. Wellers asks student teachers to assign a punishment for misbehavior displayed by an attractive versus unattractive child. The subject variable would be:
1. the student teachers
2. the assigned punishment
3. the child's attractiveness
4. the misbehavior
An operational definition refers to:
1. the specific method used to measure or manipulate a variable
2. a measure of reliability of a variable
3. the only way of measuring a variable
4. all of the above
"Hunger is defined as 24 hours of food deprivation." This is an example of a(n) ________ definition.
1. circular
2. scientific
3. operational
4. commonsense
When increases in the value of one variable are associated with increases in the values of a second variable, what type of relationship is present?
1. positive
2. no relationship
3. negative
4. curvilinear
Which one of the following represents a critical difference between the nonexperimental and experimental methods?
1. nonexperimental methods involve operational definitions; experimental methods do not
2. experimental methods involve operational definitions; nonexperimental methods do not
3. nonexperimental methods involve the manipulation of variables; experimental methods do not
4. experimental methods involve the manipulation of variables; nonexperimental methods do not
In the experimental method, the researcher makes sure that the influence of all extraneous variables is kept constant. This process is referred to as:
1. randomization
2. cause and effect
3. constancy
4. experimental control
An experimenter had participants complete an annoying questionnaire in a room where the temperature was set at 93 degrees or at 74 degrees. Participants then made ratings evaluating the questionnaire. The results showed those participants who completed the questionnaire when the room temperature was 93 degrees evaluated the questionnaire more negatively than did those participants who completed the questionnaire when the room temperature was 74 degrees. The independent variable in this experiment was the:
1. evaluations
2. sex of the participant
3. room temperature
4. experimenter sex
In graphing the results of an experiment, the independent variable is placed on the ________ axis and the dependent variable is placed on the ________ axis.
1. vertical; horizontal
2. bottom; central
3. horizontal; vertical
4. central; bottom
By employing randomization, the researcher ensures that:
1. one group of participants is different from the other
2. participants are manipulated at random
3. any extraneous variable is just as likely to affect one group as it is to affect the other
4. all of the above
The values of the ________ variable are set by the researcher.
1. independent
2. dependent
3. extraneous
4. confounding
The two defining characteristics of experimental research are:
1. measuring two or more variables and determining whether they covary
2. manipulating an independent variable and controlling extraneous variables
3. randomly assigning participants to conditions and manipulating an independent variable
4. none of the above
One disadvantage of the experimental method is:
1. control of extraneous third variables
2. randomization of participant characteristics
3. determination of cause and effect relationships
4. use of artificial situations

Chapter 4: Studying Behavior

Choose the best answer for each question.