Chp 4 review questions

What is the difference between the nonexperimental method and the experimental method

In nonexperimental method, relationships are studied by making observations or measures of the variables of interest. Experimental method involves direct manipulation and control of variables

Distinguish among positive linear, negative linear, and curvilinear relationships

In positive linear relationships increases in the values of one variable are accompanied by increases in the value of a second variable Negative linear relationship increases in the values of one variable and decreases in the values of another variable Curvilinear increases in one variable are accompanied by increases and decreases of another variable

What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable

Independent variable is the cause and the dependent variable is the effect

Distinguish between laboratory and field experiments.

Laboratory experiment is done in a lab and field experiments are done outside of a lab

What are some reasons for using the non-experimental method to study relationships between variables?

Some reasons include studying relationships between exercise and anxiety

What is meant by the problem of direction of cause and effect and the third-variable?

There may be a relationship between the two variables because some other variable causes both

How do direct experimental control and randomization influence the possible effects of extraneous variables?

With experimental control, all extraneous variables are kept constant and randomization ensures that the extraneous variable is just as likely to affect one experimental group as it is to affect the other group.

What is a variable? List at least five different variables and then describe at least two levels of each variable. For example, age is a variable. For adults, age has values that can be expressed in years starting at 18 and ranging upward. In an actual study, the age variable might be measured by asking for actual age in years, the year of birth, or providing a choice of age ranges such as 18-34, 35-54, and 55+. Sentence length is a variable. The values might be defined by the number of words in sentences that participants write in an essay.

a variable is any event, situation, behavior, or individual characteristic that varies--that is, has at least two values. Performance - varsity vs. Junior varsity Depression - loss of appetite vs. loss of interest Intelligence​ - classrorm grades vs. test scores Anger - yelling vs. throwing things Stress - panicking vs. shutting down

Define "operational definition" of a variable. Give at least two operational definitions of the variables you thought of in previous review questions

the operational definition of a variable is the set of procedures used to measure or manipulate it. The operational definition of anger is the number of times a person yells when they are mad in a week. The operational definition of intelligence scoring average or above.