Chapter Five

Question 1

Variable

Answer 1

An aspect of a testing condition that can take change/take on different characteristics with different conditions.

Question 2

Dependent Variables

Answer 2

A measure of how the subjects behaviour that reflects the independent variables’ effects.

Question 3

Rate

Answer 3

The number of times a behaviour is preformed, relative to time.

Question 4

Latency

Answer 4

Amount of time between an instruction & when the behaviour is actually preformed.

Question 5

Topography

Answer 5

The shape/style of behaviour.

Question 6

Locus

Answer 6

Where the behaviour occurs in the environment

Question 7

Independent variable

Answer 7

A condition manipulated/selected by the experimenter to determine its effect on behaviour.

Question 8

Levels

Answer 8

Different values of an independent variable.

Question 9

Variable of interest

Answer 9

Variable for which its role in the cause and effect of an observed relationship is not clear.

Question 10

Subject Variable

Answer 10

Difference between subjects that cannot be controlled but can only be selected. ex. sex, hair colour.

Question 11

Confounded Variable

Answer 11

One whose effect cannot be separated from the independent variable.

Question 12

Quantitative Variable

Answer 12

one that varies in amount.

Question 13

Categorical Variable

Answer 13

one that varies in kind.

Question 14

Continuous variable

Answer 14

Falls along a continuum/not limited to a certain amount of values

Question 15

Discrete Variable

Answer 15

Falls into separate bins with no intermediate values possible.

Question 16

Real Limits

Answer 16

Interval defined by the number of plus or minus half that distance to the next number.

Question 17

Apparent Limits

Answer 17

The point is indicated by a number.

Question 18

Measurements

Answer 18

The process of assigning numbers to events or objects according to rules.

Question 19

Nominal Scale

Answer 19

Measure that divides objects/events into categories according to their similarities/differences.

Question 20

Ordinal Scale

Answer 20

Measure that assigns objects or events a name/ assigns arranges them in order of their magnitude. ex. ranking in order of most preferred.

Question 21

Interval Scale

Answer 21

A measure in which the differences between numbers are meaningful; includes nominal/ordinal info. no meaningful zero point

Question 22

Ratio scale

Answer 22

A measure having a meaningful 0 point as well as ordinal, nominal & interval properties.

Question 23

Permissible Transformations

Answer 23

Ways we can alter the assignments of numbers to individual events w/o distorting the scale.

Question 24

Reliability

Answer 24

The property of consistency of a measurement that gives the same result on different occasions.

Question 25

Error Variable

Answer 25

Variability in the dependent variable that is not associated w/ the independent variable.

Question 26

Construct Validity

Answer 26

A test that the measurements actually measure the constructs they are designed to measure, but not others.

Question 27

Face Validity

Answer 27

Idea that a test should appear superficially to test what it is supposed to test.

Question 28

Content Validity

Answer 28

Test should sample the range of behaviour should be represented by the theoretical concept being tested.

Question 29

Criterion Validity

Answer 29

Idea that a test should correlate with other measures of the same theoretical constructs.

Question 30

Systematic error

Answer 30

Measurement error that is associated with consistent bias.

Question 31

Test retest reliability

Answer 31

The degree to which the same test score would be obtained on another occasion

Question 32

Internal Consistency

Answer 32

Various items on a test are measures of the same thing.