Exam 4: Observation

Low interobserver reliability is likely to result because of

Ethologists such as Diane Fossey (who studied mountain gorillas)use a technique to adapt animal subjects to the presence of an observer by gradually increasing the time they spend in the animals' environment.This technique is called

Organizing results and preparing statements summarizing important findings in the analysis of behavioral data is called

The remnants,fragments of past behavior that provide unobtrusive measures of behavior are called

When individuals are aware they are being observed we need to be concerned about problems of

A researcher tries to show that the frequency of traffic accidents increases in warmer weather.This researcher need to consider whether there are more cars on the road when it is warmer.This "number of cars" variable must be considered to make sure the relationship between traffic accidents and temperature is not a

In psychological research,investigators sample individuals' behavior at different times or in different situations.The goal of sampling behavior is to

Some researchers argue that hypnosis is a special state of consciousness;other researchers disagree.They argue that when the hypnosis procedure is used,individuals simply respond to the cues and instructions of the hypnotist in order to know how to respond.These cues are called

Identify the four measurement scales and provide an example of each measurement scale.

Figure: Two observers observe a child in the classroom every 30 minutes to record whether he is behaving aggressively.They use two categories for their observations: yes (aggressive)or no (not aggressive).Using the data presented below,answer the following questions. -Do you think the observers demonstrated acceptable interobserver reliability? Why or why not?

In a field experiment,the investigator

Read this description of a study and answer the questions that follow. A newspaper reporter at a university newspaper sought to gather evidence about the quality of teaching at the university. For one week at the beginning of the semester she attended 5 different classes each day, each with a different instructor. She asked 4 other reporters to do this too (they all attended different classes), and she trained them regarding the ratings they would make. The reporters pretended to be students, but sat in the back of class so the instructor wouldn't notice their observations. Using 10-point rating scales, they rated each instructor on five dimensions: interesting, organized, informative, friendly, and respectful. They summarized their findings and reported that, in general, the quality of teaching at the university is very good. -Identify one aspect of the procedures that would likely decrease any reactivity associated with the observations.

In order to minimize observer bias,researchers should

A researcher studying interpersonal communication measured the time that couples made eye contact during a conversation.Which descriptive statistics will most commonly be used describe the researcher's duration measurements?