Annette- I'd composed a long answer- So I shortened it to: Given the specific information on the question: A) kind of true- but with wildly different operational definitions it could also be not true - if you said *could have* this would be equal to C but with should- that, I think, is problematic, i.e., it is an empirical question. B) isn't correct- it is a prior belief but clearly the literature shows such "subjective" measures do yield good results and are often the only/best operationalization. I think if they all picked this they are not ready for the test yet. C) is true. Even in well established areas of research sometimes the operationalization doesn't work or index the intended concept. But this is also, in determining individual instances, dependent on the operationalization. C seems the best of the three.
Thus, I'd pick C. I think the question really doesn't provide enough information unless there is something in it you went over in class that would clarify things. I always let my students "Discuss ambiguities" on the back of the page (works in small classes but takes a lot of extra time to grade!) Tim _______________________________ Timothy O. Shearon, PhD Professor and Chair Department of Psychology The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID 83605 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] teaching: intro to neuropsychology; psychopharmacology; general; history and systems "You can't teach an old dogma new tricks." Dorothy Parker -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Fri 3/14/2008 7:52 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] help with exam item Either I am losing my mind or something is wrong. I used the following item on an exam. Not one student picked the answer I thought was "correct". I believe originally the item came from a test bank (which I no longer have) that accompanies the Cozby research methods text. Every single one of my students picked the same answer and it's not the answer I thought was best. Can I call on tipsters to tell me which answer they think is correct and why? I will later tell you which answer I thoughtw as correct and why. 1. Two researchers tested the hypothesis that college students' grades and stress are related. One researcher operationally defined stress as the number of minutes spent arguing with others. The other researcher defined stress as the amount of tension at any point in time measured on a 10-point scale. Which of the following statements is accurate? a. Because their hypotheses are identical, the two researchers should have similar results. b. The only valid definition is the number of minutes spent arguing with others because it is the only objective measure. c. The difference in operational definitions of stress could lead to quite different results. Thanks Annette Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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