A scientist distributes beepers to participants in a longitudinal study about the effect of social interaction on emotions. The researcher asks the participants to complete a brief questionnaire every time the beeper goes off, which occurs randomly throughout the day. This is an example of what data collection schedule?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of signal-contingent responding because the participants are responding to a signal (beeper) that occurs randomly throughout the day. Interval-contingent responding would involve asking participants to complete the questionnaire at fixed intervals (e.g. every hour). Event-contingent responding would involve asking participants to complete the questionnaire every time a specific event occurs (e.g. every time they interact with someone). Reward-contingent responding would involve providing some type of reward to participants for completing the questionnaire.

A Scientist Distributes Beepers to Participants in a Longitudinal Study