A behavioral measure might be used in research because
A) the behavior itself is the reason for the study.
B) there is evidence that the measure is a good operational definition of the hypothetical construct.
C) the measure serves as a nonverbal cue to a psychological state.
D) all of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A behavioral measure might be used in research for several reasons, including:

A) The behavior itself is the reason for the study - this could be the case in studies of addiction or impulse control, for instance, where the behavior being measured (substance use, for example) is central to the research question.

B) There is evidence that the measure is a good operational definition of the hypothetical construct - in other words, the behavioral measure is thought to be a valid way of assessing a psychological construct of interest. For example, a researcher might use a measure of eye contact as an indicator of social anxiety if there is evidence to suggest that people with social anxiety tend to avoid eye contact.

C) The measure serves as a nonverbal cue to a psychological state - this is related to the previous point, but refers specifically to cases where the behavior being measured is thought to be an outward manifestation of an internal psychological state. For example, in research on emotion, a researcher might use a measure of facial expression to assess levels of happiness or sadness.

Taken together, these reasons suggest that a behavioral measure can be a valuable tool in psychological research, as it allows researchers to assess psychological constructs through observable behaviors, rather than relying solely on self-report measures or physiological measures (like brain scans or hormone levels).

A Behavioral Measure Might Be Used in Research Because