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Suppose you are designing a study to compare innate number sense across species. How would you operationally define 'innate number sense' for a single-subject study using rats versus a group study using human infants to ensure you are measuring quantity awareness without counting?
Question: Suppose you are designing a study to compare innate number sense across species. How would you operationally define 'innate number sense' for a single-subject study using rats versus a group study using human infants to ensure you are measuring quantity awareness without counting?
Sample answer: For rats in a single-subject design, the variable can be operationally defined as the accuracy in discriminating between different counts of sequential events (like auditory tones or consecutive lever presses) to obtain food. For human infants in a group design, it can be operationally defined as the difference in visual looking time (habituation/dishabituation) when exposed to a screen displaying a novel quantity of objects compared to a familiar quantity.
Key points:
- Provide a specific operational definition of quantity discrimination for rats (e.g., sequential events/tones).
- Provide a specific operational definition of quantity discrimination for infants (e.g., looking time/habituation to objects).
- Ensure both operational definitions measure awareness of quantity without the need for active counting.
Feedback: To receive full credit, the student must apply the concept of operational definitions by providing one measure for rats (e.g., behavior/event discrimination) and one measure for human infants (e.g., looking time/habituation to objects) that successfully capture quantity discrimination without counting.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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Suppose you are designing a study to compare innate number sense across species. How would you operationally define 'innate number sense' for a single-subject study using rats versus a group study using human infants to ensure you are measuring quantity awareness without counting?