The following hypothesis was investigated in a study: daily doses ...

[dejastew]

The following hypothesis was investigated in a study: daily doses of humor will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer. Which of the following is the independent variable?
 
  a. Amount of pain medication
  b. Arthritis sufferers
  c. Doses of humor
  d. Length of exercise

Question 2

The following hypothesis, daily doses of humor will cause arthritis sufferers to use less pain medication and exercise longer, was listed in a study being critiqued. Which of the following is the operational definition of dose of humor?
 
  a. Each day subjects in the treatment group will watch a full length comedy film before a prescribed exercise period. Each film shown will have been screened by five assistants and must evoke laughter at least 30 of the time of the film.
  b. The doses of humor will be defined as subjects taking turns telling jokes to each other for 20 minutes each day.
  c. The operational definition of doses of humor for purposes of this study will be the reading of three jokes taken from the newspaper each day.
  d. The operational definition of doses of humor is that each day something funny will happen to the participant.

[pratush dev]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Doses of humor is the independent variable in this study.
Amount of pain is a dependent variable in the study.
Arthritis sufferer is not a variable in the study.
Length of exercise is a dependent variable in the study.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
This definition gives the reader information that would allow a replication of the study.
Using the subject to create the humor makes it very difficult to measure and hard to replicate.
The use of jokes from the newspaper means that even the researchers would not know ahead of time how funny they are going to be, and this would make it very difficult to make use of in the future.
This definition does not provide enough information for the reader to know how humor is being offered.