As behavioral scientists, we are interested in how certain variables (e.g., affective states) predict or lead to other variables (e.g., information processing). But, how do we measure variables like neutral affect and information processing? Below are some of the tasks that we have research participants complete so that we can quantify the ways they're feeling and in which they process information.
Try it!Neutral Affect. Are you feeling sad, happy, or just kind of not really strongly either way? Try the lab task we give research participants to measure their current level of just feeling, well, meh.
Try it!Global and Local Processing. Are you seeing the forest for the trees, or the trees for the forest? Try the lab task we give research participants to determine whether they're engaging in global or local information processing at a given moment.
Try it!Functional Fixedness. Would you rather remain consistent in your thinking or change it? Try the lab task we use to measure the degree to which research participants are adhering to mental sets at a given moment.