Imagine That Two People Are Participants in the Same Study

question 46

Essay

Imagine that two people are participants in the same study. After reliving a personal experience of loss, each participant is asked to rate how strongly he feels sadness on a scale from 0 (not sad at all) to 10 (strongest experience of sadness ever felt). One participant rates is sadness as a "6," the other as a 9." In fact, the two participants feel equally sad. Explain how this might happen, based upon the limitations of self-report measures discussed in your textbook.

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Definitions:

Perceived Loss

The feeling or belief that one has lost something valuable, which can include tangible items or intangible aspects like status or emotional well-being.

Reduced Cortisol

Refers to a decrease in the levels of cortisol, a steroid hormone that responds to stress and modulates metabolism in the body.

Internal Locus

A psychological term referring to individuals who believe they have control over the outcomes of their actions and life events.

Adaptation-Level Phenomenon

The psychological process by which individuals adjust their expectations and standards based on previous experiences, influencing their perception of new stimuli.