Which statement best describes a performance-based measure in psychology?

• A. It relies on participants' self-reports about feelings.
• B. It requires participants to perform tasks to assess abilities.
• C. It uses only paper-and-pencil questionnaires.
• D. It relies solely on interviews without tasks.

Answer: (B)

Performance-based measures assess abilities by having people actually perform tasks and then scoring the observable outcome. This approach captures how someone acts or performs in a given situation, not just what they say about themselves. So the statement describing that participants are required to perform tasks to assess abilities is the best fit, because it directly reflects the idea of measuring through demonstrated performance rather than through self-reports or interviews.

Self-reports about feelings or thoughts are subjective and rely on what someone believes or feels, which is different from showing a skill or ability through a task. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires likewise rely on written responses rather than real-time performance. Interviews without tasks focus on verbal reports rather than demonstrated ability.