In the case of quasi-experimental studies, the experimental operational definition is somewhat different. It is essentially the procedure used to select subjects who fit the required levels of the independent variable. In the Ward, Leventhal, and Love (1988) study described earlier, the researchers selected subjects on the basis of a written test of repressive coping style. The operational definition included a description of the test and the cut-off scores used to place people into repressor or nonrepressor groups.