Question 1

Dr.Rodentz deprives several rats of food for different lengths of time and then places them at the start of a maze.He records how long each rat takes to reach the food at the end of the maze.The time needed to reach the food is the

Accepted Answer

The time it takes for each rat to reach the food at the end of the maze is being measured by Dr. Rodentz, making it the dependent variable.

Question 2

A psychologist evaluates 60 people at the start of therapy and again at the end of 8 weeks of therapy.She reports that 55 of the 60 are "improved," and concludes that the therapy was effective.One flaw in this study is that it lacks

Accepted Answer

The study lacks a control group, which is essential to determine if the improvement is actually due to the therapy or if it could have occurred naturally over time or with other factors. Without a control group, it is not possible to draw a causal relationship between the therapy and the improvement.

Question 3

One group of students who spent the weekend studying for the test got better scores than a group who spent the weekend camping.That statement could be the result of an experiment or a correlational study.To decide whether it was an experiment,we would have to know the answer to the following question:

Accepted Answer

Knowing whether the students were assigned to the study or camping groups or if they chose their activity themselves would help us determine whether the study is an experiment or a correlational study. If the groups were randomly assigned, then it would be an experiment as the researcher manipulated the variable (study vs. camping) and observed its effect on the dependent variable (test scores). However, if the students chose their own activity, it would be a correlational study, as the researcher only observed the relationship between the two variables without manipulating them.

Question 4

An instructor gives weekly tests to one class and just one midterm exam to another class.Both classes get the same final exam.The instructor compares performances on the final exam to see whether the weekly tests affected students' performance.What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this experiment is the number of tests before the final. This is because this is the only variable that the instructor is manipulating and changing between the two classes. This is what makes it an independent variable. The other options are not independent variables as they are not being manipulated by the instructor.

Question 5

A dependent variable is a variable that

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome or response that the experimenter measures to determine how it was affected by the independent variable. It is not something that participants measure or manipulate, and it is not irrelevant to the experiment. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Question 6

Juanita has a headache one evening so she takes the experimental drug Zenax to eliminate her headache.She goes to sleep and finds her headache gone the next day.Do these results show that Zenax was effective?

Accepted Answer

The disappearance of Juanita's headache could be attributed to other factors such as natural recovery or the placebo effect, rather than the efficacy of Zenax itself.

Question 7

The main advantage of an experimental study,in contrast to a correlational study,is that an experiment is

Accepted Answer

Experimental studies allow researchers to manipulate and control variables, which increases the ability to establish cause-and-effect relationships. Correlational studies can only identify associations between variables, but cannot determine which variables are causing the observed effects. Therefore, experimental studies are more likely to demonstrate causality than correlational studies.

Question 8

An independent variable is one that

Accepted Answer

An independent variable is the variable that the experimenter changes or controls in order to investigate its effects on the dependent variable.

Question 9

An experimenter had participants exercise much,a little,or not at all and then measured how much they ate at dinner two hours later.What was the dependent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or tested and is affected by the independent variable. In this experiment, the amount of food eaten at dinner is being measured after different levels of exercise, making it the dependent variable.

Question 10

The main difference between a correlational study and an experiment is that in a correlational study

Accepted Answer

In a correlational study, the investigator does not control either variable and only observes the relationship between the variables. In an experiment, the experimenter manipulates at least one variable (independent variable) and measures its effect on another variable (dependent variable) while controlling for other factors. Therefore, option D is the correct answer as it highlights the main difference between a correlational study and an experiment.

Question 11

An instructor gives weekly tests in one class and just one midterm exam to a second class and then compares performances of students in the two classes when they all take the same final exam.What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this experiment is the students' scores on the final exam, as this is the variable that is being measured and compared between the two classes. The number of students in each class, the difficulty of the final exam, and the number of tests given before the final exam are all independent variables that may potentially affect the students' performance on the final exam, but they are not the variable of interest in this experiment.

Question 12

An experimenter had people exercise much,a little,or not at all and then measured how much they ate at dinner 2 hours later.What was the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that the experimenter manipulates and controls in an experiment in order to see its effect on the dependent variable. In this experiment, the experimenter manipulated the amount of exercise (much, little, or not at all) to see its effect on how much the participants ate at dinner. Therefore, the amount of exercise is the independent variable.

Question 13

After using which of the following methods would an experimenter be most confident in making statements about cause and effect?

Accepted Answer

An experiment is the only method that allows the experimenter to manipulate the independent variable and, therefore, establish cause and effect relationships. Correlation, case studies, and naturalistic observation do not allow for causal conclusions to be drawn.

Question 14

The advantage of the experimental method as opposed to correlational studies is that an experiment

Accepted Answer

The experimental method allows for the manipulation of variables and random assignment of participants, which helps establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables. Correlational studies can only show a relationship between variables, but cannot establish which variable is causing the other.

Question 15

An experimenter exposed students to one hour of soft,intermediate,or loud noise and then tested their ability to solve puzzles.What was the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the factor that is being deliberately manipulated by the experimenter, which in this case is the loudness of the noise. The experimenter is controlling the loudness of the noise and exposing participants to three levels of it: soft, intermediate, or loud. The other answer choices (B, C, and D) are not the independent variable in this experiment.

Question 16

The main difference between a correlational study and an experiment is that in an experiment,

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, the investigator manipulates the independent variable to see how it affects the dependent variable. This manipulation of the independent variable is not done in a correlational study, which only looks at the relationships between variables without manipulating them. Option A is not necessarily true as participants may not be aware of the hypothesis being tested in either type of study. Option B is not necessarily true as some experiments may have different groups receiving different treatments. Option C is more applicable to observational studies rather than experiments.

Question 17

Professor Taylor provides a review session for half the students taking Psychology 101.Later he compares their test scores against those of the other students.What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this experiment is the test scores of the students, as this is the variable that is being measured and compared between the two groups. The review session is the independent variable, as it is the variable that is being manipulated by the professor. The total number of students and the difficulty of the test are not relevant to the dependent variable in this experiment.

Question 18

An experimenter kept students in a hot,neutral,or cold room and then tested their ability to memorize poetry.What was the dependent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the one that is being measured and impacted by the independent variable, which in this case is the temperature of the room. The success of memorizing the poetry is the variable that is being measured and impacted by the temperature of the room, making it the dependent variable in this experiment.

Question 19

An experimenter kept students in a hot,neutral,or cold room and then tested their ability to memorize poetry.What was the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the experimenter in order to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable, which is the variable that is being measured. In this case, the temperature of the room is the independent variable because it is being manipulated by the experimenter. The ability of the students to memorize poetry is the dependent variable because it is being measured to see if there is an effect due to the temperature of the room.

Question 20

Professor Taylor provides a review session for half the students taking Psychology 101.Later he compares their scores against those of the other students.What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher. In this scenario, the only variable that is being manipulated is the review session provided by Professor Taylor. Therefore, the independent variable is the review session.

Quiz 2: Scientific Methods in Psychology