Question 1

If a soft-drink company performs an experiment with a new type of soft drink in which experimental subjects always taste this new product first and then taste a competitor's product second,the study has an error in design termed a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

The error in design described in the question is the order of presentation effect, which occurs when the order in which participants experience different conditions affects their responses. In this case, the order in which the soft drinks are tasted may influence the participants' preferences, making the results of the study less reliable.

Question 2

A psychology professor is conducting an experiment in which subjects perform memory tasks.There are four groups,each participating in different buildings on campus.During the time of the experiment one group was in a building near a dumpster that was being emptied by a big,noisy trash truck.The other groups weren't close enough to hear the noise.Which type of error does this introduce into the research?

Accepted Answer

This noise from the trash truck introduces a systematic error as it affects only one group of participants and not the others. This could potentially impact their performance in the memory task, leading to biased results.

Question 3

Which experimental design involves manipulating a single independent variable to observe its effect on a single dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

Basic experimental design involves manipulating a single independent variable to observe its effect on a single dependent variable.

Question 4

Which term refers to an experimental design element that unintentionally provides subjects with hints about the research hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

A demand characteristic is a cue or hint that unintentionally communicates information to participants about the hypothesis being tested, leading them to alter their behavior in a way that they believe is desired by the experimenter. This can be problematic for the validity of the study, as it may introduce bias into the results. The Hawthorne effect refers to the phenomenon in which participants change their behavior simply because they are being observed, while the testing effect refers to the improvement in performance on a task that results from being tested on it. Confounding effects are extraneous variables that can influence the outcomes of a study.

Question 5

Which of the following is a way for a researcher to equally distribute the effects of extraneous variables to all conditions in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

Randomization is the only method listed that ensures that extraneous variables are equally distributed to all conditions by randomly assigning participants to different conditions. Confounding and split sampling may introduce systematic differences between conditions, and repeated measures only controls for within-subjects extraneous variables, not between-subjects extraneous variables.

Question 6

Monica is conducting an experiment where all subjects see all of the ads she is testing.This type of experiment in which an individual subject is exposed to more than one level of an experimental treatment is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Monica is conducting a repeated measures experiment because each subject is exposed to all of the ads being tested. In a between-subjects experiment, different groups of subjects would be exposed to different levels of the treatment. Redundant manipulation is not a commonly used term in experimental design. Randomization is an important aspect of experimental design, but it is not the correct answer to this question.

Question 7

In which type of experiment does the research have more complete control over the research setting and extraneous variables?

Accepted Answer

In laboratory experiments, researchers have more complete control over the research setting and extraneous variables compared to other types of experiments such as field experiments or controlled experiments where the environment is less controlled. Factorial experiments involve manipulation of multiple independent variables and are typically conducted in laboratory settings, but the additional variables may decrease the level of control over extraneous variables.

Question 8

All of the following are ways to reduce demand characteristics EXCEPT _____.

Accepted Answer

Administering multiple experimental treatment levels to each subject would not necessarily reduce demand characteristics, as subjects may still pick up on cues from the experimenter and alter their behavior accordingly. The other choices (using an experimental disguise, using a "blind" experimental administrator, and isolating experimental subjects) are all effective ways to reduce demand characteristics.

Question 9

Caroline is participating in an experimental study in which she is taking an herbal supplement and the researcher measures her perceived energy levels for several weeks.Although she doesn't know it,the supplement she is given in the study does not contain any of the herb of interest in the study.However,Caroline feels as though she has more energy than before,and she attributes it to the herbal supplement.This effect due to the psychological impact that goes along with knowledge that a treatment has been administered is called a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

The described effect, where a person experiences a perceived benefit from a treatment even though the treatment does not contain any active ingredient, is known as the placebo effect. It is the result of the person's belief or expectation that the treatment will have a positive effect.

Question 10

An experiment examining the interaction effects of the presence of police cars and the presence of speeding cameras on the number of speeding tickets issued is an example of which type of experimental design?

Accepted Answer

The experiment described involves manipulating two independent variables (presence of police cars and presence of speeding cameras) in a factorial design. Therefore, it is an example of a factorial experimental design.

Question 11

Which of the following means that there is an alternative explanation beyond the experimental variables for any observed differences in the dependent variables?

Accepted Answer

A confound is a variable that is not controlled for in an experiment and can potentially impact the dependent variable. It provides an alternative explanation for any observed differences in the dependent variable beyond the experimental variables.

Question 12

Which of the following are possible test units in a marketing research study?

Accepted Answer

All of these choices are possible test units in a marketing research study. The selection of the test unit depends on the research question and the objectives of the study. People can be the test unit if the research question is related to consumer behavior, preferences, or attitudes. Sales territories can be the test unit if the research question is related to market share, competition, or performance. Retail stores can be the test unit if the research question is related to store location, layout, design, or customer experience.

Question 13

When an experiment is conducted on the premises of a marketing research organization,this is an example of a _____.

Accepted Answer

A laboratory experiment is conducted in a controlled environment where the variables can be manipulated and controlled. In this case, the experiment is being conducted on the premises of a marketing research organization, implying a controlled environment. This does not fit the definition of a field experiment or a controlled store test. A static group design does not involve manipulation of variables in a controlled environment, but rather compares two existing groups.

Question 14

Which type of experimental design allows for an investigation of the interaction of two or more independent variables?

Accepted Answer

Factorial experimental designs allow for the investigation of the interaction of two or more independent variables by manipulating them simultaneously and observing their combined effects on the dependent variable. In contrast, basic experimental designs typically only manipulate one independent variable, while hierarchical experimental designs involve manipulating multiple independent variables but in a hierarchical or nested manner. Instrumental experimental designs typically involve manipulating an independent variable to observe its effect on a specific behavior or response.

Question 15

Demand characteristics,such as subjects' knowledge of the experimental hypotheses,create which type of effect?

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics refer to cues or clues within an experiment that give participants an idea of what the researcher is expecting to find. Subjects may then exhibit an artificial behavior or response, known as the demand effect, to either conform to the hypothesis or subvert it. This can compromise the validity of the study.

Question 16

An experiment is conducted in which music played in a store is manipulated to examine the impact on sales.What type of experimental design is this?

Accepted Answer

This is a basic experimental design as it involves manipulating a single variable (in this case, music played in the store) to observe its effect on sales. It does not involve multiple factors or independent variables, which is necessary for a factorial experimental design. It is also not a primary experimental design, which refers to the first experiment conducted on a particular topic. Finally, it is not a univariate experimental design as it involves the manipulation of a single independent variable but also measures the dependent variable of sales.

Question 17

When a food company tests a new product by having one group of experimental subjects taste this product first and then taste a competitor's product second,while a second group of experimental subjects tastes these two products in the reverse order,the experimental design has been _____.

Accepted Answer

Counterbalanced design is used to control for order effects, and ensures that each group of participants receives the same combination of test conditions. In this scenario, the experimental design is counterbalanced because one group tastes the new product first and competitor's product second, while the second group tastes them in the reverse order. This design helps to control for potential confounding factors related to product order.

Question 18

When subjects in all experimental groups are exposed to identical conditions except for the differing experimental treatments,this is called _____.

Accepted Answer

When subjects in all experimental groups are exposed to identical conditions except for the differing experimental treatments, it is a method called constancy of conditions. This is important for controlling extraneous variables and reducing confounding effects. The Hawthorne effect refers to a phenomenon where participants alter their behavior because they are aware of being observed. Confounding occurs when there are extraneous variables that affect the dependent variable and make it difficult to interpret the results. Compounding is not a term commonly used in experimental design.

Question 19

Which of the following is present when the person administering experimental procedures influences the subjects' behavior or sways them to slant their answers to cooperate with him or her?

Accepted Answer

Experimenter bias occurs when the person administering experimental procedures influences the subjects' behavior or sways them to slant their answers to cooperate with him or her. This can lead to inaccurate results and conclusions. Response bias refers to when participants respond inaccurately on a survey or questionnaire due to factors such as social desirability or misunderstanding the question. Type I and Type II errors refer to errors made in statistical hypothesis testing.

Question 20

Which of the following occurs if the sampling units in an experimental cell are somehow different than the units in another cell,and this difference affects the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following occurs if the...

Quiz 9: Conducting Marketing Experiments

If a soft-drink company performs an experiment with a new type of soft drink in which experimental subjects always taste this new product first and then taste a competitor's product second,the study has an error in design termed a(n) _____.