Question 1

When is a manipulation check usually done?

Accepted Answer

A manipulation check is typically conducted at the end of the experimental procedure to assess whether the experimental manipulation effectively influenced the participants in the intended way.

Question 2

What does a correlation matrix show?

Accepted Answer

A correlation matrix shows the correlations between all possible pairs of variables in a larger set of variables.

Question 3

What is the correlation between a variable and itself?

Accepted Answer

The correlation between a variable and itself is always a perfect positive correlation, meaning it is equal to 1.

Question 4

How many conditions are there in a 3 × 5 factorial design?

Accepted Answer

In a factorial design, the total number of conditions is determined by multiplying the number of levels of each factor. In this case, there are three factors with 3, 5, and 2 levels respectively. Therefore, the total number of conditions is 3 x 5 x 2 = 30. However, since we are looking at a 3 x 5 design specifically, there will be interactions between the factors that are statistically significant, and these are what we might typically refer to as "conditions". The number of significant interactions in a 3 x 5 design is typically 15, so the correct answer is D.

Question 5

Imagine an experiment on the effect of people's moods (positive vs. negative) on how much they spend at the grocery store. Describe one way in which you might include more than one dependent variable in this study and why you might do it.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine an experiment on the effect of...

Question 6

Which of the following is clearly true of a study on the effect of ambient odor and room temperature on creativity?

Accepted Answer

The study has two independent variables (ambient odor and room temperature), which makes it a factorial design with multiple independent variables. The dependent variable is likely creativity, which is a single variable.

Question 7

Which of the following statements describes a statistical interaction?

Accepted Answer

A statistical interaction occurs when the effect of one variable on an outcome depends on the value of another variable. In this case, the effect of caffeine on concentration depends on whether the person is an extrovert or introvert, indicating a statistical interaction. The other options do not involve interactions between variables.

Question 8

How did Piff et al. (2011) determine that the relationship between socioeconomic status and generosity was not caused by religiosity?

Accepted Answer

Piff et al. statistically controlled for religiosity in their analysis, which allowed them to determine that the relationship between socioeconomic status and generosity was not solely due to differences in religiosity between high- and low-SES individuals.

Question 9

Which of the following independent variables is most likely to require a manipulation check?

Accepted Answer

Manipulation checks are often necessary for variables that are internal states or constructs, such as anxiety levels, because their manipulation is not as directly observable or measurable as external conditions like room temperature or whether someone is wearing glasses.

Question 10

A confederate stands near a participant at a bus stop and drops some papers. The dependent variable is whether the participant helps the confederate pick them up. In a factorial design, one independent variable is whether the confederate is male or female and the other is whether the confederate has a cane or not. Which of the following describes a potential main effect in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

A main effect is the effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable while ignoring the other independent variable. In this case, the potential main effect is whether the confederate has a cane or not. The statement "Participants help the confederate more when he or she has a cane" describes a potential main effect of the cane variable on the dependent variable (helping behavior).

Question 11

Factor analysis could be used to do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Factor analysis is a statistical method used to identify underlying dimensions, or factors, that explain patterns of correlations among a set of variables. Therefore, it can be used to identify distinct dimensions of a construct like risk seeking, such as physical risk seeking and social risk seeking. However, it cannot be used to manipulate people's level of risk seeking or prove that risk seeking has a genetic component or show that men are more risk seeking than women.

Question 12

Multiple dependent variables in the same experiment can be which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Multiple dependent variables in the same experiment can be unrelated constructs, similar constructs, or different measures of the same construct, depending on the research question and experimental design. Therefore, choice D, "all of the above," is the best answer.

Question 13

Complex correlational research can do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Complex correlational research cannot completely eliminate the directionality and third variable problems, and it cannot prove that certain variables are the cause of other variables. However, it can help rule out certain variables as the causes of other variables through statistical techniques such as partial correlation or multiple regression analysis. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Question 14

Which of the following is an advantage of conducting an experiment with multiple independent variables?

Accepted Answer

Conducting an experiment with multiple independent variables allows the researcher to detect interactions between the variables, which can provide valuable information about how they may interact in real-world contexts. This can help inform more nuanced and targeted interventions or treatments. While it may also control for extraneous variables to some extent, it is not the primary advantage of including multiple independent variables in an experiment. Elimination of carryover effects may be a concern in some experiments, but it is not directly related to the use of multiple independent variables.

Question 15

What is a manipulation check and why would you include one in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a manipulation check and why...

Question 16

How many independent variables are there in a 2 × 4 factorial design?

Accepted Answer

In a 2x4 factorial design, there are two independent variables: one with two levels and one with four levels. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Question 17

A researcher combines two independent variables in a factorial design. How many conditions are there?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher combines two independent variables in...

Question 18

The entries in a correlation matrix are typically which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A correlation matrix measures the relationship between two variables using Pearson's correlation coefficient, which ranges from -1 to +1. Therefore, the entries in a correlation matrix are typically Pearson's r values.

Question 19

A confederate stands near a participant at a bus stop and drops some papers. The dependent variable is whether the participant helps the confederate pick them up. In a factorial design, one independent variable is whether the confederate is male or female and the other is whether the confederate has a cane or not. Which of the following describes a potential interaction effect in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

An interaction effect is present when the effect of one independent variable depends on the level of another independent variable. In this case, the potential interaction effect is that the effect of having a cane on helping behavior may be different for male and female confederates. Choice C describes this potential interaction, where participants help the male confederate more when he has a cane, but the presence of a cane does not have an impact on whether participants help the female confederate.

Question 20

What does it mean to statistically control a potential third variable?

Accepted Answer

To statistically control a potential third variable means to measure it and take it into account in the statistical analyses. This is done to minimize its potential influence on the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Quiz 8: Complex Research Designs