Question 1

To see if the time of day has an effect on helping behavior, experimenters ask passersby for directions in New York's Central Park, either at 8:00 am or 8:00 pm. Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a field experiment because it involves manipulating the time of day (independent variable) to observe its effect on helping behavior (dependent variable) in a natural setting.

Question 2

In a study assessing the effects of crowding on problem solving, participants solve anagrams in large or small rooms. In this case, the independent variable is

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is a situational variable because it involves the physical environment (large or small rooms) in which the participants are placed.

Question 3

When a confound exists,

Accepted Answer

When a confound exists, it means that there will be at least two different ways of interpreting the results. This is because the confound is a variable that is related to both the independent and dependent variables, and it can therefore affect the relationship between them.

Question 4

Rats learning a maze are tested after varying degrees of food deprivation. Some run the maze after 4 hours without food, others after 8 hours, and others after 12 hours deprivation. In this study,

Accepted Answer

Food deprivation is the manipulated independent variable because it is the condition that is being systematically varied by the experimenter to observe its effect on the rats' performance in the maze.

Question 5

In an experiment on creative problem solving in groups, some groups of participants are told to produce the best solutions, while other groups are told to produce ideas without regard to their merit (i.e., to brainstorm). The independent variable in this study is

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is manipulated by the researcher. In this study, the manipulation involves the instructions given to the groups, making it an instructional variable.

Question 6

In a study of the effects of X on Y, variable Z is confounded with X. Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

When Z is confounded with X, it means that Z could be influencing Y, making both A and B possible explanations for the observed effect on Y.

Question 7

For which of these empirical questions would a control group most clearly be needed?

Accepted Answer

A control group is needed to compare the psychological health of institutionalized elderly who are given responsibility for meal planning with those who are not, to determine the effect of the intervention.

Question 8

A researcher tests four different groups of participants. Each group is given a different dosage of caffeine, and reaction time is measured for each subject. Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the dosage of caffeine, and it has four levels because there are four different groups, each receiving a different dosage.

Question 9

In the study described in the previous item, what is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome being measured, which in this case is maze performance.

Question 10

When a confound exists,

Accepted Answer

A confound occurs when an uncontrolled factor covaries with the independent variable, making it unclear whether the confounding variable or the independent variable is causing the results, leading to multiple interpretations of the results.

Question 11

With ___________ participants complete different tasks, whereas with ___________ participants are told how to do certain tasks.

Accepted Answer

Task variables involve participants completing different tasks, while instructional variables involve participants being told how to do certain tasks.

Question 12

What do all experiments have in common?

Accepted Answer

All experiments involve manipulating at least one independent variable to observe its effect on a dependent variable, which means there are at least two different conditions or ways participants are treated.

Question 13

Some subjects try to solve a difficult maze while sitting in a 2x3 ft room. Others try to solve the same maze while sitting in a 10x12 ft room. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of crowding on maze performance The larger room has natural light because of its two windows. The 2x3 ft room has no windows, so natural light is simulated with a special type of fluorescent light. Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

The presence or absence of windows introduces an uncontrolled extraneous variable, as it could affect the results independently of room size.

Question 14

A researcher wants to know if children prefer cereal that has colors in it. Preschoolers compare plain-colored Wheatios with multicolored Rice Chrunchios. The children preferred the latter. What can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

The preference for multicolored Rice Chrunchios over plain-colored Wheatios suggests that the cereal type (Wheatios vs. Rice Chrunchios) is confounded with cereal color (plain vs. multicolored), making it unclear whether the preference is due to color or type.

Question 15

Woodworth's 1938 text, Experimental Psychology,

Accepted Answer

Woodworth's 1938 text emphasized the importance of experimental research and introduced the concepts of independent and dependent variables.

Question 16

Woodworth's so-called "Columbia bible" was the first experimental psychology text to argue for a clear distinction between

Accepted Answer

Woodworth's "Columbia bible" was significant for distinguishing between experimental and correlational research strategies, emphasizing the importance of understanding the different methodologies and their implications in psychological research.

Question 17

A researcher is interested in whether memory is better for concrete rather than abstract nouns and designs a study to answer the question. In this study, the independent variable is

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the type of noun (concrete vs. abstract), which is a task variable as it involves the nature of the task participants are asked to perform.

Question 18

In his famous 1938 text, the so-called "Columbia bible," R. S. Woodworth

Accepted Answer

R. S. Woodworth is known for distinguishing between independent and dependent variables in experiments, which was a significant contribution to experimental psychology.

Question 19

Experimental group is to control group as ________ is to _______.

Accepted Answer

The experimental group receives the treatment or condition being tested, while the control group does not, making them "treated" and "untreated" respectively.

Question 20

For any experiment investigating the effect of X on Y,

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, the independent variable (X) is the one that is manipulated to observe its effect on the dependent variable (Y), which is the outcome being measured.

Quiz 5: Introduction to Experimental Research

To see if the time of day has an effect on helping behavior, experimenters ask passersby for directions in New York's Central Park, either at 8:00 am or 8:00 pm. Which of the following is true?

In a study assessing the effects of crowding on problem solving, participants solve anagrams in large or small rooms. In this case, the independent variable is

When a confound exists,

Rats learning a maze are tested after varying degrees of food deprivation. Some run the maze after 4 hours without food, others after 8 hours, and others after 12 hours deprivation. In this study,

In an experiment on creative problem solving in groups, some groups of participants are told to produce the best solutions, while other groups are told to produce ideas without regard to their merit (i.e., to brainstorm) . The independent variable in this study is

In a study of the effects of X on Y, variable Z is confounded with X. Which of the following is true?

For which of these empirical questions would a control group most clearly be needed?

A researcher tests four different groups of participants. Each group is given a different dosage of caffeine, and reaction time is measured for each subject. Which of the following is true?

In the study described in the previous item, what is the dependent variable?

When a confound exists,

With _ participants complete different tasks, whereas with _ participants are told how to do certain tasks.

What do all experiments have in common?

A researcher wants to know if children prefer cereal that has colors in it. Preschoolers compare plain-colored Wheatios with multicolored Rice Chrunchios. The children preferred the latter. What can be concluded?

Woodworth's 1938 text, Experimental Psychology,

Woodworth's so-called "Columbia bible" was the first experimental psychology text to argue for a clear distinction between

A researcher is interested in whether memory is better for concrete rather than abstract nouns and designs a study to answer the question. In this study, the independent variable is

In his famous 1938 text, the so-called "Columbia bible," R. S. Woodworth

Experimental group is to control group as __ is to _.

For any experiment investigating the effect of X on Y,