Question 1

A question that asks participants to rate the independent variable is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A manipulation check is a technique used to determine if the experimental manipulation of the independent variable has the intended effect on participants. It helps researchers verify that the manipulation effectively introduced the conditions it was supposed to.

Question 2

In an experiment, the independent variable is

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in an experiment is the one that is manipulated or changed by the researcher to observe its effects on the dependent variable.

Question 3

A researcher conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of ambient room noise on test performance among college students. In this study, the independent variable is

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on another variable. In this case, ambient room noise is being manipulated to see its effect on test performance, making it the independent variable.

Question 4

Which of the following is used in a randomized groups design?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is used in a randomized groups design to ensure that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group, thereby reducing selection bias and increasing the internal validity of the experiment.

Question 5

A counseling psychologist conducted an experiment to examine the effects of different marriage workshops on the relationship satisfaction of 120 married couples. He assigned participants randomly to one of four workshops or to a control group that did not attend a workshop. He then measured relationship satisfaction six months later. How many conditions are in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

There are 5 conditions in this experiment: the four different workshops and the control group that did not attend any workshop.

Question 6

In a study of the effects of exercise on cardiovascular fitness, a sport psychologist randomly assigned participants to one of four groups. Participants engaged in aerobic exercise for either 0, 15, 30, or 60 minutes three days a week for three months. Which of the following statements is true about this study?

Accepted Answer

The control group in this study is the group assigned to 0 minutes of exercise, as they did not engage in the exercise intervention being tested.

Question 7

Independent variable is to subject variable as __________ is to

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable, which is measured.

Question 8

In a within-subjects design,

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a within-subjects design,
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Question 9

A Latin Square design is used to control for

Accepted Answer

A Latin Square design is used to control for order effects by systematically varying the order of treatments to ensure that each treatment appears in each position with equal frequency, thus minimizing the impact of order on the results.

Question 10

In an experiment, the dependent variable is

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the one being measured or tested in an experiment to see if it is affected by changes in the independent variable.

Question 11

To guard against order effects, researchers use

Accepted Answer

Counterbalancing is a method used by researchers to guard against order effects in a study by varying the order in which participants experience conditions. This helps ensure that any potential order effects do not systematically bias the results.

Question 12

Researchers pilot test independent variables to

Accepted Answer

The answer of Researchers pilot test independent variables to
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Question 13

A researcher designed an experiment to determine whether being ignored by other people during a conversation affects the motivation to interact. In this study, the independent variable is

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the condition that the researcher manipulates or changes to see if it has an effect on some other variable, which in this case is "being ignored." The researcher is specifically altering whether or not participants are ignored to observe its effect on motivation to interact, making "being ignored" the independent variable.

Question 14

A researcher conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of working in crowded versus uncrowded conditions on the job satisfaction of employees in a variety of work settings. In this study, the dependent variable is

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome that the researcher is interested in measuring or observing to see how it is influenced by other variables. In this case, job satisfaction is being measured to see how it is affected by the level of crowding in the work environment.

Question 15

Which of the following is a participant (or subject)variable?

Accepted Answer

Participant (or subject) variables are characteristics inherent to the participants of a study, such as personality traits, age, gender, etc. Extraversion is a personality trait, making it a participant variable.

Question 16

Which of the following is an advantage of within-subjects designs over between-subjects designs?

Accepted Answer

Within-subjects designs require fewer participants because the same participants are used in all conditions, eliminating the need for a separate group of participants for each condition. This contrasts with between-subjects designs, where each condition requires a different group of participants.

Question 17

When researchers use simple random assignment,

Accepted Answer

Simple random assignment ensures that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition in the experiment, which helps in achieving comparability between groups.

Question 18

Which of the following statements regarding independent variables is true?

Accepted Answer

Independent variables must have at least two levels (or conditions) to allow for comparison or to examine their effect on dependent variables.

Question 19

A researcher has 80 participants for a study that involves four experimental conditions. If she assigns participants to conditions using matched random assignment, how many matched clusters or blocks will she form before assigning participants to conditions?

Accepted Answer

Matched random assignment involves forming matched clusters or blocks of participants who are similar on relevant characteristics before assigning them to conditions. In this case, the researcher has 80 participants and four experimental conditions, so she will form 4 matched clusters or blocks before assigning participants to conditions.

Question 20

In the context of experimental research, a confederate is

Accepted Answer

A confederate in experimental research is indeed an accomplice of the researcher who poses as another participant, often used to manipulate social interactions or conditions without the real participants' awareness.

Quiz 9: Basic Issues in Experimental Research