Question 1

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. Using smart glasses would be the __________variable.
A)independent
B)control
C)extraneous
D)dependent

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is manipulated or changed in an experiment to see if it has an effect on another variable. In this case, using smart glasses while driving is the variable being changed to assess its impact on the likelihood of having an accident.

Question 2

The independent variable in an experiment is
A)the subject him or herself.
B)a measure of the subject's behavior.
C)the variable that the experimenter chooses to manipulate.
D)any unwanted variable that may adversely affect the subject's performance.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in an experiment is the variable that the experimenter manipulates to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Question 3

An experiment is performed to test the effects of sleep deprivation on rote memory. In this experiment, the dependent variable is the
A)number of hours subjects go without sleep.
B)rote memory scores.
C)number of subjects deprived of sleep in the experimental group.
D)correlation between hours of sleep and fatigue.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome that is being measured in an experiment, which in this case is the rote memory scores. This is because the experiment aims to observe how sleep deprivation affects rote memory, making the rote memory scores the variable that depends on the level of sleep deprivation.

Question 4

In research, human subjects, but not animals, are referred to as
A)participants.
B)experimental subjects.
C)control variables.
D)extraneous variables.

Accepted Answer

Human subjects in research are often referred to as "participants" to emphasize their active role and consent in the study, distinguishing them from animals or inanimate subjects.

Question 5

Antoine is conducting an experiment on the effects of room color on people's ability to concentrate. The dependent variable would be the
A)subjects' overall intelligence.
B)size of the room.
C)room color.
D)ability to concentrate.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the outcome that is being measured, which in this case is the "ability to concentrate." Room color is the independent variable, as it is what is being manipulated to observe its effect on concentration.

Question 6

The conditions that a researcher wishes to prevent from affecting the outcome of the experiment are the __________variables.
A)independent
B)dependent
C)extraneous
D)control

Accepted Answer

Extraneous variables are those conditions or factors that a researcher wants to prevent from affecting the outcome of the experiment, as they could potentially introduce bias or variability that is not related to the variables being studied.

Question 7

Any condition that can change and that might affect the outcome of the experiment is called a(n)
A)variable.
B)mediator.
C)stimulus.
D)experimental behavior.

Accepted Answer

A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. In experiments, variables can affect the outcome and are therefore manipulated or measured by the researcher.

Question 8

The experimenter usually sets the value of
A)the independent variable.
B)the dependent variable.
C)all the extraneous variables.
D)none of the variables in the experiment.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is changed or controlled by the experimenter to test its effects on the dependent variable.

Question 9

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. The number of hours that each participant slept the night before the driving test would be a(n)__________variable.
A)independent
B)control
C)extraneous
D)dependent

Accepted Answer

The number of hours that each participant slept the night before the driving test is an extraneous variable because it is not the main variable of interest (which would be the use of smart glasses or the likelihood of having an accident) but could still potentially influence the outcome of the experiment.

Question 10

In an experiment to study the effects of fertilizer on plants, the fertilizer used on each plant would be the __________ variable.
A)dependent
B)extraneous
C)control
D)independent

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, the independent variable is the one that is changed or controlled by the scientists to test its effects on the dependent variable. In this case, the fertilizer is the independent variable because its effects on plant growth (the dependent variable) are being studied.

Question 11

A simple experiment has two groups of subjects called the
A)dependent group and the independent group.
B)extraneous group and the independent group.
C)before group and the after group.
D)control group and the experimental group.

Accepted Answer

In a simple experiment, the two groups of subjects are typically called the control group and the experimental group. The control group does not receive the experimental treatment, while the experimental group does, allowing researchers to compare outcomes between the two groups to assess the effect of the treatment.

Question 12

Antoine is conducting an experiment on the effects of room color on people's ability to concentrate. The independent variable would be the
A)subjects' overall intelligence.
B)size of the room.
C)room color.
D)ability to concentrate.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated or changed in an experiment to see if it has an effect on another variable. In this case, the room color is being changed to observe its effect on people's ability to concentrate, making it the independent variable.

Question 13

In an experiment to study the effects of fertilizer on plants, the growth rate of the plants would be the __________ variable.
A)dependent
B)extraneous
C)experimental
D)independent

Accepted Answer

The growth rate of the plants is the dependent variable because it is the outcome that is being measured in the experiment and it depends on the manipulation of the independent variable, which in this case would be the application of fertilizer.

Question 14

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. One's familiarity with the car used in the experiment would be a(n)__________variable.
A)independent
B)control
C)extraneous
D)dependent

Accepted Answer

Familiarity with the car is an extraneous variable because it is not the variable being manipulated or measured directly but could influence the outcome of the experiment (likelihood of having an accident) if not controlled.

Question 15

According to the text, which of the following is NOT an essential variable found in a psychological experiment?
A)mediating
B)independent
C)extraneous
D)dependent

Accepted Answer

Mediating variables are not considered essential variables in the basic structure of a psychological experiment. Essential variables typically include independent variables (factors manipulated by the researcher), dependent variables (outcomes measured by the researcher), and extraneous variables (uncontrolled factors that could affect the results). Mediating variables, while important in understanding the mechanisms of an effect, are not fundamental to the experimental design's basic structure.

Question 16

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. Driving ability as defined by the scores achieved on a test of driving ability would be the __________variable.
A)independent
B)control
C)extraneous
D)dependent

Accepted Answer

The driving ability scores, which are being measured to see if they are affected by the use of smart glasses, are the dependent variable because they depend on the independent variable (the use of smart glasses).

Question 17

An experiment is performed to see if background music improves learning. Two groups study the same material, one while listening to music and another without music. The independent variable is the
A)learning.
B)size of the group.
C)material studied.
D)music.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the condition that is manipulated by the researcher, which in this case is the presence or absence of music during the study session.

Question 18

Regarding the experimental method, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A)The control group and the experimental group are treated exactly alike except for the condition you intentionally vary.
B)The condition that the experimenter intentionally varies is called the dependent variable.
C)The animals or people whose behavior is investigated are referred to as experimental subjects.
D)Human subjects whose behavior is investigated are also called the participants.

Accepted Answer

The condition that the experimenter intentionally varies is called the independent variable, not the dependent variable. The dependent variable is what is measured or observed to assess the effect of the independent variable.

Question 19

The dependent variable in an experiment
A)measures the results of the experiment.
B)is affected by the independent variable.
C)is often revealed by measures of performance, such as test scores.
D)is characterized by all of these.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in an experiment is indeed measured to see the results of the experiment, is affected by changes in the independent variable, and is often revealed through various measures of performance, including test scores. Therefore, all of the provided options accurately describe characteristics of a dependent variable.

Question 20

The dependent variable is the one that is
A)manipulated.
B)prevented from affecting the outcome of the experiment.
C)revealed by measures of performance.
D)the suspected cause in the experiment.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the one that is revealed by measures of performance, meaning it is the outcome or effect that researchers are trying to explain or predict. It depends on the independent variable.

Quiz 1: Psychology, Critical Thinking, and Science

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. Using smart glasses would be the __________variable.

The independent variable in an experiment is

An experiment is performed to test the effects of sleep deprivation on rote memory. In this experiment, the dependent variable is the

In research, human subjects, but not animals, are referred to as

Antoine is conducting an experiment on the effects of room color on people's ability to concentrate. The dependent variable would be the

The conditions that a researcher wishes to prevent from affecting the outcome of the experiment are the __________variables.

Any condition that can change and that might affect the outcome of the experiment is called a(n)

The experimenter usually sets the value of

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. The number of hours that each participant slept the night before the driving test would be a(n) __________variable.

In an experiment to study the effects of fertilizer on plants, the fertilizer used on each plant would be the __________ variable.

A simple experiment has two groups of subjects called the

Antoine is conducting an experiment on the effects of room color on people's ability to concentrate. The independent variable would be the

In an experiment to study the effects of fertilizer on plants, the growth rate of the plants would be the __________ variable.

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. One's familiarity with the car used in the experiment would be a(n) __________variable.

According to the text, which of the following is NOT an essential variable found in a psychological experiment?

Suppose you want to find out if using smart glasses while driving a car affects the likelihood of having an accident. Driving ability as defined by the scores achieved on a test of driving ability would be the __________variable.

An experiment is performed to see if background music improves learning. Two groups study the same material, one while listening to music and another without music. The independent variable is the

Regarding the experimental method, which of the following statements is FALSE?

The dependent variable in an experiment

The dependent variable is the one that is