Imagine that a researcher wants to study the impact of humorous advertisements on intention to buy a product. Which of the following is an example of how the researcher could manipulate the independent variable in this study?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The researcher could manipulate the independent variable (humorous advertisement) by having half of the participants read funny advertisements and the other half read neutral advertisements. This is called a between-subjects design and ensures that the only difference between the groups is the type of advertisement they view, allowing the researcher to make causal inferences about the impact of humor on intention to buy. Option B does not manipulate the independent variable as all participants view the same advertisement, and option C is a general statement about random assignment that does not explain how the independent variable is manipulated. Option D is not a method for manipulating the independent variable, but rather a potential outcome measure.

Imagine That a Researcher Wants to Study the Impact of Humorous