Jeanne wants to know whether wearing sunglasses improves driving performance. If an independent groups design is used, the researcher would manipulate the variable by:
A)randomly requiring half the drivers to drive with sunglasses, and the other half to drive without sunglasses.
B)having all drivers first drive without sunglasses and then with sunglasses.
C)having half the drivers first drive without sunglasses and then with sunglasses and having the other half first drive with sunglasses and then without sunglasses.
D)requiring all drivers to first drive with sunglasses and then without sunglasses.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An independent groups design involves randomly assigning participants to either the experimental or control group. In this case, the variable being manipulated is whether or not the driver is wearing sunglasses. Therefore, the best option is to randomly require half of the drivers to wear sunglasses while driving and the other half to drive without sunglasses. This way, any potential differences in driving performance can be attributed to the variable being manipulated (wearing sunglasses) and not to other factors. Choice B, C, and D do not involve random assignment and are therefore not appropriate for an independent groups design.

Jeanne Wants to Know Whether Wearing Sunglasses Improves Driving Performance