Question 1

Explain why control of extraneous variables is a necessary component of an experiment.

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, control of extraneous ...

Question 2

The manipulated variable in an experiment is the ____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A)   independent
B)   dependent
C)   extraneous
D)   confounding

Question 3

A researcher exposes people to a stressful situation (such as public speaking)  to examine the effect of stress on depressed mood. The researcher includes a measure of stress as a ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   measure of the dependent variable
B)   measure of extraneous variables
C)   control for confounding variables
D)   manipulation check

Question 4

A researcher reports that participants made fewer errors on a simulated air-traffic-control task when quiet background music was playing than when there was no music. For this study, the number of errors is the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Explain the primary advantage and disadvantage of simulation and field studies.

Accepted Answer

The main advantage of simulation and fie...

Question 6

Although field studies tend to have higher external validity that traditional laboratory studies, they also tend to have ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   lower internal validity
B)   lower reliability
C)   an increased risk of confounding from history effects
D)   an increased risk of finding no effect of the manipulation

Question 7

Why is a confounding variable unacceptable in a true experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)   It can distort the effect of the independent variable.
B)   It can disrupt the normal behavior of participants.
C)   It threatens internal validity by providing an alternative explanation for the results.
D)   It creates a directionality problem that undermines a cause-and-effect conclusion.

Question 8

What is the advantage of a simulation compared to a traditional laboratory study?

Accepted Answer

A)   Increased internal validity
B)   Increased external validity
C)   Increased reliability
D)   Elimination of history effects

Question 9

Dr. Nguyen is studying how amount of sleep influences mood for kindergarteners. A sample of 100 children is selected. Fifty children are allowed to sleep for 11 hours each night. The other 50 children are awoken after 8 hours. After three nights, Dr. Nguyen records the mood for each child and compares the two groups of scores. In this example, how many levels are there for the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)   1
B)   2
C)   3
D)   100

Question 10

In an experiment, participants are randomly assigned to treatment conditions ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   to help protect the internal validity of the study
B)   to help protect the external validity of the study
C)   to help protect both the internal and external validity
D)   as an alternative to manipulation of variables A

Question 11

Describe the directionality problem and explain how researchers attempt to avoid this problem in an experiment.

Accepted Answer

It is possible to demonstrate a relationship between two variables by simply observing them. However, simple observation cannot establish the direction of the relationship. For example, you may observe that two variables change together consistently: as variable A increases, variable B also increases. However, you cannot determine whether changes in A are causing changes in B, or whether changes in B are causing changes in A. To avoid this problem in an experiment, the researcher takes charge and manipulates one of the variables. For example, the researcher increases the value of variable A and then observes variable B to see if it is affected by the increase. If B also increases, then the researcher can conclude that changing variable A has caused changes in variable B.

Question 12

Dr. Ramos is interested in studying how indoor temperature can influence people's sleep quality during the summer. A sample of 100 households is selected in which the residents keep their houses at 76 degrees during the summer. The residents wear a monitoring device that measures their sleep cycles for several nights to get baseline readings. Then, 50 of the homes are randomly assigned to the warm temperature condition in which the residents agree to keep their houses at 82 degrees Fahrenheit. In the other 50 houses, the residents agree to keep their houses at 70 degrees. For several nights, Dr. Ramos collects the sleep data for the people living in the houses to see how the residents' sleep patterns have changed. In this example, the sleep quality of participants is the ____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A)   dependent
B)   extraneous
C)   correlational
D)   independent

Question 13

To demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables, a researcher must make one of the variables change rather than waiting for it to change naturally.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

In New York State, the winter months produce higher heating bills and higher levels of depression. Although the numbers show that higher heating bills are related to higher levels of depression, what most likely explains this relationship?

Accepted Answer

A)   Cause and effect
B)   The directionality problem
C)   The third-variable problem
D)   The extraneous variable problem

Question 15

An experiment includes a treatment condition, a no-treatment control, and a placebo control. Which two conditions should be compared to determine the size of the effect that is actually caused by the treatment?

Accepted Answer

A)   Placebo versus treatment
B)   Placebo versus no-treatment
C)   Treatment versus no-treatment
D)   Placebo control only

Question 16

What is the purpose for using a control condition in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)   It provides a baseline to evaluate the size of the treatment effect.
B)   It minimizes the threat of a confounding variable.
C)   It is necessary to ensure the internal validity of the study.
D)   It is necessary to ensure the external validity of the study.

Question 17

Dr. Jones systematically varies the brightness in the laboratory (400, 800, and 1600 lumens)  while holding other variables constant, and observes that the participants' activity level decreases as the brightness decreases. This illustrates ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   a noncausal relationship between brightness and activity level
B)   a causal relationship between brightness and activity level
C)   no relationship between brightness and activity level
D)   a nonsystematic relationship between brightness and activity level

Question 18

Explain why manipulation of an independent variable is a necessary component of an experiment.

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, manipulation of the independent variable is necessary to avoid the directionality problem and to establish the direction of the relationship. The intent is to demonstrate that the manipulation of one variable (the independent variable) causes changes to occur in a second variable (the dependent variable).

Question 19

Research indicates the people who suffer from depression also tend to experience insomnia. However, it is unclear whether the depression causes insomnia or the lack of sleep causes depression. This is an example of the ____.

Accepted Answer

A)   directionality problem
B)   third-variable problem
C)   extraneous variable problem
D)   manipulation check problem

Question 20

Holding a variable constant is a technique for removing one threat to ____ but it can limit the ____ of an experiment.

Accepted Answer

A)   internal validity; external validity
B)   external validity; internal validity
C)   internal validity; reliability
D)   external validity; reliability

Exam 7: The Experimental Research Strategy

Explain why control of extraneous variables is a necessary component of an experiment.

Correct Answer
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In an experiment, control of extraneous ...
View Answer

The manipulated variable in an experiment is the ____ variable.

Correct Answer
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A researcher exposes people to a stressful situation (such as public speaking) to examine the effect of stress on depressed mood. The researcher includes a measure of stress as a ____.

Correct Answer
verified

A researcher reports that participants made fewer errors on a simulated air-traffic-control task when quiet background music was playing than when there was no music. For this study, the number of errors is the independent variable.

Correct Answer
verified

Explain the primary advantage and disadvantage of simulation and field studies.

Correct Answer
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The main advantage of simulation and fie...
View Answer

Although field studies tend to have higher external validity that traditional laboratory studies, they also tend to have ____.

Correct Answer
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Why is a confounding variable unacceptable in a true experiment?

Correct Answer
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What is the advantage of a simulation compared to a traditional laboratory study?

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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In an experiment, participants are randomly assigned to treatment conditions ____.

Correct Answer
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A

Describe the directionality problem and explain how researchers attempt to avoid this problem in an experiment.

Correct Answer
verified

To demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables, a researcher must make one of the variables change rather than waiting for it to change naturally.

Correct Answer
verified

In New York State, the winter months produce higher heating bills and higher levels of depression. Although the numbers show that higher heating bills are related to higher levels of depression, what most likely explains this relationship?

Correct Answer
verified

An experiment includes a treatment condition, a no-treatment control, and a placebo control. Which two conditions should be compared to determine the size of the effect that is actually caused by the treatment?

Correct Answer
verified

What is the purpose for using a control condition in an experiment?

Correct Answer
verified

Dr. Jones systematically varies the brightness in the laboratory (400, 800, and 1600 lumens) while holding other variables constant, and observes that the participants' activity level decreases as the brightness decreases. This illustrates ____.

Correct Answer
verified

Explain why manipulation of an independent variable is a necessary component of an experiment.

Research indicates the people who suffer from depression also tend to experience insomnia. However, it is unclear whether the depression causes insomnia or the lack of sleep causes depression. This is an example of the ____.

Correct Answer
verified

Holding a variable constant is a technique for removing one threat to but it can limit the of an experiment.

Correct Answer
verified

Exam 7: The Experimental Research Strategy

Explain why control of extraneous variables is a necessary component of an experiment.

Correct AnswerverifiedIn an experiment, control of extraneous ...View AnswerShow Answer

The manipulated variable in an experiment is the ____ variable.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A researcher exposes people to a stressful situation (such as public speaking) to examine the effect of stress on depressed mood. The researcher includes a measure of stress as a ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A researcher reports that participants made fewer errors on a simulated air-traffic-control task when quiet background music was playing than when there was no music. For this study, the number of errors is the independent variable.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain the primary advantage and disadvantage of simulation and field studies.

Correct AnswerverifiedThe main advantage of simulation and fie...View AnswerShow Answer

Although field studies tend to have higher external validity that traditional laboratory studies, they also tend to have ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why is a confounding variable unacceptable in a true experiment?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the advantage of a simulation compared to a traditional laboratory study?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In an experiment, participants are randomly assigned to treatment conditions ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedA

Describe the directionality problem and explain how researchers attempt to avoid this problem in an experiment.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

To demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables, a researcher must make one of the variables change rather than waiting for it to change naturally.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In New York State, the winter months produce higher heating bills and higher levels of depression. Although the numbers show that higher heating bills are related to higher levels of depression, what most likely explains this relationship?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

An experiment includes a treatment condition, a no-treatment control, and a placebo control. Which two conditions should be compared to determine the size of the effect that is actually caused by the treatment?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the purpose for using a control condition in an experiment?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Dr. Jones systematically varies the brightness in the laboratory (400, 800, and 1600 lumens) while holding other variables constant, and observes that the participants' activity level decreases as the brightness decreases. This illustrates ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain why manipulation of an independent variable is a necessary component of an experiment.

Research indicates the people who suffer from depression also tend to experience insomnia. However, it is unclear whether the depression causes insomnia or the lack of sleep causes depression. This is an example of the ____.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Holding a variable constant is a technique for removing one threat to ____ but it can limit the ____ of an experiment.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Correct Answer
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In an experiment, control of extraneous ...
View Answer

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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The main advantage of simulation and fie...
View Answer

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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A

Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Correct Answer
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Holding a variable constant is a technique for removing one threat to but it can limit the of an experiment.

Correct Answer
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