In one study described in the text, one group of participants recorded their feelings of gratitude in a diary each day (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). This group of participants is MOST likely a(n) _____ group.
A)control
B)dependent
C)experimental
D)independent

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The group of participants who recorded their feelings of gratitude in a diary each day is the experimental group. This is because they are the group that receives the treatment or intervention being studied (recording their feelings of gratitude daily) in order to measure the effects on the dependent variable (feelings of gratitude). The control group, on the other hand, would not receive this treatment and would be used as a comparison group to help determine if any changes in the dependent variable are actually due to the treatment or intervention. The dependent variable is the outcome variable being measured (in this case, feelings of gratitude), while the independent variable is the variable being manipulated or changed by the researcher (in this case, recording gratitude in a diary each day).

In One Study Described in the Text, One Group of Participants