Question 1

Changes that occur naturally in the subjects over time could result in the confound of​
A)history.
B)maturation.
C)regression to the mean.
D)diffusion of treatment.

Accepted Answer

Maturation is the process of subjects changing naturally over time. This can confound the results of a study because it may not be clear whether the changes are due to the treatment or natural development. The other options (history, regression to the mean, and diffusion of treatment) also have the potential to confound results but do not specifically involve natural changes over time.

Question 2

Alison's bathroom scale will not register a weight of more than 130 pounds. Alison does not realize this, and therefore is unaware that she has put on a few pounds until she begins to notice how tight her clothes are. This illustrates the confound of a _____ effect.​
A)ceiling
B)floor
C)practice
D)fatigue

Accepted Answer

A ceiling effect occurs when a situation or limit prevents a variable from exceeding a certain value or level, as in this case where Alison's bathroom scale cannot register more than 130 pounds. This creates a ceiling or limit to how much weight she can measure and therefore gives her a false sense of security that prevents her from realizing she has gained weight.

Question 3

Sometimes it is difficult to generalize the results of a study to the population because of the _____ problem.
A)diffusion of treatment
B)college sophomore
C)regression to the mean
D)mortality

Accepted Answer

The college sophomore problem refers to the fact that many psychology studies are conducted with undergraduate students as participants, which may not necessarily represent the broader population.

Question 4

The best advice for those considering retaking the SAT is that if your score was below average you probably ____ retake the test, and if your score was above average you probably ____ retake the test due to _____.​
A)should; should; mortality
B)should; should not; regression to the mean
C)should not; should; regression to the mean
D)should; should not; mortality

Accepted Answer

The answer of The best advice for those considering retaking...

Question 5

Independent variable is to dependent variable as _____ is to _____.
A)measure; manipulate
B)manipulate; measure
C)control group; experimental group
D)experimental group; control group

Accepted Answer

The answer of Independent variable is to dependent variable as...

Question 6

A limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the bottom of the scale is a _____ and a limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the top of the scale is a _____.
A)practice effect; fatigue effect
B)fatigue effect; practice effect
C)ceiling effect; floor effect
D)floor effect; ceiling effect

Accepted Answer

A limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the bottom of the scale is called the floor effect, while a limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the top of the scale is called the ceiling effect. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 7

After participating in an experiment on the effects of alcohol on sociability, Megan could not wait to return to her sorority house to tell all of her sisters about it. In this situation, the researcher should be concerned with the confound of​
A)mortality.
B)regression to the mean.
C)testing.
D)diffusion of treatment.

Accepted Answer

Diffusion of treatment occurs when participants in a study communicate with each other about the experimental manipulation, potentially contaminating the results. In this case, Megan's eagerness to share information about the study with her sorority sisters could lead to diffusion of treatment, and the researcher should be concerned about this confound.

Question 8

A decline in performance due to repeated testing is a(n) _____ effect and improvement in performance due to repeated testing is a(n) _____ effect.​
A)instrumentation; mortality
B)mortality; instrumentation
C)practice; fatigue
D)fatigue; practice

Accepted Answer

The answer of A decline in performance due to repeated...

Question 9

In an experimental study of the effects of exercise on stress, stress is the
A)dependent variable.
B)independent variable.
C)control group.
D)experimental group.

Accepted Answer

In an experimental study, the independent variable is the one that is manipulated, while the dependent variable is the one that is measured to see the effects of the manipulation. In this case, exercise is the independent variable being manipulated, while stress is the dependent variable being measured. Therefore, stress is the dependent variable in this study.

Question 10

To say that an experiment contains a confound means that
A)different subjects are assigned to each group.
B)the dependent variable is measured.
C)the independent variable is manipulated.
D)there is an uncontrolled extraneous variable in the experiment.

Accepted Answer

If an experiment has a confound, it means that there is an uncontrolled extraneous variable present that is affecting the results of the study. This can make it difficult to determine if changes in the dependent variable are truly the result of changes in the independent variable or if they are due to the confounding variable. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. Options A, B and C are not accurate as they describe basic elements of experimental design, but do not address the issue of confounding variables.

Question 11

Single-blind experiments help to control for ____ effects whereas double-blind experiments help to control for _____ effects.​
A)participant; experimenter and participant
B)experimenter and participant; participant
C)fatigue; practice
D)practice; fatigue

Accepted Answer

In a single-blind experiment, participants are unaware of whether they are receiving the treatment or a placebo, which helps control for participant effects. However, the experimenter can still unintentionally bias the results. In a double-blind experiment, both the participants and the experimenter are unaware of who is receiving the treatment or a placebo, which helps control for both participant effects and experimenter effects. Therefore, neither option C nor D are correct. Option B is partially correct, but it fails to recognize that double-blind experiments also control for participant effects.

Question 12

After grading 20 very poor term papers, Professor Jones was so upset by his students' writing that he became even more conscious of errors in their papers. Professor Jones' change in his grading criteria is similar to the confound of
A)mortality.
B)history.
C)instrumentation.
D)diffusion of treatment.

Accepted Answer

The confound of instrumentation occurs when changes in the measuring instrument or criteria used by the researcher occur during the course of the study, making it difficult to determine if changes in the data are due to the manipulation of the independent variable or to changes in the way the variable is measured or evaluated. In this scenario, Professor Jones' change in grading criteria is similar to a change in the measuring instrument, which could potentially affect the validity of his grading and his ability to accurately assess his students' writing abilities.

Question 13

Increasing the number of levels of the independent variable is to _____ replication as changing the type of dependent measure is to _____ replication.​
A)exact; conceptual
B)conceptual; exact
C)systematic; exact
D)systematic; conceptual

Accepted Answer

Increasing the number of levels of the independent variable is a systematic replication because it involves changing a specific aspect of the experimental design in a systematic way. Changing the type of dependent measure, on the other hand, is a conceptual replication because it involves testing the same underlying hypothesis with a different measure or operationalization.

Question 14

In an experimental study of the effects of exercise on stress, exercise is the​
A)dependent variable.
B)independent variable.
C)control group.
D)experimental group

Accepted Answer

In an experimental study, the independent variable is the variable that is manipulated, and its effect is measured on the dependent variable. In this case, exercise is being manipulated to see its effect on stress, thus it is the independent variable. The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured, which in this case is stress. Control and experimental groups refer to the division of participants in the study, and are not related to the variables being measured.

Question 15

Internal validity is​
A)the extent to which the results of an experiment can be attributed to the manipulation of the dependent variable, rather than to some confounding variable.
B)the extent to which the results of an experiment can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable, rather than to some confounding variable.
C)the extent to which the results of an experiment can be generalized.
D)both b and c.

Accepted Answer

Internal validity refers to the extent to which the manipulation of the independent variable (IV) can be attributed to the results of an experiment, rather than any confounding variables. Confounding variables are any variables that could affect the dependent variable (DV) and distort the results of an experiment. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the IV is the only factor driving changes in the DV. Option A is similar, but it refers to the DV rather than the IV. Option C is about external validity, which refers to the ability to generalize the results of an experiment to other populations or settings. Option D combines external validity and the correct answer (B).

Question 16

In an experimental study of the effects of exercise on stress, subjects are randomly assigned to either the no exercise group or the exercise group. These groups represent the _____ and the _____, respectively.
A)independent variable; dependent variable​
B)dependent variable; independent variable
C)control group; experimental group
D)experimental group; control group

Accepted Answer

The answer of In an experimental study of the effects...

Question 17

Baseline is to treatment as _____ is to _____.​
A)dependent variable; independent variable
B)independent variable; dependent variable
C)control group; experimental group
D)experimental group; control group

Accepted Answer

The answer of Baseline is to treatment as _____ is...

Question 18

John conducted an experiment to test the effectiveness of a smoking cessation program. The experiment took place over a 1-month time period. Participants in the control group and the experimental group (those who participated in the smoking cessation program) recorded the number of cigarettes that they smoked each day. John was unaware that "national stop-smoking week" also happened to take place during the 1-month time period of his experiment. John's experiment is now confounded by​
A)maturation.​
B)history.
C)regression to the mean.
D)mortality.

Accepted Answer

The experiment is confounded by history, as the occurrence of "national stop-smoking week" is an external event that may have affected the behavior of participants in both the control and experimental groups, making it difficult to isolate the effect of the smoking cessation program.

Question 19

When we can generalize from the sample used in a study to the population of interest, we say that the study has _____ validity.
A)internal​
B)external
C)construct
D)content

Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to the population of interest. Internal validity, on the other hand, refers to the extent to which a study is free from systematic error or bias, while construct validity refers to the degree to which a study measures what it claims to measure. Content validity refers to the extent to which a measure covers all aspects of the construct being measured.

Question 20

When subjects are lost differentially from the experimental and control groups, any observed effect may be due to
A)mortality.
B)instrumentation.
C)diffusion of treatment.
D)history.

Accepted Answer

When subjects are lost differentially from the experimental and control groups, the observed effect may be due to mortality (i.e., the loss of participants due to death or inability to continue with the study). This can result in a biased sample and affect the external validity of the study.

Quiz 9: Experimental Design and Analysis I

Changes that occur naturally in the subjects over time could result in the confound of

Alison's bathroom scale will not register a weight of more than 130 pounds. Alison does not realize this, and therefore is unaware that she has put on a few pounds until she begins to notice how tight her clothes are. This illustrates the confound of a _____ effect.

Sometimes it is difficult to generalize the results of a study to the population because of the _____ problem.

The best advice for those considering retaking the SAT is that if your score was below average you probably retake the test, and if your score was above average you probably retake the test due to _.

Independent variable is to dependent variable as _ is to _.

A limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the bottom of the scale is a _ and a limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the top of the scale is a _.

After participating in an experiment on the effects of alcohol on sociability, Megan could not wait to return to her sorority house to tell all of her sisters about it. In this situation, the researcher should be concerned with the confound of

A decline in performance due to repeated testing is a(n) _ effect and improvement in performance due to repeated testing is a(n) _ effect.

In an experimental study of the effects of exercise on stress, stress is the

To say that an experiment contains a confound means that

Single-blind experiments help to control for effects whereas double-blind experiments help to control for _ effects.

After grading 20 very poor term papers, Professor Jones was so upset by his students' writing that he became even more conscious of errors in their papers. Professor Jones' change in his grading criteria is similar to the confound of

Increasing the number of levels of the independent variable is to _ replication as changing the type of dependent measure is to _ replication.

In an experimental study of the effects of exercise on stress, exercise is the

Internal validity is

In an experimental study of the effects of exercise on stress, subjects are randomly assigned to either the no exercise group or the exercise group. These groups represent the _ and the _, respectively.

Baseline is to treatment as _ is to _.

When we can generalize from the sample used in a study to the population of interest, we say that the study has _____ validity.

When subjects are lost differentially from the experimental and control groups, any observed effect may be due to

Quiz 9: Experimental Design and Analysis I

Changes that occur naturally in the subjects over time could result in the confound of​

Alison's bathroom scale will not register a weight of more than 130 pounds. Alison does not realize this, and therefore is unaware that she has put on a few pounds until she begins to notice how tight her clothes are. This illustrates the confound of a _____ effect.​

Sometimes it is difficult to generalize the results of a study to the population because of the _____ problem.

The best advice for those considering retaking the SAT is that if your score was below average you probably ____ retake the test, and if your score was above average you probably ____ retake the test due to _____.​

Independent variable is to dependent variable as _____ is to _____.

A limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the bottom of the scale is a _____ and a limitation in the ability to differentiate between scores at the top of the scale is a _____.

After participating in an experiment on the effects of alcohol on sociability, Megan could not wait to return to her sorority house to tell all of her sisters about it. In this situation, the researcher should be concerned with the confound of​

A decline in performance due to repeated testing is a(n) _____ effect and improvement in performance due to repeated testing is a(n) _____ effect.​