Question 1

An industrial designer wants to determine if the new design for a piece of office equipment will result in fewer errors.The designer sets up a machine with the old design in one room,and a machine with the new design in a second room.He counts how many errors are made using each of the two machines.In this study,the number of errors that are made would be

Accepted Answer

The number of errors made is the outcome or result being measured in this study, therefore it is the dependent variable.

Question 2

In an experiment designed to test memory processes,one group was given special instructions and asked to group the items on a list into categories while they tried to memorize them.A second group of participants was given the same list,but they did not receive any special instructions.In this study,the experimental group is

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group who received the special instructions to group the items into categories while trying to memorize them. This is the group whose memory processes are being manipulated by the experiment, making them the experimental group. Therefore, the correct answer is choice C, the group who received the special instructions.

Question 3

A group of researchers wanted to determine if people will eat more food in a room with red paint and red decorations than in a room that is decorated blue.Half the participants in this study ate in a red room and half ate in a blue room.The researchers then measured how much food was consumed in each of the two rooms.In this study,the independent variable was

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the color of the decorations in the room, specifically whether the room was decorated in red or blue. The researchers wanted to see if the color of the decorations would influence how much food people ate, so they manipulated this variable while keeping other variables (such as the type of food available and how hungry the participants were at the end) constant. The amount of food consumed is the dependent variable, as it is what the researchers are measuring to see if it is affected by the independent variable.

Question 4

A researcher wants to see if a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats.One group of rats is fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to receive ordinary rat chow.In this experiment,the rats' maze-running performance is the

Accepted Answer

The performance of rats in the maze is the outcome or effect being studied, and it is expected to be influenced by the type of diet being given (protein-enriched or ordinary). Therefore, maze-running performance is the dependent variable as it depends on the type of diet being given, which is the independent variable. The control variable in this experiment could be any other factor that could affect maze-running performance if not controlled, such as the age or sex of the rats or the type of maze used. The correlated variable could refer to any other factor that is observed or measured simultaneously with the dependent variable but may not be directly related to the study hypothesis.

Question 5

A group of researchers wants to determine if people are more likely to follow directions if the person giving the directions is in a uniform.Half the participants are directed to a parking spot by a uniformed security guard,the other half are directed to a parking spot by an individual wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt.In this study,the dependent variable would be

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is the behavior of the participants, specifically whether or not they park in the spot they are directed to. This is the variable that is being measured and is expected to be influenced by the independent variable (the uniform worn by the person giving the directions). The other options are not relevant to the study's research question and are not being measured.

Question 6

In an experiment,the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher is called the

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that the researcher controls or manipulates in order to observe its effect on the dependent variable. The dependent variable is the variable being measured and is expected to be affected by the independent variable. The control variable is a variable that is kept constant in order to ensure that any observed effects are due to the independent variable and not any other factors. The stimulus variable is not a commonly used term in experimental design.

Question 7

The experimental group

Accepted Answer

The experimental group consists of subjects who receive a special treatment or manipulation of the independent variable in order to observe its effects on the dependent variable. This group is compared to a control group, which does not receive the treatment or manipulation, in order to determine whether the independent variable has a significant impact on the dependent variable.

Question 8

If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship,the ____ variable would be the cause,and the ____ variable would be the effect.

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, the independent variable is the factor that is manipulated or changed by the researcher, while the dependent variable is the factor that is affected by the independent variable. Therefore, the independent variable is the cause and the dependent variable is the effect. The other options are not applicable, as the control variable is not considered a cause or effect, and confounded variables are not intentionally manipulated by the researcher.

Question 9

Manipulating a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable defines

Accepted Answer

The experimental approach involves manipulating a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable. This allows researchers to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables. The other options, testing approach, survey approach, and naturalistic observation, do not involve manipulating a variable in the same way as the experimental approach.

Question 10

An independent variable in an experiment refers to

Accepted Answer

An independent variable is the variable that the experimenter deliberately manipulates in order to observe its effect on the dependent variable. It is the variable that is being tested or studied to see how it affects the outcome of the experiment. Choosing option A would be referring to a controlled variable, option C would be referring to a confounding variable, and option D would be referring to a third variable.

Question 11

The different general strategies for conducting scientific investigation are referred to as

Accepted Answer

The different general strategies for conducting scientific investigation are referred to as research methods. Data collection techniques and operational definitions refer to specific components within those research methods, while hypotheses are predictions or assumptions that are tested using those research methods.

Question 12

In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease,half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half of the patients were given a placebo (sugar pill).In this study,the experimental group is

Accepted Answer

The experimental group refers to the group of participants who receive the actual drug being tested. Therefore, in this study, the experimental group is the group who received the actual drug.

Question 13

A dependent variable in an experiment refers to the variable

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured and is expected to change as a result of the manipulation of the independent variable (which is deliberately manipulated by the experimenter). Therefore, it is the variable that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in the experiment.

Question 14

David and Alexandra both take part in a research study that is investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on reaction time.David is kept awake for 24 hours straight,while Alexandra follows her normal sleep routine.In this study,David is part of the

Accepted Answer

David is kept awake for 24 hours straight, which means he is experiencing the manipulated variable (sleep deprivation), and therefore he is part of the experimental group. Alexandra, who follows her normal sleep routine, is the control group.

Question 15

The purpose of the control group is to

Accepted Answer

The purpose of the control group is to isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. By having a control group that is not exposed to the independent variable, researchers can compare the results of the experimental group to the control group and determine if any observed effects are due to the independent variable or simply due to chance. This helps to establish causality between the independent and dependent variables.

Question 16

Operational definitions are most closely associated with which major advantage of the scientific approach?

Accepted Answer

Operational definitions emphasize clarity and precision in the scientific approach, enabling researchers to communicate clearly and avoid ambiguity in their findings.

Question 17

Researchers studying the effects of sleep deprivation tested the physical coordination skills of 25-year-old males who had been sleep deprived for either 24,36,or 48 hours.In this study,the dependent variable would be

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured in the study, in this case, the physical coordination skills of the men who were sleep deprived. The age of the participants and the type of physical coordination task are independent variables, and the length of time the participants had been sleep deprived is a potential confounding variable that could affect the dependent variable.

Question 18

The two main types of research methods used in psychology are the

Accepted Answer

The two main types of research methods used in psychology are experimental and descriptive/correlational research methods. Experimental research involves manipulating variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships, while descriptive/correlational research involves observing and measuring variables to describe and predict behavior. Case studies are a type of descriptive research method and are not considered one of the two main types of research methods in psychology.

Question 19

Researchers who were studying plant growth raised plants in two separate rooms.One room had taped conversations playing 24 hours a day; the other room was silent.The researchers found that the plants grew better in the room which had the conversations playing.In this study,the type of room (conversation or silence)would be

Accepted Answer

The type of room (conversation or silence) is the variable that is being manipulated by the researchers, and thus it is the independent variable. The dependent variable in this study would be the growth of the plants, which is the outcome that is being measured. An extraneous variable would be a variable that could potentially affect the results of the study but is not being intentionally manipulated by the researchers, such as the temperature or humidity in the two rooms. A placebo would be a fake treatment or intervention that is given to a control group in order to test the effectiveness of a real treatment or intervention in the experimental group.

Question 20

A researcher found that clients who were randomly assigned to same-sex groups participated more in group therapy sessions than clients who were randomly assigned to coed groups.In this experiment,the dependent variable was

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or observed in an experiment. In this experiment, the amount of participation in group therapy sessions is the variable being measured, making it the dependent variable. The other options, such as whether the group was coed or the clients' attitudes toward therapy, may be independent variables or variables that are being manipulated in the experiment. The amount of mental health improvement may be another dependent variable in the study, but it is not mentioned as the question only asks about the dependent variable.

Quiz 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology