Question 1

Which of the following offers a solution to the problem of experimenter bias?
A) Staged manipulations
B) Automated procedures
C) Single-blind studies
D) Straightforward manipulations

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following offers a solution...

Question 2

When participants are not aware of whether they are in the experimental or control condition,the researcher has employed a _____.
A) single-blind experiment
B) staged manipulation
C) physiological measure
D) straightforward manipulation

Accepted Answer

When participants are not aware of whether they are in the experimental or control condition, the researcher has employed a single-blind experiment. This means that the participants are "blind" or unaware of which group they are in, but the experimenter is still aware of the group assignment.

Question 3

In order to analyze the effects of a new drug for anxiety developed by Solvit Wellness Inc. ,the researchers conduct a study on two groups.Both groups are informed about the usefulness of the drug in treating anxiety.However,only group A receives an injection of the actual drug,while group B receives an injection containing an inert substance.In this case,what is group B known as?
A) Placebo group
B) High-anxiety group
C) Topical group
D) Experimental group

Accepted Answer

The answer of In order to analyze the effects of...

Question 4

Why do experiments conducted in field settings use unobtrusive measures?
A) To minimize the problem of demand characteristics
B) To achieve floor effects
C) To measure the sensitivity of dependent variables
D) To create experiments using straightforward manipulation

Accepted Answer

Unobtrusive measures are used in field settings to minimize demand characteristics, which are cues in the experiment that reveal the researcher's hypothesis or create expectations that affect the behavior of participants. Using unobtrusive measures helps to reduce the risk of participants changing their natural behavior due to being aware they are being studied.

Question 5

Rachel compares the math skills of boys and girls in the sixth grade.She administers a series of math problems to both groups and asks them to solve as many problems as they can within a 15-minute time period.She finds that both groups were able to answer only 2% of the problems.The result obtained can be due to the _____ effect.
A) performance
B) practice
C) ceiling
D) floor

Accepted Answer

The result is due to the floor effect, which occurs when a task is so difficult that the majority of participants score very low, making it hard to distinguish between high and low performers.

Question 6

Which of the following is a potential source of experimenter bias?
A) The experimenter using the same method to record participants' behaviors
B) The experimenter being unaware of the participants' personality characteristics
C) The procedures used for the experiments being automated
D) The presence of subtle differences in the way the experimenter interprets the behaviors

Accepted Answer

Experimenter bias occurs when the experimenter's expectations or beliefs about the outcome of the study influence their interpretation of the results. Subtle differences in interpretation can lead to experimenter bias. Options A and C do not relate to experimenter bias, and option B refers to participant bias.

Question 7

How can expectancy effects be reduced?
A) By using experimenters who are aware of the hypothesis being investigated
B) By running participants in all groups one-by-one
C) By using a double-blind experiment
D) By avoiding the use of balanced placebo design

Accepted Answer

Double-blind experiments are designed to reduce expectancy effects. In this type of experiment, neither the participants nor the experimenters know which group is receiving the treatment and which group is receiving the control. This helps to prevent the experimenters from inadvertently influencing the results based on their expectations or biases, and it also helps to prevent participants from altering their behavior or responses based on what they think the experimenters want to see.

Question 8

In a study examining the effect of appearances on judgments of criminal behavior,a researcher asks questions about the surroundings and the victim in order to disguise the dependent measures in the study.These unrelated questions are referred to as _____.
A) independent measures
B) filler items
C) task measures
D) placebo measures

Accepted Answer

Unrelated questions like these are typically used as "filler items" in order to disguise the real dependent measures of the study. Independent measures, task measures, and placebo measures are all different types of control measures that serve different purposes in research design.

Question 9

Any feature of an experiment that might inform participants of the purpose of the study is called a(n)_____.
A) experimenter expectancy
B) demand characteristic
C) placebo effect
D) manipulation check

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics refer to any aspect of the experimental design that might cue participants to behave in a particular way or inform them of the purpose of the study. This could include things like the instructions given to participants or the presence of certain stimuli in the study. Experimenter expectancy refers to the idea that the experimenter's own expectations or biases might influence the results of the study. The placebo effect refers to the phenomenon where a treatment or intervention has a positive effect on a person's health or well-being even if the treatment itself is inactive or inert (e.g., a sugar pill). A manipulation check is a measure used to ensure that the manipulated variable that the experiment is examining is having the intended effect on participants.

Question 10

Yvette,an investigator who is interested in the effectiveness of various memory strategies,instructs randomly assigned participants to use either imagery or repetitive silent speech to remember a list of 20 words.Two weeks later,she tests these participants for how many words they can recall.The imagery group recalls an average of 2.6 words,while the repetition group recalls an average of 1.9 words.She concludes that there is no difference in the effectiveness of these memory strategies because the results are not statistically significant.Is this a reasonable conclusion?
A) Yes,because no significant results mean there is no relationship between the variables.
B) Yes,because the level of processing memory is the same for all individuals.
C) No,because the participants were randomly assigned to the groups.
D) No,because a dependent variable measured after a two-week delay may lack the sensitivity to detect a difference.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the results are not statistically significant does not necessarily mean that there is no difference in the effectiveness of these memory strategies. As stated in choice D, a dependent variable measured after a two-week delay may lack the sensitivity to detect a difference, which may explain why the results were not significant. Therefore, it is not a reasonable conclusion to say that there is no difference in effectiveness based solely on the lack of statistical significance.

Question 11

Promelute,a pharmaceutical company,conducts a research on participants for its new drug for obsessive-compulsive disorder.But the experimenter is unclear about the conclusions of the study because he is not sure if the improvement has been caused by the properties of the drug or by the participants' expectations about the effect of the drug.Such an effect is known as a(n)_____ effect.
A) order
B) placebo
C) ceiling
D) fatigue

Accepted Answer

A placebo effect occurs when participants in a research study experience an improvement in their condition despite receiving a treatment that has no active properties. In this case, the experimenter is questioning whether the improvement observed in participants is due to the properties of the drug or if it is a result of their expectations about the drug's effects, which could be attributed to a placebo effect. Therefore, the best answer is B) Placebo.

Question 12

Which of the following measures of the dependent variable is generally inexpensive?
A) Paper-and-pencil questionnaire
B) Videotaping
C) Galvanic skin response
D) Functional MRI

Accepted Answer

Paper-and-pencil questionnaires are generally inexpensive compared to other measures of the dependent variable such as videotaping, galvanic skin response, and functional MRI.

Question 13

Why do experimenters generally do not wish to inform participants about the specific hypotheses being studied?
A) To provide a variety of alternative explanations for the results
B) Due to the problem of ethical considerations
C) To eliminate issues associated with expectancy effects
D) Due to the problem of demand characteristics

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why do experimenters generally do not wish...

Question 14

Which of the following is a technique to improve internal validity?
A) Addition of a control group
B) Experimenter expectancy
C) Participant bias
D) Use of a confederate

Accepted Answer

Addition of a control group is a technique to improve internal validity as it helps to control for extraneous variables and increases the likelihood that any observed effect is due to the independent variable and not to other factors. Experimenter expectancy, participant bias, and use of a confederate are all potential threats to internal validity.

Question 15

To conduct a research on the influence of personality on intelligence,Richard allots extroverts to group A and introverts to group B.Being an introvert,Richard assumes that group B is more likely to be intellectually superior and later concludes that extroverts tend to score less than introverts in IQ tests.Which of the following does this scenario exemplify?
A) Non-concealed participant effect
B) Placebo effect
C) Ceiling effect
D) Experimenter expectancy effect

Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies the experimenter expectancy effect, where Richard's assumptions and expectations about the personality types influence the outcomes of the experiment. Richard's belief that introverts are likely to be intellectually superior led him to unconsciously give more opportunities or incentives to those in group B, which may have affected their scores in the IQ tests.

Question 16

Investigators sometimes use deception in their case procedures to address the problem of _____.
A) sensitivity
B) demand characteristics
C) experimenter bias
D) ceiling effects

Accepted Answer

Using deception helps to reduce demand characteristics, which are the cues in an experiment or investigation that may lead participants to guess its purpose or adjust their behavior accordingly. It can help to ensure more natural and genuine responses from participants. Deception is not used to address sensitivity, experimenter bias, or ceiling effects.

Question 17

Katherine is a researcher who is interested in examining the effect of caffeine on driving performance.In order to rule out a change in behavior brought about because of participants' expectations about the effect of caffeine,she should use a(n)_____.
A) straightforward manipulation
B) balanced placebo design
C) experimental group
D) staged manipulation

Accepted Answer

A balanced placebo design involves giving participants two groups: one that receives the actual treatment (in this case, caffeine) and one that receives a placebo. However, both groups are told they may receive caffeine, so any change in behavior can be attributed to the actual pharmacological effects of caffeine rather than the participants' expectations.

Question 18

What is a similarity between demand characteristics and experimenter expectancy?
A) Both are essential to study the true relationship between variables.
B) Both create a predisposition resulting in a conclusion that is conducive.
C) Both increase internal and external validity of a study.
D) Both help the experiments to be easily conducted.

Accepted Answer

Both demand characteristics and experimenter expectancy can create a predisposition in the study, leading to a conclusion that is more likely to be favorable to the experimenter's hypothesis. This can threaten the validity of the study and make it difficult to draw accurate conclusions about the relationship between variables.

Question 19

Without informing them,a researcher assigns participants to either an experimental or a placebo group.The researcher's assistants who test the participants do not know who belongs to which group.The experiment has used a _____.
A) single-blind technique
B) double-blind technique
C) strong experimental manipulation
D) behavioral measure

Accepted Answer

The described experiment has used a double-blind technique, as neither the participants nor the assistants who test them know who belongs to which group. This helps to reduce the effects of experimenter bias and demand characteristics.

Question 20

A researcher conducted a study to analyze the effect of gender bias on company recruitments.The purpose of the study was not revealed to the participants until the research was completed.Such a measure of not revealing the purpose initially is executed due to the problem of _____.
A) experimenter expectancy
B) experimenter bias
C) ceiling effect
D) demand characteristic

Accepted Answer

Not revealing the purpose of the study initially is a way to avoid demand characteristic, which occurs when participants change their behavior or responses based on their perception of what the researcher is trying to achieve. This can compromise the validity of the study. Experimenter expectancy refers to the phenomenon where the experimenter's beliefs or expectations can unintentionally influence the outcome of the study. Experimenter bias refers to situations where the experimenter's personal biases intentionally or unintentionally affect the outcome of a study. Ceiling effect is a situation where the performance or responses of participants are already so high that they cannot be further improved or distinguished from each other.

Quiz 9: Conducting Experiments

Which of the following offers a solution to the problem of experimenter bias?

When participants are not aware of whether they are in the experimental or control condition,the researcher has employed a _____.

Why do experiments conducted in field settings use unobtrusive measures?

Which of the following is a potential source of experimenter bias?

How can expectancy effects be reduced?

In a study examining the effect of appearances on judgments of criminal behavior,a researcher asks questions about the surroundings and the victim in order to disguise the dependent measures in the study.These unrelated questions are referred to as _____.

Any feature of an experiment that might inform participants of the purpose of the study is called a(n) _____.

Which of the following measures of the dependent variable is generally inexpensive?

Why do experimenters generally do not wish to inform participants about the specific hypotheses being studied?

Which of the following is a technique to improve internal validity?

Investigators sometimes use deception in their case procedures to address the problem of _____.

Katherine is a researcher who is interested in examining the effect of caffeine on driving performance.In order to rule out a change in behavior brought about because of participants' expectations about the effect of caffeine,she should use a(n) _____.

What is a similarity between demand characteristics and experimenter expectancy?

Without informing them,a researcher assigns participants to either an experimental or a placebo group.The researcher's assistants who test the participants do not know who belongs to which group.The experiment has used a _____.

A researcher conducted a study to analyze the effect of gender bias on company recruitments.The purpose of the study was not revealed to the participants until the research was completed.Such a measure of not revealing the purpose initially is executed due to the problem of _____.