Question 1

In the context of a simple experiment, which variable is defined as the factor that is being measured or observed to see how it responds to changes?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable

Answer

The controlled variable

Answer

The independent variable

Answer

The confounding variable

Question 2

Which of the following processes is considered the most effective method for controlling for participant-related confounding variables in a simple experiment?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment

Answer

Qualitative observation

Answer

Convenience sampling

Answer

Experimental manipulation

Question 3

In a simple experiment, which of the following describes a 'confounding variable'?

Accepted Answer

An extraneous factor that fluctuates along with the independent variable and can influence the dependent variable.

Answer

The specific measurement tool used to record data from the experimental group.

Answer

The predicted outcome of the experiment as stated in the initial hypothesis.

Answer

A variable that is intentionally kept constant across all experimental conditions.

Question 4

In a simple experiment, if a researcher is concerned that the order in which participants perform two different tasks might influence the results, which technique should they use to balance these effects?

Accepted Answer

Counterbalancing

Answer

Standard deviation

Answer

Double-blind procedure

Answer

Operationalization

Question 5

When a researcher defines a specific procedure or set of steps to measure a conceptual variable in a simple experiment, what is this process called?

Accepted Answer

Operationalization

Answer

Conceptualization

Answer

Randomization

Answer

Nullification

Question 6

Suppose a psychology student conducts a simple experiment where the independent variable is the presence of caffeine. If the p-value of the results is calculated as

p < 0.05

, what is the most common interpretation in undergraduate experimental research?

Accepted Answer

The result is statistically significant, meaning the observed difference is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone.

Answer

The result is a failure because the dependent variable did not change by more than 50 percent.

Answer

The experiment contains a confounding variable that invalidates the entire hypothesis.

Answer

The independent variable had no effect on the dependent variable regardless of the sample size.

Question 7

In a simple experiment, which procedure is specifically designed to eliminate both participant and researcher bias by ensuring that neither knows which group is receiving the active treatment?

Accepted Answer

Double-blind procedure

Answer

Single-blind procedure

Answer

Placebo effect

Answer

Standardization

Question 8

In a simple experiment designed to test the effect of a new fertilizer on plant height, which of the following best describes the 'independent variable'?

Accepted Answer

The specific amount or type of fertilizer applied to the plants.

Answer

The type of soil and amount of water provided to all groups.

Answer

The measured height of the plants after four weeks.

Answer

The species of plant selected for the experimental study.

Question 9

In the context of a simple experiment, which principle refers to the property of performing the experiment multiple times to obtain an estimate of experimental error?

Accepted Answer

Replication

Answer

Interaction

Answer

Randomization

Answer

Blocking

Question 10

In a simple comparative experiment, which of the following best defines the 'Control Group'?

Accepted Answer

A group of participants or subjects that does not receive the experimental treatment and serves as a baseline.

Answer

A group that is intentionally exposed to the highest level of the independent variable.

Answer

The subset of researchers who monitor the experiment to prevent data manipulation.

Answer

A statistical procedure used to adjust the

p < 0.05

-value after data collection.

Question 11

In a simple experiment, if a researcher fails to control for an extraneous variable that changes systematically along with the independent variable, this variable is known as a:

Accepted Answer

Confounding variable

Answer

Qualitative factor

Answer

Dependent variable

Answer

Response variable

Question 12

In a simple experiment, which of the following refers to the specific values or categories used for the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

Levels

Answer

Factors

Answer

Blocks

Answer

Trials

Question 13

In a simple comparative experiment, what is the primary purpose of 'randomization'?

Accepted Answer

To balance the effects of extraneous variables that are not being controlled

Answer

To eliminate the need for a control group in the experimental design

Answer

To guarantee that the independent variable remains constant throughout the trial

Answer

To ensure that the sample size is larger than the population

Question 14

In a simple experiment, which of the following best describes the 'placebo effect' and why researchers use a control group to account for it?

Accepted Answer

A phenomenon where participants show improvement simply due to their expectations of the treatment, requiring a baseline for comparison

Answer

A mathematical error occurring when the sample size

p < 0.05

is too small to represent the population

Answer

The intentional manipulation of the independent variable to achieve a desired outcome

Answer

A process where the researcher knows which group is receiving the active treatment but the participants do not

Question 15

An experimenter wants to test if the temperature of a room affects the speed of solving math problems. If they define speed as "the number of seconds

p < 0.05

taken to finish a 10-question worksheet," what process have they performed?

Accepted Answer

Operationalization

Answer

Double-blind procedure

Answer

Hypothesis testing

Answer

Statistical significance

Question 16

In a longitudinal study investigating the relationship between daily coffee consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers find a positive correlation. However, when they account for the fact that coffee drinkers are also more likely to be smokers, the original correlation disappears. In this scenario, smoking acts as which type of variable?

Accepted Answer

A confounding variable

Answer

A dependent variable

Answer

A mediator variable

Answer

An independent variable

Question 17

An experimenter conducts a study using a

p < 0.05

factorial design and finds that the effect of a 'caffeine' factor on memory recall depends entirely on whether the 'sleep' factor is at the high or low level. This phenomenon is known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Interaction effect

Answer

Main effect

Answer

Simple effect

Answer

Confounding variable

Question 18

Which of the following describes a 'main effect' in a factorial design?

Accepted Answer

The separate effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable, averaging across the levels of all other independent variables.

Answer

The statistical error associated with the variance within each individual treatment cell.

Answer

The effect of an independent variable that only occurs at a specific level of another independent variable.

Answer

The combined effect of two or more independent variables that exceeds the sum of their individual parts.

Question 19

In a

p < 0.05

factorial ANOVA, if the lines in a graph of the cell means are perfectly parallel, what can be definitively concluded about the interaction effect?

Accepted Answer

There is no significant interaction effect.

Answer

There must be at least one significant main effect.

Answer

The design has been confounded by a third variable.

Answer

The interaction effect is stronger than the main effects.

Question 20

An investigator finds that the effect of a new medication on heart rate depends on the dosage level (

p < 0.05

vs.

high

) as well as the age group of the participant (

young

vs.

elderly

). If the medication significantly lowers heart rate for the elderly but has no effect on the young, which effect is being described?

Accepted Answer

An interaction effect

Answer

A simple effect of age

Answer

A covariate correlation

Answer

A main effect for dosage only

Question 21

An investigator conducts a

p < 0.05

factorial experiment and finds that the effect of a new medication on heart rate is significantly different for male participants than it is for female participants. This specific finding is known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

Interaction effect

Answer

Simple effect

Answer

Main effect

Answer

Confounding variable

Question 22

Which of the following is the primary reason why a researcher would choose a quasi-experimental design over a true experimental design?

Accepted Answer

It is not possible or ethical to randomly assign participants to different groups.

Answer

The researcher wants to maximize the internal validity of the study.

Answer

The researcher wishes to avoid using a control or comparison group.

Answer

Quasi-experiments allow for complete control over all extraneous variables.

Question 23

Which threat to internal validity occurs when an external event happens at the same time as the treatment in a quasi-experiment, making it difficult to determine which caused the observed effect?

Accepted Answer

History threat

Answer

Testing threat

Answer

Attrition threat

Answer

Maturation threat

Question 24

Which of the following describes a 'Maturation' threat in the context of a longitudinal quasi-experiment?

Accepted Answer

Observed changes in the participants are due to natural development or the passage of time rather than the intervention.

Answer

Participants drop out of the study at different rates across the treatment and control groups.

Answer

The pre-test itself influences the way participants respond to the post-test.

Answer

The measuring instrument changes or wears out between the first and second measurement.

Question 25

In a 'multiple-baseline design', how does a researcher demonstrate the effect of an intervention?

Accepted Answer

By introducing the treatment at different times across different subjects, behaviors, or settings.

Answer

By removing the treatment and then reintroducing it to see if the behavior reverts to baseline.

Answer

By randomly assigning participants to either a treatment group or a placebo group simultaneously.

Answer

By using a double-blind procedure where neither the researcher nor the participant knows the timing of the intervention.

Question 26

Which of the following describes the primary difference between how 'Large-N' and 'Small-N' designs handle individual data?

Accepted Answer

Large-N designs group data together to report averages, while Small-N designs analyze each individual's data separately.

Answer

Large-N designs are used only in clinical settings, while Small-N designs are used only in laboratory settings.

Answer

Large-N designs prioritize internal validity, while Small-N designs prioritize external validity.

Answer

Large-N designs rely on visual inspection of data, while Small-N designs rely exclusively on inferential statistics like p-values.

Question 27

In Small-N behavioral research, how is the external validity of a study usually addressed?

Accepted Answer

By replicating the study with other individuals or within different settings.

Answer

By ensuring the sample size is at least

p < 0.05

to satisfy the law of large numbers.

Answer

By calculating a p-value to determine if the results are statistically significant.

Answer

By using a random selection process to pick participants from the general population.

Question 28

True or False: A literature review is basically the same as a meta-analysis.

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

True

Question 29

Which of the following is true of quasi-experiments?

Accepted Answer

Participants are not randomly assigned to groups.

Answer

Quasi-experiments cannot have comparison groups.

Answer

Quasi-experiments involve manipulated variables.

Answer

Quasi-experiments use random assignment.

Question 30

Which of the following is a quasi-experimental design in which participants are not randomly assigned to groups and are tested only after exposure to the quasi-independent variable?

Accepted Answer

nonequivalent control group design

Answer

stable-baseline design

Answer

interrupted time-series design

Answer

nonequivalent groups interrupted time-series design

Question 31

Which of the following is true of small-N experiments?

Accepted Answer

Each person in a small-N design is treated as a separate experiment

Answer

Data from small-N designs are grouped together.

Answer

Data from small-N designs are presented as averages.

Answer

Small-N designs determine whether a finding is replicable by doing a test of statistical significance.

Question 32

A small-N design that involves providing treatment and then removing treatment is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

reversal design.

Answer

stable-baseline design.

Answer

interrupted time-series design.

Answer

multiple-baseline design.

Question 33

Which of the following is an advantage of small-N designs over large-N designs?

Accepted Answer

Small-N designs take advantage of unique cases.

Answer

Small-N designs generalize to larger groups of individuals.

Answer

Small-N designs have fewer threats to internal validity.

Answer

Small-N designs have better experimental control.

Question 34

Both Shakita and Chris are studying the effects of frustration on task completion. Shakita randomly assigns participants to either a frustration or non-frustration condition. Chris divides participants into either a frustration or non-frustration condition based on self-reported ratings of how frustrated participants are on average during a week. Both Shakita and Chris measure task completion in the same way. Shakita is using a ____ design and Chris is using a ____ design.

Accepted Answer

true experimental; quasi-experimental

Answer

quasi-experimental; true experimental

Answer

nonequivalent control group design; matched group factorial design

Answer

matched group factorial design; nonequivalent control group design

Question 35

Which threat to internal validity is never relevant to a repeated-measures design?

Accepted Answer

selection

Answer

history

Answer

regression to the mean

Answer

maturation

Question 36

How does a selection effect threaten internal validity?

Accepted Answer

Different groups may systematically differ in characteristics.

Answer

There is only one level of the independent variable.

Answer

The researcher manipulates the independent variable.

Answer

Participants are assigned randomly to conditions.

Question 37

____ is used to control order effects in an experiment.

Accepted Answer

Counterbalancing

Answer

Random assignment

Answer

A design confound

Answer

Increasing demand characteristics

Question 38

Practice effects and carryover effects are examples of ____ effects.

Accepted Answer

order

Answer

scientific

Answer

causal

Answer

between-person

Question 39

A variable that the researcher controls is a ____ variable.

Accepted Answer

manipulated

Answer

selection

Answer

dependent

Answer

measured

Question 40

The d score is a standardized measure of the degree to which the independent variable caused a change in the dependent variable. This is also known as the

Accepted Answer

effect size.

Answer

impact factor.

Answer

standard change.

Answer

change rate.

Question 41

The question “Can the causal relationship generalize to other people, places, and times?” refers to what type of validity?

Accepted Answer

external

Answer

face

Answer

internal

Answer

construct

Question 42

Dr. MacLean is interested in comparing two drugs that are used for treating depression. He randomly assigns participants to receive one of the two drugs. This study is a(n) ____ design.

Accepted Answer

independent-groups

Answer

repeated measures

Answer

pretest/posttest

Answer

concurrent measures

Question 43

Dr. Morimoto is curious as to whether exposing people to violent video games causes them to be more aggressive. He assigns half his participants to play a video game for 5 minutes and the other half to play for 7 minutes. He finds that there is no relationship between playing the game longer and being more aggressive. What might be to blame for this null effect?

Accepted Answer

a weak manipulation

Answer

an insensitive measure

Answer

a reverse confound

Answer

ceiling effect

Question 44

A null results means

Accepted Answer

there was no statistically significant difference between conditions.

Answer

all participants responded similarly to treatments.

Answer

independent variables were poorly operationalized.

Answer

the study design failed to include a control.

Question 45

A simple difference is also called

Accepted Answer

a main effect.

Answer

a marginal means difference.

Answer

a factorial design.

Answer

an interaction effect.

Question 46

In a factorial design, a main effect refers to the

Accepted Answer

overall effect of one independent variable.

Answer

interaction between independent variables.

Answer

difference in differences between groups.

Answer

result of a dependent variable.

Question 47

According to the textbook, what is the problem with WEIRD samples?

Accepted Answer

They are not very representative of the world’s population.

Answer

They are not very easy to measure.

Answer

They are not good for theory-testing mode.

Answer

They are not used frequently enough.

Question 48

A researcher in theory-testing mode focuses on ____ validity, while a researcher in generalization mode focuses on ____ validity.

Accepted Answer

internal; external

Answer

external; internal

Answer

statistical; external

Answer

external; statistical

Question 49

Which of the following is true of p-hacking?

Accepted Answer

It can involve running a different analysis than originally proposed.

Answer

It is the same as HARKing.

Answer

It is always done intentionally.

Answer

It is considered a common and acceptable practice.

Question 50

A study revealed an unexpected finding, but the researcher wrote up the results as if that result was predicted all along. What is this referred to as?

Accepted Answer

HARKing

Answer

meta-analysis

Answer

preregistering

Answer

p-hacking

Question 51

In what type of study do researchers replicate their original experiment and add variables to test additional questions?

Accepted Answer

replication-plus-extension

Answer

direct replication

Answer

conceptual replication

Answer

additional replication

Question 52

What is the primary goal of a replication study?

Accepted Answer

to confirm the reliability of previous findings

Answer

to change the original hypothesis

Answer

to replace previous research

Answer

to generate new theories

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT a questionable research practice?

Accepted Answer

preregistration

Answer

selectively reporting results

Answer

p-hacking

Answer

HARKing

Question 54

Mac conducts a study in which they use the same measures as a previous study. However, they use a different population, sample size, and add in several additional variables they hypothesize might be related to the original results. What type of study is Mac doing?

Accepted Answer

replication-plus extension

Answer

direct replication

Answer

conceptual replication

Answer

indirect replication

Question 55

What is the primary concern in conceptual replication?

Accepted Answer

keeping the same abstract variables while changing operational definitions

Answer

using the same participants

Answer

avoiding external validity concerns

Answer

ensuring statistical significance