Question 1

One problem with the pretest-posttest design is that participants:

Accepted Answer

A) cannot be randomly assigned to groups. 
B) are sensitized about the true purpose of the experiment. 
C) drop out of the experiment. 
D) cannot be divided into two equivalent groups.

Question 2

When a confounding variable is present in an experiment, one cannot tell whether the results were due to the _____.

Accepted Answer

A) independent variable or the dependent variable 
B) independent variable or the confounding variable 
C) dependent variable or the confounding variable 
D) dependent variable or the participant variable

Question 3

Powel wants to find out how using fins increases swimming speed. This hypothesis could be tested with a counterbalanced repeated measures design by:

Accepted Answer

A) having half the swimmers swim without fins and the other half swim with fins. 
B) having all swimmers first swim without fins and then swim with fins. 
C) having half the swimmers first swim without fins and then with fins and having the other half swim first with fins and then without fins. 
D) having all swimmers first swim with fins and then without fins.

Question 4

Sasha, a psychologist, has participants serve as their own control group by having them take part in every condition of her study. This experimental approach is an example of a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

A) one-shot case study 
B) simple random design 
C) independent groups design 
D) repeated measures design

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true about using repeated measure designs over independent group designs?

Accepted Answer

A) It requires more participants than independent groups. 
B) It is less likely to detect the effect of the independent variable. 
C) It gives the researcher greater control over participant differences. 
D) It decreases the likelihood of an order effect.

Question 6

Failure to control some extraneous variables is likely to result in a(n) _____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A) random 
B) confounding 
C) systematic 
D) operational

Question 7

Mike wants to find out whether campers prefer cotton or nylon sleeping bags. He asks a group of girl campers to try both the nylon and cotton sleeping bags. The sleeping bags were rated for softness and warmth. What is the confounding variable in Mike's experiment?

Accepted Answer

A) Cotton or nylon material 
B) Softness 
C) Gender of camper 
D) Sleeping bags

Question 8

Juan wants to compare the effectiveness of two drugs in treating migraines. He administers Drug A to a participant and then Drug B to the same participant eight hours later when Drug A is still in the participant's system. In this case, the study is contaminated by a _____ effect.

Accepted Answer

A) fatigue 
B) carryover 
C) order 
D) practice

Question 9

Michelle is interested in factors that influence the perceptions of others. She provides participants with photographs of female supermodels and asks them to rate the attractiveness of each woman. She then provides participants with photographs of women who are not models and asks the participants to rate the attractiveness of each woman. She finds that participants rate the women who are not models much lower. What effect may be responsible for the lower ratings of the women who are not models?

Accepted Answer

A) Reactive 
B) Practice 
C) Fatigue 
D) Carryover

Question 10

Reah, a developmental psychologist measures aggressive behavior in a group of second graders before and after viewing an aggressive cartoon. This design would best represent a(n) _____ design.

Accepted Answer

A) independent groups 
B) repeated measures 
C) extraneous groups 
D) random time series

Question 11

Improvement of performance as a result of repeated exposure to a task is referred to as a _____ effect.

Accepted Answer

A) reactive 
B) fatigue 
C) non-reactive 
D) practice

Question 12

A design that assigns different participants to each condition using random assignment is a(n) _____ design.

Accepted Answer

A) independent groups 
B) repeated measures 
C) Solomon four-group 
D) pretest-posttest

Question 13

When testing the effect of noise on the performance of a task, Marco tests half the participants in a cool, quiet room and the other half in a hot, noisy room. In this case, what confounding variable has Marco failed to eliminate?

Accepted Answer

A) Task performance 
B) Noise level 
C) Gender of participants 
D) Room temperature

Question 14

Colin wants to find out how using fins increases swimming speed. If an independent groups design is used, the researcher would manipulate the variable by:

Accepted Answer

A) randomly requiring half the swimmers to swim without fins and the other half to swim with fins. 
B) having all swimmers first swim without fins and then with fins. 
C) having half the swimmers first swim without fins and then with fins and having the other half swim first with fins and then without fins. 
D) requiring all swimmers to first swim with fins and then without fins.

Question 15

_____ is a technique to control for order effects without having all possible orders.

Accepted Answer

A) Pretest-only design 
B) Randomization 
C) Attrition 
D) Latin square

Question 16

If a greater percentage of heart surgeons than skin doctors are sued for malpractice, can it be concluded that heart surgeons are less competent than skin doctors?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, if the difference is statistically significant. 
B) Yes, if the same number of heart and skin doctors are being compared. 
C) No, because being sued is confused with the potential risk of the doctor's work. 
D) No, because there are more surgeons than skin doctors.

Question 17

Mortality in experimental design refers to the fact that participants:

Accepted Answer

A) cheat on questionnaires. 
B) engage in intragroup conflict. 
C) drop out of an experiment. 
D) provide false responses.

Question 18

At the end of a three-year study, Lene finds that 12 percent of her participants did not take part in the final survey because they moved away to another city. In research terms, Lene is experiencing issues related to _____.

Accepted Answer

A) maturation 
B) testing 
C) regression 
D) mortality

Question 19

In a _____ design, comparisons are made among the same group of participants.

Accepted Answer

A) matched sets 
B) natural sets 
C) within-subjects 
D) random assignment

Question 20

Which of the following is likely to be the most important consideration for a repeated measures design using alcohol or drugs?

Accepted Answer

A) Use of a Latin square 
B) Order of presenting the conditions 
C) Time interval between treatments 
D) Complete counterbalancing

Exam 8: Experimental Design