PSYC-FP4700 Assessment 1 Worksheet
Assessment 1 – Basics of Research and Statistics,
Frequency Distributions, Percentiles, and Graphical
Representations
Complete the following problems within this Word document. Do not submit other files. Show
your work for problem sets that require calculations. Ensure that your answer to each problem is
clearly visible. You may want to highlight your answer or use a different type color to set it apart.
Problem Set 1.1: Identifying Variables (Dependent, Independent, Quasi-
Independent)
Criterion: Identify dependent and independent variables.
Instructions: For the following list of examples, identify the dependent variable and
independent (or quasi-independent) variable.
1. A researcher tests whether cocaine use increases impulsive behavior in a sample of
cocaine-dependent and cocaine-inexperienced mice.
Independent Variable: Cocaine use in rats is the independent variable. An independent
variable is a factor or condition that the researcher manipulates or controls in an
experiment to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
Dependent Variable: Impulsive behavior level is the dependent variable. A dependent
variable is the outcome that the researcher measures or observes to assess the effects
of changes in the independent variable during an experiment. In this case, the
researchers are observing the effects of cocaine use in mice on impulsive behavior,
making it the dependent variable.
2. A professor tests whether students perform better on a multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank
test format.
Independent Variable: Test format is the independent variable. The professor is
manipulating this factor in order to measure the outcome.
Dependent Variable: Students’ test performance is the dependent variable, as this is the
outcome the researchers are measuring for.
3. A researcher tests whether smoking by parents influences children’s attitudes toward
smoking behavior.
Quasi-Independent Variable: Parents’ smoking behavior is the quasi-independent
variable. A quasi-independent variable is not directly manipulated by the researcher but
is a pre-existing characteristic or condition of the participants. In this case, since the
researchers are not directly controlling whether the parents smoke, the variable is quasi-
independent.
1
, Dependent Variable: Children’s attitudes towards smoking is the dependent variable, as
it’s the outcome being measured to observe the potential influence of the parents'
smoking behavior.
4. A social scientist tests whether attitudes toward morality differ based on political
affiliation (Democrat or Republican).
Quasi-Independent Variable: Political affiliation is the quasi-independent variable.
Researchers cannot directly control participants' existing political affiliations, making this
a quasi-independent variable rather than an independent one.
Dependent Variable: Attitudes towards morality is the dependent variable because it's
what the researcher is measuring to determine if there's a difference based on
participants' political affiliation.
5. A cultural researcher tests whether individuals from different cultures share or differ in
the belief that dreams have meaning.
Quasi-Independent Variable: Culture is the quasi-independent variable because it's not
directly manipulated by the researcher but is a pre-existing characteristic that
participants bring to the study based on their cultural background.
Dependent Variable: The belief that dreams have meaning is the dependent variable
because it's what the researcher is measuring to assess whether individuals from
different cultures share or differ in this belief.
Problem Set 1.2: Understanding Sample and Population
Criterion: Describe the relationship between population and sample.
Instructions: Read the following and answer the question.
Height and educational attainment: Szklarska et al. (2007) hypothesized that taller young men
are more likely to move up the scale of educational attainment compared with shorter
individuals from the same social background. They recruited 91,373 nineteen-year-old men to
participate in the study.
Do these participants most likely represent a sample or population? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The group of participants represent a sample. In the given context, the researchers recruited
91,373 nineteen-year-old men to participate in the study. This group of participants is a subset
of the larger population of all young men worldwide. The researchers are using this sample to
draw conclusions and make inferences about the broader population of young men.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Problem Set 1.3: Create a dataset for use in JASP
Criterion: Enter and display data for use in JASP.
2
Assessment 1 – Basics of Research and Statistics,
Frequency Distributions, Percentiles, and Graphical
Representations
Complete the following problems within this Word document. Do not submit other files. Show
your work for problem sets that require calculations. Ensure that your answer to each problem is
clearly visible. You may want to highlight your answer or use a different type color to set it apart.
Problem Set 1.1: Identifying Variables (Dependent, Independent, Quasi-
Independent)
Criterion: Identify dependent and independent variables.
Instructions: For the following list of examples, identify the dependent variable and
independent (or quasi-independent) variable.
1. A researcher tests whether cocaine use increases impulsive behavior in a sample of
cocaine-dependent and cocaine-inexperienced mice.
Independent Variable: Cocaine use in rats is the independent variable. An independent
variable is a factor or condition that the researcher manipulates or controls in an
experiment to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
Dependent Variable: Impulsive behavior level is the dependent variable. A dependent
variable is the outcome that the researcher measures or observes to assess the effects
of changes in the independent variable during an experiment. In this case, the
researchers are observing the effects of cocaine use in mice on impulsive behavior,
making it the dependent variable.
2. A professor tests whether students perform better on a multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank
test format.
Independent Variable: Test format is the independent variable. The professor is
manipulating this factor in order to measure the outcome.
Dependent Variable: Students’ test performance is the dependent variable, as this is the
outcome the researchers are measuring for.
3. A researcher tests whether smoking by parents influences children’s attitudes toward
smoking behavior.
Quasi-Independent Variable: Parents’ smoking behavior is the quasi-independent
variable. A quasi-independent variable is not directly manipulated by the researcher but
is a pre-existing characteristic or condition of the participants. In this case, since the
researchers are not directly controlling whether the parents smoke, the variable is quasi-
independent.
1
, Dependent Variable: Children’s attitudes towards smoking is the dependent variable, as
it’s the outcome being measured to observe the potential influence of the parents'
smoking behavior.
4. A social scientist tests whether attitudes toward morality differ based on political
affiliation (Democrat or Republican).
Quasi-Independent Variable: Political affiliation is the quasi-independent variable.
Researchers cannot directly control participants' existing political affiliations, making this
a quasi-independent variable rather than an independent one.
Dependent Variable: Attitudes towards morality is the dependent variable because it's
what the researcher is measuring to determine if there's a difference based on
participants' political affiliation.
5. A cultural researcher tests whether individuals from different cultures share or differ in
the belief that dreams have meaning.
Quasi-Independent Variable: Culture is the quasi-independent variable because it's not
directly manipulated by the researcher but is a pre-existing characteristic that
participants bring to the study based on their cultural background.
Dependent Variable: The belief that dreams have meaning is the dependent variable
because it's what the researcher is measuring to assess whether individuals from
different cultures share or differ in this belief.
Problem Set 1.2: Understanding Sample and Population
Criterion: Describe the relationship between population and sample.
Instructions: Read the following and answer the question.
Height and educational attainment: Szklarska et al. (2007) hypothesized that taller young men
are more likely to move up the scale of educational attainment compared with shorter
individuals from the same social background. They recruited 91,373 nineteen-year-old men to
participate in the study.
Do these participants most likely represent a sample or population? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The group of participants represent a sample. In the given context, the researchers recruited
91,373 nineteen-year-old men to participate in the study. This group of participants is a subset
of the larger population of all young men worldwide. The researchers are using this sample to
draw conclusions and make inferences about the broader population of young men.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Problem Set 1.3: Create a dataset for use in JASP
Criterion: Enter and display data for use in JASP.
2
