PSY1082
Intro to Experimental
Psychology
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,1. A researcher wants to test the effect of music on memory
performance. He randomly assigns participants to one of
three conditions: listening to classical music, listening to
rock music, or listening to no music while studying a list of
words. He then measures how many words they can recall
after a 10-minute delay. What is the independent variable
in this experiment?
a) The type of music
b) The number of words
c) The memory performance
d) The 10-minute delay
*Answer: a) The type of music
Rationale: The independent variable is the factor that the
researcher manipulates or varies to see if it has an effect on
the dependent variable. In this case, the type of music is the
independent variable.*
2. A researcher wants to test the effect of caffeine on
alertness. She measures the alertness level of 100
participants before and after they drink either a cup of
coffee or a cup of decaffeinated coffee. She then compares
the alertness levels between the two groups. What is the
research design in this experiment?
a) Between-subjects design
b) Within-subjects design
c) Quasi-experimental design
d) Correlational design
*Answer: a) Between-subjects design
, Rationale: A between-subjects design is a research design
in which different groups of participants are exposed to
different levels of the independent variable. In this case, the
participants are divided into two groups: one that drinks
caffeinated coffee and one that drinks decaffeinated
coffee.*
3. A researcher wants to test the effect of gender on spatial
ability. He administers a spatial ability test to 50 male and
50 female college students and compares their scores. What
is the main problem with this experiment?
a) It lacks random assignment
b) It lacks operational definitions
c) It lacks experimental control
d) It lacks external validity
*Answer: a) It lacks random assignment
Rationale: Random assignment is a procedure in which
each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to
any group or condition in an experiment. It helps to ensure
that the groups are comparable in all aspects except for the
independent variable. In this case, the researcher did not
randomly assign participants to their gender groups, but
used a pre-existing characteristic (gender) as the
independent variable. This makes it difficult to rule out
other factors that may influence spatial ability, such as
education, culture, or motivation.*
Intro to Experimental
Psychology
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,1. A researcher wants to test the effect of music on memory
performance. He randomly assigns participants to one of
three conditions: listening to classical music, listening to
rock music, or listening to no music while studying a list of
words. He then measures how many words they can recall
after a 10-minute delay. What is the independent variable
in this experiment?
a) The type of music
b) The number of words
c) The memory performance
d) The 10-minute delay
*Answer: a) The type of music
Rationale: The independent variable is the factor that the
researcher manipulates or varies to see if it has an effect on
the dependent variable. In this case, the type of music is the
independent variable.*
2. A researcher wants to test the effect of caffeine on
alertness. She measures the alertness level of 100
participants before and after they drink either a cup of
coffee or a cup of decaffeinated coffee. She then compares
the alertness levels between the two groups. What is the
research design in this experiment?
a) Between-subjects design
b) Within-subjects design
c) Quasi-experimental design
d) Correlational design
*Answer: a) Between-subjects design
, Rationale: A between-subjects design is a research design
in which different groups of participants are exposed to
different levels of the independent variable. In this case, the
participants are divided into two groups: one that drinks
caffeinated coffee and one that drinks decaffeinated
coffee.*
3. A researcher wants to test the effect of gender on spatial
ability. He administers a spatial ability test to 50 male and
50 female college students and compares their scores. What
is the main problem with this experiment?
a) It lacks random assignment
b) It lacks operational definitions
c) It lacks experimental control
d) It lacks external validity
*Answer: a) It lacks random assignment
Rationale: Random assignment is a procedure in which
each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to
any group or condition in an experiment. It helps to ensure
that the groups are comparable in all aspects except for the
independent variable. In this case, the researcher did not
randomly assign participants to their gender groups, but
used a pre-existing characteristic (gender) as the
independent variable. This makes it difficult to rule out
other factors that may influence spatial ability, such as
education, culture, or motivation.*
