Experimental Design McMaster Reading (Text & Quiz)

What is the primary method used to systematically study a problem in psychology?

• Survey

• Experiment

• Observation

• Case Study

In an experiment, what does a researcher manipulate?

• The environment

• The participants

• One or more variables

• The outcome

What is the purpose of controlling other variables in an experiment?

• To increase the sample size

• To detect cause and effect relationships

• To reduce the cost of the study

• To simplify the data collection process

What is a variable that can take on only two possible values called?

• Continuous variable

• Independent variable

• Dependent variable

• Binary variable

Which of the following is an example of a variable that can take on an infinite range of values?

• Gender

• Alive/Dead status

• Weight

• On/Off status

Which type of variable is explicitly manipulated by the researcher in an experiment?

• Dependent Variable (DV)

• Confounding Variable (CV)

• Independent Variable (IV)

• Extraneous Variable (EV)

In the example of the room temperature experiment, what is the dependent variable (DV)?

• Room temperature

• Test scores

• Gender of students

• Time of day

What is the purpose of controlling extraneous variables (EVs) in an experiment?

• To increase the number of variables

• To ensure the IV has no effect

• To minimize the potential influence of EVs on the data

• To manipulate the DV

What is a potential downside of eliminating an extraneous variable (EV) by turning it into a constant?

• It can increase the number of variables

• It can limit the scope of the results

• It can make the experiment more complex

• It can increase the influence of the IV

What is the term used to describe variables that the researcher did not manipulate or measure but still affect the outcome of the experiment?

• Independent Variables (IVs)

• Dependent Variables (DVs)

• Confounding Variables (CVs)

• Control Variables (CVs)