Key Takeaways and Exercises

What are the three essential features of an empirical study for it to be classified as an experiment?

What is the key difference between an extraneous variable and a confounding variable in an experiment?

When conducting experimental research on the effectiveness of a new treatment, which type of control condition involves participants receiving a treatment that is not the one being evaluated?

What is the primary purpose of using random assignment in between-subjects experiments and counterbalancing in within-subjects experiments?

Why are experiments generally considered to be high in internal validity?

What does it mean for a study to be high in external validity?

Which of the following is NOT a method mentioned for recruiting research participants for an experiment?

What is the primary reason for standardizing experimental procedures?

What is the purpose of conducting a pilot test of an experiment?

According to the summary in Chapter 27, deciding between a between-subjects and a within-subjects design for a particular situation requires careful consideration of what?

Which of the following research topics, based on the exercises in Chapter 27, could NOT be studied using an experimental research design?

An experiment shows that participants in a treatment group for a phobia improve more than those in a no-treatment control group. Which type of control condition would be needed to address the possibility that the improvement was due to placebo effects?

In a field experiment, why is it particularly important to have well-defined participant selection procedures?

Which of the following is an example of a variable that CAN be manipulated by a researcher in an experiment?

According to the summary of key takeaways, what is an extraneous variable?

To study the relative effectiveness of two training programs for running a marathon, a between-subjects design would be better than a within-subjects design primarily because of what issue?

A researcher wants to see if smiling people are perceived as more intelligent. Why might a within-subjects design be preferable to a between-subjects design for this topic?

In a study on memory, participants in the stressed condition are told they might have to give a short speech. To standardize the procedure, what should the experimenter do for the unstressed condition?

Although experiments can sometimes seem 'artificial,' the Key Takeaways section suggests it is important to consider what aspect that might support their external validity?

When is a wait-list control condition used in experimental research on treatment effectiveness?

A study aims to test if concrete nouns (e.g., dog) are recalled better than abstract nouns (e.g., truth). Which experimental design would be most appropriate and why?

What is the relationship between internal validity and the conclusion that the independent variable caused an observed difference in the dependent variable?

An exercise asks you to list five variables that can be manipulated by a researcher. Which of the following best fits this description?

The Key Takeaways section states that experimental research is a fundamental element in studying the effectiveness of a treatment. What two conditions are required for such research?

What is the primary risk of not having a well-defined participant selection procedure in a field experiment?

If a researcher wants to recruit elderly adults for a study, which two methods would be appropriate based on the chapter exercises?

An experimenter expectancy effect is a type of what?

What is the primary difference between a between-subjects experiment and a within-subjects experiment?

Which of the following is NOT a type of control condition mentioned in the Key Takeaways for research on treatment effectiveness?

A study finds that a group of obese children weighs less three months after starting a program that encourages more activity. If this improvement was due to the children naturally becoming more health-conscious as they got older, this would be an example of what threat to internal validity mentioned in the exercises?

In a between-subjects experiment, what is the fundamental purpose of random assignment to conditions?

A researcher is studying if the way a panhandler is dressed (neatly vs. sloppily) affects donations. This is conducted on a public street. What type of experiment is this?

Imagine two professors, A and B, teach statistics. Professor A gives daily quizzes, and Professor B does not. They compare final exam scores between their sections. Which of the following is a potential confounding variable in this study design?

What is the primary function of counterbalancing the order of conditions in a within-subjects experiment?

Which of the following describes a scenario where an experiment could not be conducted for ethical or practical reasons?

A study shows that participants who receive psychodynamic therapy for a dog phobia improve more than participants in a no-treatment control group. According to the exercise in Chapter 27, what is a fundamental problem with this research design?

What is the defining feature of an experiment, as summarized in the Key Takeaways?

If a study's results can be generalized to other people and situations, it is said to be high in which type of validity?

A researcher conducts a study with a treatment group and a control group, but the participants are not randomly assigned to the conditions. This design is best described as:

According to the Key Takeaways, which of the following is a fundamental element of experimental research used to control for extraneous variables?

A study on an activity program for obese children measures their weight before and after the 3-month program. If the children's weight loss was due to an unusually hot summer causing them to play outside less and eat less, this would be an example of what threat to internal validity?

When should pilot tests ideally be conducted?

Which of the following research questions would necessitate a between-subjects design over a within-subjects design due to irreversible effects?

According to the Key Takeaways, an experiment is a type of what?

If you standardize the instructions in an experiment by having all participants read from an identical script, what are you primarily trying to control?

A study is high in internal validity if...

In the exercise describing a study on memory and stress, what is the independent variable?

Which of the following scenarios describes a study with the highest internal validity?

What is the primary trade-off a researcher must consider when choosing between a within-subjects and a between-subjects design?

A confound is an extraneous variable that does what?