Research Method Chapter6-10

In an independent groups design, a separate group of people serve as the control

group. In the repeated measures design,
a. there is no control
b. all participants participate in one condition of the experiment
c. participants serve as their own controls
d. test-retest reliability is the main goal of the research
participants serve as their own controls.

The need to balance practice effects in the repeated measures design is analogous to
the need to balance ______________ in the independent groups design.
a. order effects
b. individual differences
c. reactivity
d. subject loss
individual differences

Which of the following in NOT one of the reasons why researchers choose to use the
repeated measures design?
a. Repeated measures designs require fewer subjects
b. Repeated measures designs are more convenient and efficient
c.Repeated measures designs are generally less sensitive than are independent groups
designs.
d. Repeated measures designs are needed when the experimental procedures require
participants to compare two or more stimuli
Repeated measures designs are generally less sensitive than are independent groups
designs.

The difference between repeated measurements to establish test-retest reliability and

experiments using repeated measures designs is that in experiments with repeated
measures designs
a. the reliability of measurement is not important
b. measurements are compared for different conditions of an independent variable
c. measurements occur only twice
d. a correlation coefficient would be used to determine consistency across
measurements
measurements are compared for different conditions of an independent variable.

There can be no confounding by individual difference variables in the repeated

measures designs because
a. the same participants are tested in all conditions of repeated measures designs
b. individual differences variables are held constant in repeated measures designs
c. individual differences variables are eliminated in repeated measures designs
d. only one participant is tested in all repeated measures designs
the same participants are tested in all conditions of repeated measures designs.

A researcher compares students' performance using a new learning strategy to their

Research Method Chapter6-10

performance using the old strategy. Students' performance is first tested with the old
strategy, followed by the new strategy. The results indicate that students perform better
with the new strategy. These results
a. are uninterpretable due to the confounding with practice effects
b. the order of the two learning strategies does not matter
c. indicate that teachers should use the new strategy
d. all of these
are uninterpretable due to the confounding with practice effects.

Which of the following concerns leads researchers to balance practice effects in

repeated measures designs?
a. Balancing practice effects allows researchers to determine the sources of systematic
error variation in repeated measures designs
b. balancing practice effects allows researchers to account for individual differences
variables in repeated measures designs due to participants' prior experience
c. Balancing allows researchers to ignore sources confounding that cannot be balanced
in repeated measures designs
d. Balancing allows researchers to control changes participants undergo with repeated
testing in repeated measures designs.
Balancing allows researchers to control changes participants undergo with repeated
testing in repeated measures designs.

Counterbalancing is an important research technique b/c it is used to

a. average individual differences variables across conditions of a repeated measures
design
b. average practice effects across conditions of an independent groups design
c. equates practice effects with those found in random groups designs
d. balances individual differences variables across the conditions of the experiment
average practice effects across conditions of a repeated measures design.

Balancing the order of conditions in a repeated measures design

a. averages practice effects across the conditions of the experiment
b. eliminates practice effects in the conditions of the experiment
c. equates practice effects with those found in random groups designs
d. balances individual differences variables across the conditions of the experiment
eliminates practice effects in the conditions of the experiment.

a market researcher wants to test the effectiveness of three difference types of

advertisement. Participants will respond to many examples of each type of
advertisement so that the researcher can determine each person's preference. What
type of design is this researcher using?
a. replicated repeated measures design
b. partial repeated measures design
c. incomplete repeated measures design
d. complete repeated measures design
Complete repeated measures design.
Research Method Chapter6-10

A researcher plans to conduct a complete repeated measures design in which the

independent variable is manipulated using four conditions that vary the level of violence
depicted in a photo (none, low, medium, high). There are 10 photos in each of the 4
conditions. Each participant will rate each photo once and therefore make a total of 40
ratings. if the researcher wishes to have 80 ratings of each photo, how many
participants should the researcher recruit?
a. 2
b. 10
c. 40
d. 80
80

A researcher designs an experiment with 6 conditions but each condition takes only a
short amount of time to administer. The researcher has the opportunity, therefore, to
administer many trials of each condition in the experiment. Which of the following
techniques is likely to be most effective for balancing practice effects?
a. block randomization
b. random assignment
c. stratified randomized
d. all possible orders of conditions
Block randomization

A student is considering doing a complete repeated measures design experiment

involving motor skills. The student's advisor has told him that people show a large initial
improvement on the task followed by slow steady improvement after this initial change.
The student must choose a technique for balancing practice effects. Which technique
should the student NOT use?
a. block randomization
b. latin square
c. ABBA counterbalancing
d. all possible orders
ABBA counterbalancing
When a participant in an experiment that involves the complete repeated measures
design develops expectations about which condition should occur next in the sequence,
the methodological problem that occurs is called
a. reactivity effects
b. anticipation effects
c. differential transfer
d. next in line effects
anticipation effects.
Research Method Chapter6-10

In the incomplete repeated measures design, the levels of the independent variable for
each participant are perfectly confounded with the
a. characteristics of that particular participant
b. order in which the levels were presented
c. individual differences variables in the experiment
d. characteristics of the experimental task
order in which the levels were presented.
Practice effects in the incomplete repeated measures design are balanced by
a. ensuring that the results for each participant are balanced
b. subtracting the results for the different groups of participants in the experiment
c. averaging across the results for each pair of participants
d. averaging across the results for all participants
averaging across the results for all participants.
Each of the three techniques that are used to balance practice effects in the incomplete
repeated measures design conforms to a general rule that can be stated as
a. each condition must appear in each ordinal position equally often
b. each condition must appear in the first ordinal position equally often
c. each condition must appear in each ordinal position at least twice
d. each condition must appear in only one ordinal position
each condition must appear in each ordinal position equally often.
A health psychologist conducts an experiment to test the effectiveness of four
techniques for helping a person relax. The psychologist has a limited number of people
available to participate in the experiment and each relaxation technique takes some
time to complete. The psychologist has decided, therefore, to use the incomplete
repeated measures design with all the possible orders to balance practice effects. What
is the minimum number of participants the psychologist will need for this experiment?
a. 4
b. 12
c. 24
d. 48
24
When selected orders of conditions (Latin Square or random starting order w/ rotation)
are used to balance practice effects in the incomplete repeated measures design
a. the number of selected orders must be exactly equal to the number of conditions in
the experiment
b. the number of selected orders will always be equal to one more than the number of
condition sin the experiment
c. the number of selected orders will always be equal to some multiple of the number of
conditions in the experiment
d. there is no restriction on the number of possible orders needed to balance practice
effects in the incomplete repeated measures design
The number of selected orders will always be equal to some multiple of the number of
conditions in the experiment.
Compared to random starting order with rotation, an advantage of the Latin Square
technique for selecting orders in the incomplete repeated measures design is that in the
Latin Square
Research Method Chapter6-10

a. each condition precedes and follows each other condition exactly once
b. practice effects are balanced within each individual
c. a random order of conditions is generated for each participant
d. each condition is presented to each subject several times
each condition precedes and follows each other condition exactly once.
The additional step needed when analyzing the results in a complete repeated design is
to
a. subtract the mean of all conditions from each participant's score
b. multiply participant's score in each condition by the order in which the condition
appeared
c. add the participants' scores across all conditions and divide by the number of
conditions
d. compute the mean score for each participant for each condition of the experiment
compute the mean score for each participant for each condition of the experiment.
Repeated measures designs are more sensitive than a random groups designs b/c the
systematic variation due to individual differences is ____________ the statistical
analyses.
a. eliminated from
b. added to
c. averaged into
d. a critical part of
eliminated from.
The problem of __________ occurs when the effects of the manipulation for a condition
persist or carryover into the subsequent conditions in a repeated measures design
a. sensitivity
b. differential transfer
c. anticipation effects
d. counterbalancing
differential transfer
A repeated measures design experiment was done to test people's ability to solve
problems that varied in difficulty at three levels (easy, moderate and hard). The
researcher used all possible orders to balance practice effects and so was able to
determine that performance on the hard problems was better when they were preceded
by a moderate difficulty problem than when they were preceded by an easy problem.
Which of the following is a possible explanation of this finding?
a. negative transfer
b. differential transfer
c. progressive error
d. nonlinear practice effects
differential transfer
The best solution when differential transfer is likely in an experiment is to
a. use selected orders in an incomplete repeated measures design
b. use block randomization in a complete repeated measures design
c. choose a different independent variable to investigate
d. conduct a random groups design
conduct a random groups design
Research Method Chapter6-10

When researchers use the multi method approach they can reach comparable
conclusions about a research question after using different methods to study it. our
confidence in these conclusions
a.) concurrent validity
b.) convergent validity
c.) multiple validity
d.) crossing validity
concurrent validity
one major purpose of conducting experiments is to decide whether a treatment or
program effectively changes behavior. The second major purpose for doing experiments
is to provide
a.) an empirical test of hypothesis derived from theories
b. simple and relatively quick ways of testing and revising hypotheses
c. methods to obtain results that demonstrate that what we expect from our hypothesis
will be confirmed
d. definitive answers to theoretical questions
an empirical test of hypothesis derived from theories
the factors that researchers control or manipulate in order to determine their effect on
behavior are called the
a. intervention variables
b. independent variables
c. dependent variables
d. confounding variables
confounding variables
in a study that investigates the effects of two different doses of a drug on memory
performance, the drug doses represent the____variable and memory performance
represents the____variable.
a. correlational; confounding
b. experimental; control
c. dependent independent
d. independent; dependent
independent; dependent
When the three requirements for casual inference are met, an experiment is said to be
a. confounded
b. an independent groups design
c. internally valid
d. held constant
internally valid
Two control techniques that allow researcher to rule out alternative explanations for an
outcome are balancing and
a. establishing a covariation
b. establishing a time-order relationship
c. using a matched groups design
d. holding conditions constant
holding conditions constant
Research Method Chapter6-10

A researcher has manipulated only one independent variable at two levels, has held
constant as many other variables as possible and has balanced individual difference by
using random assignment. The researcher is likely to be able to claim that the
independent variable caused the observes changes in the dependent variable because
the experiment is
a. internally valid
b. externally valid
c. a meta-analysis
d. reliable
internally valid
which of the following arises when the independent variable of interest and a potential
independent variable are allowed to covary?
a. contamination effect
b. decrease in external validity
c. confounding
d. illusory correlation
confounding
A researcher examined participants memory following emotionally shocking events by
manipulating whether participants viewed a violent or a a nonviolent version of a video.
The video in the two conditions was identical except for two seconds in which the
violence variable was manipulated. That the video was identical except for the
manipulation represents the control technique of
a. balancing the individual differences across the groups of the experiment
b. confounding the independent variable
c. a time- order relationship between the independent and dependent variables
d. holding conditions constant in the experiment
holding conditions constant in the experiment
the characteristics of the participants tested in an experiment are called individual
differences
a. eliminating the individual differences from the experiment
b. balancing the individual differences across the conditions of the experiment
c. ignoring the individual differences because they cannot confound the experiment
d. holding the individual differences constant in the experiment
balancing the individual differences across the conditions of the experiment
Random assignment of conditions works to balance participants individual differences
across conditions of the experiment by
a. matching individuals on key variables
b. generating groups of participants that are equivalent, on average
c. forming groups based on an individual differences variable the researcher selects
d. asking individuals to participate in each condition of the experiment
generating groups of participants that was equivalent on average.
the goal of random groups design experiment is to establish the independent variable
as the cause of a differences in the dependent variable. The logic of accomplishing this
involves
a. beginning with non-comparable groups, treating them the same, and ending with non-
comparable groups
Research Method Chapter6-10

b. beginning with non-comparable groups, treating them differently, and ending with
comparable groups
c. beginning with comparable groups, treating them the same, and ending with non-
comparable groups
d. beginning with comparable groups, treating them differently, and ending with non-
comparable groups
beginning the comparable groups, treating them differently and ending with
noncomparable groups
The most common solution to the problem of forming comparable groups in the random
groups design is
a. random-digit dialing
b. random selection
c. random assignment
d. matching participants on the dependent variable task
random assignment
in addition to creating groups of equal size, an advantage of block randomization is that
is
a. decreases the number of participants needed in each condition
b. balances potential confoundings that occur during the time in which an experiment is
run
c. improves that likelihood that there will be individual differences among participants in
the conditions of the experiment
d. averages the effect of the dependent variable across the conditions of the experiment
balances potential confoundings that occur during the time in which an experiment is
run
a researcher randomly assigns one classroom to a new teaching method and a second
classroom to a control condition ( regular teaching method). This researcher faces the
potential problem of confounding due to
a. experimenter effects
b. selective subject loss
c. extraneous variables
d. intact groups
intact groups
An instructor randomly assigns two sections of his course to an experimental condition
or control condition.Students in the 9:30 section recieve the experimental treatment and
students in the 1:30 section participator in the control condition. At the end of the
semester the instructors tests reveal that students in the 9:30 section has higher test
scores than students in the 1:30 section based on a test of statistical significance.
Based on this summary we can state that
a. the results are uninterpretable because of intact groups
b. the findings have external validity across two times of day
c. the experiment has internal validity
d. all of these
the results are uninterpretable because of intact groups
in order to conduct an experiment more efficiently a researcher tests groups of
participants in several small groups. The sizes of the groups differ because of
Research Method Chapter6-10

differences in participants availability at different times. the different sizes of the groups
represent a potential
a. intact group problem
b. selective subject loss problem
c. extraneous variable problem
d. experimenter effect
extraneous variable problem
When participants begin an experiment but fail to complete it, the internal validity of the
experiment can be threatened. which of the following types of subject loss poses the
most serious threat to internal validity
a. the loss is selective in that some characteristic of the participant that is related to the
outcome of the study is responsible
b. the loss occurs because of an error by the experimenter
c. the loss leads to different numbers of participants in the groups in the experiment
d. the loss occurs because of equipment failure
the loss is selective in that some characteristic of the participant that is related to the
outcome of the study is responsible
subject loss (attrition) poses a problem for a random groups design because
a. extraneous variables are more likely to affect subjects who drop out
b. participants may change their natural group designation
c. participants may no longer be blind to the manipulation
d. group equivalence established at the beginning of the experiment may be lost
group equivalence established at the beginning of the experiment may be lost
if participants know they have been given alcohol, they may expect certain effects such
as giddiness or relaxation. The general term for such cues that guide participants
behavior in a study is
a. double-blind effects
b. self-preoccupation characteristics
c. demand characteristics
d. expectation effects
demand characteristics
placebo control groups and double blind procedures are typically used to control for
a. individual differences variables
b. the influence of extraneous variables
c. the possibility of selective subject loss
d. demand characteristics and experimenter effects
demand characteristics and experimenter effects
which of the following is the best way to determine whether the differences in means
obtained is an experiment are reliable?
a. perform an inferential statistics test
b. use confidence intervals to compare the means
c. replicate the experiment
d. find the difference between two sample means
replicate the experiment
the three steps of data analysis are
a. check the data, summarize the data and confirm what the data reveal
Research Method Chapter6-10

b. find any outliers, compute confidence intervals, and do null hypothesis significance
testing
c. find type 1 and type 2 errors, compute means, and compute inferential statistics
d. calculate the standard deviation, find the effect size, and do null hypothesis
significance testing
check the data, summarize the data and confirm what the data reveal
after checking the data for errors and outliers, the next step is analyzing the data from a
research study is to use
a. descriptive statistics
b. meta-analysis
c. confidence intervals
d. inferential statistics and null hypothesis significance testing
descriptive statistics
a researcher observes that the mean differences between two conditions is 2.0 and the
average variability in participants' scores is 4.0. The effect size, Cohen's d, for this
experiment is _____.
a. 8
b. 4
c. 2
d. .5
.5
which of the following is a measure of the strength of the relationship between the
independent and dependent variables that is independent of sample size
a. f-test
b. error variation
c. effect size
d. residual variation
effect size
which of the following is NOT an advantage of using measures of effect size?
a. Measures of effect size provide information about the strength of the relationship
between an independent variable and a dependent variable
b. Measures of effect size can be used to make quantitative comparisons of the different
outcomes found in a series of experiments involving the same independent variable
c. measure of effect size can provide an estimate of the overall effect size for an
independent variable by averaging effect sizes across a series of experiments
d. measures of effect size provide the best information about whether the effect of the
independent variable is statistically significant
measures of effect size provide the best information about whether the effect of the
independent variable is statistically significant
The statistical tool that is used to analyze the results of several independent
experiments is called
a. f-test analysis
b. meta-analysis
c. omni analysis
d. Cohen's d analysis
meta-analysis
Research Method Chapter6-10

Two statistical methods that researchers use to determine whether an independent

variable has reliable effect on a dependent variable are
a. error variation and effect size
b. statistical significance and odds variation
c. null hypothesis significance testing and confidence intervals
d. Cohen's d and alpha
null hypothesis significance testing and confidence intervals
The nonsystematic variation due to differences among subjects within each group is
called
a. spurious variation
b. error variation
c. meta-variation
d. nonsignificant variation
error variation
A statistically significant outcome is an outcome that
a. leads to a modification in a psychological theory
b. leads us to reject the null hypothesis
c. assures that practical applications of the outcome will be successful
d. assures the internal validity of the experiment
leads us to reject the null hypothesis
A statistically significant outcome is an outcome that
a. has a large likelihood of occurring if the null hypothesis is true
b. has a small likelihood of occurring if the null hypothesis is true
c. occurs in 5 out of every 100 experiments (p=.05)
d. has neither type 1 nor type 2 errors
has a small likelihood of occurring if the null hypothesis is true
a researcher computes an inferential statistic to test the difference between mean
scores for an experimental group and a control group. The probability of the obtained
statistical value is .025 which is less than the alpha level of significance (p<.05) The
researcher should
a. reject the null hypothesis of no difference between the experimental and control
groups because the probability is so small; thus, the independent variable had a reliable
effect on the dependent variable
b. accept the null hypothesis of no difference between the experimental and control
groups because the probability is so small; thus, the independent variable had no effect
c. neither accept nor reject the null hypothesis of no difference because the probability
value of .025 is significantly different than .05
d. reduce the alpha level of significance to .025 to form a definite conclusion
reject the null hypothesis of no difference between the experimental and control groups
because the probability is so small; thus, the independent variable had a reliable effect
on the dependent variable
we can be confident that the population means differ for two conditions of an experiment
when the confidence intervals for the two sample means
a. overlap
b. do not overlap
Research Method Chapter6-10

c. are of different size

d. have different standard deviations
do not overlap
a researcher computes a .95 confidence interval for an experimental group to be 2.0-8.0
and computes a .95 confidence interval for a control group to be 0.0-4.0. Based on
these confidence intervals the researcher can state that
a. the results for the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable are
inconclusive
b. the independent variable definitely influenced participants' scores on the dependent
variable because the upper limit of the confidence interval is twice that of the control
group.
c. the independent variable definitely did not affect participants' scores because the
lower limit of the confidence interval for the control group is zero
d. the population value for the experimental group is .95
the results for the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable are
inconclusive
Our ability to draw appropriate conclusions based on the results of an experiment
depends most of all on the
a. internal validity of the experiment
b. external validity of the findings
c. amount of variation in the experiment
d. statistical significance of the findings
internal validity of the experiment
The problem of Type I and Type II errors occurs because
a. researchers rarely conduct internally valid experiments
b. decision making based on inferential statistics depends on probabilities
c. the null hypothesis is difficult to define
d. all of these
decision making based on inferential statistics depends on probabilities
a type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is really true we claim
a. the independent variable didn't have an effect on behavior
b. the inferential test was not statistically significant
c. that the results are not significant
d. the independent variable did have an effect on behavior
the independent variable did have an effect on behavior
When we conclude that an experiment does not provide sufficient evidence to reject the
null hypothesis when in fact an independent variable does produce an effect, the
inferential statistics problem is called a
a. no-confidence interval
b. probability error
c. Type 1 error
d. Type 2 error
type 2 error
______refers to to the researchers ability to make casual inferences regarding an
experimental outcome and _____refers to the researchers ability to generalize the
findings beyond the scope of specific experiment.
Research Method Chapter6-10

a. internal validity; external validity

b. external validity; internal validity
c. reliability; validity
d. replication; confounding
internal validity; external validity
When the results on an experiment are likely to be replicated if the procedures are
repeated, we are more confident the findings are not due to change factors. When this
occurs we state our findings are
A. internally valid
b. sensitive
c. reliable
d. extraneous
internally valid
in a clinical trial involving a double blind placebo control design a diet drug was shown
to result in a statistically significant amount of weight loss. The sample size in this study
was very large. The effect size reported for the drug was small. (d=10). Which of the
following best describes the outcome of this clinical trial?
a. The drug did not have a reliable effect but it would still likely lead to a large weight
loss for people who use it
b. The drug did not have a reliable effect and it would lead to a small weight loss for
people who use it
c. The drug had a reliable effect that will likely lead to large weight loss for people who
use it
d. The drug had a reliable effect that will likely lead to a small weight loss fro people
who use it
The drug did not have a reliable effect and it would lead to a small weight loss for
people who use it
when the findings of experiments testing the effectiveness and safety of drugs on
animals are confirmed in clinical trials with people, the original findings of the animals
research are shown to have
a. external validity
b. internal validity
c. statistical significance
d. sensitivity
external validity
In what situation is it argued that external validity is irrelevant?
a. When psychologists seek to describe real world settings based on laboratory
research
b. when research is conducted with college student samples
c. when the purpose of the experiment is to test a specific hypothesis derived from a
theory
d. when the goal of an experiment is to set up the most typical case found in nature
When psychologists seek to describe real world settings based on laboratory research
a researcher has read a research report indicating that a certain medication has been
found to be effective when tested on men. The researcher plans to do an experiment
testing the effectiveness of the same medication but in his experiment both men and
Research Method Chapter6-10

women will be tested. The researcher is planning to do a

a. replication of the experiment to test the internal validity of the original experiment
b. partial replication of the experiment to test the external validity of the finding from the
original experiment
c. replication of the experiment to test the sensitivity of the original experiment
d.partial replication of the experiment to test the external validity of the finding from the
original experiment
partial replication of the experiment to test the external validity of the finding from the
original experiment
Researchers found a relationship between insults and aggressive behavior for 5 year
olds. If they want to test external validity of the conceptual relationship between insults
and aggressive behavior for a sample of 35 year olds they should
a. use age appropriate insults and measures of aggression for the 35 year olds.
b. use the same measure of aggression as was used with the 5 year olds
c. test the findings in the real world rather than in a laboratory setting
d. use the same insults as was used with the 5-year olds
use age appropriate insults and measures of aggression for the 35 year olds.
a cognitive psychologist wants to do an experiment testing the memory of eldlery
people. She has the following constraints: only 12 people available as a possible
participants and the independent variable she is manipulating requires the use of
separate groups for each condition. The psychologist hs a reliable and valid pretest she
plans to use. Which design is this psychologist likely to use?
a. matched groups design
b. natural groups design
c. random groups design
d. placebo control design
matched groups design
When conducting an experiment using the matched groups design, the preferred pretest
task (matching task) is
a. completely different from the dependent variable
b. an inexpensive task that participants could complete quickly
c. the same task that will be used as the dependent variable
d. a task with limited reliability and validity
the same task that will be used as the dependent variable
Which of the following conditions would lead you to recommend against the use of a
matched groups design and in favor of a random groups design?
a. a large number of participants from a homogeneous population is available
b. a small number of participants from a heterogeneous population is available
c. a separate group is required for each level of the independent variable of interest
d. a reliable and valid matching task is available
a large number of participants from a homogeneous population is available
to differentiate experiments involving individual differences (subject) variables and those
involving manipulated independent variables, those experiments involving individual
differences (subject) variables are called
a. selected groups designs
b. matched groups designs
Research Method Chapter6-10

c. natural groups designs

d. randomized designs
selected group designs
The natural groups design represents an illustration of the general research approach
that is called
a. descriptive research
b. correlational research
c. natural groups designs
d. randomized designs
correlational research
Which of the following is the most critical problem in drawing casual inferences based
on the natural groups design?
a. establishing covariation
b. correlating participants' characteristics and their performance
c. specifying the direction of the potential causal relationship
d. eliminating plausible alternative causes for the obtained relationship
eliminating plausible alternative causes for the obtained relationship
A complex design always involves
a. only one independent variable
b. two or more different research designs
c. two or more dependent variables
d. two or more independent variables
two or more independent variables
an experiment was done in which college students and elderly people were tested on
three different cognitive tasks (spatial ability, memory, and vocabulary). Thus there were
six conditions in the experiment. Which of the following best describes the overall
design of the experiment?
a. complex design
b. multi-variable design
c. cross-sectional survey design
d. naturalistic observation
complex design
When each level of one independent variable is combined with each level of a second
independent variable, the combination of these two variables is called
a. complete combination
b. counterbalanced combination
c. factorial combination
d. successive combination
factorial combination
In a complex factorial design described as a 2 x 4 there are
a. two independent variables, each with four levels
b. four independent variables, each with two levels
c. one independent variable with two levels and on independent variable with four levels
d. two independent variables and a four dependent variables
two independent variables, each with four levels
Research Method Chapter6-10

The number of conditions in a complex design described as a 2x3 is

a. two
b. three
c. five
d. six
six
Complex designs beyond the basic 2x2 design can be constructed
a. only by increasing the numbers of levels of each independent variable
b. either by increasing the numbers of levels of each independent variable or by
increasing the numbers of independent variables or by doing both
c. only by increasing the numbers of independent variables but holding the levels of
each at two
d. none of these
either by increasing the numbers of levels of each independent variable or by increasing
the numbers of independent variables or by doing both**
An experiment that is described as a 3x3x2 is one that has
a. three independent variables, two with three levels and one with 2 levels
b. two independent variables, each with three levels and 18 conditions
c. two independent variables with 3 levels and two dependent variables with 2 levels
d. one independent variable with a total of 8 conditions
three independent variables, two with three levels and one with 2 levels
In an 2x2 design with independent variables, Anxiety Level (Low, High) and type of test
(Easy, Hard), which of the following would be one of the four condition created using
factorial combination?
a. hard test
b. low anxiety-easy test
c. easy test-hard test
d. low anxiety- high anxiety
low anxiety-easy test
The overall effect of each independent variable in a complex design is called a(n):
a. main effect
b. average effect
c. comparison effect
d. simple main effect
main effect
Which of the following effects occurs in complex design when the effect of one
independent variable differs depending on the level of a second independent variable
a. main effect
b. interation effect
c. combined effect
d. factorial effect
interaction effect
In a complex design experiment researchers found that younger and older people
performed equally well on a memory task when they were tested in the morning, but the
younger people performed better than the older people when they were tested in the
afternoon. The different effect of age at the two times of day represents a(n)
Research Method Chapter6-10

a. main effect
b. correlated effect
c. interaction effect
d. comparison effect
interaction effect
Type of Task:
Depression Level: Solvable Not Solvable
Depressed: 6 8
Not depressed: 8 6

Which of the following statements best describes the effects that occurred in the 2x2
design outlined in the above table?
A. There was an interaction effect of the type of task and the depression variables but
no main effect of either independent variable
B. There was a main effect of the type of task variable, no main effect of the depression
variable and no interaction effect of the two independent variables
c. There was an interaction effect of the type of task and the depression variables and a
main effect of each of the two independent variables
d. there were two main effects (one for the type of task variable and one for the
depression variable) but no interaction effect of the two independent variables
There was an interaction effect of the type of task and the depression variables but no
main effect of either independent variable
Which of the following statements is appropriate for describing the interaction effect?

Gender of Confederate
Outcome Male Female
success 300 280
failure 150 200

A. the effect of the gender of the confederate depends on the type of outcome
b. the effect of the type of outcome depends on the gender of the confederate
c. both statements (A&B) are appropriate to describe the interaction effect
d. Neither statement (A nor B) is appropriate to describe the interaction effect
both statements are appropriate to describe the interaction effect
When a line graph is used to depict the results of a complex design, an interaction effect
is indicated by
a. parallel lines
b. nonparallel lines
c. lines that change direction only once
d. lines that change direction more than once
nonparallel lines
Which of the following patterns indicates that there has been no interaction effect in a
complex design experiment when the results are plotted in a line graph?
a. when the lines are parallel
b. when the lines start out at the same point and diverge from each other
Research Method Chapter6-10

c. when the lines start out apart and converge to the same point
d. when the lines intersect forming a crossing pattern
when the lines are parallel
A student is trying to determine whether and interaction effect is present in an
experiment with a 2 x 2 design. The data are summarized in a table. Which of the
following methods should the student use to determine whether or not an interaction
effect is present?
A. addition method
b. subtraction method
c. multiplication method
d. division method
subtraction method
In a complex design in which there are three independent variables (A, B, C) it is
possible to determine
a. three main effects and the three-way interaction of AxBxC
b. three main effects just the same as in three seperate experiments, each one involving
only one independent varaible
c. three main effects, three two way interaction effects (AxB, AxC, B x C) and the three-
way interaction effect of A X B X C
d. none of these
three main effects, three two way interaction effects and the three way interaction effect
of A X B X C
A researcher designs a 2 x 2 x 2 complex design in which the first independent variable
uses a random groups design, the second independent variable uses a natural groups
design and the third independent variable uses a repeated measures design. The
researcher wants to have 20 participants in each independent groups condition. How
many participants will she need to recruit?
A. 20
b. 40
c. 80
d. 160
80
Researchers interested in factors that influence people's performance determined that
there was an interaction effect of stress level and the difficulty of the task. Performance
on easy tasks was relatively better under high stress than under low stress;
performance on difficult tasks was relatively better under low stress than under high
stress. The researchers further found that the interaction effect of stress and difficulty
was more pronounced for men than for women. The combined effect of the stress,
difficulty, and gender independent variables represents a
a. triple or three-way interaction effect
b. simple main effect
c. modified main effect
d. ceiling (men) and floor (women) effect
triple or three way interaction effect
The three potential sources of systematic variation in a complex design experiment
involving two independent variables include
Research Method Chapter6-10

a. one main effect, one interaction effect and one error effect
b. one main effect, a simple main effect, and an interaction effect
c. two main effects and a comparison effect
d. two main effects and an interaction effect
two main effects and an interaction effect
The analysis plan and interpretation of the results of a complex design experiment
involving two independent variables depends on
a. the total number of conditions in the experiment
b. the number of statistically significant effects in the experiment
c. whether an interaction effect is or is not obtained in the experiment
d. whether either independent variable produces a main effect or not
the number of statistically significant effects in the experiment
Researchers most often interpret the findings of a complex design by
a. computing an analysis of variance
b. examining the means for each condition
c. conducting simple main effects analyses when an interaction effect is present
d. all of these
all of these
A researcher did an experiment testing the effects of noise on students' ability to study
effectively in different environments. There were three levels of background noise and
two different environments so the design was a 3 x 2. The researcher obtained an
interaction effect and decided to try to identify the source of the interaction effect by
testing the effects of the noise variable separately at each level of the environment
variable. Which of the following types of effects in the analysis of a complex design was
the researcher testing?
a. main effect
b. simple main effect
c. moderator effect
d. comparison of two means
simple main effect
The interpretation of main effects obtained in a complex design is critically dependent
on whether
a. only one main effect occurs in the experiment
b. more than one main effect occurs in the experiment
c. an interaction effect is present in the experiment
d. an interaction effect is not present in the experiment
an interaction effect is present in the experiment
The overall analysis of variance of a complex design indicates that there is no
interaction effect. Which of the following analyses should be done as the next step in
analyzing this experiment
a. Main effects
b. simple main effects
c. comparisons of two means
d. simple interaction effects
main effects
Research Method Chapter6-10

A student has done an experiment involving a 4 x 2 design. The students' initial analysis
of variance indicates that there was no statistically significant interaction effect in the
experiment. The independent variable with four levels, however, did produce a
statistically significant main effect. Which of the following analyses should the student
do next to specify the source of this main effect more precisely?
a. eta-squared analyses
b. simple main effects
c. comparisons of two means
d. simple interaction effects
comparisons of two means
Complex designs enhance researchers' ability to test hypotheses derived from theories
because complex designs
a. require more specific operational definitions of concepts
b. insure that the null hypothesis will be false
c. have higher internal validity
d. make it possible to test both main effects and interaction effects
make it possible to test both main effects and interaction effects
A common approach for resolving contradictory findings in research literature is to
develop a theory for the source of different findings and
a. manipulate independent variables in a complex design to test the theory
b. examine the relationship between a natural groups variable and a dependent variable
c. create experimental conditions that will lead to a floor effect for one set of findings
d. eliminate any possibility for statistical interactions among the independent variables
manipulate independent variables in a complex design to test the theory
When no interaction effect occurs in a complex design with two independent
variables,we know the effects of each independent variable can be generalized
a. only across the two independent variables included in the experiment
b. only across the characteristics of the participants tested in the experiment
c. across all factors held constant in the experiment
d. beyond the conditions that were included in the experiment
only across the two independent variables included in the experiment
When an independent variable such as task difficulty has been shown to interact with a
second independent variable such as age, the generality (i.e. ability to generalize the
findings) of the effect of the task difficulty variable is
a. unaffected
b. limited
c. increased
d. completed
limited
The limits of the external validity of the effects of each of the two independent variables
in a complex design are specified when
a. there is no interaction effect of the two variables but significant main effects for both
variables
b. there is no interaction effect of the two variables and neither variable produces a
main effect
c. there is no interaction effect of the two variables and one independent variable has a
Research Method Chapter6-10

main effect but the other variable does not

d. there is an interaction effect of the two variables and main effects of the variables
may or may not be present
there is an interaction effect of the two variables and main effects of the variables may
or may not be present
Which of the following is one of the reasons for being cautious about saying that an
independent variable is an irrelevant independent variable if the variable did not have an
effect in a single-factor experiment?
a. We can assume that this independent variable would not have an effect if different
levels of the variable had been tested
b. we know the independent variable could interact with another independent variable
when used in a complex design
c. we know that experiments in which an independent variable does not have an effect
are inherently uninterpretable
d. We know that single factor experiments cannot be used to identify relevant
independent variables
We know the independent variable could interact with another independent variable with
used in a complex design
In a 2 x 2 complex design, one independent variable was shown not to have a
statistically significant main effect on the dependent variable. Based on this we can
state that
a. the independent variable has external validity over the levels of the second
independent variable
b. for the variable to be considered relevant in this experiment it must interact with the
second independent variable
c. it is not a relevant independent variable
d. the variable will definitely interact with the second independent variable in this
experiment
for the variable to be considered relevant in this experiment it must interact with the
second independent variable
An interaction effect is likely to be uninterpretable when this problem in measurement
occurs
a. ceiling or floor effect
b. simple main effect
c. nonparallel lines
d. high reliable measurement of the dependent variable
ceiling or floor effect
Which of the following represents the general measurement problem that occurs when
performance reaches a maximum in any condition of an experiment?
a. effect size
b. ceiling effect
c. mediating effect
d. floor effect
ceiling effect
The natural groups design is effective for establishing
a. causal inferences between individuals' characteristics and their performance on a
Research Method Chapter6-10

task
b. external validity of findings relating individuals' characteristics and their performance
on a task
c. correlations between individuals' characteristics and their performance on a task
d. spurious relationships between individuals' characteristics and their performance on a
task
correlations between individuals' characteristics and their performance on a task
There are several steps an investigator must take in carrying out the general procedure
for drawing causal inferences based on the natural groups design. Which of the
following is not one of the steps an investigator must take?
a. Select a second individual differences variable that would be expected to interact with
the primary individual differences variable
b. develop a theory explaining why a difference should occur between groups
differentiated on the basis of an individual differences variable
c. select an independent variable that can be manipulated and that should influence the
likelihood that the theoretical process will occur
d. Strive to produce an interaction effect between a manipulated independent variable
and the primary individual differences variable
select a second individual differences variable that would be expected to interact with
the primary individual differences variable
A potential solution to the problem of drawing causal inferences based on the natural
groups design is to use a complex design involving a natural groups design for an
individual differences variable along with a manipulated independent variable. An
important key to this potential solution is to
a. obtain a main effect of the individual differences variable but not of the manipulated
independent variable
b. obtain a main effect of the manipulated independent variable but not of the individual
differences variable
c. obtain main effects of both the individual differences variable and the manipulated
independent variable
d. obtain an interaction effect of the individual differences variable and the manipulated
independent variable
*****
The relationship of the case study method to other research methods of investigation
can best be described as
a. very similar to experimental approaches
b. antagonistic to more controlled methods
c. most related to methods used to conduct confirmatory studies
d. interrelated with and complementary to other methods
interrelated with and complementary to other methods
A cognitive psychologist did an intensive study of a person who had suffered an unusual
brain injury. Which of the following methods did the psychologist use?
a. case study method
b. unipolar method
c. baseline method
d. idiogram method
Research Method Chapter6-10

case study method

Which of the following is an advantage of the case study method?
a. case studies are a source of definitive evidence in support of theoretical assumptions.
b. case studies are a source of ideas and hypotheses about behavior
c. case studies provide little opportunity for clinical innovation
d. case studies complement the idiographic study of behavior
case studies are a source of ideas and hypotheses about behavior
Case studies have been used successfully to study individuals with brain disorders and
individuals with exceptional memory abilities. These studies illustrate the use of the
case study method to
a. apply the nomothetic approach
b. test a clinical innovation
c. provide conclusive evidence for a particular theory
d. study rare phenomena
study rare phenomena
In the nomothetic approach to the study of psychology researchers generally conduct
a. studies of many individuals and use their average behavior to describe how people
behave in general
b. intensive studies of an individual to describe the unique aspects of individuals
c. studies of many individuals and use their average behavior to describe the unique
aspects of individuals
d. intensive studies of an individual to describe the way people behave in general
studies of many individuals and use their average behavior to describe how people
behave in general
The task confronting clinical psychologists can be described as trying to predict "what
any one person will do." Actuarial predictions and group norms can be useful, but the
clinicians task also illustrates the need for
a. nomothetic research
b. spiritual research
c. idiographic research
d. psychoanalytic research
idiographic research
Idiographic research, as represented by the case study method, has the potential to
reveal
a. causal mechanisms underlying behavior
b. nuances and subtleties of behavior
c. contradictory effects in well-controlled treatment studies
d. definitive evidence for the effectiveness of a particular treatment
nuances and subtleties
The major difficulty with the case study method as a basis for drawing cause and effect
conclusions is that
a. coding of the results cannot be done reliably and validly
b. biases of the researcher must dominate the interpretation of the results
c. excessive constraints on the external validity of the case study prevent causal
inference
Research Method Chapter6-10

d. the simultaneous use of several treatments and failure to control extraneous

variables prevent causal inference
the simultaneous use of several treatments and failure to control extraneous variables
prevent causal inference *
Researchers are often unable to control extraneous variables when they use the case
study method. This poor degree of control makes it difficult to use the case study
method to
a. develop predictions of behavior
b. consider alternative theoretical explanations of behavior
c. draw cause and effect conclusions about behavior
d. develop descriptions of behavior
draw cause and effect conclusions about behavior
The most serious disadvantage of the case study method, because of internal validity
issues, is the
a. difficulty of making causal inferences regarding the effect of treatment
b. limitation of information based on self reports
c. possible problem of generalizing from a single individual
d. possible problem of observer bias affecting the interpretation of the outcome
possible problem of generalizing from a single individual
Which of the following characteristics is present in a typical case study?
A. extraneous variables are controlled
b. treatment variable are often varied systematically
c. several different treatments are often applied simultaneously
d. all of these
*****
Problems of observer bias can arise in the context of a case study because
a. extraneous variables are often uncontrolled
b. the nomothetic approach is especially prone to observer bias
c. the researcher is often both observer and participant
d. case studies typically involve unobtrusive observation
the researcher is often both observer and participant*
Which of the following is not a source of bias in case studies?
a. socially desirable responses in a client's report of his or her behaviors
b. the study of individuals with rare disorders
c. distortions in the client's memory for past events
d. inaccuracies in the therapists observations on the clients behavior
the study of individuals with rare disorders
The problem of generalizing from a single individual arises when the case study method
is used. This problem is likely to be most serious when the case has been selected from
a population with
a. zero variability
b. a low degree of variability
c. a moderate degree of variability
d. a high degree of variability
a low degree of variability *
Research Method Chapter6-10

An extensive case study of an individual's visual system reveals several important

findings. The ability of the researcher to generalize these findings to other individuals
can be described as
a. impossible--the findings cannot be generalized because a case study was used
b. somewhat limited because people's visual systems are likely to vary somewhat
c. very limited because people's visual systems vary so greatly
d. not limited at all because the visual system of all organisms is the same
somewhat limited because people's visual systems are likely to vary somewhat
Case studies sometimes provide evidence for the "success" of a particular treatment.
People often find reports of these successful treatments highly persuasive. People are
persuaded by testimonial evidence primarily because they fail to
a. consider why the treatment would not work for them
b. see the personal relevance of the case study to their own situation
c. check thoroughly into the qualifications of those who conducted the case study
d. consider why the treatment would work for them
consider why the treatment would not work for them
The application of single-subject experimental designs to socially relevant problems has
its origin in
a. behaviorism and the experimental analysis of behavior
b. neuropsychology and the examination of individuals with rare brain disorders
c. the study of children who have been severely neglected
d. psychoanalytic theory and intensive psychoanalysis of individuals
behaviorism and the experimental analysis of behavior
Single subject experiments differ from the case study method in that single subject
experiments
a. rely more heavily on introspective reports by participants
b. allow the simultaneous manipulation of several independent variables
c. systematically contrast conditions within an individual whose behavior is being
continuously monitored
d. provide a more flexible alternative to the more highly controlled case study method
systematically contrast conditions within an individual whose behavior is being
continuously monitored
Which of the following statements is true regarding the relative advantages of single
subject experimental designs as compared to multiple-group designs in clinical
research?
a. Single subject designs are especially useful when research is directed toward
changing the behavior of large groups of individuals
b. Ethical problems arising from withholding a potentially beneficial treatment are less
likely to arise in single subject designs than in multiple group designs
c. multiple group designs are more effective when an investigator in clinical research
can gain access to only a small number of clients with a particular disorder
d. Single-subject designs are effective in identifying what treatments in general should
be applied to modify behavior, but it is not possible to specify what effect the treatment
will have on any specific individual
Ethical problems arising from withholding a potentially beneficial treatment are less
likely to arise in single subject designs than in multiple group designs
Research Method Chapter6-10

The first stage of a single-subject experiment is the baseline stage. The baseline stage
provides information about
a. personality characteristics of the participant
b. the effectiveness of the treatment in the experiment
c. what behavior would be like if the treatment were not provided
d. the likelihood that the participant will be receptive to the treatment
what behavior would be like if the treatment were not provided
Which of the following designs is used when the researcher focuses on the way
behavior changes with the systematic introduction and withdrawal of the treatment?
a. successive treatment design
b. multiple baseline design
c. case study
d. ABAB design
ABAB design
An effective treatment is identified in an ABAB (reversal) design when
a. behavior after the intervention is different from the baseline in both the first and the
second Ab stages
b. behavior after the intervention is different from the baseline in the first AB stage but
not in the second AB stage
c. behavior after the intervention is different from the baseline in the second Ab stage,
but not in the first AB stage
d. behavior after the intervention is at the same level as the baseline in both the first and
second AB stages
behavior after the intervention is different from the baseline in both the first and the
second Ab stages
A serious problem of interpretation can arise in the ABAB design when
a. performance in the initial baseline period is too high or too low
b. performance in the second baseline period does not reverse, that is, return to the
level in the initial baseline period
c. performance in the second baseline period is worse than it was in the initial baseline
period
d. performance improves to the same degree in both intervention periods
performance in the second baseline period does not reverse, that is, return to the level
in the initial baseline period
In a multiple-baseline design, the target behavior should change
a. long before the onset of the treatment
b. just before the onset of the treatment
c. long after the onset of the treatment
d. just after the onset of the treatment
just after the onset of the treatment
A researcher administers a treatment to four children in succession and monitors
whether each child's behavior changes with the onset of the treatment. The researcher
is using a(n)
a. ABAB design
b. multiple-baseline design
Research Method Chapter6-10

c. case study
d. successive independent samples design
ABAB design
What do each of the multiple baselines in the multiple baseline design represent?
a. individual case studies
b. replications built into the design
c. redundant sources of evidence
d. inevitable sources of confounding
replications built into the design
The multiple baselines in multiple baseline designs are usually established across each
of the following dimensions except
a. different behaviors for the same individual
b. the same behavior for different individuals
c. different situations for the same individual
d. one behavior for the same individual
one behavior for the same individual
In the multiple-baseline design across individuals, the treatment is administered
a. many times to each individual
b. successively to one individual at a time
c. during the common baseline period for all individuals
d. to all individuals in the study at the same time
successfully to one individual at a time
If the treatment is responsible for changing behavior in a multiple baseline design
across individuals, then an effect in the behavioral record will be seen
a. at the same time for every individual
b. immediately after the application of the treatment in each individual
c. just before the application of the treatment in each individual
d. immediately after the time when each individual's baseline stabilizes
immediately after the application of the treatment in each individual
Problems in the interpretation of the results of a multiple baselines design can arise
when
a. changes in performance appear in the treatment stage simultaneously with an
experimental intervention
b. changes in performance appear in the treatment stage after an experimental
intervention
c. changes in performance appear in one of the baselines after an experimental
intervention
d. changes in performance appear in one of the baselines before an experimental
intervention
changes in performance appear in one of the baselines before an experimental
intervention
Which of the following is not an acceptable approach for addressing the problem of
excessive baseline variability in single-subject designs?
a. dropping the results for those subjects whose baselines show excessive variability
b. averaging across several data points in the baseline
Research Method Chapter6-10

c. waiting it out--continue taking baseline measures until behavior stabilizes

d. removing factors in the situation that might be producing the variability
dropping the results for those subjects whose baselines show excessive variability
Which of the following patterns represents an ideal baseline in a single-subject
experimental design?
a. jagged line with several peaks and valleys
b. line with a positive slope
c. line with a negative slope
d. line with zero slope
line with zero slope
When the effect of an intervention in a single subject design is in the same direction as
a baseline trend (either increasing/decreasing) the researcher
a. can be extra confident regarding the effectiveness of the treatment
b. can be confident that the treatment did not work because of the baseline trend
c. cannot make firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment
d. none of these
cannot make firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment
A clinical psychologist seeks to increase the amount of time a child is able to work on a
task. In order to make an interpretation about the effect of treatment using an ABAB
design, the least problematic initial baseline period would show
a. an unstable pattern of behavior
b. discontinuity from the beginning to the end of the baseline observations
c. an increasing trend in the amount of time the child spends working on the task
d. a decreasing trend in the amount of time the child spends working on the task
...
A psychologist develops a behavioral treatment to decrease the frequency of a child's
temper tantrums. In order to make a causal interpretation about the effectiveness of the
treatment using an ABAB design, the most problematic initial baseline period would
show
a. an increasing trend in the number of temper tantrums
b. a decreasing trend in the number of temper tantrums
c. a stable pattern of temper tantrums
d. a greater number of temper tantrums in the baseline period compared to the
treatment period
...