Midterm #2 - Experimental Designs (I and II)

Question 1

between groups design

Answer 1

• each participant tested in only one condition/level
• ensures all conditions are independent of each other
• can be costly in time and effort

Question 2

strategies to reduce bias

Answer 2

• random assignment
• setting that allows control over relevant variable
• standardized protocol

Question 3

experimental control

Answer 3

• methods used to counter threats to validity
• provides comparison for experimental condition
• reduces sources of variability

Question 4

setting the stage

Answer 4

• provide informed context information
• explain why experiment is being conducted

Question 5

staged manipulation

Answer 5

• uses confederates
• event manipulation
• creates a psychological state
• stimulates real world situations

Question 6

strategies for reducing variability

Answer 6

• explicitly include nuisance variables
• isolate effects
• statistical control
• match participants on variables known to effect DV

Question 7

within group/subjects design

Answer 7

• compare same people in all conditions
• can take a lot longer
• each participant experiences every condition

Question 8

advantages of within-subjects

Answer 8

• study change/differences in one person
• reduces variability

Question 9

disadvantages of within-subjects

Answer 9

• logistically more challenging
• instrumentation
• maturation

Question 10

counterbalancing

Answer 10

• with 2 conditions:
• half sample gets A then B
• half sample gets B then A

Question 11

Latin square

Answer 11

• situations when complete counterbalancing not possible
• each condition occurs in each position in sequence

Question 12

temporal precedence

Answer 12

• when changes in the suspected cause occur before changes in the effect

Question 13

mundane realism

Answer 13

• the degree to which a study parallels everyday situation in the real world

Question 14

independence

Answer 14

• the assumption that each participant represents a unique and individual data point

Question 15

matched-pair design

Answer 15

• one creates a set of two participants who are highly similar on a key trait
• randomly assigns individuals in the pair to different groups

Question 16

t-test for independent means

Answer 16

• compares groups’ means to see if the groups differ to a degree that could not have happened by chance

Question 17

effect size

Answer 17

• measure of the magnitude of the difference between groups

Question 18

null hypothesis

Answer 18

• hypothesis of no difference
• usually what the researcher is trying to statistically reject

Question 19

multiple independent variables

Answer 19

• could be used to explain single or multiple DVs
• can determine if effect of one IV depends on the level of another IV

Question 20

factorial designs

Answer 20

• when there’s more than one independent variable
• each IV is known as a factor
• each level of one factor combines with each level of another factor

Question 21

2x2 study

Answer 21

• one main effect for the row (A), one main effect for the column (B), and one interaction term (AxB)

Question 22

there is an _______ when lines are no longer ________

Answer 22

• interaction
• parallel

Question 23

synergistic effect

Answer 23

• 2 variables combine to produce an outcome that’s greater than what each individual variable contributes

Question 24

suppression effect

Answer 24

• an effect where 2 variables combine to produce and outcome that’s smaller than what each individuals variable contributes

Question 25

benefits of factorial designs

Answer 25

• establish cause and effect
• conduct multiple experiments at once
• examine how a combo of IVs affects the DV

Question 26

mixed design

Answer 26

• one or more IVs are between subjects factor
  AND
• one or more IVs are within subjects factors