Introduction to experimental research methodology
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AP Psychology › Introduction to experimental research methodology
A researcher is curious about how temperature relates to aggression and predicts that as the temperature in a room increases, a measure of the subject's aggression will increase as well. What is the experimental design term for "aggression" in this scenario?
Dependent variable
Independent variable
Theory
Hypothesis
None of these
Explanation
A variable is described something that varies between people or objects—in this case, temperature and aggression are the variables. The “independent variable” (IV) is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher (temperature) and the “dependent variable” (DV) is the variable that changes as a result of a change in the IV (aggression). A “hypothesis” describes the relationship between variables and is generally what the researcher predicts will happen (i.e. “as the temperature in a room increases, a measure of the subject's aggression will increase as well”). Last, a “theory” is a principle or set of principles that explains a phenomenon.
A researcher is curious about how temperature relates to aggression and predicts that as the temperature in a room increases, a measure of the subject's aggression will increase as well. What is the experimental design term for "temperature" in this scenario?
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Hypothesis
Theory
None of these
Explanation
A variable is described something that varies between people or objects—in this case, temperature and aggression are the variables. The “independent variable” (IV) is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher (temperature) and the “dependent variable” (DV) is the variable that changes as a result of a change in the IV (aggression). A “hypothesis” describes the relationship between variables and is generally what the researcher predicts will happen (i.e. “as the temperature in a room increases, a measure of the subject's aggression will increase as well”). Last, a “theory” is a principle or set of principles that explains a phenomenon.
What is the main benefit of choosing a large sample for a study (as opposed to a smaller one)?
It is more likely to be representative of the population
It is less costly
It is less time consuming
It is less difficult to coordinate
It is guaranteed to be representative of the population
Explanation
The ideal sample that is chosen out of a population is a representative sample, which means that the makeup of the sample generally matches the makeup of the population. The main benefit of choosing a larger sample is that it is more likely to be representative of the population; however, unless the sample includes the entire population (which it rarely, rarely does), it does not guarantee that it will be representative. However, larger samples are often more time consuming, harder to coordinate, and more costly, so those drawbacks have to be balanced.
What is the main difference between laboratory experiments and field experiments?
Laboratory experiments are conducted in the lab and field experiments are conducted in the real world
Laboratory experiments are conducted in the real world and field experiments are conducted in the lab
Laboratory experiments are more realistic
Field experiments are more easily controlled
Laboratory and field experiments differ based on the number of subjects
Explanation
The difference between laboratory experiments and field experiments is not the number of subjects, but the place where they are conducted—the lab or the outside world. Lab experiments are more easily controlled, whereas field experiments are more realistic.
What is the main benefit of choosing a large sample for a study (as opposed to a smaller one)?
It is more likely to be representative of the population
It is less costly
It is less time consuming
It is less difficult to coordinate
It is guaranteed to be representative of the population
Explanation
The ideal sample that is chosen out of a population is a representative sample, which means that the makeup of the sample generally matches the makeup of the population. The main benefit of choosing a larger sample is that it is more likely to be representative of the population; however, unless the sample includes the entire population (which it rarely, rarely does), it does not guarantee that it will be representative. However, larger samples are often more time consuming, harder to coordinate, and more costly, so those drawbacks have to be balanced.
A researcher is curious about how temperature relates to aggression and predicts that as the temperature in a room increases, a measure of the subject's aggression will increase as well. What is the experimental design term for "temperature" in this scenario?
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Hypothesis
Theory
None of these
Explanation
A variable is described something that varies between people or objects—in this case, temperature and aggression are the variables. The “independent variable” (IV) is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher (temperature) and the “dependent variable” (DV) is the variable that changes as a result of a change in the IV (aggression). A “hypothesis” describes the relationship between variables and is generally what the researcher predicts will happen (i.e. “as the temperature in a room increases, a measure of the subject's aggression will increase as well”). Last, a “theory” is a principle or set of principles that explains a phenomenon.