Lesson 2.2.1

2.2.1 Experimental design and controls Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 2

20 questions

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Lesson 2.2.1, Experimental design and controls: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Psychology (9PS0), Unit 2: Cognitive psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the difference between a laboratory experiment and a field experiment?

    • A laboratory experiment has no independent variable, while a field experiment always has two independent variables
    • A laboratory experiment is conducted in a controlled setting, while a field experiment takes place in a natural setting
    • A laboratory experiment uses only qualitative data, while a field experiment uses only quantitative data
    • A laboratory experiment uses questionnaires, while a field experiment uses only observations of participants

  2. Which design control involves randomly allocating participants to conditions to reduce bias?

    • Use of a single participant in each condition of the study, to avoid individual differences
    • Randomisation
    • Debriefing of participants after the study has finished and all data have been collected
    • Standardisation of the instructions in every condition of the study

  3. Why is counterbalancing used in repeated measures designs?

    • To increase the number of participants in each condition so that the sample becomes larger and more representative
    • To ensure that the dependent variable is measured in the same way for every participant in the study
    • To control order effects, by varying the order in which participants complete the conditions
    • To remove the need for a control group, since each participant serves as their own control in every study

  4. A researcher uses an independent groups design. What is a key advantage?

    • Fewer participants are needed, since each participant takes part in every condition of the experiment
    • Counterbalancing is unnecessary in every study, since the design removes every possible confound
    • Participants are always matched on all variables, so individual differences are removed entirely from the data
    • Order effects are avoided, since each participant takes part in only one condition of the study

  5. A researcher uses a matched pairs design. What is a key purpose of matching?

    • To ensure that every participant completes both conditions, which removes all differences between people
    • To control participant variables that might otherwise differ between conditions and affect the results
    • To remove the need for random allocation, since the pairs are always equal in every way that matters
    • To increase the number of participants who take part in each condition of the experiment at the same time

  6. What is an extraneous variable?

    • The variable that is measured as the outcome of the experiment and used to assess the effect
    • A variable other than the independent variable that might affect the dependent variable if not controlled
    • A variable that is always the same in every condition, so it cannot affect the results in any way
    • The variable that the researcher deliberately changes to see whether it has an effect on the outcome

  7. What is a confounding variable?

    • A variable that is held constant across all conditions, so it can never affect the dependent variable at all
    • A variable that the participant chooses for themselves, so the researcher has no control over it in any study
    • A variable that is measured as the dependent variable, so it must always be recorded as a number
    • A variable that varies systematically with the independent variable, so it can explain the results instead

  8. Which of these is an example of a demand characteristic?

    • Participants forget the instructions because the room is too cold, which reduces their concentration in the study
    • Participants guess the aim of the study and change their behaviour to match what they think is expected
    • Participants are paid for their time, which is a form of incentive that has no effect on behaviour at all
    • Participants are assigned to a condition by a coin toss, which is a form of random allocation in the study

  9. What is the purpose of a standardised procedure in an experiment?

    • To ensure that every participant experiences the same procedure, so differences in results reflect the IV
    • To ensure that participants are not told about the study, which prevents any demand characteristics at all
    • To ensure that the dependent variable is measured only once, at the end of the study, for all participants
    • To allow the researcher to change the procedure freely for each participant, so that each gets a unique experience

  10. A researcher finds that participants perform better in the second condition than the first, regardless of the IV. Which effect does this suggest?

    • A Hawthorne effect, in which participants improve because they are aware of being observed by the researcher
    • A social desirability effect, in which participants give answers they believe are socially acceptable to the researcher
    • A placebo effect, in which participants improve because they expect the treatment to work for them
    • A practice effect, in which participants improve through repeated experience of the task

  11. Which evaluation point is most relevant to field experiments?

    • Field experiments always have perfect control of all variables, so they are always more reliable than lab studies
    • Field experiments cannot be used to test independent variables, so they cannot test causal relationships at all
    • Field experiments always use animal participants, so they are never relevant to human behaviour in any setting
    • Field experiments may have high ecological validity, but control over extraneous variables is usually lower

  12. Which of these is a strength of laboratory experiments?

    • Very large samples, since laboratory experiments always recruit thousands of participants at a time
    • High control over variables, which supports cause-and-effect conclusions about the IV and the DV
    • No ethical issues, since laboratory experiments never involve any form of deception or participant risk
    • High ecological validity, since laboratory settings are identical to everyday life in every respect

  13. Which design would be most suitable for comparing two conditions when participants might be affected by practice effects?

    • An independent groups design, since each participant takes part in only one condition and avoids order effects
    • A design with no control group, since practice effects are removed when there is no comparison group at all
    • A repeated measures design without counterbalancing, since the same participants in both conditions make it fair
    • A repeated measures design with a single order for everyone, since practice effects are always reduced that way

  14. Which statement about a dependent variable is correct?

    • It is the variable that the researcher changes deliberately, to see whether it affects the measured outcome
    • It is the variable that is always a participant characteristic, such as age or gender, in every study
    • It is the variable that the researcher measures, which is expected to change as a result of the IV
    • It is the variable that is always controlled by the researcher, so it never changes across the conditions

  15. Which is an example of a situational variable that could affect results in a memory experiment?

    • The participant's age, which is a participant variable rather than a situational variable in the design
    • Noise level in the testing room during the presentation of the word list
    • The participant's own memory capacity, which is a participant variable rather than a situational variable
    • The participant's gender, which is a participant variable rather than a situational variable in the study

  16. A study finds that participants in one condition are all tested in the morning and those in another condition in the afternoon. What is the main problem?

    • Time of day is not a variable at all, since it is simply a feature of the testing schedule with no effect
    • Time of day is a confounding variable, since it varies with the IV and could explain the results
    • Time of day is a controlled variable, since it is held constant across all conditions of the study
    • Time of day is the dependent variable, since it is measured in each condition of the study at the same time

  17. Which measure would help control order effects in a repeated measures study of memory?

    • Counterbalancing, which alternates the order of conditions across participants
    • Using a single fixed order, so that every participant completes the conditions in exactly the same sequence
    • Removing one condition from the study, so that participants complete only a single test in the procedure
    • Telling participants the order of the conditions in advance, so that they can plan their approach to each

  18. What is the main problem with using a matched pairs design?

    • It means that every participant must complete both conditions, which causes a serious order effect in all cases
    • It takes time and effort to match participants on relevant variables, and perfect matching is hard to achieve
    • It means that the sample must be very large, which makes the data impossible to analyse in any practical way
    • It means that no random allocation is needed, which makes the pairs less representative of the population overall

  19. A researcher's participants are told the aim of the study, and they change their behaviour to fit it. What is this?

    • A reliability problem, which means the measure gives inconsistent results when the test is repeated
    • An operationalisation problem, which means the variables have not been defined in measurable terms
    • A demand characteristic, which is a cue that leads participants to change their behaviour
    • A confounding variable, which varies systematically with the independent variable in the study design

  20. Why might a laboratory experiment be preferred to a field experiment when testing a memory theory?

    • Because the researcher has more control over extraneous variables, which supports causal conclusions
    • Because laboratory experiments involve no ethical considerations, since participants are never deceived in them
    • Because laboratory experiments always have higher ecological validity than field experiments do in every study
    • Because laboratory experiments always use larger samples, which removes the need for any statistical analysis

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