Experimental Design Quiz

Test your knowledge on experimental design, control groups, variables, and more with this quiz on experimental psychology.

Practice Learn Test

Which of the following is a characteristic of a good experimental design?

Inclusion of only one variable

Exclusion of control group

Random assignment of subjects to groups

Using a small sample size

What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?

To compare the results of different experimental conditions

To provide a standard for comparison

To ensure that the experiment is conducted in a controlled environment

To manipulate the independent variable

What is the term used to describe the extent to which a measurement tool accurately assesses the variable it is intended to measure?

Reliability

Validity

Precision

Accuracy

What is the term used to describe the variable that is intentionally changed by the experimenter?

Dependent variable

Control variable

Independent variable

Confounding variable

Which of the following is NOT a type of experimental design?

Between-subjects design

Within-subjects design

Quasi-experimental design

Cohort study design

What is the difference between a cross-sectional and longitudinal study?

Cross-sectional studies observe subjects at multiple time points, while longitudinal studies observe subjects at a single time point.

Cross-sectional studies observe subjects from different age groups, while longitudinal studies observe subjects from the same age group.

Cross-sectional studies observe subjects at a single time point, while longitudinal studies observe subjects at multiple time points.

Cross-sectional studies involve manipulating variables, while longitudinal studies do not manipulate variables.

What is the purpose of blinding in experimental design?

To prevent participants from knowing which treatment they are receiving

To prevent experimenters from knowing which treatment participants are receiving

To prevent bias in the interpretation of results

To ensure that all participants are treated equally

What is a potential limitation of using convenience sampling in experimental research?

It may introduce selection bias

It ensures a representative sample

It is time-consuming

It requires a large sample size

What is the purpose of randomization in experimental design?

To ensure that every participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group

To eliminate the need for a control group

To increase the sample size

To control for confounding variables

#10

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of using a pretest-posttest design?

Increased sensitivity to individual differences

Decreased ability to detect changes over time

Increased risk of history effects

Decreased internal validity

#11

In a factorial design, how are different levels of two or more independent variables combined?

By randomly assigning participants to different groups

By controlling for extraneous variables

By crossing each level of one variable with each level of another variable

By using a within-subjects design

#12

What is the term used to describe the extent to which the results of an experiment can be generalized to other populations, settings, and times?

External validity

Internal validity

Reliability

Validity

#13

Which of the following is a key advantage of using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in experimental design?

High external validity

Low cost

Minimization of confounding variables

Quick implementation