Test Questions

Multiple Choice

1. (F) Introduction
   Experimental designs in which each subject serves in more than one experimental condition are called
2.    between-subjects designs.
3. factorial designs.
   c.   independent groups designs.

*                 d.   within-subjects designs.

2. (A) Introduction
   Wally participated in an experiment in which he rated the taste of three different pale ales. This study used a ____ design.
   a. between-subjects
   b.   factorial
   c.   independent groups

*                 d.   within-subjects

3. (C) Introduction
   A between-subjects design may not be the best approach when
   a. random assignment to conditions will control subject variables.

*                 b.   subjects vary greatly on the dependent variable.
c.   there is asymmetrical carryover between treatment conditions.
d.   treatment conditions interfere with each other.

4. (C) Introduction
   When there are large individual differences in subject responses to treatment conditions, we should assess the effects of an independent variable using ____ designs.
   a.   between-subjects
5. factorial
   c.   independent groups

*                 d.   within-subjects

29. (C) Disadvantages of a Within-Subjects Design
    The hypothetical study of car-buying preferences was based on the premise that the type of car people first learn to drive influences later purchasing decisions. This study could not use a within-subjects design because
    a. it would be hopelessly confounded by order effects.
    b.   researchers cannot manipulate the first car subjects learn to drive.

*                 c.   subjects can only participate in one condition (compact or smaller car).
d.   there are large individual differences in car-buying preferences.

30. (A) Disadvantages of a Within-Subjects Design
    In Jenna’s within-subjects design, subjects learned the same list of words in two different treatment conditions (forming mental pictures of the words and repeating the words over and over). Her selection of a within-subjects design to compare learning strategies was unfortunate because a
    a. between-subjects design would provide better control for individual
    differences.
    b.   between-subjects design would achieve greater statistical power.

*                 c.   within-subjects design involves unavoidable interference between
experimental conditions.
d.   within-subjects design risks uncontrollable order effects.

31. (F) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    Whenever changes in performance occur because a condition falls in different places in a series of treatments, there is confounding due to
    a. carryover effects.
    b.   interference effects.
32. maturation effects.

*                 d.   order effects.

32. (C) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    In which of these designs might confounding due to order effects be a problem?
    a. between-subjects design
    b.   matched groups design

*                 c.   within-subjects design
d.   matched groups design and within-subjects design

25. (C) Advantages of a Within-Subjects Design
    A researcher has a better chance of detecting the effect of the independent variable using a within-subjects design because
    a. each subject goes through each treatment condition more than once.

*                 b.   each subject serves as his or her own control.
c.   the experimenter can more precisely manipulate the independent variable
than in a between-subjects design.
d.   the experimenter compares subjects against each other.

26. (C) Disadvantages of a Within-Subjects Design
    A within-subjects design is a poor choice when

*                 a.   participation in one treatment condition will provide subjects too many
clues about the next conditions.
b.   subjects vary widely in performance on the dependent variable.
c.   there is a small number of subjects.
d.   we need to control extraneous subject variables.

27. (A) Disadvantages of a Within-Subjects Design
    A within-subjects design would be either impossible or useless for
    a. estimating line length for different line orientations.

*                 b.   learning the same list of words using different study strategies.
c.   studying driving simulator performance on separate days under different
blood alcohol levels.
d.   tracking a visual target using different computer displays.

28. (F) Disadvantages of a Within-Subjects Design
    You should not use a repeated-measures design when

*                 a.   exposure to one level of an independent variable will affect performance
during subsequent treatment conditions.
b.   it is possible to perform the same study using a between-subjects design.
c.   the sample size is small.
d.   there are large individual differences in subject performance on the
dependent variable.

51. (F) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    Block randomization controls
    a. asymmetrical carryover effects.
    b.   linear progressive error.
    c.   nonlinear progressive error.

*                 d.   linear and nonlinear progressive error.

52. (C) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    If we wish to counterbalance treatments in a within-subjects design and present each treatment condition only once to each subject, we must use

*                 a.   across-subjects counterbalancing.
b.   block randomization.
c.   reverse counterbalancing.
d.   subject-by-subject counterbalancing.

53. (A) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    We will need a minimum of ___ subjects to use complete counterbalancing with three treatment conditions.
    a. 2
    b.   3

*                 c.   6
d.   9

54. (A) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    Chastity wants to use complete counterbalancing with four treatment conditions in a within-subjects design. How many subjects will she need?
    a. 4
    b.   8
    c.   12

*                 d.   24

55. (A) Controlling Within-Subjects Designs
    If an experimenter plans to use complete counterbalancing with five levels of an independent variable, she will need a minimum of ___ subjects.
    a. 5
    b.   15
    c.   40

*                 d.   120