PSYC 255 QUIZ 3 2026 CERTIFICATION
EVALUATION TEST PAPER QUESTIONS
SOLUTIONS GRADED A PLUS
◉ Experimentation.
Answer: Most beautiful "scientific work of art" because, if done
correctly, it is the best scientific tool we have to draw conclusions
about causal relationships.
◉ Experimental Control.
Answer: 1) manipulate one or more independent variables
2) choose the types of dependent variables that will be measured,
and how and when they will be measured, so that the effects of the
independent variables can be assessed; and
3) regulate other aspects of the research environment including the
manner in which participants are exposed to the various conditions
in the experiment
◉ Casual Inference.
Answer: 1. Co-variation of X and Y
2. Temporal order: cause (X) before effect (Y)
3. Absence of alternative causes (confounds/third-variables) In
principle, if X is the only factor in a situation that varies prior to a
,change in Y, then the logical conclusion is that the variation in X
must have caused the change in Y.
◉ Confounding variable.
Answer: is a factor that co-varies with the independent variable in
such a way that we can no longer determine which one has caused
the changes in the dependent variable.
◉ Types of Variables (Review).
Answer: Independent: the one thing you change, limit to only one in
an experiment ex) the liquid used to water each plant
Dependent: the change that happens because of the independent
variable ex) the height or health of the plant
Controlled: everything you want to remain constant and unchanging
ex) type of plant used, pot size, amount of liquid, soil type, etc
◉ Potential Confounding Variables: Environmental Factors.
Answer: There are other environmental factors that even in
principle cannot be held constant, but that can be balanced across
the different experimental conditions. These include the time of day,
day of the week, and month of the year when each student
participates.
, ◉ What researchers hope to avoid: Systematic Bias.
Answer: in which the experimenter consistently alters his or her
behavior towards participants based on the particular condition
they are in
◉ Single-factor design.
Answer: - has only one independent variable
- This IV must have at least (2) conditions, also called two levels of
the IV.
- An experiment with 1 IV that has more than two levels is often
called a single-factor, MULTI-Level design
◉ What determines how many levels of an IV we should create?.
Answer: Essentially, the question about behavior that we ask, our
personal preferences, and our assessment of available resources will
be three key factors.
◉ Counterbalancing.
Answer: a procedure in which the order of conditions is varied so
that no condition has an overall advantage relative to the other
conditions
◉ Random assignment.
EVALUATION TEST PAPER QUESTIONS
SOLUTIONS GRADED A PLUS
◉ Experimentation.
Answer: Most beautiful "scientific work of art" because, if done
correctly, it is the best scientific tool we have to draw conclusions
about causal relationships.
◉ Experimental Control.
Answer: 1) manipulate one or more independent variables
2) choose the types of dependent variables that will be measured,
and how and when they will be measured, so that the effects of the
independent variables can be assessed; and
3) regulate other aspects of the research environment including the
manner in which participants are exposed to the various conditions
in the experiment
◉ Casual Inference.
Answer: 1. Co-variation of X and Y
2. Temporal order: cause (X) before effect (Y)
3. Absence of alternative causes (confounds/third-variables) In
principle, if X is the only factor in a situation that varies prior to a
,change in Y, then the logical conclusion is that the variation in X
must have caused the change in Y.
◉ Confounding variable.
Answer: is a factor that co-varies with the independent variable in
such a way that we can no longer determine which one has caused
the changes in the dependent variable.
◉ Types of Variables (Review).
Answer: Independent: the one thing you change, limit to only one in
an experiment ex) the liquid used to water each plant
Dependent: the change that happens because of the independent
variable ex) the height or health of the plant
Controlled: everything you want to remain constant and unchanging
ex) type of plant used, pot size, amount of liquid, soil type, etc
◉ Potential Confounding Variables: Environmental Factors.
Answer: There are other environmental factors that even in
principle cannot be held constant, but that can be balanced across
the different experimental conditions. These include the time of day,
day of the week, and month of the year when each student
participates.
, ◉ What researchers hope to avoid: Systematic Bias.
Answer: in which the experimenter consistently alters his or her
behavior towards participants based on the particular condition
they are in
◉ Single-factor design.
Answer: - has only one independent variable
- This IV must have at least (2) conditions, also called two levels of
the IV.
- An experiment with 1 IV that has more than two levels is often
called a single-factor, MULTI-Level design
◉ What determines how many levels of an IV we should create?.
Answer: Essentially, the question about behavior that we ask, our
personal preferences, and our assessment of available resources will
be three key factors.
◉ Counterbalancing.
Answer: a procedure in which the order of conditions is varied so
that no condition has an overall advantage relative to the other
conditions
◉ Random assignment.
