Practice exam – 0HM240 – The Quantified Self in Health
Question 1
Which of the research questions below is more suitable for a lab study and which more to a
quantified self approach? For each question, decide which methodology is more suitable, and explain
why the other type of methodology would be less suitable (8 points).
1) “What is the effect of correlated color temperature on working-memory performance?”
• This question is best answered with a laboratory study (1 point) because the effect of the
independent variable on the dependent variable can be studied in a controlled way in the
lab (i.e. correlated color temperature can be manipulated) (1 point). A QS study is less
suitable because the independent variable cannot easily be manipulated in such a study and
the more ‘messy’ naturalistic setting would involve many possible confounds. Also, working
memory is more easily measured in the lab than in real life (2 points).
2) “What is the effect of natural light exposure on performance at work?”
• This question is best answered with a QS study (1 point), because a real-world setting is
needed to achieve the necessary ecological validity both for the independent variable
(natural light) and the dependent variable (performance at work) (2 points). A lab setting is
less suited, because it would not allow for the necessary ecological validity, and/or would
need to depend on retrospective measures for light exposure and performance at work,
which are notoriously unreliable (1 point).
Question 1
Which of the research questions below is more suitable for a lab study and which more to a
quantified self approach? For each question, decide which methodology is more suitable, and explain
why the other type of methodology would be less suitable (8 points).
1) “What is the effect of correlated color temperature on working-memory performance?”
• This question is best answered with a laboratory study (1 point) because the effect of the
independent variable on the dependent variable can be studied in a controlled way in the
lab (i.e. correlated color temperature can be manipulated) (1 point). A QS study is less
suitable because the independent variable cannot easily be manipulated in such a study and
the more ‘messy’ naturalistic setting would involve many possible confounds. Also, working
memory is more easily measured in the lab than in real life (2 points).
2) “What is the effect of natural light exposure on performance at work?”
• This question is best answered with a QS study (1 point), because a real-world setting is
needed to achieve the necessary ecological validity both for the independent variable
(natural light) and the dependent variable (performance at work) (2 points). A lab setting is
less suited, because it would not allow for the necessary ecological validity, and/or would
need to depend on retrospective measures for light exposure and performance at work,
which are notoriously unreliable (1 point).
