Ch18 The Independent Variable The Test Questions & Answers

CHAPTER 18: The Independent Variable: The Drivers of the Study

True/False Questions

1. If the independent variable of a research study is poorly designed, either the expected effect will not be found or the results will be ambiguous or meaningless.

2. Even when a researcher has carefully designed an independent variable, there is no assurance that the experimental manipulation will achieve its purpose.

3. Status variables are those that a researcher can manipulate as well as assign to a participant.

4. In the context of research studies, gender identity is an example of a status variable.

5. In counseling research, all independent variables consist of only two conditions—treatment and no treatment.

6. The independent variable is restricted to psychological treatments.

7. The independent variable is related to the effect of a research study, whereas the dependent variable is related to the cause of that research study.

8. The conditions of the research variables are designed in a manner that eliminates all confounds in an experiment.

9. Confusing interpretations of research studies can be made when the independent and status variables are not differentiated.

10. Causality is the strongest claim that can be made about relations between constructs.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following research designs is an example of an independent variable with two conditions?

1. A control group with two age categories
2. A treatment group and a control group
3. A treatment group, a placebo treatment group, and a control group
4. A treatment group, a placebo control group, and a control group

2. In experimental designs, the determination of the conditions of the independent variable is referred to as _____.

1. experimental dissociation
2. experimental manipulation
3. experimental correlation
4. experimental affiliation

3. Ecological validity is the idea that:

1. stimuli should be representative of the universe of such stimuli as they exist in the natural world.
2. stimuli should not affect the conclusions obtained through statistical analyses.
3. stimuli should have a clear-cut causal relationship with each other.
4. stimuli should affect the hypothesized constructs they were intended to measure.

4. In the context of ecological validity, increase in generalizability results in a threat to _____, because one is less able to attribute differences to isolated differences in the independent variable.

1. construct validity
2. statistical validity
3. internal validity
4. conclusion validity

5. The difference between the conditions on the desired dimension of the independent variable should be _____.

1. biased
2. reactive
3. transparent
4. salient

6. One of the goals of manipulation checks is to show that:

1. there is high salience of the independent variable.
2. treatments coincide with all dependent variables equally.
3. conditions vary on the intended dimension.
4. the intended dimension does not differ across conditions.

7. Identify a true statement about the interpretation of statistically significant results of a research study.

1. Failure to detect changes in conditions on the intended dimension result in a statistically significant difference on the dependent variable.
2. When causal attributions between the independent variable and dependent variable are established, statistical results are least significant.
3. Statistically successful results are obtained when manipulation checks detect the presence of multiple confounds.
4. Although manipulation checks can be used to rule out existing alternatives, such checks can also introduce confusion during statistical analyses.

8. Which of the following is the most likely cause of a statistically nonsignificant result?

1. Type I errors
2. Type II errors
3. Insensitive instruments
4. Presence of confounds

9. Which of the following is a difference between independent variables and status variables?

1. Independent variables eliminate the possibility of having Type II errors, whereas status variables eliminate the possibility of having Type I errors.
2. Status variables help establish causal relationships, whereas independent variables help detect associations.
3. Status variables cannot be manipulated, whereas independent variables can be manipulated.
4. Independent variables are used solely in nonexperimental designs, whereas status variables are used solely in experimental designs.

10. Even though the analysis of status variables is often identical to that of independent variables, it is more difficult to establish causal inferences because _____.

1. they are not inclined to interact with each other
2. they are more susceptible to threats to internal validity
3. they are harder to measure
4. they are not manipulated