Question

Part 1: Please read the following scenarios. For each scenario, answer the following questions: a) what is the independent variable, b) what is the dependent variable, and c) is this a between-subjects or within-subjects design?

1. A child psychologist wants to determine the effects of cloth versus paper diapers on toilet training. Day-old infants will be used to begin the project. The age at which diapers are no longer needed (to the nearest week) will be determined.
2. A researcher wants to determine whether rats learn a complex maze more quickly when practice is spaced (spread out in time) rather than massed. The effects of massing practice trials (one trial every 10 seconds) will be compared with the effects of distributing practice trials (one every 10 minutes). The number of trials the rats need to learn the maze perfectly will be counted.
3. A local brewery is test-marketing flavored beer. It wants to see whether consumers prefer strawberry-, licorice-, or avocado-flavored beer. Several bottles of each flavor will be made. Consumers will fill out a questionnaire on how much they like the flavor, body, and aroma of the various flavors.

Answer 1

1. A child psychologist wants to determine the effects of cloth versus paper diapers on toilet training. Day-old infants will be used to begin the project. The age at which diapers are no longer needed (to the nearest week) will be determined.

a) what is the independent variable: Cloth and paper Diapers

b) what is the dependent variable: the age at which diapers are no longer needed.

c) is this a between-subjects or within-subjects design: between-subjects

2. A researcher wants to determine whether rats learn a complex maze more quickly when practice is spaced (spread out in time) rather than massed. The effects of massing practice trials (one trial every 10 seconds) will be compared with the effects of distributing practice trials (one every 10 minutes). The number of trials the rats need to learn the maze perfectly will be counted.

a) what is the independent variable: practice trials

b) what is the dependent variable: The number of trials the rats need to learn the maze.

c) is this a between-subjects or within-subjects design: within-subjects design

3. A local brewery is test-marketing flavored beer. It wants to see whether consumers prefer strawberry-, licorice-, or avocado-flavored beer. Several bottles of each flavor will be made. Consumers will fill out a questionnaire on how much they like the flavor, body, and aroma of the various flavors.

a) what is the independent variable: flavored beer

b) what is the dependent variable: Customers indicating how much they like the flavor, body, and aroma of the various flavors.

c) is this a between-subjects or within-subjects design: within-subjects design