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A researcher conducts a study in a local grocery store to test if placing healthy snacks at eye level increases their sales compared to placing them on the bottom shelf. Explain how this design meets the definition of a field experiment by identifying the independent variable, the natural setting, and one extraneous variable the researcher should control.
Question: A researcher conducts a study in a local grocery store to test if placing healthy snacks at eye level increases their sales compared to placing them on the bottom shelf. Explain how this design meets the definition of a field experiment by identifying the independent variable, the natural setting, and one extraneous variable the researcher should control.
Sample answer: This design is a field experiment because it manipulates an independent variable (snack shelf placement: eye level vs. bottom shelf) in a natural setting (a local grocery store). To ensure high validity, the researcher must control extraneous variables, such as keeping the pricing and promotions of the snacks identical across both conditions.
Key points:
- Identify the independent variable (snack placement / shelf height).
- Identify the natural setting (grocery store).
- Identify a relevant extraneous variable to control (e.g., pricing, snack brand, store traffic).
Feedback: A correct response must identify the independent variable as snack shelf placement, the natural setting as the local grocery store, and apply the concept by proposing a logical extraneous variable to control, such as price, product packaging, or time of day.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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