Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Extraneous Variable

Experimental Manipulation

Within-Subjects Experiment

Between-Subjects Experiment

Pilot Test

Experimental Control

What is the primary purpose of conducting an experiment in psychological research?

A researcher surveys 200 university students and finds a strong positive relationship between the number of hours spent studying and final exam scores. Because the relationship is statistically significant, the researcher can conclude that more studying causes higher exam scores.

A researcher is conducting an experiment to determine if listening to classical music while studying causes higher test scores compared to studying in silence. Match each element of this study to its role in the experiment.

A researcher is moving beyond simply observing a relationship between two variables and wants to determine if that relationship is causal. Arrange the logical stages of an experiment to show how the design isolates a cause and supports a causal conclusion.

A researcher claims that a specific exercise program is the reason for improved mental health, but their study did not involve an actual intervention or controlled manipulation. To evaluate the validity of this 'cause-and-effect' claim, a critic would argue that the study fails to meet the requirements of an experiment and thus cannot support ____ conclusions.