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Based on this scenario, explain how the researcher must combine these factors to structure the study as a factorial design. Identify the specific factors, their levels, and list all the resulting distinct conditions that must be created.

Case context: A health psychologist is planning a study to test calorie estimation. They decide to use a factorial design to test the effects of two factors: participant major (psychology vs. nutrition) and food type (cookie vs. hamburger).

Question: Based on this scenario, explain how the researcher must combine these factors to structure the study as a factorial design. Identify the specific factors, their levels, and list all the resulting distinct conditions that must be created.

Sample answer: To structure this as a factorial design, the researcher must combine every level of the first factor (participant major) with every level of the second factor (food type). The factors and their levels are participant major (psychology and nutrition) and food type (cookie and hamburger). This systematic combination creates four distinct conditions: psychology major with cookie, psychology major with hamburger, nutrition major with cookie, and nutrition major with hamburger.

Key points:

  • The factors and levels are participant major (psychology vs. nutrition) and food type (cookie vs. hamburger).
  • A factorial design combines every level of one factor with every level of the other factor.
  • There are four resulting experimental conditions: psychology/cookie, psychology/hamburger, nutrition/cookie, and nutrition/hamburger.

Rubric: The response should be graded based on: 1) Correctly identifying the two factors and their levels (participant major: psychology/nutrition; food type: cookie/hamburger). 2) Explaining that factorial designs require combining every level of one factor with every level of all other factors. 3) Accurately listing the four resulting distinct conditions.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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