Short Answer

In psychological research, variables are classified based on their role in the design. Evaluate why the experimenter's sex in Ibolya, Brake, and Voss's (2004) study is classified as an extraneous variable rather than a confounding variable, provided that participant characteristics were randomly distributed across experimenter conditions.

Question: In psychological research, variables are classified based on their role in the design. Evaluate why the experimenter's sex in Ibolya, Brake, and Voss's (2004) study is classified as an extraneous variable rather than a confounding variable, provided that participant characteristics were randomly distributed across experimenter conditions.

Sample answer: The experimenter's sex is an extraneous variable because it is a variable other than the independent variable that could affect the dependent variable (pain tolerance). It does not become a confounding variable because random distribution ensures it does not systematically covary with the independent variable across conditions.

Key points:

  • Distinguish between an extraneous variable and a confounding variable.
  • Define an extraneous variable as an additional variable that can influence the dependent variable.
  • Explain that a confound requires systematic covariance with the independent variable.
  • Conclude that random distribution prevents the experimenter's sex from systematically biasing any single condition, keeping it extraneous.

Rubric: A successful answer must evaluate the distinction between extraneous and confounding variables: an extraneous variable is any uncontrolled variable that could affect the DV, whereas a confound specifically covaries systematically with the IV. If participant assignment is randomized/balanced, the experimenter's sex adds noise (extraneous variance) but does not confound the independent variable's effect.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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