can you help with my psychology exam?
Name: J. Exam 3 · Make sure you READ THE QUESTIONS THOROUGHLY! · Rounding errors will result in ¼ point deduction per error. · APA errors [specifically: (1) failure to use proper formatting for M, SD, F, p (2) failure to use “0.” when M, SD, or F are less than 1, (3) including “0” when it should not be {i.e., if the value cannot be greater than 1.00}, and (4) failure to carry out each value to two decimal points [and only two decimal points] will result in ½ point deduction per error. · This exam must be uploaded to BlackBoard by 11:59pm on the due date (see syllabus) or it will be considered late. Late exams will be deducted 5 points per day beginning at midnight. · As indicated in the syllabus, ALL work is expected to be YOUR OWN. Working with another student is not allowed; ANY indication of such cheating (including, but not limited to, plagiarism) will result in a zero for this exam and possible failure for the course. Names and Meanings DIRECTIONS: Below, you will find several scenarios. Answer the questions below each. KEEP IN MIND—the answers for the names of the design and of the analysis can be ANY inferential statistics design that we discussed this semester. A. In previous studies, Drs. Gigglesnort and MacFusserson* established that finding meaning in one’s everyday work activities can lead to greater success in the workplace (e.g., productivity, creativity). They are curious as to whether this can happen in the college classroom. Specifically, they are curious whether finding meaning in one’s classroom experience can lead to greater academic performance. The following semester, they used their research methods classes to test this idea. The exam grades were used to measure academic performance; higher grades indicated better academic performance. Students wrote a brief paragraph at the end of each class for the semester. For the first half of the semester, students in their research methods classes were randomly assigned to write either a paragraph about how the material had meaning for their lives (i.e., meaning group) or about what they did to prepare for class (i.e., preparation group). After the midterm exam, the students all switched to the other group (i.e., the meaning group became the preparation group and vice versa). Results indicated a statistically significant effect that supported their hypothesis. [* Enjoy the humor...These are names we would say about “the offspring” when they were fussing]. a. Name the independent variable(s), the levels, and indicate whether it is an experimental or a non-experimental variable (and explain why) Finding Meaning in One’s classroom- 2 levels- (preparation group and meaning group)-experimental- because it is manipulated. b. Name the dependent variable(s) and explain how it is measured Academic performance- higher grades indicated better academic performance. c. Is this a between-subjects design, within-subjects design, or mixed design and why? I am a little bit confused with the research study, but I answered the question to the best of my ability, with evidence to support my answer Mixed design The first half of the semester participants were randomly assigned to either the meaning group or the preparation group (between-subjects). After the midterm exams, ALL the student switched and received the opposite of the other group. Therefore, counterbalancing is a technique used to deal with order effects when using a repeated measures design. With counterbalancing, the participant sample is divided in half, with one half completing the two conditions in one order and the other half completing the conditions in the reverse order. Thus, there was a counterbalance and the between-subject group was manipulated. d. Is this design a true experiment or a quasi-experiment? Explain your answer. True experimental study because our predictor variable (finding meaning in one’s classroom). To have a true experimental study we would need to be able to manipulate the predictor variable. e. Describe a (SINGLE) possible confound variable for this study and explain why it is a confound Varies. Confounding variables are factors other than the independent variable that may cause a result. Therefore, gender is a possible confound variable because male or female participants may have can influence the result. f. How might you control for this confound? We would introduce a control variable to control for confounding variables. For example, you could control for gender by measuring only male and female. g. Name this design Single factorial (Univariate) ANOVA design h. Name analysis to be used An independent samples t-test is only appropriate for one IV with 2 levels. i. Given the last two line of this write-up, write an interpretation of what the researchers found. There is a statistically significant interaction between finding the meaning in one’s classroom and greater academic performance. The students in the meaning and preparation groups were significantly higher scored high on the academic performance. B. A group of researchers are collaborating on a project that examines 100 students’ cognitive performance relative to stress in the classroom (high, low, or normal) and the type of font used on the handouts given in each class (Times New Roman, Cambria, or Comic Sans). Random assignment was used to assign the font types to each “class”. In addition, random assignment was used to determine which “classes” would be of which stress levels. Participants were to attend all of these various “classes”. At the end of each “class,” participants are given the MDS Cognitive Performance Scale (Morris et al., 1997). Results indicated that cognitive performance depended on the stress level of the classroom; in addition, the effects of stress also depended on the type of font used. Specifically, the scores for students in the high- and normal-stress classrooms were significantly lower than those in the low-stress classroom; however, the scores for students in the high-stress classroom who were given handouts using Comic Sans were significantly lower than those high-stress classrooms that used either of the other font types. No other differences were found. a. Name the independent variable(s), the levels, and indicate whether it is an experimental or a non-experimental variable (and explain why) Stress in the classroom (high, low or normal)- 3 Levels-Experimental because it was manipulated. · Within-subjects variables-because all the participants were to attend all of these various classes. Type of Font (Times New Roman, Cambria, or Comic Sana)- 3 levels- Experimental because participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control group. b. Name the dependent variable(s) and explain how it is measured MDS Cognitive Performance Scale-It is used to measure the cognitive performance, the higher the score, the better the stress levels. c. Is this a between-subjects design, within-subjects design, or mixed design and why? Within-subjects design- because although random assignment was used to assign the font of each type of classes and to determine which classes would be of which stress levels. Note: the researcher mentioned that participants were not randomly assigned, but rather attend all of these various classes. d. Explain why the researchers are randomly assigning participants to the various stressful classroom settings To understand the cognitive performance depended on the stress level of the classroom and whether the effects of stress depended on the type of font used. e. Reread the sentence regarding the researchers finding that the scores depended upon the IV levels (begins as “Results indicated that…”). Explain what this means in terms of results. I do not understand this question, but I answered it, to the best of my ability. Answer: A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the cognitive performance relative to stress in the classroom and the type of font used on the handouts given in each class. There was a significant interaction between cognitive performance and the stress level of the classroom. This implies that the higher and normal the stress level of student in the classroom did poorly in the cognitive performance. Student in the low-stress classroom with different font used scored higher on cognitive performance. Finally, the students who received Comic Sans hangouts after high stress level in the classroom, saw an improvement in their cognitive ability. Student who had high stress level and used other font types expect Comic Sana, did not see any improvement in their cognitive ability. What does it mean in terms of results cognitive cc explain to me what does it mean f. The end of the paragraph indicated “No other differences were found.” Was this a necessary statement to make? Explain your answer. Yes, it is necessary for the research to mention that in the article-because NO means, standard deviations, or effect size indicators! However, the research should have specified and expanded on what it meant by “differences” in the study. For instance, there is no different or significant for student in the low-stress classroom and student who used the Comic Sans font. g. Describe a (SINGLE) possible confound variable for this study and explain why it is a confound A confounding variable is a variable, other than the independent variable that you’re interested in, that may affect the dependent variable. This can lead to erroneous conclusions about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. You deal with confounding variables by controlling them; by matching; by randomizing; or by statistical control. A single possible confound variable is Gender- If gender played any role relative to the stress level in the classroom and the type of font used on the handouts given in each class. Gender can affect the outcome of the results. h. How might you control for this confound? Introduce control variable to control confounding variables. For example, you could control for gender by solely measuring male and female. i. What is most likely the highest threat to internal validity? Explain your answer! I do not understand the question, is it the highest threat to internal validity in this research or just overall research. This was my answer: An empirical study is said to be high in internal validity if the way it was conducted supports the conclusion that the independent variable caused any observed differences in the dependent variable. Thus, experiments are high in internal validity because the way they are conducted—with the manipulation of the independent variable and the control of