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Applying the concept of experimental control, explain why the researcher cannot confidently conclude that the study environment caused the difference in reading comprehension. Diagnose the specific extraneous variables that were allowed to fluctuate and explain how this failure prevents the researcher from isolating the independent variable.
Case context: A psychology researcher wants to investigate how different study environments (a quiet library room versus a noisy cafe) affect reading comprehension. In the library condition, the researcher runs the study during the quiet morning hours with participants who are avid readers. In the cafe condition, the researcher runs the study during the busy afternoon hours with participants who rarely read. At the end of the study, the library group scores significantly higher on reading comprehension than the cafe group.
Question: Applying the concept of experimental control, explain why the researcher cannot confidently conclude that the study environment caused the difference in reading comprehension. Diagnose the specific extraneous variables that were allowed to fluctuate and explain how this failure prevents the researcher from isolating the independent variable.
Sample answer: The researcher did not maintain experimental control because they allowed several extraneous variables to fluctuate across the conditions instead of holding them constant. Specifically, they failed to control for situational contexts (time of day and background noise level) and individual participant differences (reading habits). Because these extraneous variables varied along with the study environment, their unintended effects on reading comprehension are mixed with the effect of the environment. Consequently, the independent variable is not isolated, and the researcher cannot confidently attribute the difference in scores to the environment.
Key points:
- Failure to keep extraneous variables constant across experimental conditions.
- Identification of situational contexts (time of day, noise) as fluctuating extraneous variables.
- Identification of individual participant differences (reading habits) as fluctuating extraneous variables.
- Inability to separate the effects of extraneous variables from the independent variable (study environment).
- Inability to isolate the independent variable and confidently attribute changes in the dependent variable to the manipulation.
Rubric: The answer should: 1) State that the researcher failed to keep extraneous variables constant. 2) Identify the specific extraneous factors that fluctuated, including situational contexts (time of day/noise level) and individual participant differences (reading habits). 3) Explain that because these factors fluctuated across conditions, the independent variable was not isolated, making it impossible to confidently attribute changes in reading comprehension to the study environment.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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