Guide to using the learning objectives
1.
Define1
factorial experiment. Contrast4 factorial
experiments with the multiple-group experiments discussed in Chapter 11.
2.
Produce5
a 2 x 2 factorial experiment studying the
effects of chocolate consumption and listening to music on test performance.
3.
Compare4
and contrast4 your 2 X 2 factorial experiment with
a.
An experiment that examines four levels
of a single independent variable (e.g., four levels of chocolate consumption).
b. Four simple experiments.
4.
Explain2how
your 2 x 2 factorial experiment could yield each of the following:
a.
four
simple main effects;
b.
two
overall main effects (in your explanation,
(a) define1main effect and (b) explain2 how overall main
effects can be estimated from simple main effects); and
c.
an interaction (in your explanation,
(a) define1 interaction and (b) explain how the
interaction can be estimated from simple main effects).
5.
Describe,1in your own words, what an interaction is.
Produce5 an example of an interaction. Describe2 the
relationship between interactions and moderating variables. Describe2
the relationship between interactions and external validity. Explain2
why psychologists are interested in interactions.
6.
Using
the discussion in this chapter as an example, outline3 the questions
you could answer with the 2 x 2 factorial experiment you generated to study the
effects of chocolate consumption and listening to music on test performance.
7.
Distinguish4between
a main effect and an interaction. Explain2 how you could have an
interaction without a main effect.
8.
Produce5a
list of the eight different patterns of results you could get from a 2 x
2factorial experiment. Using your 2 x 2 experiment on chocolate consumption, listening
to music, and test performance as your example, illustrate3 (using
either graphs or tables of hypothetical data) how your results could lead to
each of these eight potential patterns.
9.
Suppose
that you conduct your experiment on chocolate consumption, listening to music, and
test performance. Distinguish4between
the conclusions you would draw if you obtained a main effect for chocolate
consumption but no interaction versus if you obtained a main effect for
chocolate consumption and an interaction.
10.
Suppose
you expand your experiment to include three levels of chocolate consumption. You
have 36 participants. Compute3 the missing values for the table below.
|
Source of
Variance |
Sum of
Squares |
df |
MS |
F |
|
Chocolate
consumption main effect |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Listening
to music main effect |
6 |
|
|
|
|
Interaction
between chocolate consumption and listening to music |
20 |
|
|
|
|
Error
Term |
60 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
11.
Distinguish4between
ordinal and disordinal interactions. Explain2
why ordinal interactions may be the result of having ordinal data.
12.
Imagine
that a simple (two-group) experiment finds that students taking a psychology test
printed on blue paper do better than students taking the same test printed on
white paper. Expand on this simple experiment by generating5 a 2X 2
factorial experiment that includes a replication factor. Justify6why
your 2 X 2 experiment has more external validity than the simple experiment had.
13.
Devise5a
factorial experiment by adding a potential moderating variable to a simple experiment
(you may use the simple experiment referred to in the previous objective).
Describe2, using the terms main effects and interaction, a pattern
of results that would support the idea that you found a moderating variable. Explain2 the value of finding
a moderator factor.
14.
Explain2how
an interaction may indicate the effect of similarity.
15.
Describe2the
main limitation of using a nonexperimental variable
in a study.
16.
Propose5and
justify6 expanding the simple experiment discussed in Objective13
into a 2 X 2 factorial design by
a.
Adding a nonexperimental
variable to increase the generalizability of the
findings
b. Adding a nonexperimental
variable to increase the power of the design
c.
Adding a moderating factor