Question

In order to determine whether using a study guide will help general psychology students in test-taking, we have divided the class into two sections. One section will be given a study guide for exams; the other will merely study in the usual way without the study guide. In this experiment, the experimental group is:

a) The ones using the study guide
b) The grades those students receive
c) Students who do not use a study guide
d) Students who use a study guide
And the control group is:
a) The ones using the study guide
b) The grades received by the students in the study guide group
c) Students who do not use a study guide
d) Students who use a study guide

Answer 1

The experimental group in the psychology study design is the one using a study guide (answer a), while the control group is the one studying without the study guide (answer c). The experimental group receives the experimental manipulation, and the control group does not, enabling the researcher to attribute any difference in outcomes to the use of the study guide.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an experimental design for testing the efficacy of a study guide for general psychology students, the experimental group is the section of the class that will be given a study guide for exams (answer a), while the control group consists of the other section that will study in the usual way without the study guide (answer c).

The experimental group engages with the independent variable, which is the use of the study guide, allowing researchers to observe any changes or improvements in test-taking as compared to the control group.

Conducting an experiment typically involves comparing an experimental group, which undergoes some form of experimental manipulation, to a control group that does not. This experimental manipulation is the only difference between the two groups; as such, any differences in outcomes can usually be attributed to the manipulation rather than other variables or chance.

To protect against experimenter bias, it is ideal for the individuals scoring the tests to be unaware of which participants belong to which group.