Question

in experiment 1, the researchers randomly assigned participants into either the no spinner, spinner, or spinner present conditions while they watched a video about baking bread. they measured learning using fill-in-the-blank questions about the video content. because our ability to learn new information is dependent on prior knowledge, every participants' test performance will be related to their complex and unique experiences. is prior knowledge a confound in this experiment?

Answer 1

Yes, prior knowledge can be a confound in this experiment as it may influence participants' test performance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Prior knowledge can be considered a confound in this experiment. Confounding variables are factors other than the independent variable that can influence the dependent variable and ultimately affect the results of an experiment.

In this case, participants' prior knowledge, which can vary among individuals, may influence their test performance. If participants who have more prior knowledge perform better on the test, it would be difficult to attribute the results solely to the spinner condition.

For example, a participant with extensive baking experience may have a higher likelihood of answering questions correctly, regardless of the spinner condition. Therefore, prior knowledge represents a potential confound that can complicate the interpretation of the results.