Question

Joan is running an experiment on the effects of the number of bystanders on helping behavior. On the days that Joan runs her experimental groups there are workers installing a new door across from her lab making noise. On days that she runs the control group the workers are not there and there is no noise. In this example, the presence or absence of noise comprises a(n)

a. independent variable
b. extraneous variable
c. dependent variable
d. random variable
e. confounding variable

Answer 1

The presence or absence of noise in Joan's experiment is considered an extraneous variable because it could affect the dependent variable and is not the primary focus of her study.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Joan's experiment, the presence or absence of noise is an extraneous variable. It is not the primary independent variable being manipulated, which is the number of bystanders, but it could potentially affect the results of the helping behavior being measured. Hence, the correct answer is (b) extraneous variable.

An extraneous variable refers to any variable other than the independent variable that could cause changes in the dependent variable, thus potentially affecting the results of the study. In Joan's case, she is concerned about how the number of bystanders influences helping behavior, but the noise could introduce an uncontrolled influence, making it harder to determine if it's the number of bystanders or the noise affecting the outcome. Ideally, to maintain the validity of her experiment, Joan needs to ensure that both experimental and control groups are tested under the same environmental conditions, such as noise levels. If not controlled, this extraneous variable could become a confounding variable, as it has varied across the experimental and control conditions, potentially contaminating the results.