Question

In one study, Ekman et al. (1987) secretly videotaped American and Japanese students as they watched repulsive film clips. In one condition, a researcher was present while the students watched the clips; in another condition, no researcher was present. In this experiment, the researcher's presence was a(n) _____ variable.

a. Dependent
b. Independent
c. Experimental
d. Control

Answer 1

The presence of a researcher in the Ekman et al. (1987) study is considered an independent variable because it is manipulated to observe effects on the dependent variable, which is the reaction of the students.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the study conducted by Ekman et al. (1987), the researcher's presence during the viewing of repulsive film clips is considered an independent variable. This is because the independent variable is what is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter to observe the effects on the dependent variable, which in this case would be the reactions of the American and Japanese students. The dependent variable is the outcome that is measured, while any other variables that could influence the outcome are controlled or kept constant to isolate the effects of the independent variable alone.

Furthermore, providing a control group with a placebo treatment is one way to protect against bias by expectancy. This is important when we are discussing experimental type of scientific research where the experimenter manipulates the independent variable to observe its effect on a dependent variable.