A Professor Wants to Determine Whether Her Students Perform Better

question 226

Multiple Choice

A professor wants to determine whether her students perform better on mid-term examinations if they write their exam alone or in a group. To experimentally investigate this possibility, she randomly assigns half of her students to write their mid-term in the regular class setting (as a group) and randomly assigns the other half of her students to write their mid-term individually in private cubicles in the university's testing centre. All aspects of the exam are the same, except for the location. Which of the following is a potential confound for this study?

• A) The students assigned to the control or experimental groups
• B) The mid-term exam scores
• C) Memory cues linked to the regular classroom setting
• D) The amount of time required to write the exam

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Definitions:

Environmental Influences

Environmental influences include all external factors affecting an individual's behavior, development, and life outcomes, ranging from physical to social contexts.

Feelings of Inferiority

Emotional experiences of feeling lower in status, quality, or ability when compared to others.

Academically Respectable

Pertains to ideas, research, or scholars that are widely recognized and valued within the academic community for their rigor and contribution to knowledge.

Personality Theorist

An individual specializing in the study and analysis of personality, focusing on different aspects of character and behavior formation.