Question: A psychologist was interested in the effects of sleep deprivation on performance on a vigilance task. Forty college students served as participants and were placed in either the sleep-deprivation group or the control group by coin flip. Both groups spent the night before the study in a sleep laboratory, but only the control group was allowed to sleep. By the next morning, the sleep-deprived group had been awake for the last 24 hours. At this time, both groups were provided a nutritious breakfast and, shortly thereafter, testing began in sound-attenuating cubicles, each equipped with a computer. The vigilance task consisted of monitoring the computer screen. Participants were instructed that red dots represented allied spacecraft and green dots represented enemy spacecraft. Throughout the 2-hour-long task, red dots moved across the screen in irregular patterns. Occasionally and unpredictably, a green dot would quickly move across the screen in a haphazard pattern. When a green dot appeared, the task of the participant was to move a stylus over the green dot and press a button, "destroying" the enemy spacecraft. The psychologist measured the percentage of these enemy targets that were detected and destroyed. The results of this fictitious experiment are shown in Figure 2.2. Figure 2.2 Part 1: The independent variable was: Group of answer choices A The percentage of enemy targets destroyed. B The length of the vigilance task. C The degree of vigilance. D Sleep Status Part 2 The purpose of placing participants into one of the two groups by coin flip was to: Group of answer choices A Help ensure that the two groups were equal on all other variables. B Increase the external validity of the study. C Eliminate the demand characteristics operating in the study. D Minimize experimenter bias.

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)

5th Edition

ISBN:9780134477961

Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White

Publisher:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White

Chapter1: The Science Of Psychology

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1TY

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Question: A psychologist was interested in the effects of sleep deprivation on performance on a vigilance task. Forty college students served as participants and were placed in either the sleep-deprivation group or the control group by coin flip. Both groups spent the night before the study in a sleep laboratory, but only the control group was allowed to sleep. By the next morning, the sleep-deprived group had been awake for the last 24 hours. At this time, both groups were provided a nutritious breakfast and, shortly thereafter, testing began in sound-attenuating cubicles, each equipped with a computer. The vigilance task consisted of monitoring the computer screen. Participants were instructed that red dots represented allied spacecraft and green dots represented enemy spacecraft. Throughout the 2-hour-long task, red dots moved across the screen in irregular patterns. Occasionally and unpredictably, a green dot would quickly move across the screen in a haphazard pattern. When a green dot appeared, the task of the participant was to move a stylus over the green dot and press a button, "destroying" the enemy spacecraft. The psychologist measured the percentage of these enemy targets that were detected and destroyed.

The results of this fictitious experiment are shown in Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2

Part 1: The independent variable was:

Group of answer choices

A The percentage of enemy targets destroyed.

B The length of the vigilance task.

C The degree of vigilance.

D Sleep Status

Part 2 The purpose of placing participants into one of the two groups by coin flip was to:

Group of answer choices

A Help ensure that the two groups were equal on all other variables.

B Increase the external validity of the study.