Cookie Preference Experiment
Imagine that you were a participant in an experiment where you were asked to eat cookies and rate how much you liked each cookie on a scale from 1 to 5, where higher ratings mean higher liking of the cookie. You are asked to eat an Oreo cookie and rate it and then eat a Chips Ahoy cookie and rate it. For this experiment, answer the questions below.
1. What is the independent variable (IV)? What are the levels of the IV?
2. Was the IV manipulated between-subjects or within-subjects? How do you know?
3. What is the dependent variable (DV)? What operational definition was used in this experiment?
4. What scale of measurement was used for the DV?
5. The IV was bivalent. Explain how you can make it multivalent.
7. Do you think the cookie experiment has more internal validity or external validity? Explain your answer.
Cookie Experiment Analysis
Independent Variable (IV) and Levels
- IV: Type of cookie
- Levels: Oreo cookie and Chips Ahoy cookie (two levels)
Between-Subjects or Within-Subjects Design
- The IV was manipulated within-subjects because each participant ate and rated both cookies.
- In a between-subjects design, participants would have been randomly assigned to rate only one type of cookie.
Dependent Variable (DV) and Operational Definition
- DV: Liking of the cookie
- Operational Definition: Cookie ratings on a 1 to 5 scale, where higher numbers indicate greater liking.
Scale of Measurement for the DV
- The DV was measured on an ordinal scale because the ratings indicate preference rank order but do not specify equal intervals between values.
Making the IV Multivalent
- To make the IV multivalent, more than two types of cookies could be included (e.g., adding a Snickerdoodle, Milano, or Sugar cookie as additional levels).
Internal vs. External Validity
- Internal Validity: The experiment likely has high internal validity since the within-subjects design controls for individual taste differences. However, other factors like hunger, mood, or order effects could introduce confounds…
