Name:____________________________________________________

AP Statistics

Date:
Experimental Design Review

Answer True if the statement is always true. If not, change the bold-faced, underlined word(s) so that the statement is
always true.
_Double-Blind__

1) A single-blind experiment is an experiment in which the experiment units and the evaluator of the
experiment do not know which treatment the units received. Only one group is blinded in single

_______True__

2) The basic principles of experimental design are control, replication, randomization, and blocking.

___Randomization

3) Blocking reduces bias. ***Blocking reduces variation

_______True__

4) A block is a group of experimental units that are similar in ways that are expected to affect the
response to treatments.

____Replication___

5) Control of the treatments on many units reduces the role of chance variation.

______True_______

6) The design of an experiment refers to the choice of treatments and the manner in which the
experimental units are assigned to the treatments.

Completely Randomized

7) In a randomized block experiment, all the experimental units are allocated at random among all the
treatments.

__Experiment______

8) Causation can only be shown with a well-designed, well-controlled observational study.

___Larger________

9) Smaller samples produce statistics that have less variability. In general larger samples tend to have
less variability because the chance of variation is spread out more.

_Reduces_________

10) Random assignment of experimental units to treatment groups eliminates bias in the response
variable. Random assignment will not completely remove bias, but it will help to reduce the effects of
bias by spreading it out evenly amongst the subjects.

___True__________

11) A placebo is a treatment that contains no active ingredients.

__True___________

12) Two factors are confounded if their effects on the response variable cannot be distinguished
from one another.

Fill in the blank with the word(s) that make it a true statement.
13) Blocks are homogenous groups with similar characteristics.
14) Blocking is used in an experiment to filter out the effects of a(n) confounding variable_.

15) A(n) observational study is a study in which participants are followed into the future and events are recorded.
16) The control group is treated identically in all respects except that they dont receive the active treatment.
17) In a matched pairs design, individual subjects can be used as their own control by give randomizing the order of the
treatment to the subject.
18) In a blocked randomized design, experimental units are divided into groups by some criteria that might be confounding
before being randomly assigned to treatments.
19) The response variable is the variable that is being tested.

Multiple Choice
20) In an observational study, confounding means
a) having more than one response variable.
b) That the effect of the explanatory variable on the response variable changes for different categories
of a third variable.
c) That the effects of several variables are tested at one time.
d) That the effect of the explanatory variable on the response variable cant be separated from the effect
of other variables on the response variable.
e) None of the above.
21) Control
a)
b)
c)

groups are used in experiments in order to

control the effects of confounding variables such as the placebo effect..
control the subjects of a study so as to insure all participate equally.
guarantee that someone other than the investigators, who have a vested interest in the outcome, control
how the experiment is conducted.
d) achieve a proper and uniform level of randomization.
e) obtain consistency in the experiment.

22) A nutritionist wants to study the effect of storage time (6, 12, and 18 months) on the amount of vitamin C
present in freeze dried fruit when stored for these lengths of time. Vitamin C is measured in milligrams per 100
milligrams of fruit. Six fruit packs were randomly assigned to each of the three storage times. The treatment
(Trt), experimental unit (EU), and response variable (RespVar) are respectively:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Trt:
Trt:
Trt:
Trt:
Trt:

a specific storage time; EU: amount of vitamin C; RespVar: a fruit pack

a fruit pack; EU: amount of vitamin C; RespVar: a specific storage time
random assignment; EU: a fruit pack; RespVar: amount of vitamin C
a specific storage time; EU: a fruit pack; RespVar: amount of vitamin C
a specific storage time; EU: the nutritionist; RespVar: amount of vitamin C

23) A group of 420 college students are enrolled in a blind taste test. The schools food service wants to see if they
can improve the taste of their lattes. They decide to try two types of coffee beans (Arabica and Robusta); three
types of syrup (vanilla, hazelnut, and mocha); and two types of milk (soy and low fat). The best combination of
ingredients is sought. The latte experiment will have
a) 2 factors, 7 levels, and 420 treatments
b) 2 factors, 3 levels, and 12 treatments
c) 3 factors, 7 levels, and 420 treatments
d) 3 factors, 12 levels, and 420 treatments
e) 3 factors, 7 levels, and 12 treatment

For questions 24-26:

Researchers would like to compare meditation and exercise to see which is more effective for reducing stress. One
hundred people who suffer from high stress volunteer to participate in a study for ten weeks. Participants will
either be given a 10-week course in meditation or will participate in a 10-week exercise program. The researchers
must decide whether to randomly assign the volunteers to the two programs or allow the volunteers to choose.
24) Which of the following is the main advantage of randomly assigning participants to the two programs rather
than allowing them to choose?
a) The participants are more likely to stick with the program for the full 10 weeks.
b) Confounding variables, such as past practice with meditation, should be approximately equal for the two
groups.
c) Random assignment ensures that the two sample sizes are equal and that requirement is necessary in
studies like this one.
d) Random assignment will allow the results to be extended to the population of all adults.

e) None of the answers above are correct. (Because are dealing with volunteers randomizing is necessary
to reduce bias.)
25) Suppose participants are randomly assigned to the two programs and a psychologist measures their stress
levels before and after the 10-week program, without being told who is which program. This experiment
would be:
a) Single-blind as long as the participants are not told the results of the stress level measurements.
b) Single-blind because the psychologist doesnt know who is in which program, but the participants do
know.
c) Double-blind as long as the participants are not told the results of the stress level measurements.
d) Neither single nor double blind.
e) Not an experiment.
26) In this study, the stress level measurement after the 10-week program is an example of
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

A randomly assigned treatment.

An explanatory variable.
A response variable.
A normal variable.
A confounding variable.

27) For one kindergarten class in DPISD, a researcher determines which children already can read simple
words and which children cannot upon entering kindergarten. The children are followed until third grade, at
which point they are tested to determine the grade level at which they are reading. Those children who
were reading simple words on entering kindergarten are found to be reading at a higher level on average
than those who could not read simple words on entering kindergarten. The researcher
a) can conclude that children should be taught to read in preschool, as there are clear benefits to reading
early.
b) cannot conclude that being able to read before entering kindergarten is beneficial, as there may be
confounding variables in this study.
c) needs to have taken a random sample of kindergarten students instead of one class to conclude a causeand-effect relationship.
d) needs to retest in sixth grade or no conclusion can be reached.
e) needs to enroll in AP Statistics at DPHS to be better equipped to answer this question.

30 Front
End
Loaders

Randomize

Free-Response
28) An equipment firm is trying out three new types of grease in the transmissions of its front-end loaders. The maintenance
manager is interested in whether any of the greases reduce the time before the transmissions have to be repaired. The
company has 30 brand new front-end loaders (all are the same type) to use in the test. How would you design the experiment
and how would you assign the front-end loaders? Be specific! Would you use a completely randomized design or a randomized
block design? How many factors are there? How many treatments? If it is randomized block, what characteristic identifies the
blocks? Explain you decisions.
10 Front End
Loaders

Treatment 1

10 Front End
Loaders

Treatment 2

10 Front End
Loaders

Compare the
times until
transmissions
must be
repaired.

Treatment 3

A completely randomized design will be used for this experiment. We will assign the 30 front-end loaders using a random
number generator. 1-10 will receive treatment 1, 11-20 receive treatment 2. 21-30 will receive treatment 3. We will compare the
time until transmissions must be repaired between all three groups. There is only 1 factor (the grease used), 3 treatments, and
the response is the amount of time until the transmissions must be repaired.

29) Suppose you are interested in determining whether a daily dose of vitamin C helps prevent colds. You recruit 20 volunteers
to participate in an experiment. You want half of them to take vitamin C and the other half to agree not to take it. You ask
each subject which they prefer, and ten say that they would like to take the vitamin C and the other ten say they would not.
You ask each of them to record how many colds he or she gets during the next ten weeks. At the end of the time, you compare
the results reported from the two groups. Give two reasons why this is not a good experiment. Give one example of a variable
that could confound the results of this experiment. It cannot be a restatement of one of the two reasons given to the previous
question.
There is no randomization of the treatment being imposed to participants. Because of this error, bias may have been
introduced in the way the subjects are allowed to pick their own groups. Some people may be healthier and take Vitamin C
supplements on a regular basis while others may not. You are also asking the participants to distinguish what they may
perceive as being a cold. A cold may be sneezing sniffling to some, while it may be a
fever to others. Possible confounding issues may be lifestyle, prior health, and diet.
30) A new type of fish food has become available for salmon raised on fish farms. Your
task is to design an experiment to compare the weight gain of salmon raised over a sixmonth period on the new and the old types of food. The salmon you will use for this
experiment have already been randomly placed in eight large tanks in a room that has a
considerable temperature gradient. Specifically, tanks on the north side of the room tend
to be much colder than those on the south side. The arrangement of tanks is shown on the
right. Design an experiment that takes into account this temperature gradient.

North
Door
South
Heater
South No
Heater

Tanks
1, 4
Tanks
2,3
Tanks
6, 7
Tanks
5, 8

Randomize

Block by
Location

8 Fish
tanks

Match by factors present in room

North
Window

Treatment New Food

Treatment Control
Treatment New Food
Treatment Control
Treatment New Food
Treatment Control
Treatment New Food
Treatment Control

Compare the
weight gain in
each block or
We will block by location of the tanks.
matched pair.
We will then form a matched pairs
based on the location. We will
randomize which tank gets the
treatment and control in each pair by
flipping a coin (H-treatment/Tcontrol). We will then compare the
weight gamin of each fish in each pair.