Understanding the Basics :Designing, Running, and Analyzing Experiments(Interaction Design Specialization) Answers 2026
Question 1
Why can’t we confidently compare only means?
❌ We can, provided the means are really big
❌ We can, provided the means are really different
❌ We can, but we need to know every score
✅ We can, but we need to know the spread of scores around those means as well
❌ None of the above
Explanation:
Means alone hide variability. Variance/standard deviation is essential to judge reliability.
Question 2
When are more participants most helpful?
✅ When differences are present but relatively small, more participants increase statistical power
❌ When differences are large
❌ When differences are absent to avoid false claims
❌ When differences are absent to make results convincing
❌ None of the above
Question 3
A practically significant difference can be determined the same way as statistical significance.
❌ True
✅ False
Explanation:
Practical significance depends on real-world impact, not statistics alone.
Question 4
Which is a type of probability sampling?
❌ Snowball sampling
✅ Random stratified sampling
❌ Convenience sampling
❌ Purposive sampling
❌ None of the above
Question 5
Which is best described as an exclusion criterion?
❌ Only include males aged 18–25
❌ Only include people in developing nations
✅ Exclude people who have used the website before
❌ Exclude everyone not aged 18–25
❌ None of the above
Explanation:
Exclusion criteria specify who is not allowed to participate.
Question 6
Logging data via computer-generated files concerns which aspect?
❌ Participants
✅ Apparatus
❌ Procedure
❌ Design & Analysis
❌ None of the above
Question 7
Informed consent gives participants power to choose whether to proceed.
✅ True
❌ False
Question 8
Which pertain to the procedure of an experiment? (Select all that apply)
✅ How many trials a participant performs
✅ How long each trial should take
❌ A VR headset worn by participants
✅ A think-aloud protocol
❌ The pointing device used
Explanation:
Procedure = what participants do and how the study runs, not the hardware.
🧾 SUMMARY TABLE
| Q# | Correct Answer(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Need spread/variability |
| 2 | More participants help detect small differences |
| 3 | False |
| 4 | Random stratified sampling |
| 5 | Excluding prior users |
| 6 | Apparatus |
| 7 | True |
| 8 | Trials, duration, think-aloud |