UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, C, E and F together provide a sound comparison between experimental and survey research. A is true because manipulation of an independent variable is central to experiments, and B correctly notes that surveys often use structured questionnaires with relatively large samples. Statement C is accurate in highlighting that experiments focus on cause–effect links, while E is true since both designs may use random sampling. Statement F reflects that surveys are commonly used to study attitudes, opinions and self-reported behaviours, whereas D is false because surveys are usually conducted in natural or field settings rather than always in laboratories.

Option A:
Option A excludes statement F, even though surveys routinely investigate attitudes and self-reports, making F a correct statement. Omitting F means that the description of survey research is incomplete and does not fully portray its scope. Therefore Option A cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B leaves out statement E, which recognises that random sampling can be applied to both types of designs. While A, B, C and F are correct, failing to include E results in a partial characterisation of sampling possibilities. This makes the combination incomplete.

Option C:
Option C omits statement A, ignoring the basic defining feature of experimental research, namely manipulation of an independent variable. It also includes B, C, E and F but fails to capture the full set of true statements about both designs. Hence this option is not acceptable.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it includes A, B, C, E and F, all of which are accurate descriptions of experimental and survey research. It properly excludes statement D, which wrongly confines surveys to laboratory contexts. As a result, this combination presents all and only the true statements in the item.

The independent variable is the one that the researcher systematically changes or manipulates to study its impact on another variable. It is considered the presumed cause in a cause–effect relationship. By varying the independent variable across groups or conditions, the researcher can observe differences in outcomes and infer potential causal effects. Therefore, the manipulated variable described in the stem is the independent variable.

Option A:
The dependent variable is the outcome that is measured to see how it responds to changes in the independent variable. It is not directly manipulated but observed. Because the stem emphasises deliberate manipulation, dependent does not fit.

Option B:
An intervening variable lies in the causal chain between independent and dependent variables and explains the process linking them. It is not usually under direct experimental control in basic designs.

Option C:
Extraneous variables are any uncontrolled factors that may influence the dependent variable and threaten internal validity. Researchers seek to eliminate or control them, but they are not the focus of deliberate manipulation.

Option D:
The independent variable is selected and manipulated according to the research design, such as using different teaching methods or time allocations. Observed differences in the dependent variable across conditions are then attributed, under proper controls, to this independent variable. This matches the description in the stem, making this option correct.

The independent variable is the factor that the researcher intentionally varies or manipulates in an experiment to determine its causal effect on the dependent variable. It represents the presumed cause in a cause–effect relationship. By changing the levels of the independent variable, researchers can observe corresponding changes in outcomes. Because the stem specifies the variable that is deliberately manipulated to examine its effect on another variable, it correctly refers to the independent variable.

Option A:
Control variables are held constant across conditions to prevent them from influencing the dependent variable, but they are not the primary variables being manipulated to test hypotheses. Their purpose is to strengthen internal validity rather than to represent the main cause under investigation. Thus, control is not the right term for the manipulated variable described in the question.

Option B:
Extraneous variables are any variables other than the independent variable that may affect the dependent variable if not controlled or randomised. They are potential sources of error or alternative explanations for observed effects. Since the stem describes a variable that is deliberately manipulated, extraneous does not fit.

Option C:
Independent variables are central to experimental design because manipulating them allows researchers to test causal hypotheses in a controlled way. For example, different teaching methods can serve as independent variables when studying their impact on achievement. This focus on deliberate manipulation matches the description in the stem, making independent the correct answer.

Option D:
A moderator variable is one that affects the strength or direction of the relationship between an independent and dependent variable, but it is not necessarily the variable being experimentally manipulated in the main design. Moderators help explain under what conditions a particular effect occurs. Therefore, moderator is not the term the stem is seeking.

Statement B is the only wrong statement because ex post facto research does not randomly assign participants to treatment and control groups; it studies groups that already differ on the variable of interest. Statements A, C, D and E correctly distinguish experimental designs from ex post facto designs. Experimental work manipulates the independent variable and controls extraneous factors, whereas ex post facto designs rely on existing differences and require cautious causal interpretation. The phrase “after the fact” correctly captures that the critical events have already occurred in ex post facto research.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it identifies B alone as the wrong statement and leaves A, C, D and E as correct descriptions. It acknowledges that random assignment is a feature of true experiments, not ex post facto designs, and correctly treats all other statements as conceptually sound.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it treats A as if it were also wrong, even though A correctly characterises experimental research as involving manipulation and control. By misclassifying a true statement as wrong, this option fails to isolate the actual source of error.

Option C:
Option C wrongly groups D with B, even though D correctly notes that causal claims from ex post facto studies must be cautious. While B is indeed false, D is a prudent caution and should not be listed as wrong, so this option presents an inaccurate combination.

Option D:
Option D adds E to B as if both were wrong, but E accurately explains the meaning of “after the fact” in ex post facto research. Because it treats a true explanatory statement as incorrect, this option cannot be accepted.

Option E is also incorrect because it includes A and C, both of which are true, among the wrong statements. This shows confusion between features of experiments and ex post facto designs and leads to an invalid set of “wrong” statements.