UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, C and E are all correct descriptions of different roles that variables can play in research. The independent variable is manipulated, the dependent variable is the measured outcome, mediators explain the mechanism linking the two and extraneous variables can disturb this relationship if not managed. Statement D is false because control variables are not varied; they are held constant to minimise their influence. Thus the correct combination must include A, B, C and E while excluding D.

Option A:
Option A includes A, B and C but omits E, thereby ignoring the important influence of extraneous variables on internal validity. Without recognising the potential confounding effect of extraneous variables, the description of variable types remains incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it brings together all four accurate statements about independent, dependent, mediating and extraneous variables. It excludes D, which incorrectly suggests that control variables are deliberately varied rather than controlled.

Option C:
Option C wrongly includes D, the false statement about control variables, and omits B, which correctly defines the dependent variable. This combination therefore both adds an incorrect assertion and drops a key correct one.

Option D:
Option D contains D alongside B and E. Since D misrepresents control variables, this option becomes invalid even though it includes two true statements.

Option E offers only C and E, leaving out the basic definitions of independent and dependent variables provided in A and B. Because it fails to include all the true statements, it cannot be the correct answer.

A control variable is a factor that the researcher deliberately keeps constant across conditions or statistically adjusts for during analysis. By doing so, its potential influence on the dependent variable is minimised, allowing clearer interpretation of the effect of the independent variable. Control variables are chosen because they are known or suspected to be related to the outcome. Therefore, the constant factor described in the stem is correctly called a control variable.

Option A:
Control variables might include factors such as prior achievement, age or socioeconomic status when these could influence outcomes. By holding these factors constant, the researcher reduces alternative explanations for observed differences. This aligns with the stem’s emphasis on preventing confounding, making this option correct.

Option B:
A moderator variable interacts with the independent variable to change the strength or direction of its effect on the dependent variable. It is not typically held constant; rather, its variability is studied.

Option C:
A mediating variable explains the mechanism through which the independent variable affects the dependent variable, forming part of the causal pathway, not something to be simply held constant.

Option D:
A random variable is a statistical concept referring to a variable whose values result from random phenomena. It is not the term used in research design for a variable that is intentionally controlled.

Statement C is wrong because extraneous variables are not simply irrelevant; they may influence the dependent variable and therefore often need to be controlled or accounted for in the design or analysis. Statements A, B, D and E are correct: the independent variable is manipulated or selected, the dependent variable is the measured outcome, control variables are held constant, and moderator variables can change the strength or direction of relationships. Hence, C alone is the incorrect statement and must be isolated as such.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it groups A, B and D as wrong, even though these three statements correctly define independent, dependent and control variables. Treating them as wrong would overturn standard terminology used in research methodology.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it identifies C alone as the wrong statement and implicitly accepts that A, B, D and E accurately describe the different roles variables can play. It highlights that extraneous variables require attention rather than dismissal.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it combines C with D and thereby mislabels D as incorrect. Statement D rightly explains that a control variable is intentionally held constant to remove its influence on the dependent variable.

Option D:
Option D is also incorrect since it pairs C with E, wrongly suggesting that moderator variables cannot influence the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Statement E is actually a correct description of moderator variables.

Control variables are factors that the researcher deliberately holds constant or accounts for so that they do not confound the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. By stabilising these variables, the researcher reduces alternative explanations for observed effects. This enhances the internal validity of the experiment. Because the stem refers to variables kept constant to prevent them from influencing outcomes, it is describing control variables.

Option A:
Independent variables are intentionally manipulated to assess their impact on outcomes, not held steady. Their variation is central to testing hypotheses about cause and effect. Thus, independent variables are the opposite of what the stem indicates and cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Dependent variables are the outcomes measured to see whether they change as a result of the independent variable. They are expected to vary and are not kept constant. Since the question is about variables that are purposely held constant, dependent is not appropriate.

Option C:
A moderator variable influences the strength or direction of the relationship between independent and dependent variables, helping to specify “when” or “for whom” an effect is observed. Although researchers may sometimes create conditions based on moderators, the classic notion of control variables is more directly about holding factors constant. Therefore, moderator does not fit the stem’s description.

Option D:
Control variables are chosen and managed to remove their potential influence, such as keeping room temperature constant in a cognitive experiment. This deliberate stabilisation ensures that observed differences in the dependent variable are more likely due to the independent variable. These functions match the description in the stem, so control is the correct completion.

Statements A, B, C and D together describe core characteristics of experimental research. Manipulating independent variables, using control groups, assigning participants randomly and conducting experiments in both laboratory and field contexts are all standard features. Statement E is false because extraneous variables should be controlled or monitored, not ignored, to maintain internal validity. Therefore the correct combination includes A, B, C and D and excludes E.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits D, thereby failing to acknowledge that experiments need not be confined to laboratories. Field experiments are frequently used in educational and social settings, so leaving out D underrepresents the range of experimental contexts.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it includes all four true statements and omits E, which advises an obviously flawed practice of ignoring extraneous variables. The option reflects the importance of both design and control in experimental work.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes E, the statement suggesting that extraneous variables may be ignored, which would seriously threaten internal validity. Even though B, C and D are true, the presence of E makes the combination unsuitable.

Option D:
Option D is wrong because it similarly incorporates E and omits B, leaving out the essential comparison role of control groups. Without acknowledging control groups, the design description is incomplete.

Statements A, B, C and E correctly define important kinds of variables in research, while statement D is wrong. Statement A is true because the independent variable is manipulated or selected by the researcher to see its effect on the dependent variable. Statement B correctly identifies the dependent variable as the outcome that is expected to change when the independent variable is varied, and statement C accurately describes extraneous variables as influences on the dependent variable that are not of primary interest. Statement E is also correct since moderator variables interact with the independent and dependent variables to modify the strength or direction of their relationship, whereas statement D is false because control of extraneous variables is important irrespective of sample size.

Option A:
Option A treats both B and D as wrong, but this is not accurate. While D is indeed incorrect, B is a correct description of the dependent variable as the outcome that responds to changes in the independent variable. By misclassifying a true statement as wrong, this option fails to identify the wrong statement set properly and therefore cannot be the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B classifies C and D as wrong statements. Although D is wrong, C is correct because extraneous variables are exactly those variables that may unintentionally influence the dependent variable even though they are not the main focus of the study. Since this option marks a correct statement as wrong and omits the correct status of A, B and E, it is invalid.

Option C:
Option C combines A, B and D and implicitly treats all three as wrong. Both A and B are actually accurate definitions of independent and dependent variables, respectively. Including these correct statements with D, which is wrong, leads to an incorrect grouping of wrong statements, so this option cannot be chosen.

Option D:
Option D correctly identifies D as the only wrong statement. It recognises that even large samples cannot substitute for proper control of extraneous variables because uncontrolled influences can still bias results. By leaving A, B, C and E untouched as correct statements and singling out D, this option best answers the instruction to select the wrong statements.

Statement C is wrong because correlation alone does not justify causal conclusions; without establishing time order and ruling out alternative explanations, causal claims are premature. Statements A, B, D and E are correct: positive correlation indicates a tendency for variables to move together, zero correlation suggests no linear relationship, causal claims need stronger evidence and confusing correlation with causation can misguide policy. Hence, C alone is the incorrect statement.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it combines A, which is true, with C as wrong, implying both are incorrect. This would deny the standard interpretation of positive correlation.

Option B:
Option B is also wrong as it labels B, a correct definition of zero correlation in the linear sense, as incorrect along with C. Treating B as wrong would confuse interpretation of correlation coefficients.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes D, which correctly notes that causal claims require more than correlation. Grouping D with C misrepresents the conditions for causal inference.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it isolates C as the only flawed statement and acknowledges implicitly that the others warn appropriately about the limits of correlational evidence.

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.

Statements A, C and D correctly portray causal-comparative research as non-experimental studies that use existing groups and try to manage extraneous variables statistically or through design. Such studies are conducted after the critical conditions have occurred, hence the term ex post facto. Statement B is false because there is no manipulation or random assignment and E is false because unmeasured factors may also explain differences, so strong causal claims are not guaranteed. Therefore, the set including A, C and D, and excluding B and E, is the only correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it includes only A and C, omitting D, which notes the attempts to control extraneous variables statistically or through design. Without D, the description understates the strategies used to strengthen inferences in causal-comparative research.

Option B:
Option B includes C and D but leaves out A, so it does not explicitly state that existing groups differing on some variable are central to this design. The absence of A means an essential definitional feature of causal-comparative studies is missing.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it combines the three statements that accurately describe what ex post facto research is, how it is timed and how it seeks to handle confounding influences. It explicitly excludes B and E, which wrongly equate it with true experimental manipulation and unjustified strong causal inference.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it contains E, the claim that group differences are necessarily due to the independent variable, which ignores possible confounds. It also omits C, thereby failing to emphasise the “after the fact” nature of these studies.