Exam 12: Evaluation Research

In reality, only quasi-experimental designs can be used in evaluation research.

Applied research is a form of evaluation research.

Which of the following is FALSE regarding time-series designs?

What are the potential benefits of implementing computer simulation in social indicators research? What are the potential problems with using it?

You never want to use existing measurements when conducting evaluation research.

When performing evaluation research, creating one's own measure of a variable has all but which of the following benefits?

A new law has been enacted increasing the penalty for drunk driving in order to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities. The number of fatalities one year before and after the law was enacted is measured, as well as a count of the number of high-profile accidents. The experimental stimulus in this project would be:

Evaluation research as a scientific undertaking is a matter of finding out whether something happened or didn't happen.

You are conducting a study of how effective a midnight basketball program is on reducing inner city juvenile crime. You measure the number of crimes reported to the police before and after the program is instituted, and you compare your findings to the crime rates in another city of similar size that does not have such a program. What is the experimental stimulus of your research?

Which of the following is NOT one of the types of measurements that evaluation researchers must know how to deal with?

Producers of TV shows that depict violence often ignore the studies that indicate that children who watch violence are more likely to be aggressive, have fewer friends, and have poorer relationships with their parents than children who do not watch violent shows. The producers of the violent TV shows probably ignore the research because:

A friend of yours was asked to evaluate the effect of an advertising campaign designed to get people to have their blood pressure checked. After examining the records kept in the target area, your friend showed you the following graph where X indicates an observation. ​ ​

Which of the following would NOT be appropriate for measurement in evaluation research?

Professor Henley is interested in comparing the use of the legal system in different countries. Henley examines the number of arrests per 1,000 population, the number of jury trials per 1,000 court cases, the number of lawyers per capita, and the number of people incarcerated per 1,000 population. Henley is doing

The national speed limit in the United States was reduced to 55 mph in 1974. Proponents and critics of this legislation have looked at the number of traffic fatalities on major U.S. highways (e.g., I-90, I-65, and I-75)for the years preceding and following this legislation. Sonny examined the traffic fatalities on each of the major U.S. highways for every year from 1968 to 2005. Sonny used a:

As programs are refined, eventually computer simulation will reduce cost because significant problems can be modeled before a program is put in place.

Rebecca was hired to determine what types of recreational programs teenagers wanted and would use in the town of Methods, U.S.A. Rebecca was hired to conduct a:

You are planning a study on whether a course on study skills will improve the test scores of high school students. You selected two high schools where the children appear similar in terms of IQ scores, family income, family religion, and the like. You match two classes from each grade (9 to 12)from each high school. In one high school you plan to offer a course on study skills in the selected classes and in the other high school you plan to have students follow their "normal" curriculum. What kind of study are you conducting?

Computer simulation has mostly removed the need to conduct actual evaluation research.

Pregnant women planning to deliver their baby in hospital A were given a poison control test. After the delivery of their baby, the new moms attended a two-hour training session on poison control. One week later, at the baby's one-week check-up exam, the new moms retook the poison control test. Located in the same city, pregnant women planning to deliver their baby in hospital B were given a poison control test. One week later, at the baby's one-week check-up exam, these new moms retook the poison control test. What design is being used?