Question 1

Explain the elements of the class experimental design.Is this design especially useful in dealing with causal relationships? If yes,why? If not,why?

Accepted Answer

Experimental design involves several key elements, including the identification of the research question or hypothesis, the selection of the experimental units or subjects, the random assignment of treatments or interventions, and the measurement of the outcome variables.

This design is especially useful in dealing with causal relationships because it allows researchers to establish cause-and-effect relationships between the independent variable (the treatment or intervention) and the dependent variable (the outcome). By randomly assigning participants to different treatment groups, experimental design helps to control for confounding variables and minimize the influence of extraneous factors on the results. This enables researchers to make more confident conclusions about the causal effects of the treatment on the outcome.

Furthermore, experimental design often includes control groups, which further help to establish causality by providing a baseline for comparison. By comparing the outcomes of the treatment group to those of the control group, researchers can more confidently attribute any differences to the treatment itself, rather than to other factors.

In conclusion, experimental design is especially useful in dealing with causal relationships because it allows for the rigorous control of variables and the establishment of causality through random assignment and control groups. This makes it a powerful tool for researchers seeking to understand the causal effects of interventions or treatments.

Question 2

An instrumentation effect occurs when

Accepted Answer

A)  the instrument employed for the pretest has an effect that shows up on the posttest. 
B)  the measurement instrument is changed from the pretest to the posttest. 
C)  there is a change on the dependent variable from the pretest score to the posttest score. 
D)  all of these. 
A)  the instrument employed for the pretest has an effect that shows up on the posttest. 
B)  the measurement instrument is changed from the pretest to the posttest. 
C)  there is a change on the dependent variable from the pretest score to the posttest score. 
D)  all of these. B

Question 3

The problem of an interaction between the testing and the experimental stimulus is handled by

Accepted Answer

A)  the Solomon four-group design. 
B)  quasi-experimental designs. 
C)  the classical experimental design 
D)  all of these. 
A)  the Solomon four-group design. 
B)  quasi-experimental designs. 
C)  the classical experimental design 
D)  all of these. A

Question 4

What differentiates experimental from pre-experimental designs? Give an illustration of a situation in which an experimental design would be preferred and one in which a pre-experimental design would be acceptable.

Accepted Answer

Experimental designs and pre-experimenta

Question 5

Explain what is meant by internal and external validity.

Accepted Answer

Internal validity refers to the extent t

Question 6

Professor Rose was asked to design an experiment to test whether obese people would lose weight on a new diet plan.Professor Rose was not a methodologist.Rose asked for your help.You immediately told Rose that the selected design would have to be sensitive to the issues of statistical regression,diffusion or imitation of treatment,compensatory rivalry,and demoralization.Rose said,"I don't understand." Explain these issues to Rose.Suggest and explain a design that would control for these problems.

Accepted Answer

Statistical regression refers to the ten

Question 7

A friend of yours,a senior,took the Graduate Record Exam in September and scored in the 99th percentile.In February your friend took the same exam over again.This time your friend scored in the 84th percentile.As a research methodology student,you told your friend that his/her lowered score was probably due to

Accepted Answer

A)  testing. 
B)  history. 
C)  statistical regression. 
D)  demoralization. 
E)  compensation rivalry. 
A)  testing. 
B)  history. 
C)  statistical regression. 
D)  demoralization. 
E)  compensation rivalry.

Question 8

Suppose a case management program is established to reduce rehospitalization rates in a hospital and that those rates drop dramatically once the new program is established.We can conclude that

Accepted Answer

A)  research has demonstrated an effective approach to practice. 
B)  causality cannot be inferred because time order was not established. 
C)  another event occurring during the time of the study might explain away the change. 
D)  the absence of covariation threatens the internal validity of any causal inferences. 
A)  research has demonstrated an effective approach to practice. 
B)  causality cannot be inferred because time order was not established. 
C)  another event occurring during the time of the study might explain away the change. 
D)  the absence of covariation threatens the internal validity of any causal inferences.

Question 9

For a causal relationship to exist there must be evidence

Accepted Answer

A)  of a relationship between variables. 
B)  that one variable precedes the other in time. 
C)  that a third variable did not cause the changes observed in the first two variables. 
D)  all of these. 
A)  of a relationship between variables. 
B)  that one variable precedes the other in time. 
C)  that a third variable did not cause the changes observed in the first two variables. 
D)  all of these.

Question 10

If we can establish that variable X comes before variable Q in time,then we can say

Accepted Answer

A)  variable X is a cause of variable Q. 
B)  variable X is not a cause of variable Q. 
C)  variable Q is a cause of variable X. 
D)  variable Q is not a cause of variable X. 
A)  variable X is a cause of variable Q. 
B)  variable X is not a cause of variable Q. 
C)  variable Q is a cause of variable X. 
D)  variable Q is not a cause of variable X.

Question 11

Attrition effects are automatically controlled when participants are assigned randomly to experimental and control groups.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Studies that assign subjects to intervention groups on the basis of their extreme scores are vulnerable to regression toward the mean.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Without using appropriate experimental and control groups,extraneous events in subjects' lives can make history a threat to internal validity,even if those events are of no historical importance to people in general.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Quasi-experimental designs are often used instead of experimental designs because

Accepted Answer

A)  agency constraints often make experiments infeasible. 
B)  they have more internal validity than experiments 
C)  quasi-experiments randomly assign participants to groups. 
D)  all of these. 
A)  agency constraints often make experiments infeasible. 
B)  they have more internal validity than experiments 
C)  quasi-experiments randomly assign participants to groups. 
D)  all of these.

Question 15

The effectiveness of randomization in experimentation is affected by the number of participants involved.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

When selecting a comparison group in a quasi-experimental design,one should

Accepted Answer

A)  select a group unlike the experimental group. 
B)  select a group as similar as possible to the experimental group. 
C)  use random assignment. 
D)  none of these 
A)  select a group unlike the experimental group. 
B)  select a group as similar as possible to the experimental group. 
C)  use random assignment. 
D)  none of these

Question 17

Time series designs with many measurement points control for maturation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Quasi-experiments using nonequivalent comparison groups without random assignment can be credible,assuming that the comparability of the experimental and comparison groups is plausible-especially if the researcher provides substantial evidence of that comparability.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Pre-experimental designs

Accepted Answer

A)  are the weakest experimental designs. 
B)  control for most sources of internal invalidity. 
C)  control for most sources of external invalidity. 
D)  are excellent for drawing causal inferences. 
A)  are the weakest experimental designs. 
B)  control for most sources of internal invalidity. 
C)  control for most sources of external invalidity. 
D)  are excellent for drawing causal inferences.

Question 20

Case-control designs have more controls for threats to validity than do most other designs for evaluating programs or practice.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Explain the elements of the class experimental design.Is this design especially useful in dealing with causal relationships? If yes,why? If not,why?

An instrumentation effect occurs when

The problem of an interaction between the testing and the experimental stimulus is handled by

What differentiates experimental from pre-experimental designs? Give an illustration of a situation in which an experimental design would be preferred and one in which a pre-experimental design would be acceptable.

Explain what is meant by internal and external validity.

Suppose a case management program is established to reduce rehospitalization rates in a hospital and that those rates drop dramatically once the new program is established.We can conclude that

For a causal relationship to exist there must be evidence

If we can establish that variable X comes before variable Q in time,then we can say

Attrition effects are automatically controlled when participants are assigned randomly to experimental and control groups.

Studies that assign subjects to intervention groups on the basis of their extreme scores are vulnerable to regression toward the mean.

Without using appropriate experimental and control groups,extraneous events in subjects' lives can make history a threat to internal validity,even if those events are of no historical importance to people in general.

Quasi-experimental designs are often used instead of experimental designs because

The effectiveness of randomization in experimentation is affected by the number of participants involved.

When selecting a comparison group in a quasi-experimental design,one should

Time series designs with many measurement points control for maturation.

Quasi-experiments using nonequivalent comparison groups without random assignment can be credible,assuming that the comparability of the experimental and comparison groups is plausible-especially if the researcher provides substantial evidence of that comparability.

Pre-experimental designs

Case-control designs have more controls for threats to validity than do most other designs for evaluating programs or practice.

Why Study Research

Evidence-Based Practice

Quantitative, qualitative, and Mixed Methods of Inquiry

Factors Influencing the Research Process

Ethical Issues in Social Work Research

Culturally Competent Research

Problem Formulation

Measurement in Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry

Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement Instruments

Surveys

Sampling: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

Single-Case Evaluation Designs

Program Evaluation

Additional Methods in Qualitative Inquiry

Analyzing Available Records: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

Quantitative Data Analysis

Qualitative Data Analysis

Filters

Exam 12: Experiments and Quasi-Experiments

Explain the elements of the class experimental design.Is this design especially useful in dealing with causal relationships? If yes,why? If not,why?

An instrumentation effect occurs when

The problem of an interaction between the testing and the experimental stimulus is handled by

What differentiates experimental from pre-experimental designs? Give an illustration of a situation in which an experimental design would be preferred and one in which a pre-experimental design would be acceptable.

Explain what is meant by internal and external validity.

Suppose a case management program is established to reduce rehospitalization rates in a hospital and that those rates drop dramatically once the new program is established.We can conclude that

For a causal relationship to exist there must be evidence

If we can establish that variable X comes before variable Q in time,then we can say

Attrition effects are automatically controlled when participants are assigned randomly to experimental and control groups.

Studies that assign subjects to intervention groups on the basis of their extreme scores are vulnerable to regression toward the mean.

Without using appropriate experimental and control groups,extraneous events in subjects' lives can make history a threat to internal validity,even if those events are of no historical importance to people in general.

Quasi-experimental designs are often used instead of experimental designs because

The effectiveness of randomization in experimentation is affected by the number of participants involved.

When selecting a comparison group in a quasi-experimental design,one should

Time series designs with many measurement points control for maturation.

Quasi-experiments using nonequivalent comparison groups without random assignment can be credible,assuming that the comparability of the experimental and comparison groups is plausible-especially if the researcher provides substantial evidence of that comparability.

Pre-experimental designs

Case-control designs have more controls for threats to validity than do most other designs for evaluating programs or practice.

Why Study Research

Evidence-Based Practice

Quantitative, qualitative, and Mixed Methods of Inquiry

Factors Influencing the Research Process

Ethical Issues in Social Work Research

Culturally Competent Research

Problem Formulation

Measurement in Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry

Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement Instruments

Surveys

Sampling: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

Single-Case Evaluation Designs

Program Evaluation

Additional Methods in Qualitative Inquiry

Analyzing Available Records: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

Quantitative Data Analysis

Qualitative Data Analysis

Filters