Exam 5: Introduction to Experimental Research

The Ji, Peng, and Nisbett (2000) study tested subjects on a "field dependence test" called the rod and frame test (RFT). As independent variables, this study used

Sometimes, pretest and posttest measures are records taken by observers who improve their skills with practice. In this case, pretest-posttest changes could be due to program effectiveness or to the threat to internal validity called

In study described in the previous item, confidence in program effectiveness would be highest if a control group, which also started with a pretest score of 80, had a posttest score of

To see if the time of day has an effect on helping behavior, experimenters ask passersby for directions in New York's Central Park, either at 8:00 am or 8:00 pm. Which of the following is true?

Explain why the presence of an uncontrolled extraneous variable (i.e., a confound) makes it impossible to interpret the results of a study.

For any experiment investigating the effect of X on Y,

Most researchers would agree that

In his famous 1938 text, the so-called "Columbia bible," R. S. Woodworth

Woodworth's so-called "Columbia bible" was the first experimental psychology text to argue for a clear distinction between

In the Bobo study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross, the manipulated independent variable was

__________ effects occur when two groups of participants are nonequivalent.

What was the main methodological flaw in Brady's "ulcers in executive monkeys" study?

Brady's "ulcers in executive monkeys" study was flawed by which of the following threats to internal validity?

Worker productivity is assessed before and after a program for flextime is instituted. Just after the pretest, workers receive an unexpected bonus check based on unusually high product sales. Productivity is higher on the posttest than on the pretest, but the researcher suspects ______ as a threat to internal validity.

Sometimes performance differences could be attributed to an independent variable or to some basic difference in the composition of the two groups involved. When this occurs, there is said to be a threat due to

Suppose you decide to implement a participant pool policy at your school. What important guidelines should your policy include in order to meet the requirements set by the APA?

Rats learning a maze are tested after varying degrees of food deprivation. Some run the maze after 4 hours without food, others after 8 hours, and others after 12 hours deprivation. In this study,

In study in which some participants are made anxious and others are not, and anxious subjects then do more poorly on a difficult problem, anxiety is

In general, describe the three essential features of any experimental study in which a causal conclusion can be drawn.

The simplest way to evaluate threats to internal validity due to history, maturation, and regression is to