Exam 5: Introduction to Experimental Research

The presence of a control group enables researchers to evaluate threats to internal validity. However, one threat that is most likely to still influence results to an unknown degree, even when a control group is used, is

People are given a personality test and then separated into those who tend to be introverted and those who tend to be extroverted. In this study the independent variable is a _______ variable.

___________ validity occurs when a proper statistical analysis has been completed.

A researcher wants to know if children prefer cereal that has colors in it. Preschoolers compare plain-colored Wheatios with multicolored Rice Chrunchios. The children preferred the latter. What can be concluded?

When a confound exists,

Some subjects try to solve a difficult maze while sitting in a 2x3 ft room. Others try to solve the same maze while sitting in a 10x12 ft room. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of crowding on maze performance The larger room has natural light because of its two windows. The 2x3 ft room has no windows, so natural light is simulated with a special type of fluorescent light. Which of the following is true?

A threat to internal validity that results from some unexpected event is referred to as __________.

Describe and explain the difference in the kinds of conclusions that can be drawn from studies using manipulated independent variables and studies using subject variables.

After averaging 20 points per game for her college basketball team over the first 15 games, Amanda scores 37 points one night. Because of _______, she will almost certainly score _______ points in the next game.

Decisions made about how to define the dependent variable most clearly affect the ________ validity of a study.

In a study evaluating the effects of X on Y, X is the ________, while Y is the ________.

________ validity is concerned with the extent to which results generalize beyond the particular experiment being conducted.

In a study comparing productivity in two factories, one in an urban setting and one in a rural setting, a city wide strike may affect life for subjects in the first group but not those in the second. This is an example of

A "freshman year" program finds that first year students are more relaxed at the end of their first semester than they were at the beginning. The Dean is excited, but the researcher suspects the change may be due to

The major threat to internal validity that occurs in studies that last for a significant period of time (e.g., five years) is

A researcher tests four different groups of participants. Each group is given a different dosage of caffeine, and reaction time is measured for each subject. Which of the following is true?

During the course of an experimental that lasts over a period of time, normal developmental changes may occur that can affect the results of the study independent of the treatment program being evaluated. This threat to internal validity is called

After taking the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, those scoring in the top 25% are assigned to group A and those scoring in the bottom 25% are assigned to group B. Participants in both groups are then given a series of problems to solve in a small (8x8) windowless room. Which of the following is true about anxiety in this study?

The internal validity of a study is high when

What is meant by a "control" group and what is its purpose? Describe how Damisch, Stoberock, and Mussweiler (2010) used a control group in their study of lucky golf balls; explain their method, results and conclusions.