Deck 8: Experiments

Question 1

The classical experimental design:

A)helps guard against the sources of internal and external validity.
B)helps guard against the sources of internal invalidity.
C)helps guard against the sources of external invalidity.
D)cannot guard against the sources of either internal or external invalidity.
E)and what it helps guard against depends upon the particular experiment.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The Solomon four-group design utilizes how many control groups?

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4
E)0

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In order to ensure that experimental and control groups are similar before the experiment begins,social scientists sometimes:

A)pair subjects who are identical on relevant variables and assign one to the control group and one to the experimental group.
B)create groups that are equivalent in terms of their averages on some relevant variables.
C)randomly assign subjects to the experimental and control groups.
D)match subjects on relevant variables.
E)engage in activities mentioned in all of these choices.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The difference between the experimental and control group should be:

A)that the experimental group receives the dependent variable and the control group does not.
B)that the experimental group receives the independent variable and the control group does not.
C)that the control group receives the dependent variable and the experimental group does not.
D)that the control group receives the independent variable and the experimental group does not.
E)nothing since both receive the independent variable.

Question 5

An experiment examines the effect of the:

A)dependent variable on the independent variable.
B)posttest on the pretest.
C)control group on the experimental group.
D)independent variable on the dependent variable.
E)independent variable on the stimulus.

Question 6

Experiments are especially appropriate for research projects involving all of the following EXCEPT:

A)small-group interaction.
B)hypothesis testing.
C)the testing of relatively limited and well-defined concepts and propositions.
D)descriptive research.
E)explanatory research.

Question 7

Without randomly assigning subjects,a researcher administers the experimental stimulus to the experimental group and then measures the dependent variable in both the experimental and control groups.This design is known as the:

A)one-group pretest-posttest design.
B)one-shot case study.
C)static-group comparison.
D)classical experimental design.
E)posttest-only control group design.

Question 8

The Solomon four-group design:

A)combines the classical experimental design with the posttest-only control group design.
B)combines the classical experimental design with the pretest-only control group design.
C)combines the classical experimental design with the static-group comparison design.
D)combines the static-group comparison design with the one-group pretest-posttest design.
E)has not been explained by any of these choices.

Question 9

The question of internal invalidity refers to:

A)the comparison of the results obtained for the experimental group with those obtained for the control group.
B)whether the experimental stimulus really affected the dependent variable.
C)the determination of the proper time to do the posttest.
D)the determination of the proper time to do the pretest.
E)generalizability.

Question 10

In Professor John's three week experiment,the control group has realized that the experimental group is being exposed to lavish lunches as part of the experiment,while they are stuck with plain microwaved meals.In protest,they have decided to stop full participation.Which form of internal invalidity does Professor John have to worry about?

A)Maturation
B)Demoralization
C)Selection biases
D)Experimental mortality
E)Statistical regression

Question 11

Which of the following experimental designs have the least explanatory power compared to the others?

A)Classical experimental design
B)Solomon four-group design
C)Posttest-only control group design
D)One-shot case study
E)All experimental designs have equal explanatory power

Question 12

Which of the following would constitute a "natural" experiment?

A)Conducting a survey of city park workers regarding their job satisfaction
B)Doing a comparative analysis of families that choose to stay and those who choose to move out of a racially changing neighborhood to find out the underlying causes for the difference in their choices
C)Evaluating a drug courts program on drug user relapses
D)Presenting half of a classroom with a documentary on discrimination,then measuring student opinions on race
E)Soliciting teenagers at a mall to view a Pickup commercial and discuss their impressions

Question 13

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 90th percentile.As a research methods student,you told your friend that his/her lowered score was most likely due to:

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

Question 14

A researcher administered a math test to a group of 9th graders in September.During the school year these students received an intensive program designed to improve their math skills.In May the math test was again given to these students and their math scores improved.A major problem in this research is that the researcher failed to control for:

A)history.
B)maturation.
C)testing.
D)selection biases.
E)all of these choices.

Question 15

The experimental and control groups should be comparable on:

A)variables that are likely to be related to the independent variable under study.
B)variables that are likely to be related to the dependent variable under study.
C)age,education,and ethnicity.
D)all demographic variables.
E)all of these choices.

Question 16

Assume that you have developed a study technique that you believe will result in students scoring higher on research methods exams.You test your study technique with the design diagramed below. R=random assignment O=observation X=stimulus
R O1 X O2 R O3 O4
Using the diagramed design,what predictions are correct?

A)O2 should be greater than O1
B)The (O2-O1)change should be greater than the (O4-O3)change.
C)O4 must equal O3
D)All of these choices are appropriate predictions
E)O2 should be greater than O1 and the (O2-O1)change should be greater than the (O4-O3)change

Question 17

Among the requirements for the classical experimental design is a posttest measurement of the:

A)dependent variable for both the experimental and control groups.
B)independent variable for both the experimental and control groups.
C)independent variable for the control group only.
D)dependent variable for the experimental group only.
E)independent variable for the experimental group only.

Question 18

An instrumentation effect occurs when:

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)the stimulus is changed from the pretest to the posttest.
E)all of these choices indicate an instrumentation effect.

Question 19

The double-blind experiment is one in which:

A)the experimenters do not know which is the experimental group and which is the control group.
B)the experimental subjects do not know that they are in the experimental group,and the control group subjects know that they are in the control group.
C)neither the subjects in the experimental or control groups nor the experimenters know which are the experimental and control groups.
D)the control group subjects do not know that they are in the control group,and the experimental group subjects know that they are in the experimental group.
E)the experimental and control groups are given placebos.

Question 20

Preexperimental designs:

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.
E)are highly recommended by Campbell and Stanley.

Question 21

Instrumentation is NOT a threat to internal invalidity in the one-shot case study.

Question 22

With a large pool of subjects,randomization is the preferred technique for assigning subjects to experimental and control groups even when you CAN specify in advance the relevant matching variables.

Question 23

Experimental mortality encompasses more than just the death of participants.

Question 24

It has been suggested that within a large enough experiment and with truly randomized assignment to experimental and control groups,a pretest is unnecessary.

Question 25

For the most part,preexperimental designs are simplified forms of the traditional experiment.

Question 26

You were asked to participate in an experiment to test the effectiveness of review sessions on exam grades.As a research methods student,you concluded that you had been assigned to the control group because you simply took the scheduled exams.Since you were in the control group you simply gave up and quit studying.This exemplifies:

A)compensation.
B)the testing effect.
C)demoralization.
D)maturation.
E)experimental mortality.

Question 27

Professor Rose was asked to design an experiment to test whether obese people would lose weight on a Pickup 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,mortality,and demoralization.Rose said,"I don't understand." Explain these issues to Rose.Suggest and explain a design that would control for these problems.

Question 28

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

Question 29

In a natural experiment,the researcher does NOT manipulate the independent variable.

Question 30

Researchers tend to use probability sampling to recruit subjects for the experimental and control groups.

Question 31

Kyo is looking to perform a quick research study to determine the effects of a documentary about domestic violence on people's perceptions of violence.His experiment consists of administering a brief survey to a group,having them watch a movie,then surveying them as they leave to determine if any change occurred.What kind of design is Kyo utilizing?

A)one-shot case study
B)classical experiment
C)static-group comparison
D)natural experiment
E)one group pretest-posttest

Question 32

The dependent variable is also known as the experimental stimulus.

Question 33

The double blind experiment attempts to guard against experimenter bias.

Question 34

An interaction between the testing situation and the experimental stimulus jeopardizes generalizability.

Question 35

Because experiments focus on determining causation,they are better suited to descriptive purposes rather than explanatory purposes.

Question 36

A fully representative sample is not as essential in experimental research,because we are measuring effects on the individual,not the individual themselves.

Question 37

Jimmy's experiment requires him to tell subjects that they will be working in pairs to solve a problem when in reality he does not care about problem-solving.Jimmy is really observing the nonverbal communication between two people who do not know each other.Which of the following statements is FALSE concerning Jimmy's research?

A)Jimmy is deceiving his subjects.
B)Jimmy needs to determine whether deception is essential to the experiment.
C)Jimmy must tell the subjects that he plans to observe their nonverbal communications.
D)Jimmy is intruding on the lives of his subjects.
E)All of these choices are TRUE.

Question 38

The use of an experimental group allows the researcher to control for the effects of the experiment itself.

Question 39

The problem of external invalidity refers to the generalizability of results.

Question 40

Typically,research on the World Wide Web involves representative samples.

Question 41

Explain how a natural experiment differs from a traditional one.What are the advantages and shortcomings of using them?

Question 42

Explain what is meant by internal and external invalidity.