Deck 12: Experimental Research: Weak and Strong Designs

Question 1

When members of comparison groups are selected in order to equate the groups on one or more variables that are correlated with the dependent variable, this is called:

A) Matching
B) Counterbalancing
C) Random assignment
D) A factorial design

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Explain how experiments produce evidence of causality.

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

A researcher is interested in whether a new reading program for 5th graders will lead to better performance than a traditional program. She is also concerned that the program effects might vary or be confounded with prior reading achievement. Hence, she includes prior reading achievement in her study as a variable. The control technique she used in this study was:

A) Matching
B) Random assignment
C) Holding the extraneous variable constant
D) Building the extraneous variable into the design

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Describe the different ways an independent variable can be manipulated.

Question 5

Explain the different ways of controlling the influence of potentially confounding variables.

Question 6

A strategy for overcoming sequencing effects is called:

A) Random assignment
B) Matching
C) Analysis of covariance
D) Counterbalancing

Question 7

A technique used to statistically equate groups that differ on a pretest or some other variable or variables is called:

A) Analysis of covariance
B) Counterbalancing
C) Matching
D) Carry over effect

Question 8

In which of the following examples is the independent variable manipulated by the presence versus absence technique?

A) In one experimental condition teachers receive in-service training. In the other condition, the teachers receive no training.
B) In one experimental condition teachers receive in-service training. In the other experimental condition the teachers receive a written training document for study.
C) In one experimental condition, the teachers receive one day of in-service training. In the second condition, the teachers receive two days of training. In the third condition, the teachers receive three days of training.
D) In one experimental condition teachers receive in-service training from a college professor. In the second condition, the teachers receive in-service training from a peer.

Question 9

Compare and contrast factorial and repeated-measures designs.

Question 10

In which of the following examples is the independent variable manipulated by the amount technique?

A) In one experimental condition teachers receive in-service training. In the other condition, the teachers receive no training.
B) In one experimental condition teachers receive in-service training. In the other experimental condition the teachers receive a written training document for study.
C) In one experimental condition, the teachers receive one day of in-service training. In the second condition, the teachers receive two days of training. In the third condition, the teachers receive three days of training.
D) In one experimental condition teachers receive in-service training from a college professor. In the second condition, the teachers receive in-service training from a peer.

Question 11

When a researcher notices that participants success in one condition is influenced by their experiences in the previous condition, she potentially has a(n):

A) Order effect
B) Carryover effect
C) Sequencing effect
D) Random effect

Question 12

A researcher is interested in the effects of a preschool program on later school performance. Because she is concerned that socio-economic status (SES) is a potential extraneous variable in her study, she picks children to study who are only from low SES homes. The control technique she used in this study was:

A) Matching
B) Random assignment
C) Holding the extraneous variable constant
D) Statistically controlling the extraneous variable

Question 13

Explain the concept of an interaction effect.

Question 14

Explain why some experimental research designs are weak designs and others are strong designs.

Question 15

An experiment involves:

A) The use of several dependent variables
B) A focus on prediction of criterion variables
C) Studying a phenomenon as it naturally occurs
D) Studying a phenomenon under strictly controlled conditions

Question 16

Explain the importance of control in experimental research and how control is achieved.

Question 17

The procedure that maximizes the probability that the comparison groups will be equated on all extraneous variables is called:

A) Random selection
B) Random sampling
C) Random assignment
D) Counterbalancing

Question 18

In which of the following examples is the independent variable manipulated using the type technique?

A) A researcher is interested in the effects of rehearsal on memory performance. She has one group of students use rehearsal whereas a control group does not rehearse.
B) A researcher is interested in the effects of rehearsal on memory performance. She has one group of students rehearse items for 5 seconds, a second group for 10 seconds, and a third group for 15 seconds.
C) A researcher is interested in the effects of rehearsal on memory performance. She has one group of students rehearse each item for 10 seconds. She has another group rehearse each item for 20 seconds. Finally, the third group rehearses each item for 30 seconds.
D) A researcher is interested in the effects of rehearsal on memory performance. She has one group of students rehearse items individually, one item at a time. A second group rehearses using a grouping technique, in groups of five. The third comparison group rehearses "freely" as they see fit.

Question 19

Counterbalancing involves:

A) Presenting the experimental conditions to different groups of participants in different orders so that sequencing effects are controlled.
B) Using analysis of covariance.
C) Matching participants on several variables.
D) Holding all extraneous variables constant.

Question 20

Experimental control refers to:

A) Manipulating the independent variable using the presence versus absence technique.
B) Eliminating any differential influence of extraneous variables.
C) Eliminating the dependent variable.
D) Using the amount technique to manipulate an independent variable.

Question 21

A researcher does a study where he examines the effects of a new reading program for teaching reading comprehension. He randomly assigns 30 students to an experimental group and 30 students to a control group. He then posttests the students after the program to see whether they are different in reading performance. The design used by the researcher is the:

A) Pretest-posttest control-group design
B) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
C) One-group posttest-only design
D) Posttest-only control-group design

Question 22

Use the following to answer Questions
A researcher is looking at the effects of competition versus cooperation on mathematics learning. She theorizes that anxiety will interact with type of instruction to influence math learning. The dependent variable is the number of points on a 100 point mathematics test. The means for the study results are shown in the table below.


-Which of the following is NOT likely to be true?

A) There is an interaction between Anxiety and Instruction.
B) There is a main effect of type of instruction.
C) There is a main effect of anxiety.
D) The manipulations did not have an effect.

Question 23

Additive and interactive effects are potential threats to validity in which design?

A) One-group posttest only design
B) One-group pretest-posttest design
C) Repeated measures design
D) Posttest only design with nonequivalent groups

Question 24

Use the following to answer Questions
A researcher is looking at the effects of competition versus cooperation on mathematics learning. She theorizes that anxiety will interact with type of instruction to influence math learning. The dependent variable is the number of points on a 100 point mathematics test. The means for the study results are shown in the table below.


-Which of the following pairs of means is indicative of the main effect of Instruction type?

A) 45 vs 75
B) 50 vs 70
C) 25 vs 65
D) 75 vs 75

Question 25

When the effect of one independent variable depends on the level of another independent variable, this is called:

A) A main effect
B) A cell
C) An interaction effect
D) Counterbalancing

Question 26

Inferences from group comparisons are made stronger when:

A) We use static groups
B) We use preexisting groups
C) We randomly assign participants to groups
D) We posttest groups

Question 27

A major problem for repeated measures designs is:

A) Interactions with selection
B) It requires more participants
C) Sequencing effects
D) Participants serve as their own controls

Question 28

A researcher carries out a study of memory strategies. She has all participants receive all three strategy conditions. First they get strategy A, then they get strategy B, and then they receive strategy C. She notices that there is a steady increase in performance as the students move from A to C. She is concerned because although it might be that strategy C is better than strategy A, it is also possible that the participants might just improve because of familiarity with the task of memorizing lists. Her concern reflects the potential of:

A) Order effects
B) Random assignment
C) Carryover effects
D) Random sequencing effect

Question 29

Use the following to answer Questions
A researcher is looking at the effects of competition versus cooperation on mathematics learning. She theorizes that anxiety will interact with type of instruction to influence math learning. The dependent variable is the number of points on a 100 point mathematics test. The means for the study results are shown in the table below.


-Which of the following inferences is likely true based on the pattern of results?

A) Instructional effects are the same whether someone has high or low anxiety.
B) Instructional type has no impact on the effectiveness of instruction.
C) High anxiety individuals are influenced more by instructional type than low anxiety individuals.
D) Anxiety has no impact on the effectiveness of instruction.

Question 30

One threat to the internal validity of the one-group posttest-only design is:

A) Testing
B) Instrumentation
C) Regression artifacts
D) History

Question 31

When two or more independent variables are simultaneously studied in an experiment, this is known as:

A) A counterbalanced designed
B) A posttest-only control-group design
C) A factorial design
D) A posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups

Question 32

Angelique is conducting research in her classroom. She is interested in comparing the effectiveness of different instructional strategies on test scores. Her study is an example of a(n):

A) Laboratory experiment
B) Internet experiment
C) Qualitative experiment
D) Field experiment

Question 33

The posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups is likely to control for which of the following threats to internal validity:

A) History
B) Differential selection
C) Additive and interactive effects
D) Differential attrition

Question 34

A researcher studies a new mathematics program. At the beginning of the year, 100 students are randomly assigned to receive a new program and 100 students are randomly assigned to use the previously used mathematics program. The participants are pretested at the beginning of the year, and they are posttested at the end. What kind of experimental design did the researcher use?

A) Pretest-posttest control-group design
B) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
C) One-group posttest-only design
D) Posttest-only control-group design

Question 35

Which of the following is not a characteristic of an experiment?

A) Research attempts to objectively observe what happens
B) Variables are manipulated in a controlled environment
C) There is always a control group
D) One or more factors are varied while the rest are held constant

Question 36

A major threat to validity to the posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups is:

A) History
B) Testing
C) Instrumentation
D) Differential selection

Question 37

A design that combines random assignment of research participants to groups with repeated measures is called a:

A) Between subjects factorial design
B) Factorial design based on a mixed model
C) Posttest-only control-group design
D) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups

Question 38

In a repeated measures design:

A) All participants participate in one condition only
B) Participants are randomly assigned to treatment groups
C) Participants participate in all conditions
D) Participants participate in either the experimental or the control condition but not both

Question 39

The effect of one independent variable in a factorial design is called:

A) A main effect
B) A cell
C) An interaction effect
D) Counterbalancing

Question 40

A researcher carries out a study of memory strategies. She has all participants get three different memory strategies to use to learn lists of 20 words. She discovers that after she gives participants Strategy A to use, they have difficulty using strategies B and C. The problem of Strategy A influencing Strategy B and C performance suggests that one problem with the study is:

A) A carryover effect
B) An order effect
C) Random assignment
D) Random sequencing effect

Question 41

A researcher did not think that gender influenced the amount of time it takes people to tie their shoes so he conducted his shoe tying study with girls. This is which type of control strategy?

A) Matching
B) Counterbalancing
C) Holding the extraneous variable constant
D) Including the extraneous variable in the research design.

Question 42

What is the best technique to use to control for sequencing effects?

A) Random assignment to treatment groups
B) Matching
C) Holding variables constant by building them into the design
D) Counterbalancing

Question 43

The variable that the researcher manipulates in an experiment is called the:

A) Independent variable
B) Dependent variable
C) Consequent variable
D) Controlled variable

Question 44

Which of the following is an example of "present versus absence" variation of the independent variable?

A) All participants' reaction times are measured after ingesting two beers
B) In a study of distraction on reading comprehension, one group is distracted by noise, another by a flashing light, and a third by a bad odor
C) The control group gets no drug, one experimental group gets 5 mg/kg of a drug, and a second experimental group gets 10 mg/kg of the drug
D) An experimental group receives 5 mg/kg of a drug and the control group receives no drug (placebo)

Question 45

Often, we do not know at the start of an experiment what extraneous variables could affect our results. The best means of controlling for unknown sources of extraneous variables is:

A) Random selection
B) Random assignment
C) Sequencing
D) Analysis of covariance

Question 46

John has a new speed reading program he wants to test. He trains 10 people on the program and then measures their reading speed. John used which design?

A) One-group posttest-only design
B) One-group pretest-posttest design
C) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
D) Nonequivalent posttest-only design

Question 47

An experimental design that incorporates more than one independent variable is called a(n)_________ design.

A) Complex
B) Interaction
C) Simple randomized
D) Factorial

Question 48

To determine whether noise affects the ability to solve math problems, a researcher has one group solve math problems in a quiet room and another group solve math problems in a noisy room. The group solving problems in the noisy room completes 15 problems in one hour and the group solving problems in the quiet room completes 22 problems in one hour. In this experiment, the independent variable is ____________ and the dependent variable is _____________.

A) The number of problems solved; the difficulty of the problems
B) The number of problems solved; the noise level in the room
C) The noise level in the room; the number of problems solved
D) The noise level in the room; the difficulty of the problems

Question 49

Which of the control techniques has the most power to insure that extraneous variables do not have differential effects on the different groups in the experiment?

A) Random assignment
B) Matching
C) Counterbalancing
D) Precision matching

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of "amount of variable" variation of the independent variable?

A) All participants' response times are measured after eating sweets
B) In a study of distraction on problem-solving ability, one group is distracted by noise, another by a flashing light, and a third by a bad odor
C) The control group gets 1 minute to solve a problem, one experimental group gets 2 minutes, and a second experimental group gets 5 minutes to solve the problem.
D) An experimental group receives 5 mg/kg of a drug and the control group receives no drug.

Question 51

Two teachers who are friends teach math at different high schools. At a conference they learn about a new program for teaching trigonometry. They decide to test it by having one teacher use it in her class and the other use the traditional program. At the end of the school year they compare their students' scores on the AP trigonometry test. This is an example of which research design?

A) One-group posttest-only design
B) One-group pretest-posttest design
C) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
D) Nonequivalent posttest-only design

Question 52

In a posttest-only control-group design:

A) Some participants are given a treatment and others are not
B) Each participant experiences all treatment conditions
C) Pairs of matched participants experience the same treatment conditions
D) There are always only two groups

Question 53

Analysis of covariance is:

A) A statistical technique that can be used to help equate groups on specific variables
B) A statistical technique that can be used to control sequencing effects
C) A statistical technique that substitutes for random assignment to groups
D) Adjusts scores on the independent variable to control for extraneous variables

Question 54

The control group serves the function of:

A) Matching participants
B) Controlling for several rival hypotheses
C) Preventing order effects.
D) Assuring external validity

Question 55

A group of physicians tests a new drug for treating Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). They randomly assign 40 children with ADD to the experimental and control groups (20 per group). They then measure the amount of time each group of ADD students attend to a task during a specified hour one week prior to the treatment group taking the new drug and during a specified hour one week after the treatment group takes the new drug. The physicians used what type of design to test the drug?

A) One-group posttest-only design
B) Pretest-posttest control-group design
C) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
D) Nonequivalent posttest-only design

Question 56

What is the important difference between the posttest-only control-group design and the posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups?

A) The former uses random assignment of participants to groups
B) The former uses two groups of participants
C) The latter involves testing participants twice
D) The latter does not manipulate an independent variable

Question 57

Order and carryover effects differ in that:

A) For order effects it matters which particular treatment comes first, but not so for carryover effects
B) For carryover effects it does not matter which treatment occurs first, just how often it is repeated
C) For order effects it is the ordinal position of the treatment conditions that matters
D) For carryover effects it is only the ordinal position of the treatment conditions that matters

Question 58

Which of the following is an example of "type technique" of variation of the independent variable?

A) All participants' reaction times are measured after being given a drug
B) In a study of success in passing the bar, one group studied independently, another as a group, and a third paid for a review class
C) The control group got no study aids, one experimental group got a graphic organizer, and a second experimental group got copies of the teacher's notes
D) An experimental group had a review session before taking a test and the control group took the test when the unit was complete

Question 59

A group of physicians tests a new drug for treating Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). They measure the amount of time a group of ADD students attend to a task during a specified hour one week prior to taking the new drug and for a specified hour one week after taking the new drug. The physicians used what type of design to test the drug?

A) One-group posttest-only design
B) One-group pretest-posttest design
C) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
D) Nonequivalent posttest-only design

Question 60

If you were interested in determining whether a possible interaction effect existed between an extraneous variable and the independent variable, you should use what technique to control for the influence of the extraneous variable?

A) Hold the extraneous variable constant
B) Make the extraneous variable into another independent variable and include it in the study
C) Match the participants who will be in the study
D) Counterbalancing

Question 61

An experiment was conducted to determine if gender of the teacher and the amount of eye contact by the teacher influenced students' liking of the teacher. Students were randomly assigned to groups that had either a male or female teacher who made little, moderate, or sustained eye contact while giving students a lecture on career choices. At the end of the lecture the students were asked to rate their liking of the teacher. In this design, which of the following outcomes would indicate an interaction effect?

A) Male and female teachers are liked more with longer eye contact.
B) Male and female teachers are liked less with longer eye contact
C) Male teachers are liked more with longer eye contact but duration of eye contact has no effect on the liking of female teachers
D) All of the above are interaction effects

Question 62

Equating the groups refers to groups that are similar:

A) In terms of the number of participants
B) On the posttest scores
C) On all extraneous variables
D) To other groups in previous studies

Question 63

Dr. Smart has conducted a research study on a new reading strategy in two classrooms. She tested all students' reading abilities, used the new reading strategy with the one of the classrooms for a quarter, and then tested the reading abilities of the students in both classrooms at the end of the quarter. She adjusted her posttest scores because the students in the control classroom (who were not taught with the new reading strategy) scored higher on their pretests. This is an example of:

A) A double-blind procedure
B) Analysis of covariance
C) Holding an extraneous variable constant
D) Counterbalancing

Question 64

A field experiment is an experiment that is conducted:

A) Outside in an open space
B) In a real-life setting such as a teachers' lounge
C) With the use of noncollege research participants
D) In a field setting that permits maximum control of extraneous variables

Question 65

The variable that is influenced by a treatment is known as the:

A) Independent variable
B) Dependent variable
C) Experimenter variable
D) Researcher variable

Question 66

The best way to equate groups in experimental research is through:

A) Matching
B) Holding extraneous variables constant
C) Using an analysis of covariance
D) Random assignment

Question 67

The experimental design which includes random assignment to experimental and control groups and the use of double-blind procedures is:

A) Posttest only
B) Randomized controlled trial
C) Repeated measures
D) Posttest only with nonequivalent groups

Question 68

A design that combines a within-subjects independent variable and a between-subjects independent variable is called a:

A) Between-subjects factorial design
B) Factorial design based on a mixed model
C) Mixed posttest-only control-group design
D) Posttest-only design with mixed groups

Question 69

At Main Street Elementary School, the third grade teachers wanted to compare four different ways of teaching spelling. Each quarter all of the teachers used the same instructional strategy for teaching spelling and they used a different strategy each quarter. They recorded students' grades in spelling each quarter. This is an example of a:

A) Repeated measures design
B) Posttest only design
C) Randomized controlled trial design
D) Posttest only control group design

Question 70

Single-blind refers to:

A) The experimenter not knowing which group is the experimental group and which is the control group
B) The participants not knowing if they are in the experimental group or the control group
C) A procedure that should be implemented in education when possible
D) A way to control for sequencing effects

Question 71

Rhonda designs an experiment in which half of her students are randomly assigned to view a sad movie and half to view a comedy. All of the students then rate their liking for the school at one, two, and three weeks after viewing the movie. This design is:

A) An interaction design
B) A nonequivalent posttest-only design
C) A within-participants design
D) A factorial design based on a mixed model

Question 72

Suppose that you are conducting a factorial study with variables A and B. Your results reveal an interaction effect. This means that:

A) Variable A is effective in changing performance only if variable B is also effective
B) The way participants' responses to independent variable A depend on what level of independent variable B they experience
C) One of the variables, A or B, can have an effect on performance only if the other does not
D) The effects of variable A and of variable B cancel each other out

Question 73

When neither the experimenter nor the participants know if the participant is in the experimental or control group is a characteristic of:

A) One-group posttest-only design
B) Posttest-only design with nonequivalent groups
C) Single-blind procedure
D) Double-blind procedure

Question 74

Weak experimental research designs:

A) Should be used in educational settings
B) Control confounding extraneous variables
C) Always have a control group
D) Do not control for confounding extraneous variables

Question 75

One of the big advantages of a repeated-measures design is that:

A) The data are easier to interpret than are data from a design in which participants are randomly assigned to groups
B) It does not carry the risk of carryover or order effects
C) The experimenter does not have to worry about whether the groups of participants are equivalent to each other
D) It is not subject to the influence of expectancy effects

Question 76

An experiment was conducted to determine whether gender of the teacher and the amount of eye contact by the teacher influenced students' liking of the teacher. Students were randomly assigned to groups that had either a male or female teacher who made little, moderate, or sustained eye contact while giving students a lecture on career choices. At the end of the lecture, the students were asked to rate their liking of the teacher. This is a design with _________ cells.

A) 3
B) 6
C) 9
D) 10

Question 77

Which of the following is not one of the advantages of an Internet experiment?

A) Easy access to a diverse population of individuals
B) High statistical power
C) Cost savings
D) Self-selection into the study

Question 78

If a study has been conducted in a controlled setting where all or nearly all extraneous variables are controlled, we have conducted a(n) __________ experiment.

A) Field
B) Laboratory
C) Internet
D) Web-based

Question 79

An experiment was conducted to determine if gender of the teacher and the amount of eye contact by the teacher influenced students' liking of the teacher. Students were randomly assigned to groups that had either a male or female teacher who made little, moderate, or sustained eye contact while giving students a lecture on career choices. At the end of the lecture the students were asked to rate their liking of the teacher. This is a design potentially with _________ main effects.

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

Question 80

Which of the following is not a characteristic of an experiment?

A) Researcher attempts to objectively observe what happens
B) At least one independent variable is manipulated in a highly controlled environment
C) There is always a control group
D) One or more factors are varied and the others are kept constant