Deck 10: Field Research

Question 1

Describe three limitations of field research.

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Compare and contrast field experiments and laboratory experiments. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of research?

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Explain why a sample of participants in field research might not be representative of the population of interest. Give an example that illustrates these reasons.

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Explain the trade-offs that researchers must make when conducting field experiments compared with laboratory experiments.

Question 5

Describe the laboratory-field experiment continuum. What factors define this continuum?

Question 6

Describe the factors that researchers should consider when choosing a setting for a field study. What factors define a good setting?

Question 7

What are the three dimensions of "publicness" of settings used in field research? Give an example of each of the dimensions.

Question 8

Distinguish between the street theater and accosting strategies for implementing an independent variable in a field experiment.

Question 9

Discuss the issues researchers must consider when evaluating the construct validity of the dependent measures used in a field experiment.

Question 10

Describe the factors that researchers should evaluate when assessing the extent to which they have control over extraneous variables in field experiments.

Question 11

Distinguish between a field experiment and a natural experiment.

Question 12

What is a quasi-experiment and how is it similar to a natural experiment? In what important way does it differ from a natural experiment?

Question 13

Describe how preexisting differences between the experimental and the control group can affect interpretation of a quasi-experiment.

Question 14

What is analysis of covariance and when would it be used in the statistical analysis of a quasi-experiment?

Question 15

Describe a study that uses a non-equivalent control group design. Be sure to explain how a high-quality control group would be selected.

Question 16

Explain the problem of selection bias in a non-equivalent control group design.

Question 17

What is a patched-up quasi-experiment? Why would a researcher use this design?

Question 18

What are focal local controls and why are they used?

Question 19

Why is it important to replicate laboratory research in a field setting?

Question 20

Name three ways researchers can increase their confidence in the results of a non-equivalent control group design.

Question 21

Explain the concept of nested assignment in a non-equivalent control group design. What is the advantage of using this methodology?

Question 22

Explain the logic of using a time series design for a research study.

Question 23

Distinguish between an interrupted time series design and an equivalent time samples design.

Question 24

Explain how a control series design expands the interrupted time series design.

Question 25

Describe a study you might conduct using a time series design. Which specific design would best fit your hypothesis? Explain your reasoning.

Question 26

How are studies that use naturalistic observation different from natural experiments?

Question 27

Describe the levels of deception that researchers might use in a participant observation study.

Question 28

Name and define the four types of roles observers can take in participant observation research.

Question 29

Which type of participant observation raises the greatest ethical concerns? Which raises the fewest concerns? Explain your reasoning.

Question 30

List the steps involved in coding behavioral observations.

Question 31

When developing a coding scheme, why do researchers distinguish between manifest and latent content? Be sure to define these concepts as you answer the question.

Question 32

What are broad versus narrow coding categories? Give an example of each.

Question 33

What are the characteristics of a good coding scheme?

Question 34

Name and define two cognitive biases that affect observers' ratings in studies of natural behavior. Explain how these biases operate and how their effects might be reduced.

Question 35

Describe four ways that researchers can improve their record keeping in a naturalistic observation study.

Question 36

Describe how reactivity might operate in a naturalistic observation study. How can this reactivity be reduced?

Question 37

Describe the stressors that observers might experience in a participant observation study. What can researchers do to reduce those stressors?

Question 38

The term field research refers to research

A) conducted in natural settings.
B) that integrates multiple fields of psychology.
C) that focuses on a narrow field of research questions rather than a single broad research question.
D) conducted in a laboratory setting with participants recruited from an appropriate natural setting.

Question 39

Compared to laboratory research, field research is less artificial. However, field research allows less control over

A) extraneous variables.
B) the people who participate in the research.
C) independent variables.
D) all of the above.

Question 40

The field research setting imposes limitations on the ________ validity of the conclusions drawn from it.

A) conceptual
B) internal
C) statistical conclusion
D) substantive

Question 41

Which of the following statements about field research is TRUE?

A) It is almost always possible to randomly assign participants to conditions of the independent variable.
B) Because the ecological validity of field research is inherently high, it is not necessary to try to replicate field research findings.
C) Compared to laboratory research, field research provides a larger choice of operational definitions for independent and dependent variables.
D) Like laboratory research, research conducted in natural settings may be based on unrepresentative samples of the population.

Question 42

In field research,

A) there is a limited choice of operational definitions for the dependent variable.
B) extraneous variables can be easily controlled.
C) the researcher can usually determine when and where an event occurs.
D) all of the above

Question 43

In a field experiment, researchers

A) manipulate an independent variable in a natural setting using existing groups of people as the experimental and control groups.
B) take advantage of events outside their control that, in effect, manipulate an independent variable.
C) observe people's responses to a treatment and select a control group after the treatment data have been collected.
D) study people's responses to manipulated independent variables in a natural settings while exposing participants to conditions of the independent variable in a reasonably random fashion.

Question 44

A _________ experiment achieves balance between control and naturalism by studying people's natural responses to an independent variable that experimenter chose and manipulated.

A) natural
B) field
C) counterbalanced
D) time series

Question 45

Which of the following statements about field experiments is TRUE?

A) Because of the requirement for informed consent, participants in field experiments are almost always aware that they are taking part in research.
B) Field experiments rarely involve deception.
C) Compared to laboratory researchers, field researchers have less control over assigning participants to conditions of the independent variable.
D) The participants in field experiments are drawn from representative samples of the population.

Question 46

The most important consideration in choosing a setting for a field experiment is the

A) relevance of the setting to the hypothesis being tested.
B) ease of gaining access to the setting.
C) extent to which the experimenter can control the events that take place in and around the setting.
D) extent to which the experimenter can control who participates in the study.

Question 47

A good setting for a field experiment is one

A) that allows the researcher to expose participants to conditions of the independent variable in a reasonably random way.
B) in which the events used to manipulate the independent variable could reasonably be expected to take place.
C) for which the experimenter has permission to conduct research.
D) that has all of the above characteristics.

Question 48

The street theater strategy for implementing the independent variable in a field experiment consists of

A) using trained actors as research assistants for carrying out the manipulation of the independent variable.
B) staging an incident that will be witnessed by virtually every person in the surrounding area.
C) selecting a specific person in a setting who then becomes the target for the experimental intervention.
D) waiting until an event that constitutes a manipulation of the independent variable naturally occurs in the setting.

Question 49

The accosting strategy for implementing the independent variable in a field experiment consists of

A) approaching people in a natural setting and asking them to participate in a research study.
B) staging an incident that will be witnessed by virtually every person in the surrounding area.
C) selecting a specific person in a setting who then becomes the target for the experimental intervention.
D) waiting until an event that constitutes a manipulation of the independent variable naturally occurs in the setting.

Question 50

Professor Ramada conducts a field experiment in which a research assistant asks a person on the street for bus fare. In a randomly determined order, the research assistant is dressed either neatly or in a slovenly manner. Professor Ramada is using the ________ strategy to implement her independent variable.

A) accosting
B) unobtrusive
C) street theater
D) field intervention

Question 51

Professor Greenberg conducts a field experiment in which a research assistant pretends to fall, hurt his knee, and be unable to stand up. In a randomly determined order, the research assistant either calls out for help or remains silent. The dependent variable is the amount of time that elapses between the "accident" and a passer-by stopping to help. Professor Greenberg is using the ________ strategy to implement his independent variable.

A) accosting
B) unobtrusive
C) street theater
D) field intervention

Question 52

Which of the following statements about conducting field experiments is FALSE?

A) Because people select themselves into field research settings, the participants' characteristics might be confounded with characteristics of the setting.
B) Field experiments are vulnerable to disruption by factors beyond the experimenter's control.
C) Validity of the dependent measure can be an issue because others in the research setting might influence research participants' responses.
D) Because the independent variable is manipulated in a natural setting, its construct validity is not an issue.

Question 53

The problem of construct validity in field experiments can be avoided if the researcher

A) manipulates a manifest variable.
B) assesses participants' responses with a self-report measure.
C) includes a manipulation check.
D) does any of the above

Question 54

A researcher wanted to study whether ride share drivers get lower tips than taxi drivers. Which of the following might be a concern in designing this study?

A) The people who use a ride share service might be different from the people who take taxis.
B) The amount of tip given is a hypothetical construct rather than a manifest variable.
C) On bad weather days, more people use both ride share services and taxi services.
D) All of the above are concerns

Question 55

In a natural experiment, researchers

A) manipulate an independent variable in a natural setting and use existing groups of people as the experimental and control groups.
B) take advantage of events outside their control that, in effect, manipulate an independent variable.
C) study people's natural behavioral responses to a manipulated independent variable in a natural setting.
D) have participants fill out questionnaires, the content of which manipulates the independent variable.

Question 56

Dr. George studied whether people are more likely to evacuate when a predicted hurricane has been assigned a male name rather than a female name. Dr. George has conducted a(n)

A) natural experiment.
B) interrupted time series study.
C) field experiment.
D) participant observation study.

Question 57

Natural experiments

A) take advantage of events outside the experimenter's control.
B) can be based on changes to institutional policies.
C) are examples of correlational research.
D) all of the above

Question 58

In a quasi-experiment, researchers

A) manipulate an independent variable in a natural setting and use existing groups of people as the experimental and control groups.
B) take advantage of events outside their control that, in effect, manipulate an independent variable.
C) study people's natural behavioral responses to manipulated independent variables in natural settings.
D) study people's responses to manipulated independent variables in a natural setting while exposing participants to conditions of the independent variable in a reasonably random fashion.

Question 59

Professor Higgins compared the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans who were stationed in Iraq to those who were in the military at the same time, but were stationed elsewhere. Professor Higgins conducted a(n)

A) field experiment.
B) quasi-experiment
C) observational experiment
D) natural experiment.

Question 60

Professor Liu was interested in the effects of college students' using notes during tests. One semester professor Liu taught four sections of the same class. She randomly divided her classes into two sets. Students in one set of classes were allowed to use one page of notes during each test; students in the other set of classes were not allowed to use notes. Professor Liu conducted a(n)

A) field experiment.
B) quasi-experiment.
C) observational experiment.
D) natural experiment.

Question 61

In a _________, the independent variable is manipulated and existing groups of people are assigned to either the experimental or the control group.

A) natural experiment
B) quasi-experiment
C) time series experiment
D) either a or b, but not c

Question 62

Which of the following statements about natural experiments is FALSE?

A) Natural experiments can be used to study phenomena that cannot be ethically studied using true experiments.
B) Natural experiments are essentially correlational studies, so we cannot draw causal conclusions from their findings.
C) Of the various types of field studies, natural experiments allow the researcher the most control over the independent variable.
D) It is never possible for participants to be randomly assigned to conditions of an independent variable in a natural experiment.

Question 63

In a nonequivalent control group design, researchers

A) choose two existing groups of people, one of which is randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group.
B) observe a dependent variable over extended periods of time both before and after a treatment is instituted to detect changes associated with the treatment.
C) select a control group after data have been collected to control for holes in the design's internal validity
D) do any of the above.

Question 64

In a ________, members of one group are assigned to the experimental condition and members of a similar group are assigned to the control condition.

A) natural experiment
B) nonequivalent control group design.
C) patched-up quasi experiment.
D) control series design.

Question 65

The simplest nonequivalent control group design has

A) one between subjects factor.
B) two between subjects factors
C) two within subjects factors.
D) one between subjects factor and one within subjects factor.

Question 66

In a nonequivalent control group design, an analysis of covariance

A) removes the effects of all pre-existing group differences.
B) indicates what the posttest means would look like if known pre-test differences between groups are removed.
C) has lower power than an analysis of variance design.
D) is the appropriate statistic for studies that use a matching procedure.

Question 67

In a nonequivalent control group design, matching people in the experimental and control group on their pretest scores

A) increases external validity.
B) eliminates the possibility that scores will regress to the mean.
C) works similarly to matching to condition in a true experiment.
D) does none of the above

Question 68

In a nonequivalent control group design, which of the following occurs when the personal characteristics of the participants are confounded with the independent variable?

A) a history effect
B) biased selection
C) regression to the mean
D) low external validity

Question 69

In a patched-up quasi-experimental design, researchers

A) choose two existing groups of people, one of which is randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group.
B) observe a dependent variable over extended periods of time both before and after a treatment is instituted to detect changes associated with the treatment.
C) select a control group after data have been collected to control for holes in the internal validity of a natural or quasi-experiment
D) add a pretest to determine whether there are preexisting differences between the experimental and the control group.

Question 70

Nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental designs often include a pretest. The pretest is used to

A) determine which participants will be assigned to the experimental group and which participants will be assigned to the control group.
B) ensure that all participants are familiar with the procedures to be used in the study.
C) avoid testing confounds.
D) ensure that members of the experimental and control groups score similarly on the dependent variable before the independent variable is introduced.

Question 71

Dr. Smith is conducting a nonequivalent control group quasi-experiment. Results of a pretest show that members of the experimental and control group differ on the dependent variable. What can Dr. Smith do about this outcome?

A) match participants from the experimental and control groups on pretest scores and analyze only the data from the matched participants.
B) statistically control for those preexisting differences using an analysis of covariance.
C) conduct a pretest-posttest study using the experimental group participants and not use a control group at all.
D) conduct an interrupted time series analysis of experimental and control group posttest scores.

Question 72

Ideally, the members of the control group in a nonequivalent control group quasi-experiment will

A) come from the same geographic location as the members of the experimental group.
B) have the same personal characteristics as the members of the control group.
C) be similar to members of the control group on factors that are highly correlated with the dependent variable.
D) all of the above.

Question 73

Of the following, which is the greatest threat to the internal validity of even a well-designed nonequivalent control pretest-posttest group design?

A) a history confound
B) statistical regression
C) a selection confound
D) maturation

Question 74

Which of the following statements about nonequivalent control group designs is TRUE?

A) If the study is well designed, it is likely to provide results similar to those of true experiments.
B) Although it is desirable to have multiple groups within the experimental and control conditions of a nonequivalent control group quasi-experiment, there is no practical way to analyze the data from such a design.
C) Even a well-designed study will often provide results that differ from a true experiment that tests the same hypothesis.
D) Because the study is conducted in a natural setting, there is no need to replicate the findings.

Question 75

A quasi-experimental design would be preferred to a true experimental design when you

A) have a continuous rather than a categorical independent variable.
B) cannot manipulate your independent variable.
C) are using pre-existing groupings of people (such as classrooms in a school) for your experimental and control groups.
D) want to control for demand characteristics.

Question 76

Focal local controls are used to ensure that members of the control group and members of the treatment group

A) come from the same location.
B) share important personal characteristics.
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 77

Compared to laboratory studies, field studies are less susceptible to publication bias because they

A) use multiple dependent variables.
B) are expensive to conduct and so cannot be easily repeated.
C) have higher incidences of Type I error.
D) have all of the above characteristics.

Question 78

In an interrupted time-series quasi-experimental design, researchers

A) choose two existing groups of people, one of which is randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group.
B) observe a dependent variable over extended periods of time both before and after a treatment is instituted to detect changes associated with the treatment.
C) select a control group after data have been collected to control for holes in the internal validity of a natural or quasi experiment
D) add a pretest to determine whether there are preexisting differences between the experimental and the control group.

Question 79

The interrupted time series quasi-experimental design involves

A) making one observation immediately before and one observation immediately after a treatment is instituted.
B) using time as a dependent variable in a quasi-experiment.
C) making observations over extended periods of time both before and after a treatment is instituted.
D) comparing treatment and control groups over an extended period of time.

Question 80

In this design, behavior is observed over time and then a treatment is introduced. At a later point, the treatment is withdrawn and observations are again made. The treatment is then reintroduced.

A) interrupted time series
B) patched-up quasi experiment
C) equivalent time samples
D) control series design