Deck 9: Experiments

Question 1

Which term below refers to a study involving the manipulation of one or more variables to determine the effect on another variable?

A) Ex post facto
B) Experiment
C) Monitoring study
D) Communication study
E) Descriptive study

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When an experiment is conducted in actual environmental conditions,it is called a(n)_____ experiment.

A) replication
B) simulated
C) field
D) extraneous
E) test market

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The use of a field setting in experimentation _____.

A) provides for the manipulation of the IV
B) serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C) minimizes the cost of experimentation
D) allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E) increases generalizability of results

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The use of a(n)_____ serves as a comparison to assess the existence and potency of the manipulation.

A) experimental group
B) control group
C) criterion variable
D) explanatory variable
E) field experiment

Question 5

Which source of evidence to support experimental results is most threatened by the use of a field experiment?

A) Agreement between the IV and DV
B) Time order of the occurrence of the variables
C) Control of contamination from extraneous variables
D) Use of a control group
E) Manipulation of the IV

Question 6

The use of a control group in experimentation _____.

A) provides for the manipulation of the IV
B) serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C) minimizes the cost of experimentation
D) allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E) increases generalizability of results

Question 7

Which variable in an experiment is manipulated by the researcher?

A) Dependent variable
B) Extraneous variable
C) Moderating variable
D) Independent variable
E) Mediating variable

Question 8

Which research design listed below is most appropriate for establishing causality?

A) Focus group
B) Individual depth interview
C) Experiment
D) Survey
E) Behavioral observation

Question 9

Which type of study is being conducted by the district attorney's office?

A) Survey
B) Experiment
C) Ex post facto
D) Interview
E) Observation

Question 10

Which variable in an experiment is the variable expected to be affected by the manipulation?

A) Dependent variable
B) Extraneous variable
C) Moderating variable
D) Independent variable
E) Mediating variable

Question 11

All of the following are terms used to refer to an independent variable except _____.

A) predictor
B) explanatory
C) criterion
D) all of the above refer to an independent variable
E) none of the above refer to an independent variable

Question 12

The process of repeating an experiment with different participant groups and conditions to determine the average effect of the IV across people,situations,and times is known as _____.

A) replication
B) evaluation
C) repetition
D) norming
E) multi-modal

Question 13

Which of the following is a threat to a researcher's ability to generalize the results of an experiment?

A) Artificiality of a laboratory
B) Use of a field setting
C) Use of a probability sample
D) Control of extraneous variables
E) All of the above

Question 14

The use of a replication in experimentation _____.

A) provides for the manipulation of the IV
B) serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C) minimizes the cost of experimentation
D) allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E) increases generalizability of results

Question 15

In the bystanders and thieves study,what is the independent variable?

A) The store environment
B) Exposure to a robbery
C) State of being alone or with another person
D) Act of reporting the robbery or not
E) Reaction of the accosted shopper following the robbery

Question 16

The actors playing the role of the accosted shopper and thief in the bystanders and thieves study are known as _____.

A) confederates
B) assistants
C) criterions
D) affiliates
E) accomplices

Question 17

What is the dependent variable in the bystanders and thieves study?

A) The store environment
B) Exposure to a robbery
C) State of being alone or with another person
D) Act of reporting the robbery or not
E) Reaction of the accosted shopper following the robbery

Question 18

What type of research design is used in the bystanders and thieves study?

A) Descriptive
B) Causal
C) Exploratory
D) Monitoring
E) Communication

Question 19

Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis in the bystanders and thieves study?

A) People exposed to a robbery will judge the seriousness of the situation according to the response of the victim.
B) Bystanders will perceive a robbery as less frightening when in the company of another person.
C) Reports of a robbery are more likely among victims of a robbery when a witness is present.
D) Bystanders are more likely to report a theft if they view the theft alone than in another person's company.
E) Bystanders to a theft will be less likely to shop at the store in which the theft occurred.

Question 20

Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis in the district attorney's study?

A) People exposed to a robbery will judge the seriousness of the situation according to the response of the victim.
B) Bystanders will perceive a robbery as less frightening when in the company of another person.
C) More robberies are reported by bystanders who view the theft alone than by bystanders who view the theft in the company of others.
D) Reports of a robbery are more likely among victims of a robbery when a witness is present.
E) Bystanders to a theft will be less likely to shop at the store in which the theft occurred.

Question 21

The question,"do our conclusions about a demonstrated experimental relationship truly imply causality?" is addressed by degree of _____ associated with the experiment in question.

A) internal validity
B) external validity
C) reliability
D) statistical significance
E) substantive significance

Question 22

_____ is concerned with the interaction of the experimental treatment with other factors and the resulting impact on the ability to generalize results to other times,settings,or persons.

A) Reliability
B) External validity
C) Internal validity
D) Statistical significance
E) Substantive significance

Question 23

A tentative descriptive statement of the relationship between the variables is called a(n)_____.

A) research question
B) postulation
C) hypothesis
D) educated guess
E) theory

Question 24

Compensatory equalization refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____.

A) people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B) researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C) competition arises between the groups
D) control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E) an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study

Question 25

Which threat to internal validity occurs when events that occur before or during the experiment affect the relationship being studied?

A) History
B) Maturation
C) Testing
D) Instrumentation
E) Mortality

Question 26

When it is not possible to randomly assign participants to groups,_____ should be used.

A) control groups
B) matching
C) replication
D) purposive assignment
E) pilot testing

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of an after-only case study experimental design?

A) Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale
B) Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C) People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D) Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E) Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group

Question 28

Which term refers to the process of transforming concepts and constructs into measurable variables suitable for testing?

A) Generalization
B) Control
C) Hypothetical
D) Operationalization
E) Transformation

Question 29

Diffusion of treatment refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____.

A) people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B) researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C) competition arises between the groups
D) control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E) an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study

Question 30

Which threat to internal validity results from changes between observations in either the measuring instrument or the observer?

A) History
B) Maturation
C) Testing
D) Instrumentation
E) Mortality

Question 31

Local history refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____.

A) people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B) researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C) competition arises between the groups
D) control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E) an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study

Question 32

When participants do not know if they are being exposed to the experimental treatment,they are said to be _____.

A) blind
B) deceived
C) concealed
D) controlled
E) debriefed

Question 33

Which threat to internal validity is largely overcome by using random assignment of participants to experimental and control groups?

A) History
B) Maturation
C) Selection
D) Instrumentation
E) Mortality

Question 34

Which of the following could threaten the external validity of an experiment?

A) Diffusion of treatment
B) Artificial setting
C) History
D) Maturation
E) Statistical regression

Question 35

If levels of attrition are high among study participants,_____ will threaten the internal validity of the study.

A) history
B) maturation
C) testing
D) instrumentation
E) mortality

Question 36

Resentful demoralization refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____.

A) people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B) researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C) competition arises between the groups
D) control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E) an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study

Question 37

Compensatory rivalry refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____.

A) people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B) researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C) competition arises between the groups
D) control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E) an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study

Question 38

What is the first step in conducting an experiment?

A) Specify the level(s) of the treatment
B) Choose the experimental design
C) Control the experimental environment
D) Select and assign participants
E) Select relevant variables

Question 39

Which of the following is an example of a one-group pre-test post-test experimental design?

A) Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale
B) Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C) People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D) Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E) Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group

Question 40

The question,"Can we generalize the results of this experiment to the population at large?" is addressed by the degree of _____ associated with the experiment in question.

A) internal validity
B) external validity
C) reliability
D) statistical significance
E) substantive significance

Question 41

Which experimental design provides the best defense against the threats to internal validity?

A) After-only case study
B) Static group comparison
C) One-group pretest-posttest
D) Nonequivalent control group
E) Pretest-posttest control group

Question 42

To evaluate the effect of the treatment in a pretest,posttest control group design,_____ is calculated.

A) (O2-O1) - (O4-O3)
B) O1-O3
C) O4-O3
D) O2-O3
E) O4-O2

Question 43

The greatest weakness to the pretest-posttest control group design is _____.

A) reliability
B) causality
C) external validity
D) internal validity
E) espionage

Question 44

What characteristic distinguishes the pretest-posttest control group design from the nonequivalent control group design?

A) Membership in the experimental and control groups is naturally assembled in the pretest-posttest control group design
B) Random assignment is not possible in the nonequivalent control group
C) No pretest is used in the nonequivalent control group design
D) One cannot determine which group was exposed to the treatment in the nonequivalent control group design
E) No posttest is used in the nonequivalent control group design

Question 45

Explain the primary differences between preexperiments,true experiments,and quasi-experiments.

Question 46

What are the seven steps a researcher follows in conducting an experiment?

Question 47

Which of the following is an example of a pre-test,post-test control group experimental design?

A) Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale
B) Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C) People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D) Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E) Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group

Question 48

To assess the equivalence of the groups in a pretest,posttest control group design,_____ is calculated.

A) (O2-O1) - (O4-O3)
B) O1-O3
C) O4-O3
D) O2-O3
E) O4-O2

Question 49

True experimental designs differ from pre-experimental designs in that _____.

A) true experimental designs use random assignment
B) pre-experimental designs include the use of a control group
C) pre-experimental designs include the use of pre-tests
D) true experimental designs include multiple treatment groups
E) pre-experimental designs have fewer threats to internal validity

Question 50

Burger King is examining the sales potential for a new burger,the Western Angus Ranch burger,by offering the product for sale at 10 randomly selected Burger King locations.Burger King is using a(n)_____ to test the potential for this product.

A) static group comparison
B) standard test market
C) electronic test market
D) controlled test market
E) simulated test market

Question 51

What are the three types of evidence necessary to form a conclusion regarding the results of the bystanders and thieves study? Explain how each form of evidence would be used to draw a conclusion for the example provided.

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of a post-test only control group experimental design?

A) Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale
B) Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C) People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D) Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E) Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group

Question 53

A _____ is a controlled experiment conducted in a carefully chosen marketplace to measure and predict sales or profitability of a product.

A) pretest-posttest control group
B) test market
C) simulation
D) replication
E) research and development test

Question 54

List five possible threats to internal validity.How do these threats weaken a design?