Question 1

In an ABAB reversal design,the second "B" period is necessary to rule out:

Accepted Answer

A)   carry-over effects.
B)   correlational variables.
C)   chance fluctuations.
D)   baseline changes. C

Question 2

If exposure to an earlier assessment affects behavior when a participant is assessed a second time,which of the following types of effects might the researcher suspect is the cause?

Accepted Answer

A)   History
B)   Instrument decay
C)   Testing
D)   Maturation C

Question 3

Clara examines the number of traumatic head injuries that occurred in California for five years before and after the passage of a law that made it mandatory for riders to wear a helmet.Clara's research design would be classified as a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)   nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design.
B)   nonequivalent control group design.
C)   control series design.
D)   interrupted time series design. D

Question 4

If a researcher wants to use an interrupted time series design to examine whether lowering the legal limit of blood alcohol level (BAL)for driving under the influence affects the frequency of arrests,the researcher would:

Accepted Answer

A)   compare a state with a higher BAL to one with a lower BAL.
B)   measure the number of arrests just before and immediately after a law lowering BAL.
C)   measure an extended period of time before and after a law lowering BAL.
D)   correlate the amount of alcohol consumed by an individual and the number of times they have been arrested.

Question 5

_____ in quasi-experimental designs is more difficult than in true experiments because quasi-experimental designs lack the important features of true experiments such as random assignment to conditions.

Accepted Answer

A)   Construct validity
B)   Causal inference
C)   Propensity score matching
D)   Statistical regression

Question 6

Why is the cross-sectional method more common than the longitudinal method?

Accepted Answer

A)   The results are obtained relatively quickly and it is less expensive.
B)   The developmental change is observed directly among the same group of people.
C)   The differences among groups of different ages reflect developmental age changes.
D)   The results observed are based on comparisons among different cohorts of individuals.

Question 7

A study by Orth and colleagues (2010)was conducted to study the development of self-esteem over time.They were interested in changes in self-esteem at various ages and over time.They identified six different age cohorts (25-34,35-44,45-54,55-64,65-74,75+)and examined their self-esteem ratings from 1986,1989,1994,and 2002.This type of design is best classified as a(n)_____.

Accepted Answer

A)   cross-sectional method
B)   interrupted time series design
C)   sequential method
D)   longitudinal study

Question 8

A control series design is a(n)_____ design with a comparison group.

Accepted Answer

A)   true experimental
B)   interrupted time series
C)   outcome series
D)   multiple baseline

Question 9

When asked if he would like to have some fruits along with his breakfast,Milo declines.He then attends an all-day presentation on the nutritional benefits of eating fruits.At the end of the presentation,Milo is again offered some fruits to eat and he accepts.What effect may be responsible for the change in Milo's response?

Accepted Answer

A)   History
B)   Maturation
C)   Regression toward the mean
D)   Testing

Question 10

_____ usually occurs when participants who form the two groups in an experiment are chosen from existing natural groups.

Accepted Answer

A)   History effect
B)   Regression toward the mean
C)   Cohort effect
D)   Selection bias

Question 11

Which of the following is a threat to the internal validity of studies using one-group pretest-posttest design?

Accepted Answer

A)   Cohort effects
B)   Statistical regression
C)   Propensity score matching
D)   Selection bias

Question 12

Over time,human observers may become fatigued or change the standards on which observations are based.When this change in measurement occurs over time,a researcher might attribute it to _____.

Accepted Answer

A)   history effects
B)   regression toward the mean
C)   testing effects
D)   instrument decay

Question 13

Which of the following is true of single-case designs?

Accepted Answer

A)   The procedures for use with a single subject cannot be replicated with other subjects.
B)   The results are presented as group data with overall means.
C)   Complex statistical analyses are not required.
D)   Early interest in single-case designs in psychology came from research on classical conditioning.

Question 14

What is the difference between true experimental designs and quasi-experimental designs?

Accepted Answer

A)   True experimental designs use random assignment,whereas quasi-experimental designs do not.
B)   True experimental designs use control groups,whereas quasi-experimental designs do not.
C)   Quasi-experimental designs use random assignment,whereas true experimental designs do not.
D)   Quasi-experimental designs use control groups,whereas true experimental designs do not.

Question 15

A researcher wants to study the effect of weather on college students' study habits.On a sunny day,the researcher sits in the quad and records the number of minutes of study per student.Identify the crucial element missing in this design.

Accepted Answer

A)   An experimental group
B)   A control group
C)   An independent variable
D)   A dependent variable

Question 16

A researcher pretests a group of participants to determine their attitudes toward the use of alternative energy sources to replace crude oil.The researcher then initiates a program to convince them that they should invest in such alternatives.During this time,the price of gasoline rises $.50 per gallon.At the end of the program,the researcher retests and finds that the participants are much more positive in their attitudes.What threat to internal validity most likely accounts for this change?

Accepted Answer

A)   History
B)   Maturation
C)   Testing
D)   Regression toward the mean

Question 17

Which of the following best describes a longitudinal study on children's development?

Accepted Answer

A)   The same children are tested at 1,3,5,and 10 years of age.
B)   Children belonging to the age groups 1,3,5,and 10 are tested simultaneously.
C)   Some children are tested at 1,3,and 5 years of age while other children are tested at 3,5,and 10 years of age.
D)   The children tested at 3 years of age are compared with those tested at age 5.

Question 18

A quasi-experimental design attempts to:

Accepted Answer

A)   approximate the control features of true experiments.
B)   create natural conditions in the laboratory.
C)   control all extraneous variables after subjects have been randomly assigned.
D)   measure changes in the manipulated variable.

Question 19

Ethan has developed a scale to measure a person's fear of earthquakes.After the occurrence of an earthquake,he surveys 1000 individuals and finds the mean score to be 7.8 out of a possible 10 (the higher the score,the greater the fear).Ethan concludes that fear increases after people experience an earthquake.This study is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

A)   true experiment.
B)   one group pretest-posttest design.
C)   control group design.
D)   one-shot case study.

Question 20

Which of the following are two general methods for studying individuals of different ages?

Accepted Answer

A)   Multiple baseline and single-case experimental designs
B)   Quasi-experimental and nonequivalent control group designs
C)   Interrupted time series and control series designs
D)   Cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs

Exam 11: Single-Case, Quasi-Experimental, and Developmental Research