Deck 3: Experimental Research

Question 1

Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of experimental research?

A) Research participants receive some treatment that may change them.
B) There is a beginning hypothesis that is accepted or rejected based on the research study.
C) Ideally, all variables except the treatment variable are controlled.
D) In many cases, a specific research study could be designed in several ways.
E) Conclusions based on research findings are almost always correct.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Control is important in experimental research. Which of the following statements is true in regard to control in an experimental study?

A) Control is obtained by randomly assigning people to treatment groups.
B) Ideally, in an experimental research study, all groups are treated the same except for the treatment variable.
C) Control is sometimes obtained by matching people before assigning them to groups.
D) Control is sometimes obtained by using a control group.
E) All of these are correct.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

If an experimental group improves in ability or several groups differ in ability, at the end of the experimental period, it is assumed to be due to the effect of the treatment. However, there are some other explanations. Which of the following is not one of the other explanations?

A) Too short an experimental period.
B) Treatment was new and stimulating.
C) Maturation effect.
D) Groups were unequal initially.
E) Effect of being tested.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A researcher defined a population and drew three samples from this population. Samples were taught by different methods for 12 weeks. Participants were then tested, and it was found that the three samples were not equal in ability. What could have caused this inequality?

A) The samples started out unequal in ability.
B) The methods were not equally effective.
C) All external variables were not controlled.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 5

The purpose of a control group in an experimental research study is to:

A) allow the researcher to have more groups and thus a better study.
B) allow the researcher to control all external factors in at least one group.
C) increase the ability of the researcher to find differences between experimental groups.
D) allow the researcher to determine the influence of some external factors that are not supposed to influence the results of the study.
E) meet the assumptions underlying the statistical test used in the study by making sure groups started off equal.

Question 6

The findings and conclusions in a research study may be incorrect due to many different errors. Which of the following is not one of those errors?

A) Participants think the experimental treatment is supposed to cause a change, and so change occurs.
B) Giving each group of participants a different treatment, but all participants receive the same test.
C) Interaction between the researcher and participants was not the same for all participants.
D) Drawing conclusions based on the performance of a small group or assuming a cause and effect relationship that does not exist.
E) Being in a research study made participants feel important, so they tried harder.

Question 7

Which of the following situations is least representative of experimental research?

A) Five samples are drawn from a population, and each sample trains with a different method. Then differences among samples are determined.
B) Two samples are drawn from a population. One sample receives a treatment, and the other sample receives no treatment. Differences between samples are determined.
C) From a population, a sample is drawn. Participants are tested before and after receiving a treatment. The differences in their two scores are determined.
D) From a population, a sample is drawn. One half of the sample receive treatment A and then treatment B, while the other half receive the treatments in reverse order. The difference in the two treatments is determined.
E) Three samples are drawn from a population. Participants are tested, and differences among samples is determined.

Question 8

The treatment causing the change in the ability of the participants is a case of:

A) consistency.
B) internal validity.
C) external validity.
D) threat to validity.

Question 9

That findings can be inferred or generalized to other populations is a case of:

A) reliability.
B) threat to validity.
C) internal validity.
D) external validity.

Question 10

The threat that extremely high or low scores on one measure caused test takers to score closer to the mean on a second measure is called:

A) history.
B) maturation.
C) statistical regression.
D) testing.

Question 11

Gender difference in basketball shooting ability being due to the size of the ball is a case of:

A) interaction effect of testing.
B) interaction effect of experimental treatment.
C) reactive effects of experimental setting.
D) multiple-treatment interference.