Ch. 3 - Research Design Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is research design?

Blueprint of a study concerned with developing strategies for scientific inquiry.

What is the experimental model used for?

To determine cause and effect.

Measurement occurs _ and _ exposure to treatment in order to determine the cause of any differences.

before, after

What is causality?

Isolating, defining, and explaining the relationship between variables to predict and understand reality. Signup and view all the answers

According to causality, the nature of reality can be known via ___

research Signup and view all the answers

How many steps does scientific research entail for resolving the causality problem?

Three Signup and view all the answers

What is the first resolution of the causality problem?

Demonstration of a relationship or covariance between variables. Signup and view all the answers

What does the second resolution of the causality problem involve?

Specifying the time sequence of the relationship. Signup and view all the answers

What is the third resolution of the causality problem?

Exclusion of rival causal factors. Signup and view all the answers

When researchers can exclude rival causal factors (Z), they can demonstrate that the relationship between X and Y is ___

nonspurious Signup and view all the answers

What is a spurious relationship?

A false relationship not caused by the believed variables. Signup and view all the answers

What are rival causal factors?

Any variable other than X that may be responsible for the relationship. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two types of rival causal factors?

Internal and external Signup and view all the answers

What are internal factors?

Factors in the study that may invalidate conclusions. Signup and view all the answers

What are external factors?

Elements outside of the study that prevent generalization. Signup and view all the answers

What does validity refer to in research?

Accuracy in research. Signup and view all the answers

In checking ___, the researcher is concerned with whether a variable other than X may have produced a change in Y.

internal validity Signup and view all the answers

In checking ___, one asks what other variables may limit generalization of findings to larger populations?

external validity Signup and view all the answers

Internal factors that possibly threaten the internal validity of a research investigation include: _, _, _, _, _, _, and ___.

history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, statistical regression, selection bias, experimental mortality Signup and view all the answers

What is history in the context of internal validity?

Specific events during the study that may produce results. Signup and view all the answers

What is maturation?

Biological or psychological changes in subjects during the study. Signup and view all the answers

What does testing bias refer to?

Bias introduced to subjects due to pretesting. Signup and view all the answers

What is instrumentation in research?

Changes in the measuring instrument over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is statistical regression?

The tendency of groups selected based on extreme scores to move toward the mean. Signup and view all the answers

What is selection bias?

Choosing nonequivalent groups for comparison. Signup and view all the answers

What is experimental mortality?

Loss of subjects during the course of a study. Signup and view all the answers

What is selection-maturation interaction?

Interaction impacting all variables in experimental research. Signup and view all the answers

What does generalizability refer to?

Extension of findings from a sample to the population at large. Signup and view all the answers

What are testing effects?

The tendency of pretests to affect subjects' subsequent responses. Signup and view all the answers

What is reactivity in research?

Altered behavior from subjects due to awareness of being studied. Signup and view all the answers

What are multiple-treatment interferences?

When more than one treatment is used on the same subjects. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Hawthorne effect?

Participants alter behavior due to awareness of being observed. Signup and view all the answers

What is the halo effect?

When initial high ratings influence later evaluations. Signup and view all the answers

What is observer bias?

Continual rating of subjects in a certain manner by the observer. Signup and view all the answers

What is researcher bias?

How researchers perceive and record events. Signup and view all the answers

What is post hoc error?

Believing one variable causes an outcome because it precedes it. Signup and view all the answers

What is the placebo effect?

The tendency of subjects to react to a known stimulus predictably. Signup and view all the answers

The _ or a _ (fake treatment) with no known effects is administered to control for the placebo effect.

sugar pill, placebo Signup and view all the answers

What is evaluation apprehension?

Another name for the placebo effect. Signup and view all the answers

What is a double blind experiment?

A design making it impossible for subjects and administrators to know group assignments. Signup and view all the answers

What does experimental design allow researchers to do?

Control for invalidity and resolve causality problems. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three types of experimental designs?

Classical experiments, quasi-experimental designs, and pre-experimental designs. Signup and view all the answers

What is a classical experiment?

The classical experimental design serves as the prototype. Signup and view all the answers

What are the components of the classical experiment?

Equivalence, pretest and posttest, and experimental and control groups. Signup and view all the answers

What is equivalence in experimental design?

The attempt to select and assign subjects to groups that are alike. Signup and view all the answers

What is randomization?

Random assignment of subjects to groups for comparison. Signup and view all the answers

What does matching achieve?

Assures equivalence by selecting subjects with key characteristic similarities. Signup and view all the answers

What is an experimental group?

Group exposed to treatment and receives the independent variable. Signup and view all the answers

What is a control group?

Group exposed to the stimulus or predictor variable but does not receive the independent variable. Signup and view all the answers

What are the five elements of an experiment?

Two variables, two groups, observation of the DV, control for variables other than the IV. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two variables in an experiment?

Independent and dependent variable. Signup and view all the answers

What is the independent variable?

The variable which the experimenter manipulates. Signup and view all the answers

What is the dependent variable?

The variable which is observed in the study. Signup and view all the answers

What does the logic of the experiment assume?

The independent variable is causal and the dependent variable is affected by it. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two groups in an experiment?

Experimental and control group. Signup and view all the answers

What does experimental design control for?

Invalidity in research and the rival causality problem. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three different types of experimental designs?

True experimental design, quasi-experimental designs, and pre-experimental designs. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes true experimental design?

Random assignment to treatment and control groups. Signup and view all the answers

What is a quasi-experimental design?

Designs that do not use random assignment of groups. Signup and view all the answers

What are the drawbacks of pre-experimental designs?

Lack a legitimate control group and random assignment. Signup and view all the answers

What are two common pre-experimental designs?

One-group ex post facto and one-group pretest-posttest designs. Signup and view all the answers

What does the One Group Ex Post Facto Design involve?

A group observed after exposure to treatment without a control. Signup and view all the answers

What is a One Group Before-After Design?

A group observed before and after exposure to treatment. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Two-Group Ex Post Facto Design do?

Compares an experimental and control group after treatment is administered to the experimental group. Signup and view all the answers

What are cross-sectional designs?

Studies of one group at one time referring to a representative sample. Signup and view all the answers

What are longitudinal designs?

Studies of the same group over time. Signup and view all the answers

What do time series designs involve?

Multiple observations of the same group at different times. Signup and view all the answers

What are trend studies?

Studies analyzing different samples of the same population longitudinally. Signup and view all the answers

What are cohort studies?

Analyze specific subgroups as they change over time. Signup and view all the answers

What are panel studies?

Examine the same select group over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is an experiment?

A tool for data gathering and analyzing data defined by its setting. Signup and view all the answers

What are the advantages of experiments?

Control for factors affecting validity, quick, inexpensive, and manageable. Signup and view all the answers

What are the disadvantages of experiments?

Artificiality, ethical issues, and difficulty in properly manipulating variables. Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Research Design Overview

Research design acts as a blueprint for scientific inquiries, guiding problem formulation, participant selection, location, and timeframe.
Experimental models are fundamental in establishing cause-and-effect relationships through random group assignments.

Causality and Measurement

Measurement occurs before and after exposure to treatment to assess differences.
Causality seeks to explain the relationship between variables to enhance understanding of reality.

Validity in Research

Validity refers to accuracy in research, evaluated through internal and external components.
Internal validity examines whether an external variable influenced the dependent variable (DV), while external validity questions generalizability to larger populations.

Internal Threats to Validity

Factors threatening internal validity include:
- History: External events affecting results during the study.
- Maturation: Biological or psychological changes not due to the experimental variable.
- Testing: Bias introduced by pretesting subjects.
- Instrumentation: Changes in measurement instruments over time.
- Statistical regression: Tendency for extreme scores to revert toward the average upon retesting.
- Selection bias: Choosing nonequivalent groups for comparisons.
- Experimental mortality: Loss of subjects during the study.

Types of Causal Factors

Rival causal factors can be classified into internal (within the study) and external (outside influences).

Experimental Design Structure

Core components of a classic experiment include equivalence, pretest and posttest phases, and the existence of experimental and control groups.
Randomization and matching are methods to achieve equivalence among groups.

Types of Experimental Designs

Three main types of experimental designs:
- Classical experiments: Random assignment to treatment and control groups.
- Quasi-experimental designs: Lacking random assignments, may use matching.
- Pre-experimental designs: Often lack control and equivalence, limiting reliability.

Specific Experimental Models

Various experimental design models include:
- Classical Experiment: O1 (Pretest) → X (Treatment) → O2 (Posttest).
- Post-test Only Control Group: Does not involve pretesting.
- Solomon Four Group Design: Combines classical and posttest-only designs for robustness.

Design Limitations

Pre-experimental designs and their variations often face criticism for lacking the rigor of true experimental designs, risking internal validity.

Analytical Techniques

Time series designs observe variations over time, whereas interrupted time series highlight treatment impact.
Trend studies examine different samples overtime, while cohort studies focus on specific subgroups.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Experiments

Advantages include high control over variables, efficiency, and feasibility in natural settings.
Disadvantages comprise potential artificiality, ethical concerns, and limitations in manipulating variables effectively.

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