48 Questions
Which research strategy seeks to identify and describe a cause-and-effect relationship between two (or more) variables?
Experimental Strategy
What is the main difference between experimental and quasi-experimental strategies?
Quasi-experimental strategy lacks unambiguous cause-and-effect interpretation
Which type of research strategy provides a description regarding the variable(s) of interest?
Descriptive Strategy
What does internal validity speak to in experimental design?
Integrity of the experimental design
In experimental design, what is the purpose of the control group?
To provide a baseline for comparison against the experimental group
If threat to external validity is a concern, what can be done to increase the realism of the experimental set-up?
Both a and b
In Variation-3 of experimental design, what is a weakness associated with the set-up?
Possible group differences might have existed before the treatment
What is the weakness associated with Variation-1 of experimental design?
We do not know if there was any change in the dependent variable
What type of group may receive no treatment or a placebo treatment in experimental design?
Control group
In Variation-4 of experimental design, what is the identified weakness?
None
What is the purpose of comparing the results of the experimental group to those of the control group?
To assess the effects of the experimental treatment
In experimental design, what does the control group provide for comparison?
Baseline comparison against which treatment effects can be judged
What are threats to internal validity?
Factors within the design that allow for alternative interpretations
What is the trade-off between internal and external validity?
There is a trade-off between internal and external validity
What do confounding variables provide?
Alternative cause-and-effect explanations
What type of research has high internal validity but low external validity?
Laboratory research
What is random assignment used for in experimental design?
To attribute observed changes in the dependent variable to systematic changes in the independent variable
What are extraneous variables?
Variables other than those of interest in the research hypothesis
What do threats to external validity limit?
The generalizability of findings
What is the role of independent variables in an experiment?
They are manipulated by the scientist
What is the impact of laboratory research on external validity?
It has low external validity
What is the purpose of random assignment in an experiment?
To minimize bias and attribute observed changes to the independent variable
What do confounding variables change with?
The independent and/or dependent variables
What are threats to internal/external validity minimized through?
Experimental design
What are extraneous variables in research?
Variables other than those of interest in the research hypothesis
What is the role of confounding variables in research?
Provide alternative cause-and-effect explanations
What is the impact of laboratory research on external validity?
It has low external validity
What is the purpose of random assignment in an experiment?
To attribute observed changes in the dependent variable to systematic changes in the independent variable
What type of research has low internal validity but high external validity?
Field research
What are threats to internal validity in experimental design?
Participant, environmental, and measurement variables
What are threats to external validity in research?
Generalizing across participants and biases
What is the trade-off between internal and external validity?
There is a trade-off between internal and external validity
What is the main difference between laboratory and field research in terms of validity?
Laboratory research has high internal validity but low external validity, while field research has low internal validity but high external validity
What is the purpose of comparing individuals who have received different experimental treatments in experimental design?
To observe the effects of the experimental treatments
What do threats to internal/external validity aim to minimize through experimental design?
Factors that allow for alternative interpretations and study characteristics that limit generalizability
What is the purpose of independent variables in an experiment?
They are manipulated by the scientist
Which type of validity refers to study characteristics that limit the generalizability of findings?
External validity
What are extraneous variables in research?
Variables other than those of interest in the research hypothesis
What is the trade-off between internal and external validity?
There is a trade-off between internal and external validity
What is the purpose of random assignment in experimental design?
To attribute observed changes in the dependent variable to systematic changes in the independent variable
What type of research has high internal validity but low external validity?
Laboratory research
What do confounding variables do in experimental design?
Provide alternative cause-and-effect explanations
What are threats to internal validity in experimental design related to?
Factors within the design that allow for alternative interpretations
What is the purpose of comparing individuals who have received different experimental treatments in experimental design?
To determine the effect of the independent variable
What are threats to external validity in experimental design related to?
Sampling and study characteristics that limit the generalizability of findings
What is the purpose of the control group in experimental design?
To provide a comparison for the experimental group
What type of variables are manipulated by the scientist in experimental design?
Independent variables
What do laboratory research and field research respectively prioritize in terms of validity?
Laboratory research prioritizes internal validity, while field research prioritizes external validity
Study Notes
Experimental Design and Validity in Research
- Threats to internal validity are factors within the design that allow for alternative interpretations.
- Threats to external validity are study characteristics, such as sampling, that limit the generalizability of findings.
- Threats to internal/external validity can be minimized through experimental design.
- There is a trade-off between internal and external validity.
- Independent variables are manipulated by the scientist, while dependent variables are measured to observe changes.
- Extraneous variables are variables other than those of interest in the research hypothesis.
- Confounding variables change with the independent and/or dependent variables, providing alternative cause-and-effect explanations.
- Internal validity threats include participant, environmental, and measurement variables.
- External validity threats include generalizing across participants and biases.
- Laboratory research has high internal validity but low external validity, while field research has low internal validity but high external validity.
- Experimental design involves comparison of individuals who have received different experimental treatments.
- Random assignment is used to attribute observed changes in the dependent variable to systematic changes in the independent variable, by excluding alternatives on the basis of no bias.
Test your knowledge of experimental design and research validity with this quiz. Explore the concepts of internal and external validity, independent and dependent variables, extraneous and confounding variables, as well as the trade-off between internal and external validity. Challenge yourself with questions about minimizing threats to validity through experimental design and understanding the differences between laboratory and field research.
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