Question 1

Quasi-experimental designs can include all of the following except
A)random assignment
B)independent variables
C)subject variables
D)nonequivalent groups

Accepted Answer

Quasi-experimental designs do not include random assignment, which is a key feature of true experimental designs.

Question 2

Basic research is to applied research as ______ is to _______.
A)field; laboratory
B)experimental; correlational
C)knowledge; problem solving
D)between-subjects; within-subjects

Accepted Answer

Basic research is focused on gaining knowledge and understanding fundamental principles, while applied research is aimed at solving specific, practical problems.

Question 3

What is the relationship between applied research and theory testing?
A)the results of applied research bear directly on the evaluation of a theory (e.g., equity theory)
B)because applied research is focused on solving immediate problems, its results have no effect on theory evaluation
C)applied research is more appropriate for theory testing than is basic research
D)the primary purpose of applied research is to test theory

Accepted Answer

Applied research often tests theories by applying them to real-world problems, thus its results can directly impact the evaluation of those theories.

Question 4

Applied research
A)was important to American psychologists from the beginning of psychology in the U.S.
B)became important to American psychologists after World War II
C)has never been as important to American psychologists as basic research
D)has only recently become popular among American psychologists

Accepted Answer

Applied research was important to American psychologists from the beginning of psychology in the U.S., as they were interested in practical applications of psychological principles.

Question 5

Experiment is to quasi-experiment as _____ is to _____.
A)internal validity; external validity
B)equivalent groups; nonequivalent groups
C)positive correlation; negative correlation
D)control group; no control group

Accepted Answer

In an experiment, equivalent groups are typically used to ensure that any differences observed are due to the treatment. In a quasi-experiment, groups are often nonequivalent because random assignment is not used.

Question 6

A nonequivalent control group design usually (but not necessarily)includes
A)pretests
B)random assignment
C)causal conclusions
D)a single group given pretest, then treatment, then posttest

Accepted Answer

A nonequivalent control group design typically includes pretests to compare groups before treatment, but it does not use random assignment, does not allow for causal conclusions, and involves more than a single group.

Question 7

In a nonequivalent control group study,
A)before the study begins, the two groups are different from each other in some systematic way
B)one group is treated while the second group is not treated
C)the major comparison between the groups is in terms of the amount of change from pretest to posttest
D)all of the above

Accepted Answer

In a nonequivalent control group study, all the listed characteristics are true: the groups differ systematically, one group receives treatment while the other does not, and comparisons are made based on changes from pretest to posttest.

Question 8

In a study comparing two nonequivalent groups, a selection by history confound occurs when
A)some event intervenes between pretest and posttest and affects just one of the groups
B)some event intervenes between pretest and posttest and affects both selected groups equally
C)selection influences one of the groups and history influences the other
D)some historical event causes a failure of the random assignment procedure

Accepted Answer

A selection by history confound occurs when an external event affects only one of the groups between the pretest and posttest, leading to differences that are not due to the treatment or intervention being studied.

Question 9

Early psychologists often tried to adapt laboratory methods to solve applied problems. For instance, Stanford psychologist Walter Miles tried to help the football team by adapting which method?
A)maze learning
B)mental testing
C)reaction time
D)trend analysis

Accepted Answer

Walter Miles adapted the reaction time method to help the football team by measuring players' reaction times to improve their performance.

Question 10

In a nonequivalent control group study,
A)the experiment group gets a pretest, then the experimental treatment, then a posttest
B)subjects have to be assigned to the control group by means of a matching procedure
C)to interpret the results, the pretest scores have to be identical for the two groups
D)random assignment can be used if sample size is large enough

Accepted Answer

In a nonequivalent control group study, the experiment group gets a pretest, then the experimental treatment, then a posttest.

Question 11

Applied research done in a field setting
A)is never able to accomplish random assignment
B)will find it impossible to accomplish informed consent
C)will be stronger in external than in internal validity
D)cannot manipulate independent variables

Accepted Answer

Applied research in a field setting often has stronger external validity because it is conducted in real-world environments, making the findings more generalizable. However, it may have weaker internal validity due to less control over extraneous variables.

Question 12

Applied research
A)aims to solve specific real world problems
B)furthers our knowledge of basic psychological phenomena
C)both alternatives a. and b.
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Applied research
A)aims to solve specific real world...

Question 13

Applied research
A)examines the basic laws of human behavior
B)is just as likely to occur in the laboratory as in the field
C)focuses on a specific real world problem
D)has no connection with theory

Accepted Answer

Applied research focuses on solving specific, practical problems in the real world, often using theories to guide the investigation.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about the Hollingworth's Coca-Cola study?
A)their research outcome was damaging enough to cause the company to remove caffeine from the drink
B)they used just a few subjects, and each subject was tested repeatedly, but they failed to use counterbalancing procedures
C)they used placebo controls and a double blind procedure
D)they were not allowed to publish their results unless they were favorable to Coca-Cola

Accepted Answer

The Hollingworth's Coca-Cola study used placebo controls and a double-blind procedure to ensure the validity and reliability of their findings.

Question 15

Random assignment is used in
A)a nonequivalent control group design
B)an interrupted time series design
C)both alternatives a. and b.
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is not used in a nonequivalent control group design or an interrupted time series design. These designs typically involve pre-existing groups or observations over time without random assignment.

Question 16

The study by Trudel et al. (2015)on color-coded nutrition labels shows that
A)applied research can be completed in the laboratory just as well as in the field
B)the results of applied research can provide empirical support for basic psychological phenomena (e.g., effect of reinstating context on memory)
C)applied research can solve a problem while at the same time providing no information about basic psychological phenomena
D)basic research phenomena sometimes fail when tried in the field in an applied research study

Accepted Answer

The study by Trudel et al. (2015) demonstrates that applied research, such as the use of color-coded nutrition labels, can provide empirical support for basic psychological phenomena by showing how these labels influence consumer behavior, thus linking applied findings to basic psychological principles.

Question 17

When psychology first emerged as an independent discipline at the end of the nineteenth century, American psychologists
A)were interested in basic but not applied research
B)felt it necessary to show that their new science was useful to society
C)were initially interested in applied research, but quickly abandoned it for basic research
D)were philosophers and generally uninterested in any scientific research

Accepted Answer

American psychologists felt it necessary to demonstrate the practical utility of psychology to gain acceptance and support for the new discipline.

Question 18

Which of the following was true about Trudel et al.'s (2015)study on color-coded nutrition labels?
A)the effects of color-coded nutrition labels was first tested in the laboratory
B)it showed that applied research results are not always consistent with basic research results
C)it showed that applied research has to be correlational rather than experimental
D)it showed that applied research can disprove the results of basic research

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following was true about...

Question 19

Consider the methodological principles you have learned about so far. The Hollingworth's Coca-Cola study incorporating several of these principles. Which of the following did they not use in their study?
A)a factorial design
B)a double blind
C)a placebo control condition
D)counterbalancing

Accepted Answer

The Hollingworth's Coca-Cola study did not use a factorial design. They used a double-blind procedure, a placebo control condition, and counterbalancing to ensure the validity and reliability of their results.

Question 20

What makes a nonequivalent control group design a quasi-experimental design?
A)it uses a pretest
B)random assignment is not possible
C)descriptive statistics can be used, but inferential analyses cannot be done
D)only a single group is tested
The following four questions relate to this hypothetical study:
Teachers in a local school district are given a test of computer literacy (0-100, with 100 being perfect). Then during the school year they have monthly in-service programs designed to improve their computer literacy. Their computer knowledge is assessed again at the end of the year. Their average pretest score is 40 and their average posttest score is 80. Teachers in a comparable school district aren't given the training, but they do get the pretest and posttest.

Accepted Answer

In a nonequivalent control group design, random assignment is not possible, which is why it is considered a quasi-experimental design.

Quiz 11: Quasi-Experimental Designs and Applied Research

Quasi-experimental designs can include all of the following except

Basic research is to applied research as is to _.

What is the relationship between applied research and theory testing?

Applied research

Experiment is to quasi-experiment as _ is to _.

A nonequivalent control group design usually (but not necessarily) includes

In a nonequivalent control group study,

In a study comparing two nonequivalent groups, a selection by history confound occurs when

Early psychologists often tried to adapt laboratory methods to solve applied problems. For instance, Stanford psychologist Walter Miles tried to help the football team by adapting which method?

In a nonequivalent control group study,

Applied research done in a field setting

Applied research

Applied research

Which of the following is true about the Hollingworth's Coca-Cola study?

Random assignment is used in

The study by Trudel et al. (2015) on color-coded nutrition labels shows that

When psychology first emerged as an independent discipline at the end of the nineteenth century, American psychologists

Which of the following was true about Trudel et al.'s (2015) study on color-coded nutrition labels?

Consider the methodological principles you have learned about so far. The Hollingworth's Coca-Cola study incorporating several of these principles. Which of the following did they not use in their study?

What makes a nonequivalent control group design a quasi-experimental design?