Question 1

Which of the following are particularly useful for studying the impact of new laws or social programs that affect large numbers of people?

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Question 2

Describe the difference between randomization and matching. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

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Question 3

When a researcher matches individual cases with similar individuals in a comparison group, the researcher is using which of the following methods?

Accepted Answer

Individual matching involves selecting a comparison group based on individuals who are similar to the cases on important characteristics, such as age or gender. This method aims to control for potential confounding variables by identifying a comparison group that is similar in all relevant aspects except for the variable being studied.

Question 4

A politician campaigns on a platform of eliminating welfare benefits. One ad used by politician says: "Receipt of welfare benefits leads to poor school performance: People who receive welfare benefits have, on average, lower grades than people who do not receive welfare benefits." Construct an argument to challenge this causal reasoning. First, give three examples that drive home the point that association does not establish causation. Then, construct a plausible alterative explanation for low grades that does not involve an effect of welfare benefits on grades, but which does allow for their association.

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Question 5

Why aren't experiments very generalizable? What can be done to improve the external invalidity of experiments?

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Question 6

Which of the following includes several pretest and posttest observations, allowing the researcher to study the process by which an intervention or treatment has an impact over time?

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Question 7

Why aren't context and mechanism as critical as time order, association, and nonspuriousness for establishing causation?

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Question 8

In what situations is it ethnical to deceive participants in an experiment? Provide an example that would ethically allow deception and an example in which the ethics of deception are more ambiguous.

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Question 9

While researchers changed the work environment to see how it affected worker productivity, they got surprising results. No matter what conditions the researchers changed (such as increasing the lighting), the workers seemed to work harder simply because they were part of a special experiment. This is the origins of a concern about internal invalidity in experiments known as:

Accepted Answer

The description matches the Hawthorne Effect, which refers to the tendency for people to work harder or perform better when they know they are being observed or part of an experiment, rather than any specific intervention or manipulation. It is a form of internal invalidity in experiments, where the observed effects may not be due to the intended independent variable, but rather due to the participants' awareness of being studied.

Question 10

Two studies are conducted of the relationship between SAT scores and subsequent earnings. In Study A, students are the units of analysis and it is found that college students who had higher SAT scores have higher earnings in subsequent jobs. Write a statement about this finding that would be reductionist. Explain why the statement is reductionist. In Study B, colleges are the units of analysis and it is found that colleges in which the average student SAT score was higher also have, on average, higher earnings among their graduates. Write a statement about this finding that exemplifies an ecological fallacy. Explain what makes this statement an ecological fallacy.

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The answer of Two studies are conducted of the relationship...

Question 11

In terms of validity, experiments are weakest in terms of establishing:

Accepted Answer

Experiments are weakest in terms of generalizability because they typically involve a highly controlled environment and specific sample populations, which may not accurately reflect the diversity and complexity of real-world scenarios.

Question 12

Discuss the multiple forms of internal validity that create problems in experiments. (There are more than ten!) Describe each in your own words and provide an example that demonstrates why each potentially limits validity.

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Question 13

You want to conduct research that documents the effects of watching violent cartoons on violence during children's playtime. Set up the following types of experimental and quasi-experimental designs: true experiment, non-equivalent group, before-and-after, ex-post facto, and Solomon four group. Which design do you think would produce the most valid results? Explain why.

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Question 14

Sherman and Berk's (1984) study looking at the impact of arrest in actual domestic violence incidents is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

Sherman and Berk's study was conducted in the field, meaning it took place in a real-life setting rather than a controlled laboratory setting. Therefore, it is considered a field experiment, which involves manipulating and observing variables in a natural setting.

Question 15

In Sherman and Berk's (1984) study of the effect of arrest on future domestic violence, police officers determined which subjects would be arrested based on random selection, made while officers were responding to actual calls for domestic disturbances. Their study is a good example of:

Accepted Answer

The study conducted by Sherman and Berk is a field experiment because it was conducted in a setting that is more natural than a laboratory or controlled environment. The police officers randomly selected who would be arrested during actual calls for domestic disturbance, which is a real-life situation.

Question 16

For researchers to ensure the results of their experiment worked for other groups, they decided to make several comparisons involving the same independent and dependent variables but with different groups, also known as:

Accepted Answer

A multiple group before-and-after design involves comparing different groups using the same independent and dependent variables to ensure the results are consistent across various groups.

Question 17

Is it possible to determine whether a treatment led to a change in the value of cases on the dependent variable in an experiment in which there was no pretest? Explain your answer.

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Question 18

Compare randomization and random sampling. What are their similarities and differences? In what way does each help to improve the validity of research conclusions? Why does the use of one of these techniques preclude the use of the other?

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Question 19

Describe each of the five criteria for identifying a causal effect and provide an example of each. Which are best demonstrated through experiments? Why? Which do experiments not demonstrate well? How can experimental designs be altered to compensate? Is anything lost with quasi-experimental designs?

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Quiz 6: Causation and Experimental Design