Scenario 2
A researcher was interested in the effects of mood on aggression.She decided to see how receiving an insult or a compliment affects aggression,and she measured aggression by having participants administer small shocks to another participant.The researcher found that participants in the insult condition were more aggressive than those in the compliment condition.
-Refer to Scenario 2.A reviewer might be concerned that people in the insult condition were more naturally aggressive than people in the compliment condition,causing the differences observed by the researcher.In which of the following cases would this be a valid concern?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Random assignment to conditions ensures that the groups in the experiment are equivalent at the start of the study, therefore, any subsequent differences are more likely due to the manipulation of the independent variable (receiving an insult or a compliment). If participants were not randomly assigned to the insult or compliment condition, then the concern that people in the insult condition were more naturally aggressive than people in the compliment condition would be valid. The other answer choices are not directly related to this concern.

Scenario 2 a Researcher Was Interested in the Effects of Mood on Mood