Question 1

The most serious confounding that occurs in the cross-sectional design is between:

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional designs often confound age and generation because they compare different age groups at a single point in time, making it difficult to disentangle age effects from generational (cohort) effects.

Question 2

In quasi-experiments,the independent variable is not under direct control of the experimenter.

Accepted Answer

In quasi-experiments, the independent variable is not manipulated by the experimenter but rather observed as it naturally varies, distinguishing it from true experiments where the independent variable is directly controlled by the experimenter.

Question 3

Unlike the one-shot case study,the internal validity of the interrupted-time-series design is threatened by mortality.

Accepted Answer

Mortality is a threat to internal validity in interrupted time-series designs because it can lead to biased estimates of the effect of the intervention. This is because mortality can lead to attrition from the study, which can result in a biased sample that is not representative of the population of interest.

Question 4

The major difference between the ABA design and the observation-treatment-observation design is that the former design permits a return to baseline.

Accepted Answer

The ABA design includes three phases: baseline (A), intervention (B), and then a return to baseline (A), allowing for observation of changes when the intervention is withdrawn, unlike the observation-treatment-observation design which does not explicitly include a return to baseline phase.

Question 5

The performance of two groups of Research Methods students (matched for age)is compared.The first group is from the Spring 2003 term,whereas the second group is from Spring 2004 term.This represents an example of a ____ design.

Accepted Answer

This is a time-lag design because it compares different groups of people at the same age but from different times.

Question 6

The most serious confounding that occurs in the longitudinal design is between:

Accepted Answer

In longitudinal designs, the same individuals are tested over time, so age and time of test are confounded because changes could be due to aging or the specific time period when the test is conducted.

Question 7

A problem with matching on the basis of subject variables is synergism with other variables.

Accepted Answer

Matching on subject variables can lead to synergism, where the matched variable interacts with other variables, potentially confounding the results.

Question 8

The advantage of the time-lag design is that it provides the researcher a chance to discover:

Accepted Answer

The time-lag design allows researchers to examine the effects of the time of testing by comparing different cohorts at the same age but tested at different times.

Question 9

One primary limitation of a cross-sectional method is:

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies can confound age and generation effects because they collect data from different age groups at one point in time, making it difficult to distinguish between age-related changes and generational differences.

Question 10

In the cross-sequential design:

Accepted Answer

The cross-sequential design combines elements of both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs by testing two or more groups of different ages at two or more time periods. This approach allows researchers to analyze age changes and cohort effects simultaneously.

Question 11

Phillips' studies on sporting events indicate that imitation of prize-fight winners accounts for an increase in homicide rates.

Accepted Answer

Phillips' studies found that after highly publicized heavyweight championship fights, there was a significant increase in homicides, suggesting that the imitation of prize-fight winners might influence violent behavior in the general population.

Question 12

The major threat to validity in the one-shot case study is the small number of subjects that are examined.

Accepted Answer

The major threat to validity in the one-shot case study is not the small number of subjects, but rather the lack of a control group, making it difficult to determine if the observed effect is due to the treatment or some other factor.

Question 13

If an experimental treatment had different effects on subjects of different ages,we would conclude that:

Accepted Answer

An interaction occurs when the effect of one variable (e.g., experimental treatment) differs depending on the level of another variable (e.g., age of subjects). This means the impact of the treatment is not uniform across all subjects but varies with their age, indicating an interaction between the treatment and age.

Question 14

If a schizophrenic performs poorly on an intelligence test,it is likely that schizophrenia is a cause of the poor performance.

Accepted Answer

Schizophrenia can impact cognitive functions, but poor performance on an intelligence test cannot conclusively determine schizophrenia as the cause, as various factors including stress, medication side effects, or the test's nature can influence results.

Question 15

Which age-related design could be described as potentially cumbersome and time-consuming,but tends not to suffer from confounds (e.g.,of age and time,and selection bias)that plague other age-related designs?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which age-related design could be described as...

Question 16

An interaction between age and an experimental treatment means that:

Accepted Answer

An interaction between age and an experimental treatment indicates that the impact of the treatment varies depending on the age of the participants. This means the effect of the treatment is not uniform across all ages, but instead, it changes or differs as age varies.

Question 17

The nonequivalent control group design involves randomly assigning subjects to conditions.

Accepted Answer

The nonequivalent control group design does not involve random assignment; instead, it uses preexisting groups, which may lead to differences between groups that are not due to the experimental manipulation.

Question 18

Synergism is a synonym for interaction.

Accepted Answer

Synergism refers to the interaction between two or more substances or organisms to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects, thus aligning with the concept of interaction.

Question 19

Although case studies have shaky internal validity,they are good at predicting future behavior.

Accepted Answer

Case studies, while rich in detail and depth, do not typically predict future behavior due to their focus on specific instances or individuals and lack of generalizability.

Question 20

In the time-lag design:

Accepted Answer

In a time-lag design, researchers examine the differences among subjects of the same age who are tested at different times. This approach helps to identify the effects of the time of testing, isolating it from age-related changes or generational effects.

Quiz 12: Quasi-Experimentation