Dr. Marshall conducted an experiment to test changes in sex roles due to spending an entire day reading about the achievements of great women artists and scientists. The experimental group read fifteen articles about great women. The control group read fifteen articles about cooking, automobiles, astronomy, and accounting. During the lunch break, subjects from the experimental and control groups met and talked about what they were reading. What internal validity problem may occur?
A) experimental mortality
B) maturation
C) diffusion of treatment
D) testing

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diffusion of treatment occurs when information or behaviors from the experimental group are shared with the control group, potentially contaminating the results. In this case, the experimental and control groups meeting and discussing their readings during lunch could lead to this issue.

Dr Marshall Conducted an Experiment to Test Changes in Sex