In the Solomon Four-Group Experimental Design
A) all participants complete the pretest and its effects are removed using statistical analyses.
B) the researcher can rule out statistical regression as a potential confound.
C) the need for a pretest is eliminated.
D) the researcher can rule out pretest sensitization as a potential confound.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the Solomon Four-Group Experimental Design, half of the participants are randomly assigned to the treatment group with a pretest and half are assigned to the treatment group without a pretest. Similarly, half of the participants are randomly assigned to the control group with a pretest and half are assigned to the control group without a pretest. This design allows the researcher to examine both the main effects of the treatment and the potential effects of the pretest. By comparing the results of the treatment groups with and without the pretest, the researcher can rule out pretest sensitization as a potential confound. Therefore, choice D is the correct answer.