Dr.LaGuardia is a cognitive neuroscientist who is interested in the effect of brain concussions on the ability to recognize faces.He conducts a quasi-experimental study in which he examines football players before and after the regular season,using the Benton Facial Recognition Test
(a published,widely used measure of one's ability to recognize faces)to compare those who received concussions to those who did not.He finds that players who had concussions during the regular season performed worse on the Benton Facial Recognition Test than did players who did not experience concussions.

-Which of the following makes Dr.LaGuardia's quasi-experimental study different from a correlational study?
A)He used a validated measure of the dependent variable.
B)He was able to confirm the occurrence of a concussion rather than relying on self-report.
C)He used a naturally occurring comparison group (i.e. ,players who did not suffer a concussion).
D)He used members of a real sports team rather than members of the general population.

Question

Dr.LaGuardia is a cognitive neuroscientist who is interested in the effect of brain concussions on the ability to recognize faces.He conducts a quasi-experimental study in which he examines football players before and after the regular season,using the Benton Facial Recognition Test
(a published,widely used measure of one's ability to recognize faces)to compare those who received concussions to those who did not.He finds that players who had concussions during the regular season performed worse on the Benton Facial Recognition Test than did players who did not experience concussions.

-Which of the following makes Dr.LaGuardia's quasi-experimental study different from a correlational study?
A)He used a validated measure of the dependent variable.
B)He was able to confirm the occurrence of a concussion rather than relying on self-report.
C)He used a naturally occurring comparison group (i.e. ,players who did not suffer a concussion).
D)He used members of a real sports team rather than members of the general population.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The use of a naturally occurring comparison group (players who did not suffer a concussion) is the feature that makes Dr. LaGuardia's study a quasi-experimental design, rather than a correlational one. In a correlational study, the researcher does not manipulate any variables or conduct any interventions; instead, the researcher measures the variables of interest and looks for associations between them. In Dr. LaGuardia's study, he is comparing two groups (players who did and did not experience concussions) in a way that allows him to make causal inferences about the effect of concussions on facial recognition ability. The use of a validated measure (A) and the confirmation of concussion occurrence (B) are also important methodological considerations, but they do not differentiate the study design from a correlational design. The use of members of a real sports team (D) may enhance the external validity of the study, but this is also not a defining feature of a quasi-experimental design.

DrLaGuardia Is a Cognitive Neuroscientist Who Is Interested in the Effect