Question 1

Which of the following threats to internal validity can apply even when a control group is used?
A)Attrition
B)History threats
C)Instrumentation threats
D)Demand characteristics

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

Observer bias can threaten which of the following big validities?
A)Internal validity and construct validity
B)External validity and construct validity
C)Internal validity and external validity
D)Internal validity only

Accepted Answer

Observer bias can threaten internal validity by influencing the outcome of the study due to the observer's expectations or preferences. It can also threaten construct validity by affecting the accurate measurement of the variables being studied.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a method researchers used to identify or correct for attrition?
A)Drop the original/pretest scores of participants who left the study
B)Not allow participants to leave a study once it has started
C)Determine whether those who dropped out of the study had a different pattern of scores than those who stayed in the study
D)Use a control group

Accepted Answer

Not allowing participants to leave a study once it has started is unethical and violates their autonomy and right to withdraw from research participation. Therefore, this is not a method used to identify or correct for attrition. The other choices (A, C, D) are methods researchers commonly use to address attrition.

Question 4

Dr. LaGuardia is curious as to whether children in a daycare center will share more after watching an educational video on sharing. Immediately before and after the video, he has several undergraduate research assistants code the sharing behavior of a group of 33 four-year-olds. Which of the following would you recommend to him to decrease the threat of instrumentation?
A)Asking the same research assistants to code the same children at pretest and posttest
B)Establishing different coding manuals for pretest and posttest
C)Using clear coding manuals
D)Using only one research assistant to code all the videos

Accepted Answer

Using clear coding manuals ensures consistency in how behaviors are recorded, reducing the threat of instrumentation by minimizing variability in coding across different times and observers.

Question 5

In previous studies, Dr. Schulenberg has established that finding meaning in one's everyday work activities can lead to greater success in the workplace (e.g., productivity, creativity). He is curious as to whether this can happen in the college classroom. Specifically, he is curious whether finding meaning in one's classroom experience can lead to greater academic performance. In the spring semester, he has his teaching assistant randomly assign half the class to write a paragraph each class period about how the material has meaning for their lives (meaning group). The other half writes a paragraph about what they did to prepare for class (preparation group). He does not know which of his students are writing which paragraph, and the students are not aware they are responding to different writing assignments. To measure academic performance, he gives the students a midterm essay exam and a final exam.
Imagine that in Dr. Schulenberg's study, he notes that all of the students do extremely well on the midterm exam. When he looks at the results of the final exam, he notices that all the students' exam scores went down. Which of the following pattern of results would suggest that there is a threat to internal validity?
A)The final exam scores were lower in the preparation group than the meaning group.
B)The final exam scores were equally low in both groups.
C)The final exam scores were lower than the national average.
D)The final exam scores were lower than the final exam scores of students of his colleague, Dr. Fao.

Accepted Answer

A threat to internal validity occurs when factors other than the independent variable (in this case, the type of paragraph written) could explain changes in the dependent variable (academic performance). If both groups performed equally poorly on the final exam, it suggests that an external factor, not the type of writing assignment, influenced the outcome, thus threatening the study's internal validity.

Question 6

Regression is especially problematic in which of the following situations?
A)When the experimental and comparison groups are equal at posttest
B)When one group has an extremely high score at pretest
C)When the experimental and comparison groups are equal at pretest
D)When one group has an extremely low score at posttest

Accepted Answer

Regression to the mean occurs when extreme scores on a measure tend to become less extreme upon re-testing. If one group has an extremely high score at pretest, it is likely that their score will regress to a more average level at posttest, which can lead to misleading conclusions about the effectiveness of an intervention.

Question 7

When interrogating experiments, on which of the big validities should a person focus?
A)Internal validity
B)External validity
C)Construct validity
D)Statistical validity

Accepted Answer

When interrogating experiments, it is important to focus on internal validity, which refers to the degree to which a study accurately reflects the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable without any confounding variables. By focusing on internal validity, researchers can ensure that their findings are accurately attributed to the manipulated variable, rather than other extraneous factors.

Question 8

In previous studies, Dr. Schulenberg has established that finding meaning in one's everyday work activities can lead to greater success in the workplace (e.g., productivity, creativity). He is curious as to whether this can happen in the college classroom. Specifically, he is curious whether finding meaning in one's classroom experience can lead to greater academic performance. In the spring semester, he has his teaching assistant randomly assign half the class to write a paragraph each class period about how the material has meaning for their lives (meaning group). The other half writes a paragraph about what they did to prepare for class (preparation group). He does not know which of his students are writing which paragraph, and the students are not aware they are responding to different writing assignments. To measure academic performance, he gives the students a midterm essay exam and a final exam.
Imagine that in Dr. Schulenberg's study, he notes that all of the students do extremely well on the midterm exam. When he looks at the results of the final exam, he notices that all the students' exam scores went down. Given this information, which of the following threats might be present in his study?
A)Regression
B)Attrition
C)Maturation
D)Observer bias

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon observed, where all students' exam scores went down after initially doing extremely well, is indicative of regression toward the mean. This statistical phenomenon occurs when extreme scores on one measurement tend to be closer to the average on a subsequent measurement.

Question 9

Which of the following can help prevent testing effects?
A)Using a comparison group
B)Establishing reliability of the measure
C)Using a clear coding manual
D)Employing a pretest-only design

Accepted Answer

Using a comparison group can help differentiate between changes due to testing effects and actual changes in the variable being measured.

Question 10

Which of the following cannot be found in a one-group, pretest/posttest design?
A)A random sample
B)A valid measure
C)A comparison group
D)A manipulation

Accepted Answer

In a one-group, pretest/posttest design, there is only one group being observed, so there is no comparison group to be found. The other options (A, B, and D) can all potentially be present in this type of design.

Question 11

Which of the following studies would NOT have a possible threat of observer bias?
A)A study looking at the effect of eating fruits and vegetables and general physical fitness
B)A study looking at the effect of tutoring on SAT scores
C)A study looking at whether increasing the number of hours listening to music increases singing ability
D)A study looking at the effect of increasing the rate of text messaging in a day on writing/English composition skill

Accepted Answer

In a study looking at the effect of tutoring on SAT scores, the outcome (SAT scores) is objectively measured through standardized testing, reducing the potential for observer bias.

Question 12

Dr. Whetstone is curious about how self-esteem changes as a result of a new counseling program. She is concerned about testing threats in her study. Which of the following would you recommend to her as a way to address this type of threat?
A)Refusing to let participants drop out of the study
B)Conducting a pretest-only study
C)Using a different measure of self-esteem at pretest than at posttest
D)Omitting a comparison group

Accepted Answer

Using a different measure of self-esteem at pretest than at posttest can help address testing threats by reducing the likelihood that participants' familiarity with the test affects their posttest scores.

Question 13

In previous studies, Dr. Schulenberg has established that finding meaning in one's everyday work activities can lead to greater success in the workplace (e.g., productivity, creativity). He is curious as to whether this can happen in the college classroom. Specifically, he is curious whether finding meaning in one's classroom experience can lead to greater academic performance. In the spring semester, he has his teaching assistant randomly assign half the class to write a paragraph each class period about how the material has meaning for their lives (meaning group). The other half writes a paragraph about what they did to prepare for class (preparation group). He does not know which of his students are writing which paragraph, and the students are not aware they are responding to different writing assignments. To measure academic performance, he gives the students a midterm essay exam and a final exam.
Dr) Schulenberg likely designed his study so that neither he nor his students knew which group they were in to address which of the following?
A)Placebo effects
B)Attrition
C)Demand characteristics
D)Maturation

Accepted Answer

Dr. Schulenberg likely designed his study so that neither he nor his students knew which group they were in to address demand characteristics. Demand characteristics occur when participants in a study change their behavior because they know they are being studied or because they believe they know the hypothesis being tested. By keeping the writing assignments a secret from both himself and his students, Dr. Schulenberg minimizes the likelihood of demand characteristics affecting his results. The other options (placebo effects, attrition, and maturation) do not apply to the design of this study.

Question 14

Spontaneous remission in clinical studies is an example of which of the following threats to internal validity?
A)Regression
B)Attrition
C)Maturation
D)Placebo effects

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous remission is an example of maturation, where changes in participants occur naturally over time, affecting the study's outcome.

Question 15

To be a history threat, the external event must occur:
A)constantly during the experiment.
B)at the beginning of the experiment.
C)systematically, affecting most members of the group.
D)intentionally, induced by the experimenters.

Accepted Answer

For an event to be considered a history threat, it must systematically affect most members of the group. This could happen at any point during the experiment, not just at the beginning. It is not necessary for the event to occur constantly or to be intentionally induced by the experimenters.

Question 16

In previous studies, Dr. Schulenberg has established that finding meaning in one's everyday work activities can lead to greater success in the workplace (e.g., productivity, creativity). He is curious as to whether this can happen in the college classroom. Specifically, he is curious whether finding meaning in one's classroom experience can lead to greater academic performance. In the spring semester, he has his teaching assistant randomly assign half the class to write a paragraph each class period about how the material has meaning for their lives (meaning group). The other half writes a paragraph about what they did to prepare for class (preparation group). He does not know which of his students are writing which paragraph, and the students are not aware they are responding to different writing assignments. To measure academic performance, he gives the students a midterm essay exam and a final exam.
Which of the following aspects of Dr. Schulenberg's study allows him to prevent observer bias?
A)Keeping his students unaware of which type of essay they are writing
B)Having his teaching assistant assign students randomly to the two groups
C)Grading the exams himself (a Ph.D.) instead of having his teaching assistant (a college senior) do it
D)Ensuring the person grading the exams is unaware of each student's writing group

Accepted Answer

Ensuring the person grading the exams is unaware of each student's writing group prevents observer bias because the grader would not have any preconceived notions about which group the student belongs to and would grade the exam objectively. It is also important to note that option B (having his teaching assistant assign students randomly to the two groups) helps to prevent selection bias as it ensures that the two groups are similar in terms of their characteristics and abilities. Option A (keeping his students unaware of which type of essay they are writing) helps to prevent demand bias as it ensures that the students are not consciously altering their responses based on the assigned task. Option C (grading the exams himself (a Ph.D.) instead of having his teaching assistant (a college senior) do it) may help to prevent differential treatment bias (as the Ph.D. grader may have higher standards or expectations for the writing), but it is not directly relevant to preventing observer bias.

Question 17

Which of the following is true of instrumentation threats?
A)They are the same as testing threats.
B)They occur only when using mechanical instruments (e.g., blood pressure cuffs, scales).
C)They can be avoided with counterbalancing.
D)They are only problematic in observational research.

Accepted Answer

Instrumentation threats can occur when measurement instruments change over time or when different instruments are used at different times. Counterbalancing can help avoid these threats by balancing the effects of instrumentation across different experimental conditions.

Question 18

In previous studies, Dr. Schulenberg has established that finding meaning in one's everyday work activities can lead to greater success in the workplace (e.g., productivity, creativity). He is curious as to whether this can happen in the college classroom. Specifically, he is curious whether finding meaning in one's classroom experience can lead to greater academic performance. In the spring semester, he has his teaching assistant randomly assign half the class to write a paragraph each class period about how the material has meaning for their lives (meaning group). The other half writes a paragraph about what they did to prepare for class (preparation group). He does not know which of his students are writing which paragraph, and the students are not aware they are responding to different writing assignments. To measure academic performance, he gives the students a midterm essay exam and a final exam.
The study described above is an example of which of the following?
A)A one-group, pretest/posttest design
B)A null effect
C)A double-blind study
D)Observer bias

Accepted Answer

The study described is a double-blind study. The researcher (Dr. Schulenberg) does not know which group of students is completing which writing assignment, and the students are also unaware of the two different assignments. This controls for potential observer bias and demand characteristics. The study is not a one-group, pretest/posttest design since there is a comparison between two groups (meaning group and preparation group) rather than just one group. A null effect would refer to the absence of an experimental effect, which is not mentioned in the description of the study.

Question 19

Dr. Hoff is curious as to whether children in a kindergarten classroom will be friendlier after talking about friendship. Immediately before and after the discussion, she has several undergraduate research assistants code the "friendliness" of a group of kindergarteners. Which of the following threats should Dr. Hoff be most concerned about?
A)History
B)Maturation
C)Instrumentation
D)Testing

Accepted Answer

Instrumentation is a concern because the measurement of "friendliness" could be subjective and vary between the undergraduate research assistants before and after the discussion. This variability in how friendliness is coded could affect the reliability of the results.

Question 20

The addition of a comparison group can address which of the following threats to internal validity?
A)Instrumentation
B)Maturation
C)Selection-history
D)Attrition

Accepted Answer

The answer of The addition of a comparison group can...

Quiz 11: More on Experiments: Confounding and Obscuring Variables

Which of the following threats to internal validity can apply even when a control group is used?

Observer bias can threaten which of the following big validities?

Which of the following is NOT a method researchers used to identify or correct for attrition?

Regression is especially problematic in which of the following situations?

When interrogating experiments, on which of the big validities should a person focus?

Which of the following can help prevent testing effects?

Which of the following cannot be found in a one-group, pretest/posttest design?

Which of the following studies would NOT have a possible threat of observer bias?

Dr. Whetstone is curious about how self-esteem changes as a result of a new counseling program. She is concerned about testing threats in her study. Which of the following would you recommend to her as a way to address this type of threat?

Spontaneous remission in clinical studies is an example of which of the following threats to internal validity?

To be a history threat, the external event must occur:

Which of the following is true of instrumentation threats?

The addition of a comparison group can address which of the following threats to internal validity?