Which of the following statements is true?
A) Researchers first consider the statistical significance of main effects before considering interaction effects in a complex design.
B) If an interaction effect is statistically significant, researchers then use main effects to understand the source of the interaction.
C) If an interaction effect is not statistically significant, the researcher should then conduct analyses of simple main effects to determine why the interaction was not statistically significant.
D) If an interaction effect is statistically significant, it is likely the researcher will discover at least one statistically significant simple main effect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If an interaction effect is statistically significant, it is likely that the researcher will explore simple main effects to understand the source of the interaction. This is because a significant interaction means that the effect of one independent variable on the dependent variable changes depending on the level of the other independent variable. Therefore, exploring simple main effects can help researchers understand the specific conditions under which each independent variable has an effect on the dependent variable. It is not necessary to first consider the statistical significance of main effects before exploring interaction effects, and if an interaction effect is not significant, exploring simple main effects may not be informative.

Which of the Following Statements Is True