Question 1

Program evaluation is research that ______.
A) determines the needs of a population for new programs
B) evaluates the effectiveness of existing programs or policies
C) evaluates whether a program needs to conduct research
D) evaluates the best choice for choosing a program for a particular population

Accepted Answer

Program evaluation is specifically focused on assessing the effectiveness and impact of existing programs or policies.

Question 2

Experiments are used to test ______.
A) Association
B) significance
C) validity
D) causality

Accepted Answer

Experiments are primarily designed to test causality by manipulating one or more variables to observe the effect on another variable, establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 3

Classical studies are typically done in laboratories. When we do evaluation research in real-life settings, what can happen?
A) Your results are invalid if all forms of bias were not able to be ruled out.
B) Your study could become nonreplicable, and thus meaningless.
C) You may not be able to conclude that your results were caused by the treatment and not by something else.
D) Your research may be deemed unethical if it affects anyone other than your subjects.

Accepted Answer

In real-life settings, it is often difficult to control all variables, making it challenging to attribute results solely to the treatment rather than other factors.

Question 4

Classical experiments are done in laboratories because researchers can better control ______.
A) the treatment
B) the effects
C) outside influences
D) validity

Accepted Answer

Researchers conduct experiments in laboratories to control outside influences, ensuring that the results are due to the treatment and not external factors.

Question 5

Because it is based on positivist methodology, experimental research must be ______.
A) valid
B) descriptive
C) generalizable
D) replicable

Accepted Answer

Experimental research, grounded in positivist methodology, emphasizes objectivity and the ability to replicate findings to ensure reliability and scientific rigor.

Question 6

Research questions for experimental evaluation research ______.
A) are usually qualitative
B) include at least three variables (independent, dependent, and treatment)
C) cannot imply causation
D) ask about causation

Accepted Answer

Experimental evaluation research is designed to determine causation by manipulating an independent variable and observing the effect on a dependent variable.

Question 7

Experimental researchers can usually control what thing that survey researchers can't?
A) temporal order
B) association
C) objectivity
D) unit of analysis

Accepted Answer

Experimental researchers can control temporal order by manipulating the independent variable and observing the effect on the dependent variable, which is not possible in survey research.

Question 8

In experimental evaluation research, the hypotheses usually all have ______.
A) the same independent variable
B) the same dependent variable
C) different independent and dependent variables
D) the same variable sometimes used as an independent variable and sometimes as a dependent variable

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher, and the dependent variable is the variable that is measured. In experimental evaluation research, the hypotheses usually all have the same independent variable because the researcher is trying to determine the effect of that variable on the dependent variable.

Question 9

Which is the most appropriate research question for experimental evaluation research?
A) What effects, if any, do illiteracy rates have on child poverty?
B) What effects does smoking have on teenagers' popularity?
C) What effects, if any, does age have on voting habits in local elections?
D) What effects, if any, does instituting flexible work schedules have on interpersonal dynamics within work groups?

Accepted Answer

Experimental evaluation research is best suited for questions where variables can be manipulated and controlled, such as instituting flexible work schedules to observe their effects on interpersonal dynamics within work groups.

Question 10

Which of the following is the best research question for experimental evaluation research?
A) What effects, if any, do gray winter skies have on depression?
B) What effects, if any, does the New Orleans Police Officer Diversity Training program have on police officers' assessment of the degree of danger they feel when apprehending male suspects of different races and ethnicities?
C) What effects, if any, would stricter penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana have on accident fatalities?
D) What effects, if any, does playing video games for 4 or more hours per day have on children's brain development?

Accepted Answer

This question is specific, measurable, and directly related to a program that can be evaluated through experimental methods.

Question 11

Which of the following is a POOR example of a hypothesis for experimental evaluation research?
A) Women who take the Assertiveness Training Workshop are more likely to state when they feel that their personal boundaries have been crossed than women who do not take the training.
B) New fathers who work for the State of New York and take the paid parental leave available to them when their child is born are more likely to report feeling productive in their jobs upon their return than those who do not take the paid leave available to them.
C) Those democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primaries are more likely to vote for a woman in the 2020 primaries than are those who voted for Bernie Sanders.
D) Independent business owners who participate in the Work for Dignity program, in which they hire a homeless person to do 5 hours of work at their establishment per week paid for by a grant from the County, are more likely to volunteer their services or donate their products to the local homeless shelters than those who do not participate in the program.

Accepted Answer

The hypothesis in option C is based on political behavior and preferences, which are influenced by numerous external factors and may not be easily measurable or directly attributable to a single cause, making it a poor choice for experimental evaluation research.

Question 12

Which of the following is considered LEAST damaging to the validity of experimental design?
A) not using a control group
B) not using a pretest
C) not ruling out bias when assigning people to treatment and control groups
D) not using a posttest

Accepted Answer

Not using a pretest is considered least damaging because it does not necessarily affect the ability to determine the effect of the treatment, as long as there is a control group and random assignment.

Question 13

Which of the following would be an acceptable reason for not using probability sampling in assigning groups in experimental evaluation research?
A) The groups don't seem to be biased anyway, so it's not needed.
B) The study is easier to manage with fewer groups.
C) The groups are naturally occurring.
D) The number of subjects is too small.

Accepted Answer

In experimental evaluation research, naturally occurring groups may not require probability sampling because they are already formed based on existing conditions or characteristics.

Question 14

What is the problem with preexperimental designs?
A) They are very difficult to replicate.
B) You can't rule out plausible alternatives.
C) They are unreliable.
D) They lack objectivity.

Accepted Answer

Preexperimental designs often lack control groups or randomization, making it difficult to rule out other factors that could explain the results.

Question 15

You are conducting research on the effects of a grief support group on adults' coping with the death of a loved one. You decide that you will measure ability to cope by observing behavior in the group, by asking the research subjects to keep a log rating their emotions at the end of each day, and by asking them survey items about coping strategies, activities engaged in, and other measures of coping. What component of research is this?
A) operationalizing
B) conceptualizing
C) preexperimental design
D) sampling

Accepted Answer

Operationalizing involves defining how you will measure a concept or variable in your study, which is what is being done by observing behavior, keeping logs, and using surveys to measure coping.

Question 16

You are evaluating the efficacy of a disaster preparation program in campus dorms focused on emergency evacuation. You decide to provide surveys before and after residents complete the program to gauge self-reported levels of disaster preparedness. What component of research is this?
A) conceptualizing
B) operationalizing
C) preexperimental design
D) sampling

Accepted Answer

Operationalizing involves defining the variables in a study in a way that allows them to be measured. In this case, the variable of interest is disaster preparedness, and the survey is used to measure this variable.

Question 17

In drawing a sample for experiments for evaluation, which sampling method is most often used?
A) cluster
B) simple random
C) systematic
D) convenience

Accepted Answer

The answer of In drawing a sample for experiments for...

Question 18

You are conducting experimental research in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a new sexual harassment training program at a small firm. Which would be the most appropriate way to choose your subjects?
A) cluster sample
B) census
C) systematic sampling
D) convenience sample

Accepted Answer

A census involves collecting data from every member of the population, which ensures that all employees are included in the evaluation of the training program's effectiveness, providing comprehensive and unbiased results.

Question 19

You have two groups in your experimental evaluation research: treatment and control. To each group you assign five males and five females of each of the following ethnicities: White, Black, Asian and Latino. This is called ______
A) random assignment
B) matching
C) stratifying
D) systematic sampling

Accepted Answer

Matching is used here to ensure that each group has the same number of males and females from each ethnicity, creating equivalent groups for comparison.

Question 20

You have two groups in your experimental evaluation research: treatment and control. Each subject is given a number. You then use a random numbers generator to assign each person to a group. This is called ______
A) random assignment
B) matching
C) stratifying
D) systematic sampling

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is the process of assigning subjects to groups in a way that ensures that each subject has an equal chance of being assigned to any group. This is done by using a random numbers generator to assign each person to a group.

Quiz 8: Experiments for Evaluation Research

Program evaluation is research that ______.

Experiments are used to test ______.

Classical studies are typically done in laboratories. When we do evaluation research in real-life settings, what can happen?

Classical experiments are done in laboratories because researchers can better control ______.

Because it is based on positivist methodology, experimental research must be ______.

Research questions for experimental evaluation research ______.

Experimental researchers can usually control what thing that survey researchers can't?

In experimental evaluation research, the hypotheses usually all have ______.

Which is the most appropriate research question for experimental evaluation research?

Which of the following is the best research question for experimental evaluation research?

Which of the following is a POOR example of a hypothesis for experimental evaluation research?

Which of the following is considered LEAST damaging to the validity of experimental design?

Which of the following would be an acceptable reason for not using probability sampling in assigning groups in experimental evaluation research?

What is the problem with preexperimental designs?

You are evaluating the efficacy of a disaster preparation program in campus dorms focused on emergency evacuation. You decide to provide surveys before and after residents complete the program to gauge self-reported levels of disaster preparedness. What component of research is this?

In drawing a sample for experiments for evaluation, which sampling method is most often used?

You are conducting experimental research in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a new sexual harassment training program at a small firm. Which would be the most appropriate way to choose your subjects?

You have two groups in your experimental evaluation research: treatment and control. To each group you assign five males and five females of each of the following ethnicities: White, Black, Asian and Latino. This is called ______

You have two groups in your experimental evaluation research: treatment and control. Each subject is given a number. You then use a random numbers generator to assign each person to a group. This is called ______