A researcher used an expectancy control design in her study of the effectiveness of a new teaching method. Students were randomly assigned to conditions, and the following group means were found (where higher means reflect better performance): Assuming that all of the differences are statistically significant, what can the researcher conclude?
A) The old teaching method is more effective.
B) The condition with the expectation that the method does not work performed better.
C) The new teaching method, combined with the expectation that the method works, performed the best.
D) Expectations did not have an impact on student performance.

Question

A researcher used an expectancy control design in her study of the effectiveness of a new teaching method. Students were randomly assigned to conditions, and the following group means were found (where higher means reflect better performance):  Assuming that all of the differences are statistically significant, what can the researcher conclude?
A) The old teaching method is more effective. 
B) The condition with the expectation that the method does not work performed better. 
C) The new teaching method, combined with the expectation that the method works, performed the best. 
D) Expectations did not have an impact on student performance.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This design allows the researcher to test the main effects of the teaching method and the expectation, as well as their interaction. The group mean with the highest score (14.5) is the new teaching method with the expectation that it works. This suggests that the new method is effective when students believe in its efficacy. However, the group mean with the lowest score (9.5) is the old teaching method with the expectation that it works, indicating that this method is not effective regardless of expectations. Therefore, the researcher can conclude that the combination of the new teaching method with the expectation that it works is the most effective approach.

A Researcher Used an Expectancy Control Design in Her Study