A company was interested in learning if training expenditures will enhance its salesforce productivity, so they hired a researcher to conduct an experiment in which one group of salespeople received training and the other didn't. The average sales for salespeople who received training was significantly higher than for those who did not. This difference in means between the two groups is known as a(n) _____ effect.
A) placebo
B) main
C) covariate
D) interactive

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The difference in means between the two groups (trained vs. not trained) is the main effect. This is because the experiment was designed specifically to test if training would impact sales, and the difference in sales between the two groups is the primary outcome of interest. Placebo effects refer to changes that occur due to the belief that one is receiving a treatment, covariate effects refer to the influence of a third variable on the relationship between the independent and dependent variable, and interactive effects refer to situations where the effect of one independent variable depends on the level of another independent variable.

A Company Was Interested in Learning If Training Expenditures Will