Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of the three criteria you need to meet before we can say an event or person caused an effect?

Accepted Answer

Ecological validity is not one of the three criteria needed to establish causation. The three criteria are temporal precedence, elimination of rival plausible explanations, and association or relationship. Ecological validity refers to the extent to which research findings can be generalized to real-world settings, which is a different concept.

Question 2

______ requires us to show that the thing we think is a cause occurred prior to any changes or differences that we think might have been produced by it.

Accepted Answer

Temporal precedence is a principle that requires the cause to occur before the effect, ensuring that there is a chronological order that supports a causal relationship.

Question 3

______ in research show that changes in the suggested cause co-varies in some reliable way with its alleged effect.

Accepted Answer

Associations or relationships in research indicate that changes in the suggested cause co-vary in some reliable way with its alleged effect, demonstrating a connection between variables.

Question 4

To ensure that the cause is responsible for changes in the dependent measure and not another related variable, artifact, nuisance variable, or other potential causal agent you need to engage in ______.

Accepted Answer

Elimination of rival plausible explanations is crucial in research to ensure that the observed changes in the dependent variable are indeed caused by the independent variable, and not by other factors. This process helps in establishing a causal relationship by ruling out other potential explanations for the observed effect.

Question 5

Jessica thinks her experiment was successful and the scent of the perfume she is wearing is the reason her participants have stayed to complete a second unrelated task. Which of the following is NOT necessary to see whether the perfume was the cause?

Accepted Answer

Perspective taking is not necessary to determine causality in an experiment. To establish causality, one needs to show that there is a relationship between variables (D), that the cause precedes the effect (C), and that other explanations have been ruled out (B). Perspective taking, which involves understanding a situation from another's point of view, does not directly contribute to establishing a causal link between the perfume and participants' behavior.

Question 6

The ______ variable is the variable whose impact we are trying to assess, and the ______ variable is the variable we measure in order to see whether any effect has occurred.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one manipulated or changed to see its effect on another variable, while the dependent variable is the one being measured or tested to see the impact of the independent variable.

Question 7

Jason is conducting research on how the consumption of foreign films impacts perceptions regarding immigration. In this scenario the perceptions of immigration is the ______.

Accepted Answer

The perceptions of immigration are the dependent variable because they are being studied as the outcome or effect of watching foreign films.

Question 8

Selena is conducting a research study to see whether the use of Cornell notes increases exam scores in a research methods course. In this scenario Cornell notes are the ______.

Accepted Answer

Cornell notes are the independent variable because they are what the researcher manipulates to see if there is an effect on exam scores.

Question 9

______ is the extent to which differences observed in the study can be unambiguously attributed to the experimental treatment itself, rather than to other factors.

Accepted Answer

Internal validity refers to the degree to which the observed effects in a study can be directly attributed to the intervention or treatment being tested, rather than to other variables or factors.

Question 10

In terms of internal validity in pretest/posttest designs, history refers to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

History, in the context of internal validity for pretest/posttest designs, refers to specific events that occur between the first and second measurements which could influence the outcomes of the study, independent of the experimental manipulation.

Question 11

Jamie has been selected for a research study that involves a mock trial, prior to the actual study she takes a pretest about her familiarity with the court process. Afterward, she watches several shows about the law and reads articles about the role of the jury. What threat to internal validity might this cause?

Accepted Answer

The threat to internal validity in this scenario is "history," which refers to events that occur between the pretest and the posttest (or during the experiment) that are not part of the experimental manipulation but can influence the outcome. In Jamie's case, watching shows about the law and reading articles about the role of the jury are external events that could affect her knowledge or attitudes, thereby influencing the results of the study.

Question 12

Brittany is conducting a study in an elementary school. In the morning she collects data about how they feel about their teacher, she asks similar questions right before lunch and receives more negative responses. What threat to internal validity should she consider as a possible reason for this change?

Accepted Answer

Maturation refers to the natural changes that occur within participants over time. In this case, the change in students' responses could be attributed to their increasing hunger or tiredness as the day progresses, which are natural physiological states that can affect their mood and thus their responses.

Question 13

______ are changes or improvements that result from practice or repetition of having taken similar tests/experiments.

Accepted Answer

Practice effects refer to the improvements in performance that occur as a result of repeated exposure to the same or similar tasks, rather than due to any specific intervention or treatment.

Question 14

Regina completes a questionnaire about cervical cancer. Weeks later she takes a posttest with similar questions. Which threat to internal validity is likely impactful in this scenario.

Accepted Answer

The testing threat to internal validity occurs when the act of taking a test affects how participants perform on subsequent tests, as Regina may remember or learn from the initial questionnaire, influencing her posttest responses.

Question 15

Shannon is a participant in a study on attitudes toward local politicians, she participated in a pretest and now is more attentive to information regarding local politics. What is this issue called?

Accepted Answer

Pretest sensitization occurs when the act of taking a pretest affects how participants respond in the posttest, in this case making Shannon more attentive to information about local politics than she might have been without the pretest.

Question 16

______ involves changes that are more apparent than real.

Accepted Answer

Regression toward the mean involves changes that appear significant but are actually due to statistical fluctuations towards the average, rather than real changes in the underlying phenomenon.

Question 17

The ______ group is treated identically to the ______ group in all respects except the ______ group doesn't receive the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B) control; experimental; control. In experimental research, the control group is treated identically to the experimental group except that the control group does not receive the independent variable, which is the variable being tested to see if it causes an effect.

Question 18

______ occurs when two (or more) groups are equal or similar on average prior to the introduction of the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

Pretest equivalence refers to the condition in which groups are similar or equal on average before any treatment or intervention is applied, ensuring that any post-test differences can be attributed more confidently to the intervention itself rather than pre-existing differences.

Question 19

______ bias threatens internal validity by making the source of the observed change more ambiguous.

Accepted Answer

Selection bias threatens internal validity by making it unclear whether observed changes are due to the treatment or pre-existing differences between groups.

Question 20

The ______ allows you to assume pretest equivalence.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is a method used in experiments to distribute individuals randomly into either the control group or the experimental group, ensuring that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group. This process helps in assuming pretest equivalence between the groups, as it minimizes pre-existing differences among participants, making it more likely that observed differences in outcomes are due to the intervention rather than pre-existing disparities.

Quiz 6: Eliminating Rival Plausible Explanations: the Experiment