A trend in the data that has no obvious explanation is troublesome for researchers for all of the following reasons, except:
A) some variable is influencing behavior significantly and this could interfere with seeing the impact of the control condition or the intervention condition
B) without an obvious explanation for the trend, the researcher cannot be clear on how to more effectively control the environment to reduce the impact of these factors
C) a trend makes it more difficult to determine the effects of an intervention
D) there are no informal criteria or rules to help guide a researcher's decision-making process if this occurs

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement "there are no informal criteria or rules to help guide a researcher's decision-making process if this occurs" is not a valid reason why a trend with no obvious explanation is troublesome for researchers. In fact, researchers may have formal criteria or rules to help guide their decision-making process, such as statistical significance tests and experimental design principles. The other options provide valid reasons why a trend with no obvious explanation is troublesome for researchers.

A Trend in the Data That Has No Obvious Explanation