Ch. 4 Formulating the Method

In the instruments part of the methods section, the author should include a description of the

Tests characteristics of validity and reliability

In describing participants in the methods section of a research report, which of the following should be included?

1. Number of participants 2. Procedures for testing participants

Briefly describe what Cohen (1990) meant by the two (2) principles of "less is more" and "simple is better" as they pertain to the method used in a study

AN example of "less is more" is grad students wanting to conduct meaningful studies that address and solve important problems. To do this, they often plan complex studies with many independent and dependent variables. Students frequently start with useful ideas to study, but the ideas become so cumbersome that the students fail of complexity. For "simple is better" there is no substitute for plotting graphically and evaluating it carefully. Summary stats are helpful and informative, but they are no substitute for looking at the distribution of the original data. Keep your studies straight forward so that when you find something, you can understand and interpret when it means

Which of the following is information that should be found in the section on design and analysis of the data?

An ANOVA was used to compare the three (3) groups

In evaluating the methods section of a research report, which is a very important question to keep in mind?

Did the author provide enough information that the study could be repeated?

In the description of pertinent characteristics of the participants, which of the following would be least pertinent in a study that surveyed the favorite books of children?

Height of the children

It is desirable to carry out a plot study prior to the actual study because

It permits a thorough check of the planned data and analysis procedures

Which of the following statements would appear in the procedures part of the methods section of a research report?

Participants in the experimental group exercised three (3) days per week for 30 minutes per day for 10 weeks

In which part of the methods section should you expect to find information about when the participants were tested?

Procedures

The part of the methods section of the research paper that describes the activities of each treatment group is titled

Procedures

Explain how the description of the method in a research study tries to eliminate alternative or rival explanations for results

Maxicon Principle - A method of controlling any explanation for the results except the hypothesis that the researcher intends to evaluate. This is done by maximizing error variance and controlling extraneous variance