Psychlearn5 - Research Questions and Designs

Which of these elements are included in quasi-experimental designs?

An independent variable. Measurement of a dependent variable.

A researcher wanted to examine the relationship between number of assignments due per week and anxiety levels in college students. The number of assignments due was assessed through viewing various course syllabi due dates. The measurement for anxiety was a standardized anxiety test that was known to be an accurate measure of anxiety. This study would have high _____ validity.

construct

The most appropriate research design is determined by the:

research question.

If you ask the question "Does the methodology of this study allow you to answer your causal research question?" then you are concerned with which type of validity?

Internal

In order to eliminate alternative explanations, you should:

conduct an experiment under highly controlled conditions.

Which is the measured variable in an experimental research design?

Dependent variable

A researcher determined that there was a significant difference in the number of words recalled after studying in a quiet library room compared to a loud dorm room. The researchers for this study should be the least concerned with which type of validity?

External

If a correlational study is conducted and the results indicate that the predictor variable significantly correlates with the outcome variable, can we be confident that the predictor variable causes the outcome variable?

No

Which types of validity are essential to all types of study claims?

Construct Statistical

When conducting experimental research, which variable is manipulated?

Independent variable

Dr. Prenovost wants to determine whether team cohesion is related to success on the playing field. She works with 20 high school football teams in her region. Ten of the teams are randomly assigned to attend a 3-hour workshop on building team cohesion. The other 10 teams attend a 3-hour skills-based session. She then counts wins and losses over the regular football season. What type of claim can be made from the design of this study?

claim about the causal relationship between variables

Dr. Morley wanted to know whether using an electronic sleep-promoting device before going to bed has an influence on the amount of time necessary to fall asleep compared to reading a book before bed. Fifty participants were randomly assigned to either the electronic device group or book group and time to fall asleep was measured for both groups. Because only the independent variable was manipulated and there was random assignment to groups, any difference in time to fall asleep should be due to the activity prior to falling asleep. This study has high _____ validity.

internal

Dr. Oxley measures both gender and number of words spoken per day in 2-year-old children. Gender is a(n)_____ variable.

participant

The careful observation and documentation of a behavior or phenomenon is referred to as which type of descriptive research method?

Observational method

Which of these research questions is about the value of a variable?

What percentage of men in Europe aged 18 to 25 have traveled outside the continent? What proportion of students had a GPA of 3.0 or above?

What is the purpose of the control group in experimental research?

It serves as a comparison for the experimental group.

To assess mental health in college students, 60 participants completed questionnaires to measure symptoms of anxiety and depression. A strong, positive relationship was found, such that as anxiety symptoms increased, depression symptoms increased as well. Which of Mill's criteria have been met in this study? Select all that apply.

Covariance

Why would a researcher use a quasi-experimental design rather than an experimental design?

When random assignment is not possible When manipulation of the independent variable is not possible or ethical To collect data in the real world where controls are difficult

A researcher operationally defined level of aggression as the number of aggressive acts a child exhibited on the playground in a 15-minute period: 0-1 acts = low aggression; 2-4 acts = medium aggression; and 5 or more or more acts = high aggression. Based on this operational definition, level of aggression is a _____ variable.

measured

Which of these research questions is about an associative relationship?

Are high school students' GPAs predictive of their future success in college? Does sleeping 8 hours a night predict the level of a person's happiness?

If you ask the question "Do the results of the study apply to the population of interest?" then you are concerned with which type of validity?

External

How is a quasi-experiment different from an experiment?

Groups are not equivalent in quasi-experimental designs The independent variable is not always manipulated in quasi-experimental designs

A research lab reported that there was a significant correlation between distributed practice and exam score. The researchers for this study would not need to be concerned with which type of validity, because it would not be possible to attain in this example?

Internal

Why is random assignment important in experimental research?

It ensures that the two groups are equivalent.

Why is construct validity important to all research claims?

It is important for every study to have accurate manipulations and measurements for the variables of interest.

Collecting data through the administration of a questionnaire or interview is referred to as which type of descriptive research method?

Survey method

Which of these types of variables is(are) not measured in correlational research?

Control variable

If we design a study where the measure of the independent variable is related to the measure of the dependent variable then we have achieved which of Mill's criteria?

Covariance

A researcher compares the emotional intelligence scores of a group of kindergarten students attending a large, urban public school with the scores of a group of kindergarten students attending a small, rural public school. The groups were matched for variables such as gender, socioeconomic status, and number of parents living in the household. The scores indicate that the students in the small, rural school have statistically higher levels of emotional intelligence compared to the students in the large, urban school. Can you conclude that attending a small, rural versus a large, urban school caused the difference in emotional intelligence?

No, this was a quasi-experimental research design and there may be alternative explanations for the difference in scores.

How are quasi-experimental designs different from correlational designs?

Quasi-experimental designs may attempt to manipulate the independent variable Quasi-experimental designs may attempt to create equivalent groups

Which of these conditions is(are) required for a researcher to make a valid and appropriate claim about an experimental result?

There is covariance between the variables. There is temporal precedence between the variables. Alternative explanations have been eliminated. Theory and empirical evidence support the conclusions.

Dr. Nissen also wants to determine whether team cohesion is related to success on the playing field. He observes high school football teams during practice and counts the number of times team members congratulate each other during play. He splits the teams into two groups: teams that show high cohesion and teams that show low cohesion. The final groups are matched in terms of geographic location and median income for families within the school district boundaries. Dr. Nissen then counts wins and losses over the regular football season for each group. What type of claim can be made from the design of this study?

claim about the associative relationship between variables

Dr. Zhu wonders if anxiety is related to weight change. She recruits participants and measures their weight in September and then again 1 year later. She also counts the number of life stressors (e.g., move, losses) that each has experienced over the year. From these data, Dr. Zhu calculates the change in weight from the beginning to the end of the study. What type of claim can be made from the design of this study?

claim about the associative relationship between variables

Elena measured minutes of exercise per day and hours of deep sleep per night for a group of 10 subjects. Because Elena was not sure which hypothesis test to run, she tried several different analyses until one showed significant results. Elena's study has low _____ validity.

statistical

Dr. Hopkins was interested in finding out if there was a relationship between time spent reading course textbooks per week and living arrangement—on campus versus off campus. An equal number of participants are sampled in the on-campus and off-campus groups and each participant records the number of minutes spent studying each week night. Which of Mill's criteria have been met in this study? Select all that apply.

Temporal precedence Covariance

Dr. Abukhazneh wonders if fidgeting is related to anxiety. He randomly divides his participants into two groups and gives one group a test that has no correct answers, which makes the test seem extremely difficult and provokes high anxiety. The other group is given a test with obvious answers, which makes the test seem very easy and does not provoke anxiety. While the participants are taking the test, Dr. Abukhazneh counts how long they each spend engaged in fidgeting behavior such as tapping their feet and hands or playing with their hair. What type of claim can be made from the design of this study?

claim about the causal relationship between variables

A researcher used a convenience sample of 30 undergraduate students from a small liberal arts college to examine the relationship between sleep and memory. Because this is not a random sample of the population of adults in the United States, these results may not generalize to all adults in the United States. This study has low _____ validity

external

Which of these types of data are used in archival research?

Documents and records

If we design a study where only the independent variable differs between the experimental and control groups then we have achieved which of Mill's criteria?

Eliminate alternative variables

Through a short survey, a researcher measures the number of extracurricular activities and the GPA for a group of high school students. The results indicate that students with a higher number of extracurricular activities tend to have higher GPAs. Based on this study design, what type of claim can be made?

There is a relationship between extracurricular activities and GPA.

Which of these research questions is about a causal relationship?

Does eating a diet high in fiber decrease a person's chance of getting cancer?

In an experiment, which of these groups experience a manipulation of the independent variable?

Experimental group

Which of these methods is not a type of descriptive research?

Experimental method

Which of these claims can be made from a study using a quasi-experimental design?

Claim about the associative relationship between variables

Which of Mill's criteria must be met to make a causal claim? Select all that apply.

Covariance Temporal precedence Eliminate alternative variables

To test the influence of sugar consumption on perceived energy levels, 100 participants were randomly assigned to either consume a sugar snack or a sugar-free alternative. Thirty minutes later, the participants completed a short questionnaire to determine perceived energy level. This is a/n _____ research design, which allows the researcher to make an _____ claim.

experimental; causal