NCE Exam - Research and Program Evaluation Questions and Answers with complete

Experimental research - Answer-the process of gathering data in order to make evaluative comparisons regarding different situations. The experiment - Answer-The most valuable type of research (used to discover cause-and-effect relationships) You need at least 30 individuals to conduct a 'true' experiment. - Answer-Correlational research requires 30 subjects per variable. Quasi-experiment - Answer-Uses PRE-EXISTING groups, so the independent variable (IV) cannot be altered (i.e., gender or ethnicity), and can't state with any statistical confidence that the IV caused the dependent variable (DV). Correlation research is quasi-experimental and does not yield _____ - ____ data. - Answer-causeeffect Parsimony (also known as Occam's Razor) - Answer-interpreting the results in the simplest ways (Literally a tendency to be miserly and not overspend.) Ex post facto study - Answer-A type of quasi-experiment (literally means 'after the fact') connoting a correlational study in which preexisting groups are utilized Independent variable - Answer-the variable the researcher manipulates, controls, alters, or wishes to experiment with (memory: 'I' manipulate the IV) Dependent variable - Answer-expresses the outcome or the data regarding factors one wants to measure (memory: 'D' in dependent and data)Internal validity - Answer-Refers to whether the DVs were truly influenced by the experimental IVs or whether other factors had an impact. Threats to internal validity - Answer-maturation of subjects (psychological and physical changes including fatigue due to time involved), mortality (subjects withdrawing), instruments used to measure the behavior or trait, or statistical regression (notion that extremely high or low scores would move toward the mean if utilized again) External validity - Answer-Refers to whether the experimental research results can be generalized to larger populations (other people, settings, conditions). [If the results of the study only apply to the population in the study then external validity is LOW.] Causal Comparative design - Answer-a true experiment WITHOUT random assignment (Data from the causal comparative ex post factor [after the fact] design can be analyzed with a test of significance [t test or ANOVA] just like any true experiment.) Factor analysis - Answer-Statistical procedure to summarize MANY variables. (i.e., A test measuring a counselors ability may try to describe 3 important variables that make up an effective helper although hundreds exist.)