EDC 702 FINAL EXAM
One similarity between causal-comparative and correlational research is that both can do which of the
followin ANS: be treated as a type of descriptive research
Causal-comparative and experimental research both do which of the following ANS: examine
differences between groups
One similarity between causal-comparative and experimental research is that both do which of the
following ANS: attempt to establish cause-effect relationships
Of the following, which is most likely to be an independent variable in a causal-comparative study ANS:
Country of origin
Laura is designing a study that examines difference in social skills between children raised in a three-
generation family household compared to those raised in a two-generation family home. Laura is most
likely to study this research problem by use of causal-comparative research because of which of the
following ANS: The events have already happened.
Of the following, which is considered an organismic variable ANS: Age
Of the following which is an example of a prospective causal-comparative study ANS: Jason investigated
whether assigning vocabulary homework for a high school history class would help their performance on
his final. He identified one class that had weekly vocabulary homework and then compared their final
exam scores to those of another class to which no weekly vocabulary homework was assigned.
Of the following, which is an example of a retrospective causal-comparative approach ANS: James
hypothesized that adults who were scouts as children would possess more sophisticated environmental
attitudes. He compared the environmental attitudes of adults who were scouts to those of adults who
were not scouts.
,Wendy is investigating differences in cardiovascular health between children who are involved in
extracurricular activities and those who are not. She decides to investigate only children who are
average height and weight, with no existing heart conditions and no family history of obesity. Wendy
has employed which method for controlling the extraneous variable in her study ANS: Comparing
homogeneous subgroups
Paula examined differences in college persistence between students who took the SAT either before
their junior year or during their junior year of high school. She compared students with the same score
and found that students had taken the SAT before their junior year of high school were more likely to
stay in college than those who had taken the SAT during their junior year. Paula employed which
method for controlling the extraneous variable, performance, in her study? ANS: Matching
Stan's study examined the differences in self-concept between children enrolled in a summer outdoor
adventure program and those who were not. The adventure group children had slightly higher self-
concept prior to the program than the comparison group, so Stan took individual's initial self-concept
score into consideration when he examined his data. Which of the following strategies for controlling
extraneous variables did Stan employ ANS: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA
Which of the following represents the most common descriptive statistic used in causal-comparative
research as a measure of central tendency? ANS: mean
Of the primary statistical procedures employed to analyze data in a causal-comparative study, which of
the following is unlikely to be used? ANS: Spearman rho
Given the following design, identify the most probable example of the study from the descriptions
below.
E X1 O
C X2 O ANS: Susan compares self-esteem levels of children who are in ability grouped versus non-ability
grouped classrooms.
Given the following design, identify the most probable example of the study from the descriptions
below.
, E. X1. O
C. X2.O ANS: Ned compares how fourth graders given either after-school homework help via the phone
or the Internet perform on the end of year mathematics test.
Nala wants to determine if providing awards for science fair winners increases or decreases participation
by average students. She thinks that by promoting science as a competition some children may decide
not to participate. To address this question, Nala identifies two types of schools in her district, schools
that provide awards or schools that do not. She compares the participation rate of students in her two
groups. Given Nala's study, what is the dependent variables? ANS: Participation rate
Katrina has conducted a study that examines entering children's social skills. She had first-grade
teachers rate students' social skills at the end of first grade. She then compared the scores of students
who attended formal pre-kindergarten programs with those who did not. What is the dependent
variable in Katrina's study? ANS: Social skills
Ms. Angelo examines whether there are differences in students' gain achievement scores from the last
administration based upon the nature of the out of class reading she assigns during the school year. In
two of her sections, she allows students to read seven books that they want to read. In two of her other
sections, she assigns seven texts. In her last two sections she assigns four texts and allows students to
select three. What is the independent measure in Ms. Angelo's study? ANS: Type of books read
Which of the following is considered an ability variable? ANS: Scholastic aptitude
Of the following, which best represents a casual comparative study? ANS: The differences in
mathematics learning outcomes between students enrolled in traditional and cyber learnin
Compared to all other types of research, which of the following is true regarding experimental research?
ANS: provides evidence concerning cause-effect relations
Replications in experimental research are generally conducted to facilitate which of the following? ANS:
external validity
One similarity between causal-comparative and correlational research is that both can do which of the
followin ANS: be treated as a type of descriptive research
Causal-comparative and experimental research both do which of the following ANS: examine
differences between groups
One similarity between causal-comparative and experimental research is that both do which of the
following ANS: attempt to establish cause-effect relationships
Of the following, which is most likely to be an independent variable in a causal-comparative study ANS:
Country of origin
Laura is designing a study that examines difference in social skills between children raised in a three-
generation family household compared to those raised in a two-generation family home. Laura is most
likely to study this research problem by use of causal-comparative research because of which of the
following ANS: The events have already happened.
Of the following, which is considered an organismic variable ANS: Age
Of the following which is an example of a prospective causal-comparative study ANS: Jason investigated
whether assigning vocabulary homework for a high school history class would help their performance on
his final. He identified one class that had weekly vocabulary homework and then compared their final
exam scores to those of another class to which no weekly vocabulary homework was assigned.
Of the following, which is an example of a retrospective causal-comparative approach ANS: James
hypothesized that adults who were scouts as children would possess more sophisticated environmental
attitudes. He compared the environmental attitudes of adults who were scouts to those of adults who
were not scouts.
,Wendy is investigating differences in cardiovascular health between children who are involved in
extracurricular activities and those who are not. She decides to investigate only children who are
average height and weight, with no existing heart conditions and no family history of obesity. Wendy
has employed which method for controlling the extraneous variable in her study ANS: Comparing
homogeneous subgroups
Paula examined differences in college persistence between students who took the SAT either before
their junior year or during their junior year of high school. She compared students with the same score
and found that students had taken the SAT before their junior year of high school were more likely to
stay in college than those who had taken the SAT during their junior year. Paula employed which
method for controlling the extraneous variable, performance, in her study? ANS: Matching
Stan's study examined the differences in self-concept between children enrolled in a summer outdoor
adventure program and those who were not. The adventure group children had slightly higher self-
concept prior to the program than the comparison group, so Stan took individual's initial self-concept
score into consideration when he examined his data. Which of the following strategies for controlling
extraneous variables did Stan employ ANS: Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA
Which of the following represents the most common descriptive statistic used in causal-comparative
research as a measure of central tendency? ANS: mean
Of the primary statistical procedures employed to analyze data in a causal-comparative study, which of
the following is unlikely to be used? ANS: Spearman rho
Given the following design, identify the most probable example of the study from the descriptions
below.
E X1 O
C X2 O ANS: Susan compares self-esteem levels of children who are in ability grouped versus non-ability
grouped classrooms.
Given the following design, identify the most probable example of the study from the descriptions
below.
, E. X1. O
C. X2.O ANS: Ned compares how fourth graders given either after-school homework help via the phone
or the Internet perform on the end of year mathematics test.
Nala wants to determine if providing awards for science fair winners increases or decreases participation
by average students. She thinks that by promoting science as a competition some children may decide
not to participate. To address this question, Nala identifies two types of schools in her district, schools
that provide awards or schools that do not. She compares the participation rate of students in her two
groups. Given Nala's study, what is the dependent variables? ANS: Participation rate
Katrina has conducted a study that examines entering children's social skills. She had first-grade
teachers rate students' social skills at the end of first grade. She then compared the scores of students
who attended formal pre-kindergarten programs with those who did not. What is the dependent
variable in Katrina's study? ANS: Social skills
Ms. Angelo examines whether there are differences in students' gain achievement scores from the last
administration based upon the nature of the out of class reading she assigns during the school year. In
two of her sections, she allows students to read seven books that they want to read. In two of her other
sections, she assigns seven texts. In her last two sections she assigns four texts and allows students to
select three. What is the independent measure in Ms. Angelo's study? ANS: Type of books read
Which of the following is considered an ability variable? ANS: Scholastic aptitude
Of the following, which best represents a casual comparative study? ANS: The differences in
mathematics learning outcomes between students enrolled in traditional and cyber learnin
Compared to all other types of research, which of the following is true regarding experimental research?
ANS: provides evidence concerning cause-effect relations
Replications in experimental research are generally conducted to facilitate which of the following? ANS:
external validity
