FCS 3200. Exam 3 study guide (Latest
Update) Real Questions and
Verified Answers .
The greatest strength of laboratory experiments lies in the ability to examine
numerous variables simultaneously. - n
Ans✔
False
The greatest strength is to have a controlled environment in which independent
variables can be manipulated and causal relationships can be more easily identified.
Qs
The only pre-experimental design to include a comparison group is the static-group
comparison design. - n
Ans✔
True
Let us quickly go over Pre-Experimental Design. We sometimes carry out our
research in our minds using one of the three pre-expermental designs. Pre-
experimental designs are so named because they follow basic experimental steps
but fail to include a TRUE control group. In other words, a single group is often
studied but no comparison between an equivalent non-treatment group is made.
Examples include the following: The One-Shot Case Study. In this arrangement,
subjects are presented with some type of treatment, such as a semester of college
work experience, and then the outcome measure is applied, such as college grades.
Like all experimental designs, the goal is to determine if the treatment had any
effect on the outcome. Without a comparison group, it is impossible to determine if
the outcome scores are any higher than they would have been without the
treatment. And, without any pre-test scores, it is impossible to determine if any
change within the group itself has taken place. One Group Pretest Posttest Study. A
benefit of this design over the previously discussed design is the inclusion of a
pretest to determine baseline scores. To use this design in our study of college
performance, we could compare college grades prior to gaining the work experience
to the grades after completing a semester of work experience. We can now at least
,state whether a change in the outcome or dependent variable has taken place.
What we cannot say is if this change would have occurred even without the
application of the treatment or independent variable. It is possible that mere
maturation caused the change in grades and not the work experience itself. Finally,
the third option is the Static Group Comparison Study. This design attempts to make
up for the lack of a control group but falls short in relation to showing if a change
Qs
Experiments are especially well suited to research projects involving relatively
limited and well-defined concepts and propositions. - n
Ans✔
True
It is important to have relatively limited and well-defined concepts before we carry
out experiments. One of the main purposes of experiments is to find causality or
causation.
Qs
Topics appropriate to experiments include hypothesis testing, explanatory
research, and small group interaction. - n
Ans✔
True
Often we are trying to find causal relations. Experiments are suitable for teasing out
spurious relationships.
Qs
The experimental and control groups must be as similar as possible. - n
Ans✔
True
If the two groups are very different, the differences might be the causes for their
different behaviors and outcomes.
,Qs
Experiments in social science almost always involve deception. We commonly put
the experiment subjects in unusual situations and ask them to undergo unusual
experiences. - n
Ans✔
True
The treatment group usually has to be exposed to some type of stimulus.
Qs
Because classical experimental design involves both pretest and posttest, it is
superior to Solomon four-group design with respect to reducing the influence of
confounding variables. - n
Ans✔
False
The Solomon four group design is a way of avoiding some of the difficulties
associated with the pretest-posttest design or the classical experimental design.
The Solomon four-group design contains two extra control groups, which serve to
reduce the influence of confounding variables and allow the researcher to test
whether the pretest itself has an effect on the subjects. This is an important concern
for social scientists, because the experiment has a potent effect on the subjects.
Whilst much more complex to set up and analyze, this design type combats many of
the internal validity issues that can plague research. It allows the researcher to
exert complete control over the variables and allows the researcher to check that
the pretest did not influence the results. The Solomon four group test is a standard
pretest-posttest two-group design and the posttest only control design. The various
combinations of tested and untested groups with treatment and control groups
allows the researcher to ensure that confounding variables and extraneous factors
have not influenced the results.
Qs
Experiments are most suitable for descriptive research. - n
Ans✔
False
, They are most suitable for explanatory research, identifying causal relationships.
Qs
The problem of external validity refers to the generalizability of results. - n
Ans✔
True
External validity is the validity of generalized (causal) inferences in scientific
research. In other words, it is the extent to which the results of a study can be
generalized to other situations and to other people. Qualitative study relying on the
idiographic approach tends to have low external validity.
Qs
Instrumentation is NOT a threat to internal validity in the one-shot case study. - n
Ans✔
True
Internal validity is a property of scientific studies which reflects the extent to which
a causal conclusion based on a study is warranted. Such warrant is constituted by
the extent to which a study minimizes systematic error (or 'bias'). Instrumentation
refers changes in the measurement of the dependent variable in pretest and
posttest. One-shot case study DOES not have pretest or posttest. Therefore,
instrumentation is not an issue for one-shot case study. One-shot case study is one
of the classical pre-experimental designs.
Qs
The dependent variable is also known as the experimental stimulus. - n
Ans✔
False
The independent variable will usually be the experimental stimulus, while the
dependent variable is often the outcome. Say you want to study the effect on
education on life time earning. Education would be the independent variable, while
life time earning the dependent variable.
Update) Real Questions and
Verified Answers .
The greatest strength of laboratory experiments lies in the ability to examine
numerous variables simultaneously. - n
Ans✔
False
The greatest strength is to have a controlled environment in which independent
variables can be manipulated and causal relationships can be more easily identified.
Qs
The only pre-experimental design to include a comparison group is the static-group
comparison design. - n
Ans✔
True
Let us quickly go over Pre-Experimental Design. We sometimes carry out our
research in our minds using one of the three pre-expermental designs. Pre-
experimental designs are so named because they follow basic experimental steps
but fail to include a TRUE control group. In other words, a single group is often
studied but no comparison between an equivalent non-treatment group is made.
Examples include the following: The One-Shot Case Study. In this arrangement,
subjects are presented with some type of treatment, such as a semester of college
work experience, and then the outcome measure is applied, such as college grades.
Like all experimental designs, the goal is to determine if the treatment had any
effect on the outcome. Without a comparison group, it is impossible to determine if
the outcome scores are any higher than they would have been without the
treatment. And, without any pre-test scores, it is impossible to determine if any
change within the group itself has taken place. One Group Pretest Posttest Study. A
benefit of this design over the previously discussed design is the inclusion of a
pretest to determine baseline scores. To use this design in our study of college
performance, we could compare college grades prior to gaining the work experience
to the grades after completing a semester of work experience. We can now at least
,state whether a change in the outcome or dependent variable has taken place.
What we cannot say is if this change would have occurred even without the
application of the treatment or independent variable. It is possible that mere
maturation caused the change in grades and not the work experience itself. Finally,
the third option is the Static Group Comparison Study. This design attempts to make
up for the lack of a control group but falls short in relation to showing if a change
Qs
Experiments are especially well suited to research projects involving relatively
limited and well-defined concepts and propositions. - n
Ans✔
True
It is important to have relatively limited and well-defined concepts before we carry
out experiments. One of the main purposes of experiments is to find causality or
causation.
Qs
Topics appropriate to experiments include hypothesis testing, explanatory
research, and small group interaction. - n
Ans✔
True
Often we are trying to find causal relations. Experiments are suitable for teasing out
spurious relationships.
Qs
The experimental and control groups must be as similar as possible. - n
Ans✔
True
If the two groups are very different, the differences might be the causes for their
different behaviors and outcomes.
,Qs
Experiments in social science almost always involve deception. We commonly put
the experiment subjects in unusual situations and ask them to undergo unusual
experiences. - n
Ans✔
True
The treatment group usually has to be exposed to some type of stimulus.
Qs
Because classical experimental design involves both pretest and posttest, it is
superior to Solomon four-group design with respect to reducing the influence of
confounding variables. - n
Ans✔
False
The Solomon four group design is a way of avoiding some of the difficulties
associated with the pretest-posttest design or the classical experimental design.
The Solomon four-group design contains two extra control groups, which serve to
reduce the influence of confounding variables and allow the researcher to test
whether the pretest itself has an effect on the subjects. This is an important concern
for social scientists, because the experiment has a potent effect on the subjects.
Whilst much more complex to set up and analyze, this design type combats many of
the internal validity issues that can plague research. It allows the researcher to
exert complete control over the variables and allows the researcher to check that
the pretest did not influence the results. The Solomon four group test is a standard
pretest-posttest two-group design and the posttest only control design. The various
combinations of tested and untested groups with treatment and control groups
allows the researcher to ensure that confounding variables and extraneous factors
have not influenced the results.
Qs
Experiments are most suitable for descriptive research. - n
Ans✔
False
, They are most suitable for explanatory research, identifying causal relationships.
Qs
The problem of external validity refers to the generalizability of results. - n
Ans✔
True
External validity is the validity of generalized (causal) inferences in scientific
research. In other words, it is the extent to which the results of a study can be
generalized to other situations and to other people. Qualitative study relying on the
idiographic approach tends to have low external validity.
Qs
Instrumentation is NOT a threat to internal validity in the one-shot case study. - n
Ans✔
True
Internal validity is a property of scientific studies which reflects the extent to which
a causal conclusion based on a study is warranted. Such warrant is constituted by
the extent to which a study minimizes systematic error (or 'bias'). Instrumentation
refers changes in the measurement of the dependent variable in pretest and
posttest. One-shot case study DOES not have pretest or posttest. Therefore,
instrumentation is not an issue for one-shot case study. One-shot case study is one
of the classical pre-experimental designs.
Qs
The dependent variable is also known as the experimental stimulus. - n
Ans✔
False
The independent variable will usually be the experimental stimulus, while the
dependent variable is often the outcome. Say you want to study the effect on
education on life time earning. Education would be the independent variable, while
life time earning the dependent variable.
