Exam questions Business
Research
1. Experiments conducted in a lab have certain strengths and weaknesses. Illustrate these
with List's experiment (2007) and use the criteria internal validity and external validity.
internal validity and external validity:
2. What do you think? Is there really a room B? Please explain your answer.
I don’t think so since the Room B doesn’t need to do anything. Getting a sample group is hard
enough and it will cost money most of the time. So for economical reasons I think it’s not there.
3. Is Milgram’s (1963) experiment ethical or unethical? Please use the principles emphasized
by the Belmont report to reach a conclusion.
In the Belmont Report there are three main criteria for an ethical experiment: 1. Respect of Persons
2. Beneficence 3. Justice.
Based on these three I think the experiment was unethical. It doesn’t try to maintain the
beneficence because subjects are put in a stressful situation and the examiner doesn’t care about
this and even pushes them further. Justice won’t score high either since the Subjects don’t know /
get told the truth. Not telling the truth is part of lying to the subjects. The people do have their own
choice of when to stop so there is some sort of respect of persons. They still get the Prods though so
this get’s a bit undermined.
4. What is the independent and what is the dependent variable in Milgram’s research
(1963)? And what do you think of the construct validity of these two variables?
The independent variable is a hard one in this research. It’s the amount of pressure the subject
receives by the researcher from the prods.
The dependent variable is the obedience of the subject. This obedience is pointed out in the amount
of voltage the subject is willing to give to the ‘learner’.
5. Explain why List (2008) can be classified as a positivist. To do so make sure to discuss his
position on ontology and epistemology.
?????
6. The use of non-probability sampling or probability sampling is related to the debate on
research philosophy as well. How? Please explain your answer.
Probability has a more sound external validity most of the time, while with non-probability you pick
your own target audience or the available one. The non-probability tends to be more explorative in
my opinion. This is less selective and just wants to gather information from everywhere, this is
usually the case in studies where there the sources of information are hard to find or scarce. I think
the difference in philosophy is if the need for information is first then you do non-probability but
when the need for a solid research is first then you use probability sampling.
Research
1. Experiments conducted in a lab have certain strengths and weaknesses. Illustrate these
with List's experiment (2007) and use the criteria internal validity and external validity.
internal validity and external validity:
2. What do you think? Is there really a room B? Please explain your answer.
I don’t think so since the Room B doesn’t need to do anything. Getting a sample group is hard
enough and it will cost money most of the time. So for economical reasons I think it’s not there.
3. Is Milgram’s (1963) experiment ethical or unethical? Please use the principles emphasized
by the Belmont report to reach a conclusion.
In the Belmont Report there are three main criteria for an ethical experiment: 1. Respect of Persons
2. Beneficence 3. Justice.
Based on these three I think the experiment was unethical. It doesn’t try to maintain the
beneficence because subjects are put in a stressful situation and the examiner doesn’t care about
this and even pushes them further. Justice won’t score high either since the Subjects don’t know /
get told the truth. Not telling the truth is part of lying to the subjects. The people do have their own
choice of when to stop so there is some sort of respect of persons. They still get the Prods though so
this get’s a bit undermined.
4. What is the independent and what is the dependent variable in Milgram’s research
(1963)? And what do you think of the construct validity of these two variables?
The independent variable is a hard one in this research. It’s the amount of pressure the subject
receives by the researcher from the prods.
The dependent variable is the obedience of the subject. This obedience is pointed out in the amount
of voltage the subject is willing to give to the ‘learner’.
5. Explain why List (2008) can be classified as a positivist. To do so make sure to discuss his
position on ontology and epistemology.
?????
6. The use of non-probability sampling or probability sampling is related to the debate on
research philosophy as well. How? Please explain your answer.
Probability has a more sound external validity most of the time, while with non-probability you pick
your own target audience or the available one. The non-probability tends to be more explorative in
my opinion. This is less selective and just wants to gather information from everywhere, this is
usually the case in studies where there the sources of information are hard to find or scarce. I think
the difference in philosophy is if the need for information is first then you do non-probability but
when the need for a solid research is first then you use probability sampling.
