Chapter 20. Experiments 1. Under what conditions is experimental research most appropriate? Show
2. What can you do with experiments that you cannot do with other approaches to research?
3. Why are control groups used in experiments? What do they do for you?
4. Why is random assignment to groups used in experiments? What does it do for you?
5. What are the main strengths and weaknesses of experiments?
6. Compare the two-group pretest-posttest design to the two-group posttest only design. What additional information does the pretest give you in the former? What potential sources of invalidity does the pretest allow you to rule out?
7. Compare the Solomon four-group design to the two-group pretest-posttest design. What additional information do the additional groups give you in the former? What potential sources of invalidity do they allow you to rule out?
8. How can you determine whether the pretest is influencing the way people respond to the experimental stimulus?
9. How can you determine whether the pretest is influencing the way people respond to the posttest?
10. How can you check the validity of the random assignment to conditions?
Which research design is the strongest?A randomized experiment generally is the strongest of the three designs when your interest is in establishing a cause-effect relationship. A non-experiment is generally the weakest in this respect.
Which type of research design has the strongest internal validity?Experimental research designs have the greatest control and therefore the highest internal validity; nonexperimental research designs typically have the least control and therefore the lowest internal validity.
Which of the following designs would provide the strongest evidence regarding cause and effect relationships?The Experiment: experiments provide the strongest evidence of cause-and-effect relationships.
What is the most reliable experimental design?True Experimental Research Design
It is the most accurate type of experimental design and may be carried out with or without a pretest on at least 2 randomly assigned dependent subjects.
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