Chapter 09

Experiments
 

Multiple Choice Questions

 

1. Which term below refers to a study involving the manipulation of one or more variables to determine the
effect on another variable? 
 

A. Ex post facto
B. Experiment
C. Monitoring study
D. Communication study
E. Descriptive study
 
2. Which variable in an experiment is manipulated by the researcher? 
 

A. Dependent variable
B. Extraneous variable
C. Moderating variable
D. Independent variable
E. Mediating variable
 
3. Which variable in an experiment is the variable expected to be affected by the manipulation? 
 

A. Dependent variable
B. Extraneous variable
C. Moderating variable
D. Independent variable
E. Mediating variable
 
4. All of the following are terms used to refer to an independent variable except _____. 
 

A. predictor
B. explanatory
C. criterion
D. all of the above refer to an independent variable
E. none of the above refer to an independent variable
 
In the study of bystanders and thieves presented in the text, participants are invited to a store where they see
someone steal the purse of another customer. The accosted shopper and the thief are really acting their parts
to set the stage for the experiment. Participants view the robbery alone or with another participant. The
study sought to determine whether participants were more likely to report a robbery when they observe it
alone or in the company of another person.
 

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5. In the bystanders and thieves study, what is the independent variable? 
 

A. The store environment

B. Exposure to a robbery
C. State of being alone or with another person
D. Act of reporting the robbery or not
E. Reaction of the accosted shopper following the robbery
 
6. What is the dependent variable in the bystanders and thieves study? 
 

A. The store environment

B. Exposure to a robbery
C. State of being alone or with another person
D. Act of reporting the robbery or not
E. Reaction of the accosted shopper following the robbery
 
7. The actors playing the role of the accosted shopper and thief in the bystanders and thieves study are known
as _____. 
 

A. confederates
B. assistants
C. criterions
D. affiliates
E. accomplices
 
8. What type of research design is used in the bystanders and thieves study? 
 

A. Descriptive
B. Causal
C. Exploratory
D. Monitoring
E. Communication
 
9. Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis in the bystanders and thieves study? 
 

A. People exposed to a robbery will judge the seriousness of the situation according to the response of the
victim.
B. Bystanders will perceive a robbery as less frightening when in the company of another person.
C. Reports of a robbery are more likely among victims of a robbery when a witness is present.
D. Bystanders are more likely to report a theft if they view the theft alone than in another person's company.
E. Bystanders to a theft will be less likely to shop at the store in which the theft occurred.
 
The district attorney's office wants further evidence of the results found in the bystanders and thieves study.
It decides to conduct a study using data from reported thefts over the past 5 year period. Police records
indicate whether bystanders who report a crime are alone when the crime is observed or are accompanied by
one or more people. The district attorney's office will assess whether more theft reports indicate that the
witness was alone or with other people.
 

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10. Which type of study is being conducted by the district attorney's office? 
 

A. Survey
B. Experiment
C. Ex post facto
D. Interview
E. Observation
 
11. Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis in the district attorney's study? 
 

A. People exposed to a robbery will judge the seriousness of the situation according to the response of the
victim.
B. Bystanders will perceive a robbery as less frightening when in the company of another person.
C. More robberies are reported by bystanders who view the theft alone than by bystanders who view the
theft in the company of others.
D. Reports of a robbery are more likely among victims of a robbery when a witness is present.
E. Bystanders to a theft will be less likely to shop at the store in which the theft occurred.
 
12. Which research design listed below is most appropriate for establishing causality? 
 

A. Focus group
B. Individual depth interview
C. Experiment
D. Survey
E. Behavioral observation
 
13. The use of a(n) _____ serves as a comparison to assess the existence and potency of the manipulation. 
 

A. experimental group
B. control group
C. criterion variable
D. explanatory variable
E. field experiment
 
14. When an experiment is conducted in actual environmental conditions, it is called a(n) _____ experiment. 
 

A. replication
B. simulated
C. field
D. extraneous
E. test market
 

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15. Which source of evidence to support experimental results is most threatened by the use of a field
experiment? 
 

A. Agreement between the IV and DV

B. Time order of the occurrence of the variables
C. Control of contamination from extraneous variables
D. Use of a control group
E. Manipulation of the IV
 
16. The process of repeating an experiment with different participant groups and conditions to determine the
average effect of the IV across people, situations, and times is known as _____. 
 

A. replication
B. evaluation
C. repetition
D. norming
E. multi-modal
 
17. The use of a control group in experimentation _____. 
 

A. provides for the manipulation of the IV

B. serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C. minimizes the cost of experimentation
D. allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E. increases generalizability of results
 
18. The use of a replication in experimentation _____. 
 

A. provides for the manipulation of the IV

B. serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C. minimizes the cost of experimentation
D. allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E. increases generalizability of results
 
19. The use of a field setting in experimentation _____. 
 

A. provides for the manipulation of the IV

B. serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C. minimizes the cost of experimentation
D. allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E. increases generalizability of results
 

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20. Which of the following is a threat to a researcher's ability to generalize the results of an experiment? 
 

A. Artificiality of a laboratory
B. Use of a field setting
C. Use of a probability sample
D. Control of extraneous variables
E. All of the above
 
21. A tentative descriptive statement of the relationship between the variables is called a(n) _____. 
 

A. research question
B. postulation
C. hypothesis
D. educated guess
E. theory
 
22. Which term refers to the process of transforming concepts and constructs into measurable variables suitable
for testing? 
 

A. Generalization
B. Control
C. Hypothetical
D. Operationalization
E. Transformation
 
23. What is the first step in conducting an experiment? 
 

A. Specify the level(s) of the treatment

B. Choose the experimental design
C. Control the experimental environment
D. Select and assign participants
E. Select relevant variables
 
24. When participants do not know if they are being exposed to the experimental treatment, they are said to be
_____. 
 

A. blind
B. deceived
C. concealed
D. controlled
E. debriefed
 

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25. When it is not possible to randomly assign participants to groups, _____ should be used. 
 

A. control groups
B. matching
C. replication
D. purposive assignment
E. pilot testing
 
26. The question, "do our conclusions about a demonstrated experimental relationship truly imply causality?" is
addressed by degree of _____ associated with the experiment in question. 
 

A. internal validity
B. external validity
C. reliability
D. statistical significance
E. substantive significance
 
27. The question, "Can we generalize the results of this experiment to the population at large?" is addressed by
the degree of _____ associated with the experiment in question. 
 

A. internal validity
B. external validity
C. reliability
D. statistical significance
E. substantive significance
 
28. Which threat to internal validity occurs when events that occur before or during the experiment affect the
relationship being studied? 
 

A. History
B. Maturation
C. Testing
D. Instrumentation
E. Mortality
 
29. Which threat to internal validity results from changes between observations in either the measuring
instrument or the observer? 
 

A. History
B. Maturation
C. Testing
D. Instrumentation
E. Mortality
 

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30. Which threat to internal validity is largely overcome by using random assignment of participants to
experimental and control groups? 
 

A. History
B. Maturation
C. Selection
D. Instrumentation
E. Mortality
 
31. If levels of attrition are high among study participants, _____ will threaten the internal validity of the study. 
 

A. history
B. maturation
C. testing
D. instrumentation
E. mortality
 
32. Diffusion of treatment refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
33. Compensatory equalization refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
34. Compensatory rivalry refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 

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35. Resentful demoralization refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
36. Local history refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
37. _____ is concerned with the interaction of the experimental treatment with other factors and the resulting
impact on the ability to generalize results to other times, settings, or persons. 
 

A. Reliability
B. External validity
C. Internal validity
D. Statistical significance
E. Substantive significance
 
38. Which of the following could threaten the external validity of an experiment? 
 

A. Diffusion of treatment
B. Artificial setting
C. History
D. Maturation
E. Statistical regression
 
39. Which of the following is an example of an after-only case study experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a
pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental
group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the
brand is also measured for the control group
 

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40. Which of the following is an example of a one-group pre-test post-test experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a
pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental
group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the
brand is also measured for the control group
 
41. Which experimental design provides the best defense against the threats to internal validity? 
 

A. After-only case study

B. Static group comparison
C. One-group pretest-posttest
D. Nonequivalent control group
E. Pretest-posttest control group
 
42. The greatest weakness to the pretest-posttest control group design is _____. 
 

A. reliability
B. causality
C. external validity
D. internal validity
E. espionage
 
43. Which of the following is an example of a pre-test, post-test control group experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a
pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental
group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the
brand is also measured for the control group
 

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44. Which of the following is an example of a post-test only control group experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to a
pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the experimental
group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured; attitude toward the
brand is also measured for the control group
 
45. To evaluate the effect of the treatment in a pretest, posttest control group design, _____ is calculated. 
 

A. (O2-O1) - (O4-O3)
B. O1-O3
C. O4-O3
D. O2-O3
E. O4-O2
 
46. To assess the equivalence of the groups in a pretest, posttest control group design, _____ is calculated. 
 

A. (O2-O1) - (O4-O3)
B. O1-O3
C. O4-O3
D. O2-O3
E. O4-O2
 
47. True experimental designs differ from pre-experimental designs in that _____. 
 

A. true experimental designs use random assignment

B. pre-experimental designs include the use of a control group
C. pre-experimental designs include the use of pre-tests
D. true experimental designs include multiple treatment groups
E. pre-experimental designs have fewer threats to internal validity
 
48. What characteristic distinguishes the pretest-posttest control group design from the nonequivalent control
group design? 
 

A. Membership in the experimental and control groups is naturally assembled in the pretest-posttest control
group design
B. Random assignment is not possible in the nonequivalent control group
C. No pretest is used in the nonequivalent control group design
D. One cannot determine which group was exposed to the treatment in the nonequivalent control group
design
E. No posttest is used in the nonequivalent control group design
 

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49. When the researcher doesn't know whether a participant in an experiment is being exposed to the treatment,
the experiment is described as ______. 
 

A. controlled
B. blind
C. double blind
D. concealed
E. independent
 
50. Environmental control in an experiment is necessary when ____ might influence the participants' reactions. 
 

A. variation in instructions
B. physical conditions of the room
C. anticipation of the treatment
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
 
51. To operationalize an experiment, all ____ must be predetermined. 
 

A. steps in the experiment

B. construct and concept definitions
C. researcher assignments
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
 
52. One tool for visualizing the matching process of participants in an experiment is ____. 
 

A. CPM
B. the quota matrix
C. random sampling
D. experimental design symbols
E. none of the above
 
53. One restaurant was experimenting with lowering the cholesterol level of recipies by substituting different
cooking oils/fats in their restaurants. They chose olive oil, canola oil, and margarine. Different patrons
received the recipe prepared with one of the three oils/fats and then were asked for their evaluation of
texture, flavor, and overall satisfaction, intention to repurchase the entree. The experiment involved three
____. 
 

A. dependent variables
B. treatment levels
C. moderating variables
D. control groups
E. none of the above
 
 

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Essay Questions
 

54. What are the three types of evidence necessary to form a conclusion regarding the results of the bystanders
and thieves study? Explain how each form of evidence would be used to draw a conclusion for the example
provided. 
 

 
55. What are the seven steps a researcher follows in conducting an experiment? 
 

 
56. List five possible threats to internal validity. How do these threats weaken a design? 
 

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57. Explain the primary differences between preexperiments, true experiments, and quasi-experiments. 
 

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 Chapter 09 Experiments Answer Key

Multiple Choice Questions

 

1. Which term below refers to a study involving the manipulation of one or more variables to determine the
effect on another variable? 
 

A. Ex post facto
B. Experiment
C. Monitoring study
D. Communication study
E. Descriptive study
 
Level: Easy

2. Which variable in an experiment is manipulated by the researcher? 

 

A. Dependent variable
B. Extraneous variable
C. Moderating variable
D. Independent variable
E. Mediating variable
 
Level: Moderate

3. Which variable in an experiment is the variable expected to be affected by the manipulation? 

 

A. Dependent variable
B. Extraneous variable
C. Moderating variable
D. Independent variable
E. Mediating variable
 
Level: Easy

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4. All of the following are terms used to refer to an independent variable except _____. 
 

A. predictor
B. explanatory
C. criterion
D. all of the above refer to an independent variable
E. none of the above refer to an independent variable
 
Level: Easy

In the study of bystanders and thieves presented in the text, participants are invited to a store where they
see someone steal the purse of another customer. The accosted shopper and the thief are really acting
their parts to set the stage for the experiment. Participants view the robbery alone or with another
participant. The study sought to determine whether participants were more likely to report a robbery
when they observe it alone or in the company of another person.
 
5. In the bystanders and thieves study, what is the independent variable? 
 

A. The store environment

B. Exposure to a robbery
C. State of being alone or with another person
D. Act of reporting the robbery or not
E. Reaction of the accosted shopper following the robbery
 
Level: Moderate

6. What is the dependent variable in the bystanders and thieves study? 

 

A. The store environment

B. Exposure to a robbery
C. State of being alone or with another person
D. Act of reporting the robbery or not
E. Reaction of the accosted shopper following the robbery
 
Level: Moderate

7. The actors playing the role of the accosted shopper and thief in the bystanders and thieves study are
known as _____. 
 

A. confederates
B. assistants
C. criterions
D. affiliates
E. accomplices
 
Level: Moderate

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8. What type of research design is used in the bystanders and thieves study? 
 

A. Descriptive
B. Causal
C. Exploratory
D. Monitoring
E. Communication
 
Level: Easy

9. Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis in the bystanders and thieves study? 
 

A. People exposed to a robbery will judge the seriousness of the situation according to the response of
the victim.
B. Bystanders will perceive a robbery as less frightening when in the company of another person.
C. Reports of a robbery are more likely among victims of a robbery when a witness is present.
D. Bystanders are more likely to report a theft if they view the theft alone than in another person's
company.
E. Bystanders to a theft will be less likely to shop at the store in which the theft occurred.
 
Level: Difficult

The district attorney's office wants further evidence of the results found in the bystanders and thieves
study. It decides to conduct a study using data from reported thefts over the past 5 year period. Police
records indicate whether bystanders who report a crime are alone when the crime is observed or are
accompanied by one or more people. The district attorney's office will assess whether more theft reports
indicate that the witness was alone or with other people.
 
10. Which type of study is being conducted by the district attorney's office? 
 

A. Survey
B. Experiment
C. Ex post facto
D. Interview
E. Observation
 
Level: Moderate

11. Which of the following statements best represents the hypothesis in the district attorney's study? 
 

A. People exposed to a robbery will judge the seriousness of the situation according to the response of
the victim.
B. Bystanders will perceive a robbery as less frightening when in the company of another person.
C. More robberies are reported by bystanders who view the theft alone than by bystanders who view the
theft in the company of others.
D. Reports of a robbery are more likely among victims of a robbery when a witness is present.
E. Bystanders to a theft will be less likely to shop at the store in which the theft occurred.
 
Level: Difficult

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12. Which research design listed below is most appropriate for establishing causality? 
 

A. Focus group
B. Individual depth interview
C. Experiment
D. Survey
E. Behavioral observation
 
Level: Easy

13. The use of a(n) _____ serves as a comparison to assess the existence and potency of the manipulation. 
 

A. experimental group
B. control group
C. criterion variable
D. explanatory variable
E. field experiment
 
Level: Moderate

14. When an experiment is conducted in actual environmental conditions, it is called a(n) _____ experiment. 
 

A. replication
B. simulated
C. field
D. extraneous
E. test market
 
Level: Easy

15. Which source of evidence to support experimental results is most threatened by the use of a field
experiment? 
 

A. Agreement between the IV and DV

B. Time order of the occurrence of the variables
C. Control of contamination from extraneous variables
D. Use of a control group
E. Manipulation of the IV
 
Level: Difficult

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16. The process of repeating an experiment with different participant groups and conditions to determine the
average effect of the IV across people, situations, and times is known as _____. 
 

A. replication
B. evaluation
C. repetition
D. norming
E. multi-modal
 
Level: Easy

17. The use of a control group in experimentation _____. 

 

A. provides for the manipulation of the IV

B. serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C. minimizes the cost of experimentation
D. allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E. increases generalizability of results
 
Level: Moderate

18. The use of a replication in experimentation _____. 

 

A. provides for the manipulation of the IV

B. serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C. minimizes the cost of experimentation
D. allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E. increases generalizability of results
 
Level: Moderate

19. The use of a field setting in experimentation _____. 

 

A. provides for the manipulation of the IV

B. serves as a comparison to assess the manipulation
C. minimizes the cost of experimentation
D. allows for discovery of the average effect of the IV in different situations
E. increases generalizability of results
 
Level: Difficult

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20. Which of the following is a threat to a researcher's ability to generalize the results of an experiment? 
 

A. Artificiality of a laboratory
B. Use of a field setting
C. Use of a probability sample
D. Control of extraneous variables
E. All of the above
 
Level: Difficult

21. A tentative descriptive statement of the relationship between the variables is called a(n) _____. 
 

A. research question
B. postulation
C. hypothesis
D. educated guess
E. theory
 
Level: Easy

22. Which term refers to the process of transforming concepts and constructs into measurable variables
suitable for testing? 
 

A. Generalization
B. Control
C. Hypothetical
D. Operationalization
E. Transformation
 
Level: Easy

23. What is the first step in conducting an experiment? 

 

A. Specify the level(s) of the treatment

B. Choose the experimental design
C. Control the experimental environment
D. Select and assign participants
E. Select relevant variables
 
Level: Moderate

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24. When participants do not know if they are being exposed to the experimental treatment, they are said to
be _____. 
 

A. blind
B. deceived
C. concealed
D. controlled
E. debriefed
 
Level: Easy

25. When it is not possible to randomly assign participants to groups, _____ should be used. 
 

A. control groups
B. matching
C. replication
D. purposive assignment
E. pilot testing
 
Level: Moderate

26. The question, "do our conclusions about a demonstrated experimental relationship truly imply
causality?" is addressed by degree of _____ associated with the experiment in question. 
 

A. internal validity
B. external validity
C. reliability
D. statistical significance
E. substantive significance
 
Level: Moderate

27. The question, "Can we generalize the results of this experiment to the population at large?" is addressed
by the degree of _____ associated with the experiment in question. 
 

A. internal validity
B. external validity
C. reliability
D. statistical significance
E. substantive significance
 
Level: Moderate

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28. Which threat to internal validity occurs when events that occur before or during the experiment affect the
relationship being studied? 
 

A. History
B. Maturation
C. Testing
D. Instrumentation
E. Mortality
 
Level: Easy

29. Which threat to internal validity results from changes between observations in either the measuring
instrument or the observer? 
 

A. History
B. Maturation
C. Testing
D. Instrumentation
E. Mortality
 
Level: Easy

30. Which threat to internal validity is largely overcome by using random assignment of participants to
experimental and control groups? 
 

A. History
B. Maturation
C. Selection
D. Instrumentation
E. Mortality
 
Level: Moderate

31. If levels of attrition are high among study participants, _____ will threaten the internal validity of the
study. 
 

A. history
B. maturation
C. testing
D. instrumentation
E. mortality
 
Level: Easy

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32. Diffusion of treatment refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable
treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
Level: Moderate

33. Compensatory equalization refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable
treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
Level: Moderate

34. Compensatory rivalry refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable
treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
Level: Moderate

35. Resentful demoralization refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable
treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
Level: Moderate

9-22
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36. Local history refers to the treat to internal validity brought on when _____. 
 

A. people in the experimental group communicate the treatment with people in the control group
B. researchers compensate the control group as a sort of consolation for not receiving a desirable
treatment
C. competition arises between the groups
D. control group members resent being deprived of a desirable treatment
E. an unusual event occurs when one group, but not both are participating in the study
 
Level: Moderate

37. _____ is concerned with the interaction of the experimental treatment with other factors and the resulting
impact on the ability to generalize results to other times, settings, or persons. 
 

A. Reliability
B. External validity
C. Internal validity
D. Statistical significance
E. Substantive significance
 
Level: Easy

38. Which of the following could threaten the external validity of an experiment? 
 

A. Diffusion of treatment
B. Artificial setting
C. History
D. Maturation
E. Statistical regression
 
Level: Moderate

39. Which of the following is an example of an after-only case study experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the
brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to
a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the
experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured;
attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group
 
Level: Moderate

9-23
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40. Which of the following is an example of a one-group pre-test post-test experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the
brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to
a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the
experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured;
attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group
 
Level: Moderate

41. Which experimental design provides the best defense against the threats to internal validity? 
 

A. After-only case study

B. Static group comparison
C. One-group pretest-posttest
D. Nonequivalent control group
E. Pretest-posttest control group
 
Level: Difficult

42. The greatest weakness to the pretest-posttest control group design is _____. 
 

A. reliability
B. causality
C. external validity
D. internal validity
E. espionage
 
Level: Moderate

43. Which of the following is an example of a pre-test, post-test control group experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the
brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to
a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the
experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured;
attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group
 
Level: Moderate

9-24
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44. Which of the following is an example of a post-test only control group experimental design? 
 

A. Store traffic is measured following the announcement of a clearance sale

B. Store traffic is measured; a sale is announced; store traffic is measured again
C. People who saw an ad are compared to people who didn't see the ad on their attitude toward the
brand
D. Random assignment is used to divide participants into the control and experimental groups; a control
group responds to a pre-test on brand preferences and a post-test; an experimental group responds to
a pre-test, is exposed to a commercial for the brand, and responds to a post-test
E. Random assignment is used to divide participants into control and experimental groups; the
experimental group is exposed to a commercial and then attitude toward the brand is measured;
attitude toward the brand is also measured for the control group
 
Level: Moderate

45. To evaluate the effect of the treatment in a pretest, posttest control group design, _____ is calculated. 
 

A. (O2-O1) - (O4-O3)
B. O1-O3
C. O4-O3
D. O2-O3
E. O4-O2
 
Level: Difficult

46. To assess the equivalence of the groups in a pretest, posttest control group design, _____ is calculated. 
 

A. (O2-O1) - (O4-O3)
B. O1-O3
C. O4-O3
D. O2-O3
E. O4-O2
 
Level: Difficult

47. True experimental designs differ from pre-experimental designs in that _____. 
 

A. true experimental designs use random assignment

B. pre-experimental designs include the use of a control group
C. pre-experimental designs include the use of pre-tests
D. true experimental designs include multiple treatment groups
E. pre-experimental designs have fewer threats to internal validity
 
Level: Difficult

9-25
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48. What characteristic distinguishes the pretest-posttest control group design from the nonequivalent control
group design? 
 

A. Membership in the experimental and control groups is naturally assembled in the pretest-posttest
control group design
B. Random assignment is not possible in the nonequivalent control group
C. No pretest is used in the nonequivalent control group design
D. One cannot determine which group was exposed to the treatment in the nonequivalent control group
design
E. No posttest is used in the nonequivalent control group design
 
Level: Difficult

49. When the researcher doesn't know whether a participant in an experiment is being exposed to the
treatment, the experiment is described as ______. 
 

A. controlled
B. blind
C. double blind
D. concealed
E. independent
 
Level: Easy

50. Environmental control in an experiment is necessary when ____ might influence the participants'
reactions. 
 

A. variation in instructions
B. physical conditions of the room
C. anticipation of the treatment
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
 
Level: Moderate

51. To operationalize an experiment, all ____ must be predetermined. 

 

A. steps in the experiment

B. construct and concept definitions
C. researcher assignments
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
 
Level: Moderate

9-26
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52. One tool for visualizing the matching process of participants in an experiment is ____. 
 

A. CPM
B. the quota matrix
C. random sampling
D. experimental design symbols
E. none of the above
 
Level: Easy

53. One restaurant was experimenting with lowering the cholesterol level of recipies by substituting different
cooking oils/fats in their restaurants. They chose olive oil, canola oil, and margarine. Different patrons
received the recipe prepared with one of the three oils/fats and then were asked for their evaluation of
texture, flavor, and overall satisfaction, intention to repurchase the entree. The experiment involved three
____. 
 

A. dependent variables
B. treatment levels
C. moderating variables
D. control groups
E. none of the above
 
Level: Moderate

Essay Questions
 

54. What are the three types of evidence necessary to form a conclusion regarding the results of the
bystanders and thieves study? Explain how each form of evidence would be used to draw a conclusion
for the example provided. 
 

First, there must be an agreement between independent and dependent variables. The presence or
absence of one must be associated with the presence or absence of the other. The conclusion is based on
whether more theft reports occur from lone observers or from paired observers. Second, the time order of
occurrence must be considered. The effect must not precede the manipulation. This doesn't apply to in
this example because people would not report a crime before observing it occur. Third, researchers must
be confident that other extraneous variables did not influence the dependent variable. To do this,
researchers control these possible extraneous variables by standardizing the environment in which the
experiment takes place. In this example, the store was really a controlled lab with confederates acting as
the thief and accosted shopper.

 
Level: Difficult

9-27
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55. What are the seven steps a researcher follows in conducting an experiment? 
 

The steps in conducting an experiment are as follows: 1) select relevant variables, 2) specify the level(s)
of the treatment, 3) control the experimental environment, 4) choose the experimental design, 5) select
and assign the participants, 6) pilot-test, revise, and test, and 7) analyze the data.

 
Level: Moderate

56. List five possible threats to internal validity. How do these threats weaken a design? 
 

There are several threats to internal validity. Any weakness in the design that may cause an outcome that
would otherwise be attributed to the experimental treatment is a threat to internal validity. Common
threats include history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, selection, statistical regression, experimental
mortality, diffusion of treatment, compensatory equalization, compensatory rivalry, resentful
demoralization, and local history.

 
Level: Moderate

57. Explain the primary differences between preexperiments, true experiments, and quasi-experiments. 
 

Preexperiments are designated as such because of their weak designs. Preexperiments do not provide for
the random assignment of participants. Some of the designs also do not allow for the use of a pretest
which can be used to ensure equivalence between control and experimental groups. Further, some
preexperiments do not use control groups. True experiments are the strongest at minimizing the threats to
internal validity. This is accomplished primarily through random assignment but control groups are also
used in most true designs. Pretesting is also a possible insurance of equivalence between groups. Quasi-
experimental designs are weaker in terms of internal validity but strongest for external validity. This is
because quasi-designs use field settings that maximize the generalizability of the results.

 
Level: Moderate

9-28
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