intro to behavioral research quasi experiment
**textbook:Research Methods in Psychology: Investigating Human Behavior
Front Cover Paul G. Nestor, Russell K. Schutt
1. When researchers select two groups of participants because they differ on a specific characteristic, then measure their responses to a dependent variable, the researchers are using a(n) ______.
A. experimental design
B. quasi-experimental design
C. within-subjects design
D. descriptive design
2. When researchers are studying differences between soldiers who have been to Iraq and those who have not, the researchers are studying the effects of ______ variables.
A. subject
B. convenience
C. experimental
D. manipulated
3. When participants are selected because they have or have not experienced something unique in the real world (e.g., they have lived in a homeless shelter/not lived in a shelter), researchers call this type of independent variable a(n) ______ treatment.
A. selected
B. experience
C. subject
D. natural
4. Kurt studies men and women’s responses to persuasive advertisements. This is best described as a(n) ______.
A. experimental study
B. before-and-after design
C. correlational design
D. nonequivalent-control-group design
5. Caroline measures participants’ moods prior to exercising. She then surveys the same participants again directly after 30 min of exercising. Her design is best described as ______.
A. an experimental design
B. a before-and-after design
C. a nonequivalent-control-group design
D. a correlational design
6. Some research questions emerge only after a naturally occurring event (e.g., after a major hurricane or natural crisis). For these, researchers can only provide ______.
A. a priori analysis
B. comparative analysis
C. ex post facto analysis
D. naturalistic observation analysis
7. Maria is interested in how music volume and gender influence driving proficiency. She has both male and female participants use a driving simulation twice, once while listening to loud music and once when listening to soft music. She measures their driving errors. Maria’s independent variables are ______.
A. driving errors, gender
B. driving errors, music volume
C. music volume, driving simulation
D. music volume, gender
8. Compared to true experiments, quasi-experimental designs often have ______ validity.
A. higher internal
B. lower external
C. higher external
D. equivalent external
9. Phil is studying the extent to which married adults with depression plan and organize their days compared to individuals without depression. When creating his nonequivalent control group, Phil recruits each spouse of his experimental group. This technique is best described ______.
A. random assignment
B. convenience assignment
C. individual matching
D. aggregate matching
10. Venus is studying the effect of religiosity on fathering styles. She visits the local temple and recruits a sample of highly religious men aged 30–40 to participate in her study. When creating her control group, she visits the local community center and obtains a group of nonreligious men also between the ages of 30 and 40 who are willing to participate. Her selection of this control group is best described as ______.
A. random assignment
B. convenience assignment
C. individual matching
D. aggregate matching
11. Using pretests to organize groups can be problematic because scores on posttest measures may be affected not (just) by the treatment but by ______.
A. analysis of covariance
B. regression to the mean
C. hindsight bias
D. individual differences
12. Before-and-after designs do NOT have ______.
A. measurement of variables
B. experimental treatments
C. comparison groups
D. external validity
13. Suppose a group of social psychologists measured attitudes toward gay men 4 times a year for 5 years before and after the 2010 repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” The design of their study would best be described as ______.
A. mixed-factorial design
B. nonequivalent-control-group design
C. interrupted-time-series design
D. multiple-group before-and-after design
14. Cornelia is interested in the effect of a birth on parenting attitudes. She uses online surveys to collect data twice a week for 5 months and her sample consists of 25 pregnant women. She then continues to collect data from each woman after the birth of their child twice a week for 5 more months. This design is best described as a ______.
A. nonequivalent-control-group design
B. interrupted-time-series design
C. multiple-group before-and-after designs
D. mixed-factorial designs
15. Interrupted-time-series designs tend to have high ______.
A. ecological validity
B. internal validity
C. control
D. manipulation
16. In a scatter diagram of the data of 50 participants, how many points are plotted?
A. 5
B. 25
C. 50
D. 100
17. In ______ designs, developmental psychologists sample from different ages and compare participants’ responses to a dependent variable of interest.
A. cross-sectional
B. time-lag
C. nonequivalent-control-group
D. longitudinal
18. In developmental studies, cohort effects refer to ______.
A. any variable that varies systematically with the independent variable
B. differences between groups of participants because they were born at different times
C. historical events that influence participants’ responses to the dependent variable
D. the influence of participating in one level of the independent variable on responses to other levels of the independent variable
19. In developmental studies, period effects refer to ______.
A. any variable that varies systematically with the independent variable
B. differences between groups of participants because they were born at different times
C. historical events that influence participants’ responses to the dependent variable
D. the influence of participating in one level of the independent variable on responses to other levels of the independent variable
20. In ______, developmental psychologists follow the same sample of participants over time.
A. cross-sectional designs
B. interrupted-time-series designs
C. nonequivalent-control-group designs
D. longitudinal designs
