Chapter 8: Experimental Research

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Zaykowski’s research utilized all of the following types of research with the exception of ______.

a. experimental research

b. focus groups

c. survey research

d. interviews

2. When the variation in one variable causes variation in another variable, this is referred to as ______.

a. prediction

b. maturation

c. association

d. causation

3. Which of the following criteria must be met for a researcher to demonstrate evidence of a causal relationship?

a. maturation, association, temporal ordering

b. association, temporal ordering, lack of spurious relationships

c. temporal ordering, maturation, validity

d. lack of spurious relationships, association, instrumentation

4. Which of the following requires that the variation in the independent variable occur prior to the variation in the dependent variable?

a. association

b. temporal ordering

c. maturation

d. reliability

5. Which of the following casual relationship criteria may be the easiest to establish?

a. maturation

b. temporal ordering

c. association

d. reliability

6. When the values in the independent variable and the values in the dependent variable move together in a pattern or are correlated there is a demonstration of ______.

a. instrumentation

b. reliability

c. association

d. validity

7. When there seems to be a relationship between independent and dependent variables that are not in fact related it is a demonstration of ______.

a. spuriousness

b. association

c. confounding factor

d. validity

8. Another name for predictor variables is ______.

a. dependent variables

b. independent variables

c. intervening variables

d. confounding factors

9. The subjects or other units of interest receiving treatment in a study are called the ______.

a. control group

b. static group

c. experimental group

d. Solomon Four Group

10. The subjects or other units of interest not receiving treatment in a study are called the ______.

a. control group

b. static group

c. experimental group

d. Solomon Four Group

11. Variables whose influence during experimental research must be controlled or eliminated are called ______ variables.

a. independent

b. dependent

c. confounders

d. intervening

12. Control of confounders can be accomplished via which of the following?

a. random assignment

b. instrumentation

c. manipulation

d. non-random assignment

13. To eliminate the possibility that differences between subjects based on matching variables will affect results, researchers use a technique called ______.

a. matching

b. maturation

c. association

d. instrumentation

14. Variables that the researcher believes will affect response to the treatment are known as ______.

a. intervening

b. confounders

c. block

d. dependent

15. The most rigorous true experiment is the ______.

a. two-group post-test-only design

b. static-group comparison design

c. two-group pre-test-treatment-post-test design

d. one-shot case design

16. The degree to which a researcher can conclude a treatment effect is known as ______.

a. reliability

b. maturation

c. instrumentation

d. internal validity

17. The ability to generalize experimental research findings to the population of interest in the “real world” is referred to as ______.

a. instrumentation

b. external validity

c. reliability

d. testing

18. All of the following are identified as threats to internal validity with the exception of ______.

a. selection bias

b. maturation

c. association

d. testing

19. When subjects from either the control or experimental group drop out of the research at differential rates because of reasons related to the study’s features, it is called ______.

a. maturation

b. selection bias

c. experimental mortality

d. testing

20. A threat to internal validity caused by an incident that occurs during an experiment that affects post-test comparisons between the experimental group and the control group is known as ______.

a. history

b. maturation

c. selection bias

d. experimental mortality

21. Natural changes to subjects taking part in an experiment that threaten internal validity are known as ______.

a. history

b. instrumentation

c. testing

d. maturation

22. When the control group and the experimental group are randomly assigned, the differences that may unknowingly exist between the control and experimental groups that threaten internal validity are called ______.

a. maturation

b. selection bias

c. statistical regression

d. history

23. When extreme scores trend towards the mean over repeated tests, and threaten internal validity, this is referred to as ______.

a. statistical regression

b. selection bias

c. maturation

d. testing

24. Which of the following phenomenon is a potential threat to external validity?

a. instrumentation

b. reactive effects

c. selection bias

d. statistical regression

25. ______ refers to instances when the novelty of participating in research influences a subject’s behaviors and views, thereby threatening external validity.

a. Selection bias

b. Reactivity threats

c. Reactive effects

d. Testing

26. Which of the following experimental designs is a poor design with little scientific value?

a. natural experiment research

b. true experiment research

c. pre-experimental research

d. quasi-experimental research

27. Which of the following is considered a characteristic of pre-experimental research?

a. control and experimental groups `

b. random assignment

c. researcher control

d. one-group design

28. The one-shot case design falls under which of the following design categories?

a. true experiment

b. quasi-experimental

c. natural experiment

d. pre-experimental

29. Which of the following experiments is used when random assignment to a control or experimental group is not possible, impractical, or unethical?

a. true experiments

b. quasi-experiments

c. pre-experiments

d. natural experiments

30. Which of the following designs uses two non-randomly generated groups that are considered to be similar?

a. one-shot case design

b. static-group comparison design

c. before-and-after design

d. non-equivalent control groups design

31. Internal validity is jeopardized in non-equivalent control group designs due to ______.

a. testing

b. selection bias

c. history

d. statistical regression

32. The before-and-after experimental design falls under which of the following categories?

a. pre-experimental research

b. natural Experiments

c. quasi-experimental research

d. true experiments

33. Which of the following type of experiment occurs outside of labs and artificial locations?

a. true experiments

b. quasi-experiments

c. natural experiments

d. pre-experiments

34. Which of the following type of experiment precludes a researcher assigning subjects to the experimental and control groups?

a. natural experiments

b. true experiments

c. quasi-experiments

d. pre-experiments

35. Pre-experiments are useful for ______ purposes.

a. explanatory

b. descriptive

c. exploratory

d. scientific

36. According to Stanley and Campbell, the basic requirement of conducting science is the ability to ______.

a. run statistical analysis

b. provide random assignment to control and experimental groups

c. manipulate independent variables by researchers

d. compare tests between the control and experimental group

37. Which of the following experiments is considered to be a cost-effective way of determining if future research is warranted?

a. true experiments

b. pre-experiments

c. quasi-experiments

d. natural experiments

38. One-shot case designs usually have ______ internal validity.

a. no

b. weak

c. moderate

d. strong

39. All of the following experimental designs include pre-tests and post-tests with the exception of ______.

a. Solomon Four Group design

b. non-equivalent group design

c. before-and-after design

d. static group design

40. Which of the following experimental designs allow researchers control over, but not administration of, treatment?

a. two-group post-test only designs

b. static group designs

c. non-equivalent group designs

d. natural experiments

41. Which of the following experiments features randomization?

a. one-shot case study

b. static group design

c. Solomon Four Group design

d. before-and-after design

42. Issues with claims of causality in experimental research are caused by a failure to consider which of the following?

a. manipulation of variables

b. internal validity threats

c. reactive effect of testing

d. generalizability of findings

43. Which of the following threat to internal validity/experiment piece can cause issues with generalizability?

a. maturation

b. testing

c. history

d. sample size

44. Scholars recommend that ______ be tasked to third parties, in order to ensure equal treatment of both the experimental and control groups.

a. association

b. randomization

c. matching

d. testing

45. All of the following are identified as common pitfalls in experimental research with the exception of ______.

a. randomization

b. matching

c. treatment of groups

d. spuriousness

1. Experimental research is appropriate for all types of criminal justice research.

2. According to temporal ordering, something that happened today could have caused something that occurred yesterday.

3. According to temporal ordering, a decision to rob a store today cannot have been caused by the loss of income next week.

4. Age is frequently associated with outcomes in a nonlinear manner.

5. Spurious relationships can occur via confounding factors and/or intervening variables.

6. The association and correlation of variables is the same as causation.

7. A confounding variable is situated in time between the independent and dependent variables.

8. Pre-experiments often lack manipulation of an independent variable by a researcher.

9. Administering treatment to random people encountered is a common technique used in experimental research.

10. The manipulation of the independent variable is also called the treatment.

11. The one-group pre-test-post-test design utilizes a comparison group and randomization.

12. In experimental research, the use of pre- and/or post-tests is uncommon.

13. A static-group comparison design is weakened by the lack of pre-testing.

14. External validity allows a researcher to claim a causal relationship.

15. A one-group pre-test-post-test design is a pre-experimental design that includes randomization and researcher control of the treatment.

16. Before-and-after quasi-experimental designs cannot control for confounding factors.

17. In order to avoid bias, it is imperative that matching is based on relevant confounding factors.

18. Pre-experiments allow the comparison of tests between the control and experimental group.

19. When random assignment to a control or experimental group is not possible, is impractical, or unethical, quasi-experimental research designs, or non-randomized designs are used.

20. In comparison to the other experimental designs, using the Solomon Four Group design can lead to many validity problems.

21. In natural experiments, researchers are able to control the administration of the treatment.

22. Natural experiments include both a control and an experimental group.

23. Choosing an experiment design that is more rigorous over something easier to conduct is recommended.

24. A lack of spurious relationships is not enough to claim causality.

25. Gathering a population that is representative of the entire population is imperative to generalizability of research results.

1. What is the purpose of experimental research?

2. Identify the three criteria that must be met before a researcher has evidence of a causal relationship.

3. Identify and discuss the two types of linear association.

4. Identify the defining characteristics of a true experiment.

5. Identify the two types of validity.

6. Identify the factors that can contribute to high internal validity in true experiments.

7. Identify and discuss the potential threats to internal validity.

8. What is the difference between quasi-experiment and natural experiment assignment of control and experimental groups?

9. Identify the strongest type of experimental design explored in Chapter 8, and the characteristics of the design.

10. Identify the most common pitfall in experimental research, and why it is such a detriment to experimental research.

1. Discuss control and experimental groups. Why do researchers utilize experimental and control groups in research?

2. Why are true experiments described as the gold standard in experimental research? What is the value of understanding the gold standard in relation to creating valid experiments?

3. Identify and discuss the criteria and advantages of the different true experiment designs. Which one has the least limitations and why?

4. Having compared the disadvantages and advantages of each experimental true design, rank the designs in the order from the strongest to the weakest. Explain your rationale for each ranking.

5. Discuss the common pitfalls of experimental research. What can be done to avoid the problems from occurring during research, both design and execution?