experiments

Question 1

controlled experiment

Answer 1

natural sciences in a lab: taking action and observing the consequences of that action

Question 2

natural experiments

Answer 2

occur in the regular course of social events

Question 3

dichotomous variable

Answer 3

variables with only 2 attributes.present or not present, men or women

Question 4

pretesting

Answer 4

measurement of a dependent variable among subjects before they are exposed to a stimulus representing an independent variable

Question 5

post testing

Answer 5

re-measurement of a dependent variable among subjects after they have been exposed to a stimulus representing an independent variable

Question 6

double-blind experiment

Answer 6

neither the subjects nor the experimenters know which is the experimental group and which is the control group

Question 7

randomization

Answer 7

technique for assigning experimental subjects to experimental and control groups randomly (assigning numbers and randomly picking)

Question 8

matching

Answer 8

having a group with the same variables and splitting them up for experimental group and control group

Question 9

one shot case study

Answer 9

single group of subject is measured on dependent variable following administration of some experimental stimulus

Question 10

one group pre-test/post-test design

Answer 10

possible that some factor other than the independent variable might cause a change between the pre-test and post-test results

Question 11

static-group comparison

Answer 11

shows something to one group but not to another and then measures the same variable in one group

Question 12

Internal validity

Answer 12

possibility that the conclusions drawn from experimental results may not accurately reflect what went on in the experiment itself
-history (historical event)
-maturation (subjects grow older)
-testing (the experiment may let the people know what is being researched so it influence’s people’s behaviour)
-instrumentation (not the same survey given to experimental and control group)
-statistical regression (sometimes appropriate to conduct experiments on subjects who start out with extreme scores on dependent variable, but subjects will definitely change because of start with extreme)
-selection biases (comparisons have no meaning unless the groups are comparable at start of experiment)
-experimental mortality (subjects lose interest)
-demoralization (feelings of deprivation within the control group may result in giving up)

Question 13

external validity

Answer 13

possibility that conclusions drawn from experimental results may not be generalizable to the ‘real’ world
-if there’s interaction between testing situation and experimental stimulus

Question 14

Solomon four-group design

Answer 14

adresses the problem of testing interaction with the stimulus. It avoids the risk that pretesting will have an effect on subjects

Question 15

controlled experiment

Answer 15

taking action and observing the consequences of that action

Question 16

natural experiments

Answer 16

experiments which occur in the regular course of social events

Question 17

pretesting

Answer 17

measurement of a dependent variable among subjects before exposure to stimulus representing an independent variable

Question 18

post testing

Answer 18

re-measurement of dependent variable among subjects after they have been exposed to a stimulus representing an independent variable

Question 19

double-blind experiment

Answer 19

neither subjects nor experimenters know which is experimental group and which is control group

Question 20

randomization

Answer 20

assigning experimental subject and control group randomly

Question 21

matching

Answer 21

having group of subjects with similarities and splitting them up in experimental and control group

Question 22

one shot study

Answer 22

single group used for measuring dependent variable

Question 23

one group pre-test/post-test design

Answer 23

possible that some other factor than independent variable might cause a change between the pre-test and post-test results

Question 24

static-group comparison

Answer 24

shows one thing to one group but not to another group and then measures the same variable in one group

Question 25

internal validity

Answer 25

possibility that the conclusions drawn from experimental results may not accurately reflect what went on in the experiment itself
-history (historical event)
-maturation (growing of subjects)
-testing (process of testing influence’s people behaviour)
-instrumentation (giving different questions to each group)
-statistical regression (if you start with extreme, subjects will most likely change)
-selection biases (comparisons have no meaning unless the groups are comparable at start of experiment)
-experimental mortality (people not wanting to participate anymore)
-demoralization (feelings of deprivation within the control group

Question 26

external invalidity

Answer 26

conclusions drawn from experimental results may not be generalizable to the ‘real’ world

Question 27

solomon four group design

Answer 27

addresses the problem of testing interaction with the stimulus, it avoids risks that pretesting will have an effect on subjects

group 1- posttest prejudice should be less than pretest prejudice
group 2 - prejudice should be the same in the pretest and posttest
group 1 posttest should show less prejudice than the group 2 posttest does
group 3 posttest should show less prejudice than the group 4 posttest does
group 2 and 4 are control group

Question 28

post-test-only group design

Answer 28

randomized assignment of subject to experimental and control groups (only group 3 and 4 of Solomon, without pretest)

Question 29

weakness of experiments

Answer 29

artificiality: what happens in experiment may not reflect what happens in outside world, strengths: isolation of independent variable

Question 30

ethics in experiments

Answer 30

involve deceiving subjects, intrusive, cause damage to subjects