Research & Program Evaluation Flashcards
The most valuable type of research is
a. always conducted using a factor analysis.
b. conducted using the chi-square.
c. the experiment, used to discover cause-and-effect relationships.
d. the quasi-experiment.
c. the experiment, used to discover cause-and-effect relationships.
Experiments emphasize parsimony, which means
a. interpreting the results in the simplest way.
b. interpreting the results in the most complex manner.
c. interpreting the results using a correlation coefficient.
d. interpreting the results using a clinical interview.
a. interpreting the results in the simplest way.
Occam’s Razor suggests that experimenters
a. interpret the results in the simplest manner
b. interpret the results in the most complex manner.
c. interpret the results using a correlation coefficient.
d. interpret the results using a clinical interview.
a. interpret the results in the simplest manner
A counselor educator is running an experiment to test a new form of counseling. Unbeknownst to the experimenter one of the clients in the study is secretly seeing a gestalt therapist. This experiment
a. is parsimonious.
b. is an example of Occam’s Razor.
c. is confounded/flawed.
d. is valid and will most likely help the field of counseling.
c. is confounded/flawed.
Nondirective is to person-centered as
a. psychological testing is to counseling.
b. confounding is to experimenting.
c. appraisal is to research.
d. parsimony is to Occam’s Razor.
d. parsimony is to Occam’s Razor.
An experiment is said to be confounded when
a. undesirable variables are not kept out of the experiment.
b. undesirable variables are kept out of the experiment.
c. basic research is used in place of applied research.
d. the sample is random.
a. undesirable variables are not kept out of the experiment.
In experimental terminology IV stands for ________ and DV stands for ________.
a. independent variable; dependent variable
b. dependent variable; independent variable
c. individual variable; dependent variable
d. independent variable; designer variable
a. independent variable; dependent variable
A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the ________, and the DV will be the ________.
a. professor; anxiety level
b. anxiety level; board exam score
c. biofeedback; board exam score
d. board exam score; biofeedback
c. biofeedback; board exam score
I manipulate… or I experiment with, well, the biofeedback training, of course.” The “I” statement here gives you your “IV.”
Experimenters should always abide by a code of ethics. The variable you manipulate/control in an experiment is the
a. DV.
b. dependent variable.
c. the variable you will measure to determine the outcome.
d. IV or independent variable.
d. IV or independent variable.
In order for the professor of counselor education (see question 708) to conduct an experiment regarding his hypothesis he will need a(n) ________ and a(n) ________.
a. biofeedback group; systematic desensitization group
b. control group; systematic desensitization group
c. control group; experimental group
d. control group with at least 60 subjects; experimental group with at least 60 subjects
c. control group; experimental group
In order for the professor of counselor education to conduct the experiment suggested in question 708 the experimental group would need to receive
a. the manipulated IV.
b. the biofeedback training.
c. a and b.
d. the organismic IV.
c. a and b.
Hypothesis testing is most closely related to the work of
a. Robert Hoppock.
b. Sigmund Freud.
c. Lloyd Morgan.
d. R. A. Fisher.
d. R. A. Fisher.
The null hypothesis suggests that there will not be a significant difference between the experimental group which received the IV and the control group which did not. Thus, if the experiment in question 708 was conducted, the null hypothesis would suggest that
a. all students receiving biofeedback training would score equally well on the board exam.
b. systematic desensitization might work better than biofeedback.
c. biofeedback will not improve the board exam scores.
d. meta-analysis is required.
c. biofeedback will not improve the board exam scores.
The hunch is known as the experimental or alternative hypothesis. The experimental hypothesis suggests that a difference will be evident between the control group and the experimental group (i.e., the group receiving the IV). Thus, if the experiment in question 708 were conducted, the experimental hypothesis would suggest that
a. the biofeedback would raise board scores.
b. the control group will score better on the board exam.
c. there will be no difference between the experimental and the control groups.
d. the experiment has been confounded.
a. the biofeedback would raise board scores.
From a purely statistical standpoint, in order to compare a control group (which does not receive the IV or experimental manipulation) to the experimental group the researcher will need
a. a correlation coefficient
b. only descriptive statistics.
c. percentile rank.
d. a test of significance.
d. a test of significance.
The correct answer is that the researcher in this experiment will need a test of significance. Such statistical tests are used to determine whether a difference in the groups’ scores is “significant” or just due to chance factors.
When you see the letter P in relation to a test of significance it means
a. portion.
b. population parameter.
c. probability.
d. the researcher is using an ethnographic qualitative approach.
c. probability.
In the social sciences the accepted probability level is usually
a. .05 or less.
b. 1.0 or higher.
c. .0001 or less.
d. .05 or higher.
a. .05 or less.
The two most popular levels of significance are .05 and .01.
P = .05 really means that
a. five subjects were not included in the study.
b. there is only a 5% chance that the difference between the control group and the experimental
groups is due to chance factors.
c. the level of significance is .01.
d. no level of significance has been set.
b. there is only a 5% chance that the difference between the control group and the experimental groups is due to chance factors.
P = .05 really means that
a. differences truly exist; the experimenter will obtain the same results 95 times out of 100.
b. differences truly exist; the experimenter will obtain the same results 99 times out of 100.
c. there is a 95% error factor.
d. there is a 10% error factor.
a. differences truly exist; the experimenter will obtain the same results 95 times out of 100.
The study that would best rule out chance factors would have a significance level of P =
a. .05.
b. .01.
c. .001.
d. .08.
c. .001.
The smaller the value for P the more stringent the level of significance.
Type I and Type II errors are called ________ and ________ respectively.
a. beta; alpha
b. .01; .05
c. a and b
d. alpha; beta
d. alpha; beta
A Type I error occurs when
a. you have a beta error.
b. you accept null when it is false.
c. you reject null when it is true.
d. you fail to use a test of significance.
c. you reject null when it is true.
Let “RA” be your first error (i.e., alpha, Type I) and remember this error occurs when you “R” (reject) null when you should “A” for accept it.
A Type II error
a. is also called a beta error.
b. means you reject null when it is applicable.
c. means you accept null when it is false.
d. a and c.
d. a and c.
Assume the experiment in question 708 is conducted. The results indicate that the biofeedback helped raise written board exam scores but in reality this is not the case. The researcher has made a
a. Type I error.
b. Type II error.
c. beta error.
d. b and c.
a. Type I error.