Reference no: EM134015494

Problem 1

A group of researchers is measuring foot traffic in a museum. Recently, one half of the museum was redone in order to encourage more foot traffic. Researchers are counting the number of attendees in this new zone versus other zones that have not been redone. On the first day that researchers are recording foot traffic, several buses of schoolchildren arrive at the museum unexpectedly for a field trip. After a day of testing, the new zone appears to be getting just as much foot traffic as the other zones. What problem is most likely affecting this quasi-experiment?

Problem 2

Asher is recording children's playground behavior to investigate the differences between third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. For each session, he sits on the swings with a notebook and counts the sizes of groups and types of activities for each grade. Asher notices that several children in each grade come over to the swings, but then walk away once they notice him sitting there. Because they walk away, they are not counted in the study. Asher finds that the younger grades tend to do more group activities, while the older grades tend to engage in more individual activities. What problem is affecting Asher's quasi-experiment?

Problem 3

Gathercole and Baddeley (1990) examined phonologic memory skills in older children with disordered language development, using a control group comprised of typically developing younger children who were matched on verbal abilities.

If they had done a follow-up study with the same participants a year later, which type of threat to internal validity would the difference in the participants' ages most likely have caused?

Problem 4

In quasi-experiments, researchers lack full experimental control. Therefore, which type of validity must they assess to make sure they can draw firm conclusions from their results? Get the instant assignment help.

Problem 5

Researchers are conducting a repeated-measures quasi-experiment that involves a single questionnaire that participants must complete weekly. Which type of threat to internal validity should concern the researchers if they notice the participants are taking less and less time to complete the questionnaire each week?

Problem 6

What is the main difference between quasi-experiments and correlational studies?

Problem 7

Nearly all small-N experiments are what type of design?

Problem 8

A psychologist is working with the parents of four siblings who exhibit violent behaviors toward one another. The psychologist instructs the parents to record the number of violent behaviors each child exhibits in the predinner hour for 1 week. The parents then begin using a positive reinforcement technique to shape the behavior of the youngest child. They continue to record the violent behaviors of all the children, and they use the positive reinforcement technique on one additional child each week. By the end of 6 weeks, there is a significant decrease in violent behaviors in each of the children.

What type of design is this?

Problem 9

Cristián is a teacher in a program for children with autism. He is working with one boy and wants to see whether using a good-behavior sticker system will be effective for reducing his particular problem behavior. He begins by noting the boy's problem behavior for a week before beginning the sticker system. Then he tries using the sticker system for 2 weeks and notices a drop in the boy's problem behavior. For the next 2 weeks after that, he discontinues the sticker system and notes an increase in the boy's problem behavior.

What kind of design is Cristián using to test this intervention?

Problem 10

Which of the following statements is a reason we can rule out alternative explanations for the results in a stable-baseline design?