Ninth Edition CoverGraziano & Raulin
Research Methods (9th edition)

Chapter 9 Multiple-Choice Questions
Controls to Reduce Threats to Validity

Test yourself on these multiple-choice questions. Clicking on the letter of your choice will give you immediate feedback on whether you are correct. Even when you are incorrect, you will receive feedback that will help you learn the material better so that you do well on the exam.

  1. What is the major purpose of controls in research?
    (a) To produce research hypotheses when combined with problem statements.
    (b) To generate initial ideas.
    (c) To counteract threats to validity.
    (d) To increase participants' willingness to participate.

  2. Which of the following is an appropriate control for situations in which there may be questions of objectivity in making observations?
    (a) Increase the number of participants.
    (b) Decrease the number of conditions to be manipulated.
    (c) Use laboratory animal participants instead of human participants.
    (d) Use several observers to record participants' responses.

  3. What is the major reason for careful participant selection?
    (a) It generates clear research hypotheses.
    (b) It reduces statistical errors.
    (c) It improves internal validity.
    (d) It enhances external validity.

  4. Experimenter effects
    (a) arise from the experimenter's detailed knowledge of the experiment.
    (b) are actually of little concern in research.
    (c) cannot be controlled.
    (d) are best controlled by random assignment of participants.

  5. What kind of validity is threatened when we cannot generalize results of a study?
    (a) external validity
    (b) internal validity
    (c) construct validity
    (d) statistical validity

  6. What is the most common control for possible subject effects?
    (a) decrease the number of participants
    (b) debriefing
    (c) deception
    (d) increase the number of observers

  7. What term is used for a sample drawn from an accessible population?
    (a) accessible population
    (b) ad hoc sample
    (c) random sample
    (d) target population

  8. To which of the following is the term "confounding" applied?
    (a) To statistical validity, but not to internal validity.
    (b) Primarily to participant selection.
    (c) Only to external validity.
    (d) Internal and construct validity.

  9. The double-blind control procedure involves
    (a) having both the experimenter and participants blind to the assignment of each participant.
    (b) having all participants blind to both the hypotheses and the assignment.
    (c) having the experimenter's assistant and the experimenter both blind to the hypotheses.
    (d) none of the above

  10. Placebos are often used in drug studies in order to
    (a) reduce the number of participants needed.
    (b) decrease the costs of expensive medication.
    (c) enhance double-blind procedures.
    (d) increase the potency of the drug.

  11. The careful preparation of settings is
    (a) used only in between-subjects designs.
    (b) a general control procedure.
    (c) a control for experimenter effects.
    (d) a control for construct validity.

  12. In which of the following procedures are ethical issues raised concerning denial of treatment to some participants?
    (a) Use of relaxation training.
    (b) Use of placebos.
    (c) Denial of informed consent.
    (d) Lack of debriefing.

  13. Being able to eliminate many extraneous variables is a major advantage of
    (a) naturalistic research.
    (b) case-study research.
    (c) both naturalistic and case-study research.
    (d) experimental research.

  14. Marlatt's balanced placebo design employs a type of
    (a) deception.
    (b) regression to the mean.
    (c) statistical procedure.
    (d) research hypothesis.

  15. The larger population in which we are ultimately interested is called the
    (a) accessible population.
    (b) ad hoc population.
    (c) random population.
    (d) target population.

  16. Extremely high control in laboratory settings
    (a) is always accomplished.
    (b) is not useful.
    (c) may lead to diminished external validity.
    (d) is crucial in case studies.

  17. The single-blind procedure involves
    (a) having the experimenter aware of all of the hypotheses.
    (b) having all participants blind to only one condition.
    (c) having only one participant blind to the conditions.
    (d) having the experimenter's assistant, who actually tests each participant, unaware of the hypotheses being tested or the condition under which each participant is tested.

  18. Designing an experiment to include some slight, but theoretically meaningful, differences from a previous study is an example of
    (a) plagiarism.
    (b) systematic replication.
    (c) exact replication.
    (d) replication of participants.

  19. A critical control in experiments is
    (a) careful participant selection.
    (b) having a large number of participants.
    (c) unbiased participant assignment to conditions.
    (d) the use of electronic measuring instruments.

  20. Which of the following is essential for a successful control-group design?
    (a) That the experimental and control groups be comparable at the start of the study.
    (b) That participants be randomly selected from a general population.
    (c) That at least three conditions are manipulated.
    (d) That there be an equal number of male and female participants.