What is the purpose of conducting an experiment? How does an experimental design
accomplish its purpose?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of an
experimental design in an educational study?
4. What is more important in an
experimental study, designing the study in order to make strong internal
validity claims or strong external validity claims? Why?
5. In an
experiment, what is a control? What is the purpose of a control group? Of single
or multiple comparison groups?
6. What are confounds? Give an example of a
design that has three confounds. Describe three ways to alter the design to
address these confounds and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each.
7. What does “cause” mean and why is it an important concept in research?
How are correlation and causation related?
8. You are a researcher
interested in addressing the question: does smiling cause mood to rise (i.e.,
become more positive)? Sketch between-participants, within-participants, and
matched-participants designs that address this question and discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of each to yielding data that help you answer the
question. Describe and discuss each design in 4-5 sentences.