Assignment #12
Remove and reproduce 4 copies of the form on the next page to complete this assignment. Please one form for each item below.
1. The management of a factory predicted that the introduction of improvements in the physical conditions of the job area would result in increased productivity of the employees. The employees were not aware that an experiment was being done. The researchers measured production of a group of 6 employees in a "before" period and then introduced an improvement, measuring productivity after the improvement. A second improvement was substituted for the first and productivity measured again. A total of 5 improvements were tested in this way.
2. An experiment was undertaken to determine the effects of preschool education on the social development and cognitive development of children who are educable mentally retarded (EMR). The experimental group consisted of 28 EMR children who were in a preschool program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. A control group of 16 EMR children on the waiting list for the preschool was pretested along with the experimental group but they received no treatment. A second control group of 15 EMR children also on the waiting list for the preschool received no treatment and was not pretested. All three groups were post tested after a 16-week treatment period.
3. A study was designed to determine whether injection of hormone X into volunteer medical students would produce subjective feelings of exhilaration as measured by the Rorschach (the ink blot test). Twenty students were injected with 10 cc of the hormone and immediately tested on the Rorschach. Three days later, the same students were injected with 10 cc of a placebo and again given the Rorschach. Another 20 students were treated in the same way, but they received the placebo first and the hormone second. Assignment of students to groups was random.
4. In a study to evaluate the effectiveness of several aspects of a behavioral program designed to maintain task-oriented behavior in school children, the experimenters began counting task-oriented behavior for a period of time. Then they implemented a three-condition program consisting of (a) token reinforcement, (b) social reinforcement, and 8 time-out for inappropriate behavior in effect simultaneously. Task-oriented behavior was counted again. Following this, token reinforcement alone was removed and task-oriented behavior was counted for another period of time. The original (three-condition) program was reinstated and task-oriented behavior counted again, followed by the removal of social reinforcement alone. Task-oriented behavior was counted, the three-condition program reinstituted, task-oriented behavior was counted, and then the time-out treatment alone was removed and task-oriented behavior once more counted.
Answer Form (need 4 copies)
Name: ______Situation #: ______
1. State the research problem:
2. State a reasonable research hypothesis:
3. Identify the IV(s) and DV(s):
4. Diagram the research design:
5. Classify the research design (Circle one):
True Experimental Quasi-Experimental Non-Experimental
Explain: