Types of Studies Warm Up

A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group was assigned to watch a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children's behavior was then recorded for incidences of aggressive behavior. This research method is best characterized as...

• experimental

• correlational

• observation

Dr. Larson was interested in whether classical music helps students perform better on a test. Dr. Larson randomly assigned half of the study's participants to a group that listened to classical music while taking a test. The other half of the participants did not listen to music while taking a test. The research design Dr. Larson used is...

• an experiment

• an observation

• a survey

Jane Goodall lived among wild chimpanzees intermittently for decades, studying their social and family systems while keeping her interaction with the chimpanzees to a minimum. Her research method can most accurately be described as a...

• survey

• experiment

• observation

What is the difference between an observational study and an experiment?

• Observational studies compare data.

• Experiments involve imposing a treatment.

• Observational studies have subjects and treatments.

A researcher stood at a school parking lot entrance to see if the color of a car is related to the driver not wearing a seatbelt.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Researchers wanted to know if there is a link between proximity to high-tension wires and the rate of leukemia in children. To conduct the study, researchers compared the rate of leukemia for children who lived within 1/2 mile of high-tension wires to the rate of leukemia for children who did not live within 1/2 mile of high-tension wires.

• Observational Study

• Experiment

Nick stood outside a movie theater and asked many of the patrons if they thought the movie they saw was good.

What data collection method was used?

• Observational Study

• Experiment

• Survey

Determine if the following study is biased.

A public library asked every 10th person who entered to name the type of book they were getting.

• A. Biased

• B. Unbiased

Determine if the following study is biased.

You want to know your town's favorite fast-food restaurant. You randomly ask 30 people their preference as they leave a McDonald's restaurant.

• Biased

• Unbiased

Asking customers at a restaurant if pizza should be added to the menu.

• Survey

• Experiment
• Observational Study