Experiments

Flashcards covering nomothetic causality, matching techniques, internal validity threats, experimental variations, and Devah Pager's hiring study.

What are the three criteria for establishing nomothetic causality?

Correlation (attributes of one variable are associated with attributes of another variable), time order (independent variable precedes dependent variable), and non-spuriousness (the relationship cannot be caused by some third variable).

In experimental design, what is the difference between precision matching and frequency distribution matching?

Precision matching equates groups on a one-to-one basis by assigning participants in pairs based on specific criteria, whereas frequency distribution matching ensures that the overall averages of important factors are approximately the same between groups.

What setting, sample size, and design structure were used in Devah Pager's (2003) study, "The Mark of a Criminal Record"?

The study examined 350 employers in Milwaukee, WI using 350 identical applications across a $2 \times 2$ design with two factors: race and felony conviction (Black No Felony, Black Felony, White No Felony, White Felony).

How do quasi-experimental designs differ from pre-experimental designs?

Quasi-experimental designs lack random assignment, while pre-experimental designs have neither a control group nor random assignment.

What is "Diffusion of Treatments" as a threat to internal validity?

A threat to internal validity that occurs when the control group receives the treatment or intervention.