A developmental psychologist wants to investigate whether growing up in extreme poverty causes lower academic achievement. In one to three sentences, explain how the psychologist can apply a non-experimental design to study this causal question when practical and ethical constraints are present.
Question: A developmental psychologist wants to investigate whether growing up in extreme poverty causes lower academic achievement. In one to three sentences, explain how the psychologist can apply a non-experimental design to study this causal question when practical and ethical constraints are present.
Sample answer: Because it is practically and ethically impossible to randomly assign children to grow up in extreme poverty, the psychologist cannot manipulate the independent variable. Instead, they must apply a non-experimental design by observing naturally occurring differences, comparing the academic achievement of children who already live in poverty with those who do not.
Key points:
- Acknowledge practical or ethical barriers to random assignment or manipulation
- Apply the concept of observing pre-existing, naturally occurring differences
- Compare existing groups rather than deliberately altering conditions
Rubric: The student should correctly apply the concepts by stating that the researcher cannot manipulate the variable due to practical/ethical constraints, and therefore must observe pre-existing groups of children in varying socioeconomic conditions.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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A developmental psychologist wants to investigate whether growing up in extreme poverty causes lower academic achievement. In one to three sentences, explain how the psychologist can apply a non-experimental design to study this causal question when practical and ethical constraints are present.