Why aren't experiments very generalizable? What can be done to improve the external invalidity of experiments?
What will be an ideal response?
The design components that are essential for a true experiment and that minimize the threats to causal validity make it more difficult to achieve sample generalizability; subjects who are recruited, randomly assigned to a group, and kept under carefully controlled conditions are unlikely to represent the larger population; researchers, then, can take steps both before and after an experiment to increase a study's generalizability. In field experiments, participants can be selected randomly from the population and then results can be more generalizable to the population. Also, when random selection is not feasible, the researchers may be able to increase generalizability by selecting several different experimental sites that offer marked contrasts on key variables.
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The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 relies primarily on increasing teacher pay to improve performance in America's elementary and secondary schools
Indicate whether this statement is true or false.
Which of the following is a key criticism of political science to convey that it fails to meet the requirement as a "real" science?
A. It employs the scientific method in a different manner. B. Political scientists have not agreed on a coherent set of concepts and rules of interpretation. C. Every country is vastly different. D. It lacks statistical methods for analyzing data.
An interest group's success depends not only on its size, but also its __________, or the extent to which its membership is concentrated or dispersed
a. cohesion b. spread c. unity d. diversity
Why do interest groups typically offer tangible benefits to their members?
a. to foster greater diversity among group members b. to encourage only the most committed supporters to become involved c. to distract members from the groups' political motives d. to overcome the free rider problem