After completing this chapter you should be able to:
- Describe the purpose of randomly assigning sampling units to treatment conditions and how it is done.
- Explain how between-subjects and within-subjects designs differ from each other.
- Discuss why causation is said to be "shrouded in mystery, controversy, and caution".
- Differentiate between the four kinds of causation.
- Describe the three criteria scientists use to justify causal inferences.
- Discuss how Mill's methods apply to the logic of experimental control.
- Explain how the Solomon design can be use to illustrate the process of teasing out effects of interest.
- Discuss what is characteristic of "preexperimental designs".
- Describe how history, maturation, instrumentation, and selection represent threats to internal validity.
- Explain what demand characteristics have to do with the "good subject" and quasi-control subjects.
- Discuss how experimenter expectancy effects are addressed by "blind" designs and expectancy control designs.
