Why Is Random Assignment Essential to Establishing Causality

question 26

Multiple Choice

Why is random assignment essential to establishing causality?

• A) because it permits researchers to verify that they have a diverse and representative sample of participants
• B) because it reduces the possibility that individual characteristics of the participants produced the observed results
• C) because it increases the external validity of the experiment
• D) because it allows researchers to determine whether or not their operational definitions reflect the variables of interest

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Definitions:

Electroconvulsive Therapy

A medical treatment most commonly used for severe depression, involving electrically induced seizures.

Encoding Failure

A situation in which the brain fails to create a memory link for information, making it difficult to remember later.

Declarative Memory

A type of long-term memory that involves the conscious recall of facts and events.

Semantic Memory

A type of long-term memory that involves the recall of general facts, meanings, concepts, and knowledge about the external world.