When Testing the Perceptual Effects of Music Training, Why Should

question 40

Multiple Choice

When testing the perceptual effects of music training, why should a researcher use random assignment of participants to a musical group or control activity?

• A) Participants are usually equally glad to be assigned to any kind of activity.
• B) Otherwise, the direction of causation is questionable, since those in the music group may already have superior listening skills that made them more likely to want to play music.
• C) Random assignment makes the music group more diverse.
• D) Random assignment minimizes individual differences within each group, making the groups easier to reason about.

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Definitions:

Catharsis

The act of letting go and thus offering alleviation from intense or suppressed feelings.

Adaptive Manner

A way of adjusting or modifying behavior or methods to better suit new conditions or environments.

Catharsis

A process of releasing and providing relief from strong or repressed emotions, often through art, dialogue, or experience.

Frustration

A feeling of irritation or distress experienced when one's needs, desires, or expectations are thwarted or unmet.