Why Is It Important to Make Sure That Different Participant

question 172

Multiple Choice

Why is it important to make sure that different participant groups are roughly equivalent in terms of personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender) before any independent variable is introduced?

• A) Because it is important to treat all research participants equally so that they feel that they are not being manipulated.
• B) Because research ethics forbid any experiment to take place when the participant groups are fundamentally different from each other.
• C) So that no major differences between the groups unduly bias the results of the experiment.
• D) Because it threatens the integrity of a within-group experimental design.

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Definitions:

Whiteness

A social construction that privileges white people over those of other racial backgrounds, often manifesting in social, economic, and institutional practices.

Middle-Class Status

Typically refers to the socioeconomic tier between the working class and the upper class, characterized by moderate levels of income, education, and occupational prestige.

Classy Femininity

A concept that entails the societal expectations and attributes associated with a refined and elegant form of femininity.

Moral Purity

The state of being free from ethical or moral wrongdoing, often associated with innocence or virtue.