What Can One Conclude from Initial Research on the Mayans

question 173

Multiple Choice

What can one conclude from initial research on the Mayans, whose native tongue, Tzeltal, has no language labels for "left of" or "right of"?

• A) There are no differences in spatial reasoning in countries that use the linguistic terms "left" and "right" and those that use the terms "East" and "West."
• B) Spatial reasoning differs in countries that use the linguistic terms "left" and "right" and those that use the terms "East" and "West."
• C) Mayans who speak Tzeltal have reasoning skills that are superior to those of North Americans.
• D) The results from this study were inconclusive.

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Definitions:

Internal Validity

The extent to which a study accurately demonstrates a cause-effect relationship by controlling for extraneous variables and bias.

Control Group

In an experiment, the group that does not receive the treatment or intervention being tested, serving as a benchmark for comparison.

Expectancy Effects

Phenomena in which the outcome of a study is influenced by the participants' or experimenters' expectations.

Demand Characteristics

Cues that inform the subject how he or she is expected to behave.