A researcher tested the Hr that reading out loud to your unborn baby will make the baby a better reader later in life. Mothers were randomly assigned to either a silent group in which they read silently during pregnancy at their normal reading times; or an oral group in addition to the normal silent reading the mothers read out loud to their fetus for 2 hours before going to sleep each night. The children were tested at age 7 and the oral group kids instead of reading better, read significantly worse than the silent group kids.
a. name one potential confound in this design
b. explain how this factor meets the two criteria for a true confound.
3 answers
I'd start by questioning the self-reporting of those who said they read aloud for two hours each night. I'd also question whether those who did not read aloud watched TV or engaged in conversation with others. How would a fetus know the difference in sounds?
Yes the fetus can't tell the difference in sound but this is an experiment therefore it was observed
How was it observed? Don't you have to rely on the mothers' reports? How valid or reliable are they? Did the silent group also read for 2 hours/evening? How long did the reading occur (weeks, months)?
What about the socioeconomic and educational status of the mothers or families? Are they equivalent?
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
What about the socioeconomic and educational status of the mothers or families? Are they equivalent?
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
0 answers