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Based on the principles of group research, what decision should Dr. Martinez make regarding the cognitive training program, and how should they justify this decision to their team?
Case context: A psychologist, Dr. Martinez, is testing a new cognitive training program designed to improve memory retention in older adults. After conducting a large-group study, Dr. Martinez finds a statistically significant but weak treatment effect () on memory test scores. Some members of the research team suggest discarding the program entirely, arguing that such a weak effect is not worth pursuing.
Question: Based on the principles of group research, what decision should Dr. Martinez make regarding the cognitive training program, and how should they justify this decision to their team?
Sample answer: Dr. Martinez should decide to keep the cognitive training program but refine its design instead of discarding it. They should justify this by explaining that detecting a weak effect () is a key advantage of their group research design, indicating that the program has some initial efficacy. Rather than a failure, this weak effect is a valuable starting point that prompts them to refine the program's elements (e.g., increasing training frequency or adjusting the tasks) to potentially achieve a more substantial and meaningful effect in future studies.
Key points:
- Advise keeping and refining the cognitive training program instead of abandoning it.
- Explain that group research's capacity to detect weak effects makes this initial result valuable.
- Justify that the weak effect () proves the treatment has potential.
- Describe how refining the training tasks or protocol can lead to larger outcomes in subsequent studies.
Rubric: The response must: 1) Recommend retaining and refining the training program rather than discarding it. 2) Justify this decision by explaining that the detected weak effect is a valuable indicator of initial efficacy. 3) Explain that this finding prompts the team to refine the treatment to achieve stronger, more meaningful outcomes in future studies.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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