Question

A football coach hears that a new exercise program will increase upper body strength better than lifting weights. He is eager to test this new program in the off-season with the players on his high school team. The coach decides to let his players choose which of the two treatments they will undergo for 3 weeks exercise or weight lifting. He will use the number of push-ups a player can do at the end of the experiment as the response variable.

Which principle of experimental design does the coach's plan violate?

A) None. The experiment includes all of the principles of experimental design.

B) Random assignment

C) Comparison

D) Control

E) Replication

Answer 1

The football coach's plan violates the principle of random assignment in experimental design, compromising the experiment's validity due to potential self-selection bias.

Step-by-step explanation:

The coach's plan violates the principle of random assignment. In an ideal experimental design, participants are randomly assigned to different treatment groups to ensure that any effects observed are due to the treatment itself and not to preexisting differences between individuals who selected different treatments. Without random assignment, the experiment can be affected by self-selection bias, where the characteristics of the players who choose one treatment over another may influence the results, rather than the treatment itself.