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 coach's plan violates the principle of random assignment, as players choose their treatment, which could bias the experiment's results.

Step-by-step explanation:

The football coach's plan violates the principle of random assignment. By allowing players to choose which treatment to undergo, the coach is potentially introducing biases and preference-related factors, which can confound the results. Random assignment is critical for reducing potential lurking variables and ensuring that any differences in outcomes are likely due to the treatments themselves and not other factors.