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.
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.
a. One potential confound in this design could be the socioeconomic status (SES) of the mothers. If the oral group and silent group had a significant difference in SES, it could affect the children's reading abilities and could be a potential confound variable.
b. In order for a factor to meet the two criteria for a true confound, it must be related to both the independent variable (reading out loud to the unborn baby) and the dependent variable (reading abilities of the children).
1. Related to the independent variable: The potential confound, SES, could be related to the independent variable as mothers from different socioeconomic backgrounds may have different access to educational resources or may prioritize reading differently. Therefore, mothers with higher SES may be more likely to read out loud to their unborn babies while those with lower SES may not have the same opportunity.
2. Related to the dependent variable: SES can also be related to the reading abilities of the children. Children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds often have better access to educational resources, such as books, tutoring, and literacy-rich environments, which can positively influence their reading abilities. On the other hand, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may have limited access to these resources, which can negatively impact their reading skills.
Since SES is related to both the independent and dependent variables, it meets the criteria for a true confound. It can potentially influence the observed relationship between reading out loud during pregnancy and the reading abilities of the children.