Prof. Jones is interested in the effects of Helvetica versus Times Roman fonts on reading speed. What steps can she implement in her study to eliminate practice effects? (Select 2 responses)

A) Counterbalancing the order of font presentation across participants.
B) Including a control group that reads the same font throughout the study.
C) Implementing a within-subjects design.
D) Randomly assigning participants to different font conditions.

Answer :

Final answer:

To eliminate practice effects in a study on reading speed with different fonts, counterbalancing the presentation order and including a control group are effective strategies. These methods address potential learning and fatigue influences on the study's results.

Explanation:

Eliminating Practice Effects in Font Study

To eliminate practice effects in Prof. Jones's study on reading speed using Helvetica versus Times Roman fonts, two effective strategies can be implemented:

  1. Counterbalancing the order of font presentation across participants to ensure that learning and fatigue do not systematically affect the results. By varying the sequence in which fonts are presented, any practice effects are distributed evenly across the conditions.
  2. Including a control group that reads the same font throughout the study, which serves as a baseline for comparison and helps determine if changes in reading speed are truly due to the font or simply due to practice.

Both strategies can help isolate the effect of the font on reading speed by controlling for the influence of practice. It's important to note that a within-subjects design (C) could actually increase practice effects because each participant would be exposed to both conditions. Random assignment (D) helps with generalizing the results and avoiding selection bias, but on its own does not directly address practice effects.