Deck 6: Introducing Psychology: Non-Experimental Research Methods

Question 1

Cause-and-effect relationships regarding human behavior are determined through the use of which of the following research methods?

A)case study method
B)correlational study
C)experimental method
D)nonexperimental method

Answer 1

C

Question 2

One way to reduce the effects of the presence of the observer on the behavior of the observed is to

A)conceal the observer or use hidden camera recorders.
B)take careful notes using a rating scale.
C)make friends with the observed.
D)record only selected details by using a behavioral assessment instrument.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Researchers using naturalistic observations to study an animal colony must avoid making friends with the animals to minimize the

A)placebo effect.
B)problem of sampling bias.
C)effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
D)effects of the observer on the observed.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Recording the behavior of people or animals in their real-life settings without imposing laboratory conditions is known as the method.

A)independent living
B)pseudo-observational
C)correlation
D)naturalistic observation

Question 5

Psychologists who want to study behavior as it unfolds in natural settings use a technique called

A)the case study method.
B)correlational studies.
C)the survey method.
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 6

Naturalistic observation,correlational studies,the clinical method,and the survey method are considered __________ methods.

A)experimental
B)nonexperimental
C)nonscientific
D)placebo bias

Question 7

The fact that a subject's behavior may change when they know they are being watched is called

A)the observer effect.
B)the staging effect.
C)interactive behavior change.
D)the mutual effect.

Question 8

From her studies of chimpanzees in the wild in Tanzania,Jane Goodall showed that humans are not the only tool- making animals.In discovering this information,Jane Goodall used which type of research method?

A)field experiments
B)experimental control
C)correlational studies
D)naturalistic observation

Question 9

A psychologist using the method of naturalistic observation would

A)carefully design controlled situations in which to observe behavior.
B)rely on observations of subjects' responses to questionnaires.
C)observe behavior as it happens in actual settings outside the laboratory or clinic.
D)make careful records of the behavior of clients treated during the course of therapy.

Question 10

Questions about the opinions and behavior of large groups of people are often best answered using the __________ method.

A)case study
B)correlational
C)survey
D)naturalistic observation

Question 11

Concealing the observer behind a two-way mirror or using hidden cameras can be used to minimize the

A)observer effect.
B)double-blind effect.
C)placebo effect.
D)effects of extraneous correlations.

Question 12

Regarding the information provided by the nonexperimental methods,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)The case study method allows the investigation of rare or unusual problems or events.
B)The correlational method allows us to predict behavior.
C)The findings from naturalistic observations allow us to describe behavior.
D)The survey method is used to establish cause-and-effect relationships regarding human behavior.

Question 13

When studying mental disorders,such as depression or anxiety,and the therapies used to treat them,psychologists are more likely to use the method.

A)case study
B)correlational
C)survey
D)naturalistic observation

Question 14

Because it is not always possible to conduct experiments,psychologists gather evidence and test hypotheses by using all of the following nonexperimental methods EXCEPT for the method.

A)case study
B)correlational
C)naturalistic observation
D)pseudoscientific

Question 15

The findings from naturalistic observations allow us to

A)describe behavior.
B)predict behavior.
C)explain behavior.
D)establish clear cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 16

Psychologists who want to make measurements to discover relationships between events use a technique called

A)the case study method.
B)the correlational method.
C)the survey method.
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 17

A psychologist observes the confrontation between two rival neighborhood gangs from the window of an abandoned building.This method of collecting observations is best described as

A)experimental regression.
B)naturalistic observation.
C)controlled experimentation.
D)clinical case study.

Question 18

An advantage of naturalistic observation is that

A)clear cause-and-effect relationships can be identified.
B)behavior has not been tampered with by outside influences.
C)the correlation between events can be carefully estimated.
D)one can predict the behavior of large groups of subjects from the findings.

Question 19

Nonexperimental methods of research include

A)the case study method.
B)correlational studies.
C)the survey method.
D)all of these.

Question 20

Limitations of naturalistic observation include the

A)small amount of information gained for the effort involved.
B)inconvenience and expense of conducting these observations in controlled laboratory settings.
C)problems of observer effects and observer bias.
D)problem of not being able to follow the APA code of research ethics using this research method.

Question 21

The temptation to attribute human thoughts,feelings,and motives to animals is called the error.

A)ratomorphic
B)empirical
C)anthropomorphic
D)comparative

Question 22

Teachers in one study were told to watch normal elementary school children who had been labeled for the study as "learning disabled," "intellectually disabled," "emotionally disturbed," or "normal." Sadly,the teachers gave the children very different ratings,depending on the labels used.This illustrates the serious consequences of

A)conducting a scientific survey.
B)conducting a case study.
C)the observer bias.
D)the observer effect.

Question 23

A researcher observing children and recording only those details that match his expectations would be

A)exhibiting the observer effect.
B)exhibiting the observer bias.
C)conducting a scientific survey.
D)conducting a case study.

Question 24

In keeping an observational record,which of the following methods tends to be the most objective?

A)video recording
B)rating scale used by a single observer
C)behavioral assessment by a single observer
D)at least three intersubjective observers

Question 25

A psychologist notes an association between the IQs of parents and their children,or between beauty and social popularity,or between anxiety and test performance.In each case,two events are correlated,which means

A)both events are randomly occurring.
B)both events are really unrelated.
C)one event caused the other.
D)the events are linked together in an orderly way.

Question 26

The anthropomorphic error would pose the greatest problem for which of the following?

A)clinical psychologist
B)Freudian psychologist
C)humanist
D)comparative psychologist

Question 27

A police officer expecting criminal behavior shoots a person who is reaching for his wallet because he perceives the suspect as reaching for a gun.This is a dangerous example of the

A)anthropomorphic error.
B)placebo effect.
C)observer bias.
D)observer effect.

Question 28

Zoologists have attached minaturized cameras called "critter cams" directly to many species allowing observations in a wide range of natural environments with the use of these tiny cameras minimizing the

A)single-blind effect.
B)double-blind effect..
C)observer effect.
D)effects of extraneous correlations.

Question 29

My cat knows when I am upset and comes and comforts me.In psychology this is an example of

A)psychological personification.
B)the observer effect.
C)the biopsychology effect.
D)the anthropomorphic error.

Question 30

A teacher asks the school psychologist to observe her class through the two-way mirror and determine why the class disruptions are occurring.Just as the psychologist is walking into the room off to the side of the classroom to observe,the teacher assistant tells the psychologist,"Pay close attention to Claire and Robert over there by the maps.I think they are the real troublemakers in the class." After this encounter,the school psychologist will have to struggle with the

A)observer effect.
B)observer bias.
C)placebo effect.
D)anthropomorphic error.

Question 31

Psychologists conducting naturalistic studies make a special effort to minimize bias by keeping a detailed summary of data and observations known as a(n)

A)experimental diary.
B)observation record.
C)empirical recording.
D)scientific journal.

Question 32

A researcher observes the play activities of children at recess.The videotape of these play activities serves as the

A)experimental effect.
B)observation record.
C)observational empiricism.
D)scientific record.

Question 33

A college student has volunteered to tutor students in a first-grade classroom.She hopes to gain a realistic picture of the everyday behavior of these students.However,every time she enters the classroom,the students all stop what they are doing and run up to her begging her to tutor them next.This college student will probably never get a realistic picture of a typical first grader's school day because of the

A)observer bias.
B)observer effect.
C)self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)anthropomorphic error.

Question 34

Sometimes observers in naturalistic observation see what they expect to see even when it doesn't occur.This problem is called

A)observer bias.
B)pro-social interaction effect.
C)observer effect.
D)halo effect.

Question 35

In observing the changes in their clients during therapy,psychologists often believe they get better results when using the type of therapy they favor.This illustrates the

A)Barnum effect.
B)observer effect.
C)observer bias.
D)anthropomorphic error.

Question 36

A person who praises his or her dog for its loyalty and devotion to its master is committing a(n)

A)deductive-inductive confusion.
B)scientific generalization.
C)the Barnum effect.
D)anthropomorphic error.

Question 37

You go to Africa to study elephants.You follow one particular group,and one day you observe the other members of the group gather around a sick and dying elephant.The healthy elephants shuffle and trumpet and act in an agitated manner.You conclude that they are sad because one of their members is dying.Without any other evidence,you have just

A)committed the anthropomorphic error.
B)become involved in the observer effect.
C)engaged in research participant bias.
D)created an empirical fallacy.

Question 38

Which of the following is an appropriate use of naturalistic observation?

A)to raise questions and suggest hypotheses
B)to develop formal psychological theory
C)to test hypotheses derived from theory
D)to answer questions about cause-and-effect relationships

Question 39

Helen ties a frilly blue bow around the neck of her husband's bulldog,Bruiser.When her husband sees Bruiser trying to take the bow off,he explains to his wife that Bruiser is embarrassed to be seen wearing "the frilly little bow." Her husband's comment illustrates the

A)observer effect.
B)anthropomorphic error.
C)Barnum effect.
D)animalistic relativity error.

Question 40

The existence of a consistent,systematic relationship between two events,measures,or variables is known as a(n)

A)survey error.
B)statistical anomaly.
C)correlation.
D)confirmation bias.

Question 41

Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the STRONGEST relationship between two sets of variables?

A)-0.98
B)0.90
C)0.00
D)1.20

Question 42

A nonexperimental study designed to measure the degree of relationship (if any)between two or more events or variables is called a study.

A)naturalistic observation
B)correlational
C)case
D)survey

Question 43

A positive correlation means that as one variable increases,the other variable

A)increases.
B)decreases.
C)remains constant.
D)is unpredictable.

Question 44

Simister and Cooper decided to find out if there is a relationship between crime and the weather.They obtained data on temperatures and criminal activity in Los Angeles over a four-year period.When they graphed air temperature and the frequency of aggravated assaults,they found that assaults and temperatures rise and fall more or less in parallel.Therefore,knowing the temperature in Los Angeles now allows us to

A)predict the number of aggravated assaults.
B)explain why aggravated assaults occur.
C)prevent aggravated assaults from occurring.
D)do all of these.

Question 45

If a correlational relationship is perfect,the coefficient would
A)always be a negative correlation.

A)be zero.
B)always be a positive correlation.
B)be a +1.00 or a -1.00.

Question 46

Correlations allow us to

A)control behavior.
B)explain behavior.
C)predict behavior.
D)establish causal relationships.

Question 47

The correlation between shoe size and intelligence would be

A)-1.00.
B)+1.00.
C)0.00.
D)impossible to calculate.

Question 48

A teacher states that the students who made the highest grades on the English test also made the highest grades on the history test and the ones that made the lowest on one test made the lowest on the other.She was probably able to make this statement because she

A)conducted a controlled experiment with the class.
B)correlated the scores on the two tests.
C)surveyed the students.
D)observed the students as they took the test to make sure no one cheated.

Question 49

A correlation coefficient of 1.36 would be

A)impossible.
B)a sign that the two variables are positively related.
C)a sign that the two variables are negatively related.
D)a sign that the two variables are not related.

Question 50

Decreases in one measure are matched by decreases in the other measure in a

A)nonexistent relationship.
B)positive correlation.
C)negative correlation.
D)zero correlation.

Question 51

Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the STRONGEST relationship between two sets of variables?

A)-0.80
B)-.10
C)+1.25
D)+.90

Question 52

Simister and Cooper decided to find out if there is a relationship between crime and the weather.They obtained data on temperatures and criminal activity in Los Angeles over a four-year period.When they graphed air temperature and the frequency of aggravated assaults,they found that assaults and temperatures rise and fall more or less in parallel.Simister and Cooper conducted a(n)study.

A)naturalistic observation
B)statistical inventory
C)correlational
D)experimental

Question 53

Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the WEAKEST relationship between two sets of variables?

A)0.08
B)-0.29
C)0.48
D)-1.00

Question 54

A correlation coefficient of 0.00 means that there is

A)a strong negative relationship between the two variables.
B)a strong positive relationship between the two variables.
C)a perfect positive relationship between the two variables.
D)no relationship between the two variables.

Question 55

To estimate the degree of the relationship between birth order and achievement motivation,a researcher would do a(n)__________ study.

A)naturalistic observation
B)inventory
C)correlational
D)experimental

Question 56

In which type of study are two factors measured and then a statistical technique used to find the degree of relationship between the two factors?

A)naturalistic observation
B)survey method
C)case study method
D)correlational study

Question 57

A correlation coefficient of -1.09 indicates a(n)

A)strong positive correlation.
B)strong negative correlation.
C)cause/effect relationship.
D)error in computation.

Question 58

A correlation coefficient of -.89 indicates a(n)

A)weak negative correlation.
B)strong negative correlation.
C)cause and effect relationship.
D)error in computation.

Question 59

Correlation coefficients can be expressed in numbers ranging from

A)0.00 to 3.00.
B)-1.00 to +1.00.
C)-2.00 to +2.00.
D)-3.00 to +3.00.

Question 60

A correlational coefficient is best characterized as a(n)

A)measure of the extent of the relationship between two existing traits,behaviors,or events.
B)index of the causal direction between an independent and dependent variable.
C)indication of the likelihood that an experimental finding will be replicated by others.
D)measure of the likelihood that observed differences may be attributed to chance.

Question 61

The more you study,the fewer errors you will make on the next exam is an example of a correlation.

A)perfect
B)positive
C)negative
D)zero

Question 62

If a researcher finds a negative correlation between the number of hours that students play computer games and grades,this means that

A)computer game playing causes a decrease in grades.
B)computer game playing causes an increase in grades.
C)lower grades cause a student to be disinterested in studying and more interested in playing computer games.
D)an experiment would have to be performed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between video game playing and grades.

Question 63

A psychologist discovers that the blood of patients with schizophrenia contains a certain chemical not found in the general population.This means that

A)this chemical causes a person to develop schizophrenia.
B)having schizophrenia causes this chemical to form in a person's blood.
C)both schizophrenia and the chemical are caused by some unknown third factor,such as the typical diet in mental hospitals.
D)the chemical and schizophrenia are related,but no causal relationship has been established.

Question 64

When studying mental disorders,such as depression or anxiety,and the therapies used to treat them,psychologists usually use

A)case studies.
B)controlled experiments.
C)the survey method.
D)the correlational method.

Question 65

As gas prices increase,we see a decline in the number of travelers on the highway.This is an example of a correlation.

A)negative
B)positive
C)perfect
D)zero

Question 66

The boys in Ms.Jones' third grade class were lined up according to height and were then weighed in this order beginning with the shortest.Each succeeding boy was found to weigh more than the preceding one.These data were plotted on a graph with weight on the horizontal axis and height on the vertical axis and revealed a

A)zero correlation.
B)positive correlation.
C)negative correlation.
D)horizontal line.

Question 67

If the correlations between one's self-concept and academic performance were positive,we could say that

A)academic performance and self-concept are largely unrelated.
B)academic performance is an important cause of one's self-concept.
C)one's self-concept is an important cause of academic performance.
D)a self-concept and academic performance are related,but no causal relationship has been established.

Question 68

Abdul is listening to a radio talk show and hears the announcer talk about "a high correlation between crime and poverty." The announcer concludes that since there was a high correlation,poverty must cause crime.Abdul is taking psychology and is skeptical of what he just heard.He knows that

A)correlation does not indicate causation.
B)to properly evaluate the statement,he needs to know the magnitude of the correlation.
C)poverty and crime rates are difficult to measure.
D)the research indicates that crime causes poverty and not vice versa.

Question 69

An in-depth focus on a single individual best describes the

A)single-blind experiment.
B)double-blind experiment.
C)correlational method.
D)case study.

Question 70

A researcher studying sleep deprivation finds that as the amount of sleep decreases,there is a proportional decrease in one's immune system.This illustrates a correlation.

A)positive
B)negative
C)zero
D)dependent

Question 71

Students who do better in high school tend to do better in college.This is an example of a correlation.

A)negative
B)zero
C)positive
D)perfect

Question 72

A psychologist discovers a correlation between parents who smoke cigarettes and juvenile delinquency in their children.We can conclude that

A)parental smoking causes juvenile delinquency.
B)juvenile delinquents drive their parents to take up smoking.
C)both parental smoking and juvenile delinquency are caused by a third factor,such as socioeconomic status.
D)parental smoking and juvenile delinquency are related,but no causal relationship has been established.

Question 73

Which of the following would most likely be investigated by use of a case study?

A)the extent of marijuana usage in the general population
B)the effects of caffeine on memory
C)a rare psychological problem such as dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities)
D)the correlation between hours of sleep per night and the grade-point averages of college students

Question 74

An observation that the higher the air temperature,the lower the activity of test animals would be an example of a

A)negative correlation.
B)positive correlation.
C)causal relationship.
D)zero correlation.

Question 75

The case study method would most likely be used to study

A)the attitudes of the public concerning sex education being taught in the schools.
B)the behaviors of adolescents in the mall.
C)the effects of Vitamin E on cholesterol.
D)the behaviors of amnesia patients.

Question 76

Rare conditions,such as cases involving brain tumors,accidental brain injuries,childhood "geniuses," or "rampage" school shootings,are often studied using which method?

A)survey
B)case study
C)correlational study
D)experimental method

Question 77

One of the disadvantages of the correlational method is that

A)correlations may be weak.
B)correlations may be negative or zero.
C)it can only be used in laboratory settings.
D)the relationships observed between variables may be caused by some unknown third factor.

Question 78

One of the advantages of the correlational method is that

A)greater control is possible over the phenomenon in question.
B)cause-and-effect relationships can be confirmed.
C)it allows prediction.
D)it can only be used in the laboratory.

Question 79

A negative correlation means that as one variable increases the other

A)increases.
B)decreases.
C)remains constant.
D)increases then decreases.

Question 80

Decreases in one measure are matched by increases in the other measure in a

A)nonexistent relationship.
B)positive correlation.
C)negative correlation.
D)zero correlation.