Deck 2: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

Question 1

Professor Albertson believes that having a best friend in middle school is associated with increased self-esteem among girls.His idea is called a(n)

A) theory.
B) hypothesis.
C) operational definition.
D) hunch.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When provided with the unscrambled solutions to anagrams,people underestimate the difficulty of solving the anagrams.This best illustrates

A) confounding variables.
B) perceiving order in random events.
C) wording effects.
D) overconfidence.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Hindsight bias often leads us to place too much faith in

A) random sampling.
B) wording effects.
C) human intuition.
D) random assignment.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The King James Version of the Bible was completed when William Shakespeare was 46 years old.In Psalm 46 of this translation,the forty-sixth word is "shake," and the forty-sixth word from the end is "spear." Before concluding that the biblical translators were trying to be humorous with these specific word placements,you would be best advised to recognize the danger of

A) random sampling biblical passages.
B) generalizing from extreme instances.
C) assuming that most people share your opinions.
D) perceiving order in coincidental events.

Question 5

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events is called a(n)

A) independent variable.
B) hypothesis.
C) theory.
D) scatterplot.

Question 6

As students prepare for a test,they often believe that they understand the course material better than they actually do.This best illustrates

A) overconfidence.
B) random assignment.
C) hindsight bias.
D) the placebo effect.

Question 7

Which of the following is not an attribute of the scientific attitude?

A) curiosity
B) skepticism
C) humility
D) hindsight

Question 8

Hindsight bias most directly contributes to the perception that

A) psychological theories are simply reflections of researchers' personal values.
B) psychological research studies are simplified versions of reality.
C) psychological theories and observations are merely common sense.
D) psychological research studies are potentially dangerous.

Question 9

The Presidential election is quickly approaching.Prior to the election,the two major party candidates seem to be tied.After the winner is announced,Frances proclaims,"I knew he/she would win! He/She ran a great campaign." This is an example of

A) hindsight bias.
B) overconfidence.
C) scientific inquiry.
D) perceiving patterns in random events.

Question 10

A testable prediction that is often implied by a theory is called a(n)

A) naturalistic observation.
B) operational definition.
C) dependent variable.
D) hypothesis.

Question 11

According to Professor Fayad,we like people who like us because their affection for us boosts our own self-esteem.His idea is an example of

A) an operational definition.
B) informed consent.
C) replication.
D) a theory.

Question 12

A psychologist notes that we are especially attracted to people whose traits are different from our own.This statement would seem unsurprising to students because

A) most students have often been attracted to people different from themselves.
B) this finding is consistent with common sense.
C) students are eager to interact with those who are different from themselves.
D) the students have a tendency to exaggerate their ability to have foreseen the outcome of past discoveries.

Question 13

Dr.Donelian wants to reduce his students' perceptions that psychological research merely documents the obvious.His best strategy would be to ask the students to

A) describe how research predictions were derived from basic psychological principles.
B) predict the outcomes of research studies before they are told the actual results.
C) explain the outcomes of research studies after they are told the actual results.
D) engage in naturalistic observation.

Question 14

After incorrectly predicting world events,such as whether Quebec would separate from Canada,experts maintained that they were "almost right." This attitude is an example of

A) overconfidence.
B) hindsight bias.
C) critical thinking.
D) a chance-related explanation.

Question 15

Thinking that she had outperformed most of her classmates,Glenda was surprised to receive just an average grade on her psychology test.Glenda's experience best illustrates

A) overconfidence.
B) hindsight bias.
C) the placebo effect.
D) perceiving order in random events.

Question 16

Dr.Birk suggests that because depression is associated with pessimistic thinking,depressed students would be more likely than nondepressed students to perceive themselves as academically incompetent.Dr.Birk's prediction regarding students' self-perceptions is an example of a(n)

A) illusory correlation.
B) placebo effect.
C) confounding variable.
D) hypothesis.

Question 17

Hypotheses are best described as

A) assumptions.
B) replications.
C) explanations.
D) predictions.

Question 18

According to Emily's grandfather,Adolf Hitler's obvious emotional instability made it clear from the beginning of his international conflicts that Germany would inevitably lose World War II.The grandfather's claim best illustrates

A) hindsight bias.
B) the placebo effect.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) random sequencing.

Question 19

The value of a(n)________ is most closely tied to its usefulness in generating testable hypotheses.

A) operational definition
B) case study
C) replication
D) theory

Question 20

Alexandra is told that research supports the value of cosmetic surgery for boosting self-esteem.Belinda is told that the esteem-enhancing value of cosmetic surgery has been refuted by research.Both women consider the research findings to be common sense.This best illustrates the power of

A) the placebo effect.
B) hindsight bias.
C) random assignment.
D) the double-blind procedure.

Question 21

Those who rely on the case-study method need to be especially alert to the dangers of

A) the double-blind procedure.
B) replication.
C) random assignment.
D) false generalization.

Question 22

A count of positive and negative words in millions of Twitter messages suggests that people seem happiest on

A) Mondays.
B) Wednesdays.
C) Fridays.
D) Sundays.

Question 23

Replication involves

A) the selection of random samples.
B) randomly assigning research participants to different groups.
C) repeating an earlier research study.
D) rejecting ideas that cannot be scientifically tested.

Question 24

To better understand how brain malfunctions influence behavior,Dr.Mosher extensively and carefully observes and questions two stroke victims.Which research method is Dr.Mosher using?

A) random sampling
B) the survey
C) the case study
D) experimentation

Question 25

To verify the reliability of a new scientific finding,psychological researchers are most likely to engage in

A) naturalistic observation.
B) random sampling.
C) replication.
D) positive correlation.

Question 26

A descriptive method in which one individual or group is studied in great depth is called a(n)

A) replication.
B) case study.
C) experiment.
D) double-blind procedure.

Question 27

Naturalistic observation is most useful for

A) describing behaviors.
B) predicting attitudes.
C) explaining complex emotions.
D) detecting cause-effect relationships.

Question 28

Howard Gardner,Robert Sternberg,and Charles Spearman developed different ________ regarding intelligence.

A) theories
B) patterns in random events
C) scientific methods
D) scientific inquiries

Question 29

Professor Johnson is interested in how people behave while taking public transportation.To find out,he rides the city bus for four consecutive hours every day over a two-week period .Which research method is he using?

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

Question 30

Carl Jung,Sigmund Freud,Albert Bandura,and Abraham Maslow all proposed ________ that they believed would explain personality development.

A) theories
B) patterns in random events
C) the scientific method
D) scientific inquiry

Question 31

After carefully studying how three single parents dealt with the loss of their jobs,Dr.Phong began to overestimate the national rate of unemployment.In this instance,Dr.Phong should be warned that ________ may be misleading.

A) surveys
B) case studies
C) dependent variables
D) random samples

Question 32

In reporting the effect of drinking alcohol on self-consciousness,psychological researchers would specify exactly how they measured self-consciousness.They are thereby providing a(n)

A) experimental hypothesis.
B) case study.
C) double-blind procedure.
D) operational definition.

Question 33

Dr.Carlson believes that family environment,neighborhood context,socioeconomic status,and parental discipline are all related to childhood aggression.This idea is called a(n)

A) theory.
B) hypothesis.
C) operational definition.
D) hunch.

Question 34

Jean Piaget developed his ideas about children's thinking after carefully observing and questioning only a few children.Which research method did he use?

A) the survey
B) the double-blind procedure
C) the case study
D) random assignment

Question 35

Case studies have helped us to understand psychological concepts related to

A) brain damage.
B) childhood cognition.
C) animal intelligence.
D) all of these instances.

Question 36

One study found that the proportion of anger-related words in 148 million tweets from 1347 U.S.counties predicted the counties' heart disease rates.This research best illustrates the use of

A) a case study.
B) experimentation.
C) a survey.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 37

A statement describing how a researcher manipulates an independent variable is known as a(n)

A) control condition.
B) replication.
C) operational definition.
D) hypothesis.

Question 38

Operational definitions are most likely to facilitate

A) replication.
B) positive correlations.
C) regression toward the mean.
D) the placebo effect.

Question 39

Using data from Facebook,researchers have found that people from countries with lower economic status are more likely to solicit Facebook friendship with those in higher-status countries than vice versa.This information was obtained by means of

A) case studies.
B) experimentation.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) surveys.

Question 40

Professor Bolden claims that his experimental research demonstrates that eating an apple every day improves children's reading skills.How might he best offer further support for the reliability of this finding?

A) replication
B) naturalistic observation
C) case studies
D) correlational research

Question 41

Which procedure helps to ensure that the participants in a survey are representative of a larger population?

A) random assignment
B) replication
C) naturalistic observation
D) random sampling

Question 42

Researchers examining people's opinion on same-sex marriage have found that respondents are more likely to support references to "marriage equality" than "gay marriage." This finding demonstrates

A) random sampling.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) wording effects.
D) the case study.

Question 43

Which research method would be most effective for identifying the mating rituals of North American deer?

A) survey research
B) naturalistic observation
C) experimentation
D) the double-blind procedure

Question 44

In comparing the pace of life in 31 countries,Robert Levine and Ara Norenzayan found that the pace is fastest in Japan and Western Europe and slower in economically less-developed countries.What research method did they use?

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

Question 45

Dr.Reed is studying risky sexual behaviors among college students.Which research method is she most likely to use?

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

Question 46

To study the development of relationships,Dr.Rajiv carefully observed and recorded patterns of verbal and nonverbal behaviors among men and women in singles bars.Which research method did Dr.Rajiv employ?

A) naturalistic observation
B) the survey
C) the case study
D) experimentation

Question 47

To learn about the political attitudes of all students enrolled at Arizona State University,Professor Marlow randomly selected 800 of these students to complete a questionnaire.In this instance,all the students enrolled at Arizona State University are considered to be a(n)

A) independent variable.
B) representative sample.
C) control condition.
D) population.

Question 48

Researchers make no effort to manipulate or control factors when they engage in

A) naturalistic observation.
B) the double-blind procedure.
C) replication.
D) experimentation.

Question 49

The finding that 68 percent of people say that religion is important in their daily life was derived from the use of which research method?

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

Question 50

The children in Mrs.Shashoua's neighborhood make fun of her limp.She concludes that today's kids are typically cruel and insensitive.Mrs.Shashoua ought to remind herself that reasonable generalizations depend on

A) observing representative samples.
B) recognizing that others may not share our opinions.
C) realizing that correlation does not mean causation.
D) eliminating confounding variables.

Question 51

Researchers observe random samples because these samples are likely to be

A) easy to observe.
B) homogeneous.
C) representative.
D) easy to debrief.

Question 52

Each time Samantha has observed a person using government food vouchers to pay for groceries,the person has been an Hispanic female.Samantha has fallen victim to

A) sampling bias.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) a case study.
D) random sampling.

Question 53

Mrs.Blair concludes that boys do not read as well as girls because most of the students in her remedial reading classes are boys.Mrs.Blair's conclusion best illustrates the danger of

A) random assignment.
B) generalizing from vivid cases.
C) confusing correlation with causation.
D) random sampling.

Question 54

The whole group from which samples may be drawn is called a(n)

A) control condition.
B) population.
C) case study.
D) independent variable.

Question 55

Which of the following techniques would be the most effective way of investigating the relationship between the political attitudes and the economic status of North Americans?

A) the survey
B) naturalistic observation
C) experimentation
D) the case study

Question 56

To describe the behavior of animals in their native habitat,researchers are most likely to make use of

A) survey research.
B) random assignment.
C) experimental methods.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 57

Website polls and call-in phone surveys often yield unrepresentative results because they fail to use

A) operational definitions.
B) random sampling.
C) scatterplots.
D) double-blind procedures.

Question 58

A majority of respondents in a national survey agreed that "classroom prayer should not be allowed in public schools." Only 33 percent of respondents in a similar survey agreed that "classroom prayer in public schools should be banned." These differing findings best illustrate the importance of

A) representative samples.
B) the placebo effect.
C) random assignment.
D) wording effects.

Question 59

The survey is a research method in which

A) individuals are carefully observed in their natural environment.
B) a representative random sample of individuals are questioned regarding their attitudes or behaviors.
C) an individual or group is studied in great depth.
D) an investigator determines the extent to which two variables influence each other.

Question 60

A random sample of a large group of people is one in which

A) the number of people included in the sample is determined by chance.
B) every person in the large group has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
C) personality differences among those in the sample are practically nonexistent.
D) all of these situations are true.

Question 61

Unusual ESP subjects who defy chance when first tested nearly always lose their "psychic powers" when retested.This decline is best explained in terms of

A) illusory correlation.
B) regression toward the mean.
C) a placebo effect.
D) a confounding variable.

Question 62

Which of the following correlations between annual income and education level would best enable you to predict annual income on the basis of level of education?

A) +0.05
B) -0.01
C) +0.10
D) +0.50

Question 63

Which of the following correlations expresses the strongest degree of relationship between two variables?

A) +0.10
B) -0.67
C) -0.10
D) +0.59

Question 64

If university graduates typically earn more money than high school graduates,this would indicate that level of education and income are

A) positively correlated.
B) independent variables.
C) dependent variables.
D) negatively correlated.

Question 65

Professor Stevens has found that students who tend to sit at the front of the classroom often perform better on class assessments.Based on his observations,he can say which of the following?

A) Students who sit at the front of the class are more motivated to learn.
B) Students who sit at the back of the class are lazy.
C) Sitting in the front of the class is correlated with higher grades.
D) Professor Stevens cannot make any cause-effect statement.

Question 66

Dr.C has found that teenagers whose parents read to them as children are more likely to do well academically.He can reach which conclusion?

A) Reading to children causes high academic performance.
B) Teenagers who are naturally intelligent are more likely to be interested in books as children.
C) Reading to children is correlated with high academic performance.
D) Dr.C cannot make any cause-effect statement.

Question 67

Students who score much higher on an exam than they usually do can reasonably anticipate ________ scores when they are retested.

A) very low
B) somewhat lower
C) equally high
D) even higher

Question 68

Akira dreamed that a handsome young man she had met the previous day asked her for a date.When he actually did call for a date several days later,Akira concluded that dreams accurately predict future events.Her belief best illustrates

A) regression toward the mean.
B) an illusory correlation.
C) random assignment.
D) a scatterplot.

Question 69

A correlation between levels of impulsiveness and annual income of -0.75 would indicate that

A) lower levels of impulsiveness are associated with lower levels of annual income.
B) higher levels of annual income are associated with lower levels of impulsiveness.
C) it is impossible to predict annual income levels from knowledge of impulsiveness levels.
D) impulsiveness has no causal influence on annual income.

Question 70

A correlation coefficient is a

A) confounding variable.
B) statistical index.
C) dependent variable.
D) double-blind procedure.

Question 71

Which statistical phenomenon refers to the tendency for extraordinary or unusual events to be followed by more ordinary events?

A) random sampling
B) replication
C) regression toward the mean
D) illusory correlation

Question 72

In assessing the extent to which death rates increase as people age,researchers are using correlational research to learn how two ________ are related.

A) random samples
B) case studies
C) statistical indexes
D) variables

Question 73

A correlation coefficient is a statistical measure of

A) the tendency for extreme scores to fall back toward the average.
B) a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary together.
C) a graphed cluster of dots,each of which represents the value of two variables.
D) the perception of a relationship where none exists.

Question 74

Which of the following statistical measures is most helpful for indicating the extent to which high school grades predict college or university grades?

A) a scatterplot
B) a random sample
C) a correlation coefficient
D) an independent variable

Question 75

Gene believes he is much more likely to win the state lottery if he chooses the numbers than if the numbers are randomly generated by a computer program.Gene's belief best illustrates

A) regression toward the mean.
B) an independent variable.
C) an illusion of control.
D) a scatterplot.

Question 76

A correlation coefficient can range in value from

A) 0 to 100.
B) 0 to 1.00.
C) 1 to 99.
D) -1.00 to +1.00.

Question 77

Which of the following is a measure of the extent to which two factors vary together?

A) replication
B) experimentation
C) correlation
D) extrapolation

Question 78

A scatterplot graphically depicts the

A) standard deviation of a distribution of scores.
B) arithmetic average of a distribution of scores.
C) total population from which samples may be drawn.
D) degree of relationship between two variables.

Question 79

The statistical measure that reveals the extent to which two things relate is called

A) naturalistic observation.
B) meta-analysis.
C) a correlation coefficient.
D) a survey.

Question 80

A researcher would be most likely to discover a negative correlation between

A) body height and body weight.
B) self-esteem and depression.
C) education and personal wealth.
D) intelligence and academic success.