Question 1

Why it is a bad idea to draw conclusions from anecdotal evidence?&#10;A)Such conclusions usually go against common sense and conclusions against common sense are not usually valid.&#10;B)Anecdotes are reliable only if they come from experts,which they rarely do.&#10;C)Anecdotes are a single-blind technique,not a double-blind method.&#10;D)There is no way to know if the anecdote is true or if it will generalize to other people and situations.

Accepted Answer

Anecdotal evidence is based on individual experiences and does not follow a scientific approach. Therefore, it cannot be generalized or used as a reliable basis for drawing conclusions. It is important to use systematic and controlled studies to draw valid conclusions.

Question 2

Scientists study a _________ and then generalize the results of their investigation to a __________.&#10;A)sample;population&#10;B)population;sample&#10;C)convenience sample;random sample&#10;D)random sample;convenience sample

Accepted Answer

Scientists typically study a sample, which is a subset of a larger group, or population. They then use the information gathered from the sample to make generalizations or draw conclusions about the population as a whole. Therefore, A is the correct answer as it matches the order in which scientists typically conduct their research.

Question 3

Most people would agree that anxiety can lead to sleep loss.However,Dr.Jenkins believes that sleep deprivation can also cause increased anxiety.Which research method would allow him to test a cause-effect relationship between the two?

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

B

Accepted Answer

An experimental research method would allow Dr. Jenkins to manipulate and control the independent variable (sleep deprivation) and observe its effect on the dependent variable (increased anxiety). This would allow him to test a cause-effect relationship between the two variables. The other research methods listed (naturalistic observation, correlational, and survey) would not provide the necessary control over the variables to establish a cause-effect relationship.

Question 4

A teacher notices that,on the last science test,some students did very well while other students performed poorly or had grades somewhere in the middle.If she wanted to measure how "spread out" the scores were,which descriptive statistic could she use?

A)median
B)mode
C)standard deviation
D)mean

Accepted Answer

The standard deviation is a measure of dispersion or spread of data around the mean. It tells you how far apart the data is from the average. In the case of the teacher's science test, she can use the standard deviation to determine how spread out the scores were among the students. A high standard deviation indicates that there is a large spread of scores, while a low standard deviation indicates that the scores are closer together. The median, mode, and mean are measures of central tendency, which tell you where the center of the data is, but they do not give any information about how spread out the data is.

Question 5

Under which of the following circumstances would the mean be the best measure of central tendency to use?&#10;A)The data have a normal distribution.&#10;B)The data are positively skewed.&#10;C)The data are negatively skewed.&#10;D)The mean is robust and always considered the best measure of central tendency.

Accepted Answer

The mean is the best measure of central tendency to use when the data have a normal distribution. This is because the mean is the balance point of the distribution, and in a normal distribution, the scores are evenly distributed around the mean. In other words, the mean represents the typical value of the data in a normal distribution.

Question 6

What does a correlation coefficient of -0.94 indicate about the relationship between two variables?&#10;A)The variables are weakly associated,with both increasing together.&#10;B)The variables are strongly associated,with both increasing together.&#10;C)The variables are weakly associated,with one increasing as the other decreases.&#10;D)The variables are strongly associated,with one increasing as the other decreases.

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of -0.94 indicates a strong negative correlation between two variables, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases. Therefore, the best choice is D, which states that the variables are strongly associated, with one increasing as the other decreases.

Question 7

Which of the following statements describes the amount of cognitive and emotional risk to participants allowed in psychological research today?&#10;A)Any amount of risk is acceptable.&#10;B)No amount of risk is acceptable.&#10;C)Low levels of risk are always acceptable,but more than minimal risk is never acceptable.&#10;D)The amount of acceptable risk depends in part on the possible benefits from the study.

Accepted Answer

The amount of acceptable risk in psychological research today depends on the potential benefits of the study. Researchers must balance the potential benefits of a study against the potential harm or risk to participants, and take steps to protect the welfare of their participants. While low levels of risk are generally acceptable, more than minimal risk may be acceptable in some situations if the potential benefits are significant and the risk can be minimized.

Question 8

The use of deception in psychological research is&#10;A)considered necessary and completely acceptable in all research.&#10;B)not considered acceptable.&#10;C)generally acceptable when shown to be absolutely necessary for the research.&#10;D)acceptable only in nonhuman research.

Accepted Answer

Deception in psychological research is generally acceptable when it is shown to be absolutely necessary for the research and when its use is justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational, or applied value, and when alternative procedures without deception are not viable.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of demand characteristics affecting an experiment?&#10;A)An experimenter draws the wrong conclusions from a study because she did not use the correct statistical analysis.&#10;B)A participant changes his response to a question because he has the feeling he knows what the experimenter wants.&#10;C)An experimenter changes her behaviour because she can predict how the participant will respond.&#10;D)A participant in a double-blind experiment believes she is in the control group.

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics occur when participants alter their behavior or responses based on their perceptions of the experiment's purpose or what they think the experimenter wants. In this case, the participant is altering their response because they believe they know what the experimenter wants.

Question 10

Keisha performs an experiment with two randomly assigned groups of school children.The first group is allowed 15 minutes of recess play before a math test,while the second group watches a video before the test.When she analyzes the test scores,she finds that there is a statistical difference between the groups,with the recess group scoring higher,on average,on the test.Which conclusion can be drawn from this result?

A)The difference between the scores for the two groups is not likely due to their differing pre-test activities and it is probably due to random chance.
B)The difference between the scores for the two groups is likely due to their differing pre-test activities,and did not happen by chance.
C)Students who are good at math prefer recess to watching a video.
D)Students who are good at math prefer watching a video to recess.

Accepted Answer

Since there is a statistical difference between the two groups, it is likely that the pre-test activities had an effect on their test scores. It is unlikely that this difference occurred by chance.

Deck 2: E: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research