Question 1

To provide a baseline against which they can evaluate the effects of a specific treatment,experimenters make use of a(n)

Accepted Answer

To understand the effects of a specific treatment, experimenters need to compare the results with a control group that doesn't receive the treatment but is similar in all other aspects. Hence, control group is the correct answer to provide a baseline against which they can evaluate the effects of a specific treatment. The dependent and independent variables are the variables being measured or manipulated in the experiment, respectively. The experimental group is the group that receives the treatment being tested.

Question 2

Random assignment is most likely to be used in ________ research.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is a technique used in experimental research to ensure that the participants are assigned to groups randomly, which increases the likelihood that any differences observed between the groups are due to the experimental manipulation rather than preexisting differences between the participants. Therefore, random assignment is most likely to be used in experimental research.

Question 3

In an experiment,the group that is not exposed to the treatment being tested is called the ________ group.

Accepted Answer

The group that is not exposed to the treatment being tested is called the control group. This group is used as a comparison group to determine the efficacy of the treatment.

Question 4

In an experiment,the experimental group is the group that

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group that receives the treatment being tested by the experiment. This is the group that is being compared to a control group, which does not receive the treatment. A placebo group is a type of control group, but it is not the experimental group. Knowing which treatment they are receiving is not a defining characteristic of the experimental group, and being fully debriefed after the completion of the experiment is not related to the experimental group.

Question 5

A positive correlation between self-esteem and academic success would indicate that

Accepted Answer

The answer of A positive correlation between self-esteem and academic...

Question 6

A psychologist wants to be sure that her research findings do not result from age or personality differences between participants in the experimental and control groups.She should use

Accepted Answer

Random assignment helps ensure that age and personality differences between participants are equally distributed between the experimental and control groups. This increases the internal validity of the study by reducing the likelihood that extraneous variables are responsible for any observed differences in outcomes between the groups. Replication is not specific to addressing age or personality differences, operational definitions are used to clarify and standardize the meaning of research variables, and the double-blind procedure is used to reduce bias in participant or researcher expectations, but is not specific to addressing age or personality differences.

Question 7

In an experiment designed to study the effectiveness of a new drug for treating diabetes,research participants who receive a placebo have been assigned to the ________ group.

Accepted Answer

The control group is the group that does not receive the experimental treatment, and in this case, participants who receive a placebo instead of the new drug would be the control group.

Question 8

Unlike correlational studies,experiments involve

Accepted Answer

Unlike correlational studies, experiments involve manipulating the factors of interest to determine their effect on the outcome variable. They also operationally define research procedures, but this is not unique to experiments as this is also done in correlational studies. Studying observable behaviors and replication of previous research can also be done in both types of studies.

Question 9

To minimize any differences between participants who are in the control and experimental groups,psychologists make use of

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is used to randomly assign participants to either the control or experimental group, which helps to minimize differences between the groups and increase the likelihood that any differences observed are due to the manipulation of the independent variable in the experimental group. Replication and correlation are not methods used to minimize differences between groups, and random sampling refers to the process of randomly selecting participants from a larger population, which is not the same as random assignment.

Question 10

The experiment is a research method in which

Accepted Answer

The experiment involves the manipulation of one or more factors to observe the effect on behavior. This distinguishes it from other research methods such as surveys or naturalistic observation.

Question 11

Which of the following research methods would most effectively demonstrate that regular aerobic exercise improves people's memories?

Accepted Answer

An experiment would be the best choice because it allows researchers to control the variables and manipulate the independent variable (aerobic exercise) while assessing the dependent variable (memory) in a controlled setting. Through random assignment, a group of participants could engage in regular aerobic exercise while another group does not, allowing researchers to compare the effect of exercise on memory.Experiments can lead to causal conclusions about the relationship between aerobic exercise and memory performance.

Question 12

Experimentation is more useful than correlational research for testing the claim that

Accepted Answer

The answer of Experimentation is more useful than correlational research...

Question 13

If psychologists discovered that people who live at the poverty level have more aggressive children than wealthy people,this would clearly indicate that

Accepted Answer

This discovery would indicate a correlation (relationship) between economic status and children's aggressiveness, not necessarily causation.

Question 14

Random sampling is to ________ as random assignment is to ________.

Accepted Answer

Random sampling is used in surveys, while random assignment is used in experiments. Surveys and experiments are two different research methods.

Question 15

Incorrectly interpreting a correlation between two factors as evidence of causation is best avoided by making use of

Accepted Answer

Experiments allow researchers to manipulate one variable (independent variable) while measuring the effect on another variable (dependent variable). By controlling all other variables, researchers can establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the manipulated variable and the outcome. This helps to avoid mistaking a correlation between two factors as evidence of causation.

Question 16

People with low self-esteem are also particularly likely to suffer from depression.This does not necessarily indicate that low self-esteem triggers negative emotions.Why?

Accepted Answer

Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that one causes the other. It's possible that low self-esteem and depression are both caused by another underlying factor or that the relationship between the two is more complex than a simple cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 17

The most effective way of assessing the impact of hormone replacement therapy on women's health is by means of

Accepted Answer

The most effective way of assessing the impact of hormone replacement therapy on women's health is through experiments. In experiments, variables can be controlled and manipulated to determine cause-and-effect relationships between hormone therapy and health outcomes. This allows for a more precise measurement of the therapy's effectiveness and potential risks compared to other methods such as case studies, correlational measurement, or naturalistic observation.

Question 18

A research method in which an investigator manipulates factors that potentially produce a particular effect is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

An experiment is the only research method listed that involves the manipulation of one or more variables to observe their effect on another variable.

Question 19

To maximize control over the factors they are studying,researchers engage in

Accepted Answer

Experimentation allows researchers to manipulate the independent variable to observe its effects on the dependent variable, while controlling for other variables through random assignment and experimental control. This maximizes control over the factors being studied and allows for causal conclusions to be drawn. Case studies, correlational research, and surveys do not provide the same level of experimental control.

Question 20

To study the effects of noise on worker productivity,researchers have one group of people work in a noisy room and a second group work in a quiet room.To be sure that any differences in the productivity of the two groups actually result from the different noise levels,the researchers should use

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is the best choice as it is a method of assigning participants to groups in such a way that each participant in the study has an equal chance of being placed in either the experimental or control group. This helps to ensure that any differences in the productivity of the two groups can be attributed to the independent variable (noise level) rather than any other factors. The other options (case study, correlational measurement, and naturalistic observation) do not involve such a rigorous control of extraneous variables and may not provide as strong of evidence for causality.

Quiz 1: Psychologys Roots, Big Ideas, and Critical Thinking Tools