Question 1

Scenario 2
A researcher was interested in the effects of mood on aggression.She decided to see how receiving an insult or a compliment affects aggression,and she measured aggression by having participants administer small shocks to another participant.The researcher found that participants in the insult condition were more aggressive than those in the compliment condition.
-Refer to Scenario 2.In this research,what is the operationalized dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The operationalized dependent variable is the administering of small shocks, as this is the specific, measurable action used by the researcher to quantify the level of aggression in participants.

Question 2

What do experiments examine?

Accepted Answer

Experiments examine the effects of independent variables on dependent variables. Control factors are used to eliminate any potential confounding variables that could affect the outcome, and are not the main focus of the experiment. The dependent variable is the outcome that is being measured, and the independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated to see its effects on the dependent variable. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Question 3

Scenario 2
A researcher was interested in the effects of mood on aggression.She decided to see how receiving an insult or a compliment affects aggression,and she measured aggression by having participants administer small shocks to another participant.The researcher found that participants in the insult condition were more aggressive than those in the compliment condition.
-Refer to Scenario 2.A reviewer might be concerned that people in the insult condition were more naturally aggressive than people in the compliment condition,causing the differences observed by the researcher.In which of the following cases would this be a valid concern?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment to conditions ensures that the groups in the experiment are equivalent at the start of the study, therefore, any subsequent differences are more likely due to the manipulation of the independent variable (receiving an insult or a compliment). If participants were not randomly assigned to the insult or compliment condition, then the concern that people in the insult condition were more naturally aggressive than people in the compliment condition would be valid. The other answer choices are not directly related to this concern.

Question 4

A researcher manipulates certain factors in an experiment to see whether they affect the variables of interest.What are these factors called?

Accepted Answer

The factors manipulated by the researcher are called independent variables.

Question 5

Scenario 2
A researcher was interested in the effects of mood on aggression.She decided to see how receiving an insult or a compliment affects aggression,and she measured aggression by having participants administer small shocks to another participant.The researcher found that participants in the insult condition were more aggressive than those in the compliment condition.
-Refer to Scenario 2.In this research,what is the conceptual dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The conceptual dependent variable in this research is the level of aggression, as it is the variable that is being affected by the independent variable (receiving a compliment or insult). The administering of small shocks is the operationalization of aggression, while receiving a compliment or insult is the independent variable and mood is a related variable that could have an effect on aggression but is not directly measured in this study.

Question 6

Castilla wonders whether environmental factors influence how long juries take to select a foreperson.Mock jurors are brought into a room with either a rectangular table or a round table.The jurors are asked to select a foreperson before starting deliberation.Castilla records how long it takes each jury to select a foreperson.What variable is the shape of the table?

Accepted Answer

The shape of the table is the independent variable because Castilla is manipulating this variable to see if it has an effect on how long it takes for the jury to select a foreperson.

Question 7

A study conducted by Ashton-James and her colleagues (2009)examined the type of pen selected by Western and East Asian participants.What type of research is this study?

Accepted Answer

This study is an experiment because it involves manipulating a variable (type of pen) to see its effect on different groups (Western and East Asian participants), which is a hallmark of experimental research.

Question 8

Ashton-James and her colleagues (2009)conducted a study in which they examined the type of pen selected from a group of pens by Western and East Asian participants.What did they find?

Accepted Answer

The study found that the mood of the participants influenced their choice of pen, with those in a positive mood more likely to choose an uncommon pen.

Question 9

Which of the following is an advantage of field research?

Accepted Answer

Participants in field research are more likely to behave naturally as they are being studied in their natural environment, rather than in an artificial/lab setting. This can lead to more accurate and realistic findings.

Question 10

Harrison asks research participants to solve as many math problems as they can while working either alone or in groups of three.In this experiment,the number of math problems the participants solve is most likely which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The number of math problems the participants solve is being measured and is therefore the dependent variable. The independent variable is the type of work environment (alone or in a group of three) being manipulated by the researcher. The control variable would be any factors that the researcher is keeping constant in the experiment, such as the difficulty level of the math problems. The subject variable would be any individual differences among the participants that could affect their performance, but this is not mentioned in the scenario.

Question 11

What was the dependent variable in the study by Ashton-James and her colleagues (2009)?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the dependent variable in the...

Question 12

Dr.Van Nostrand studies the impact of pornography on attitudes toward women.In this research,what is "attitudes toward women"?

Accepted Answer

"Attitudes toward women" is the outcome measure or variable being studied, typically through changes in beliefs, perceptions, or behaviors. Therefore, it is the dependent variable.

Question 13

To examine the impact of group size on conformity behaviour,Stanley has groups of two,five,or ten people stand on the street and stare up at a window.Stanley then records the number of passersby who stop and stare at the window.What kind of study is this?

Accepted Answer

This is an experiment with one independent variable, which is group size. Stanley is manipulating group size (two, five, or ten people) and measuring the impact on conformity behavior (number of passersby who stop and stare at the window).

Question 14

What do researchers call the procedure used to ensure that research participants have an equal chance of being placed in either the experimental or control group in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment refers to the procedure used to ensure that research participants have an equal chance of being placed in either the experimental or control group in an experiment. This helps to control for extraneous variables and increase the internal validity of the study. Random sampling, on the other hand, refers to the procedure used to select a representative sample of participants from a larger population. Debriefing refers to the process of disclosing the true nature of the study to participants after it is completed, while experimental realism refers to the extent to which an experiment is able to replicate real-world situations.

Question 15

Scenario 2
A researcher was interested in the effects of mood on aggression.She decided to see how receiving an insult or a compliment affects aggression,and she measured aggression by having participants administer small shocks to another participant.The researcher found that participants in the insult condition were more aggressive than those in the compliment condition.
-Refer to Scenario 2.Suppose a reviewer thinks that the participants did not believe that they were actually administering shocks to another person.What feature would the reviewer have concerns about?

Accepted Answer

The reviewer would have concerns about experimental realism, which refers to the degree to which the experimental situation feels realistic and involves the participants in the study. If participants do not believe that they are administering real shocks to another person, then the experimental situation may lack sufficient realism, potentially affecting the validity of the results.

Question 16

Why is random assignment essential to establishing causality?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment helps to ensure that individual differences or characteristics of participants are evenly distributed among the experimental and control groups. This reduces the possibility that individual characteristics caused the observed results, strengthening the causal inference between the independent variable and dependent variable.

Question 17

Scenario 2
A researcher was interested in the effects of mood on aggression.She decided to see how receiving an insult or a compliment affects aggression,and she measured aggression by having participants administer small shocks to another participant.The researcher found that participants in the insult condition were more aggressive than those in the compliment condition.
-Refer to Scenario 2.Suppose a reviewer questions the value of the research by stating that the majority of people never administer a shock to another person in the real world.What feature would the reviewer be concerned about?

Accepted Answer

The reviewer's concern is about mundane realism, which refers to how closely an experiment mirrors real-life experiences. The critique is that administering shocks is not a common real-world behavior, thus questioning the study's applicability to everyday situations.

Question 18

Ashton-James and her colleagues (2009)conducted a study in which they examined the type of pen selected from a group of pens by Western and East Asian participants.What did the study show about the influence of mood?

Accepted Answer

The study showed that mood had different effects on pen selection for participants of Western and East Asian backgrounds. This suggests that cultural factors may play a role in the relationship between mood and decision making.

Question 19

Vera thinks that having pets increases psychological functioning and well-being.To test this,one group of randomly selected nursing home residents are each given a pet while a second group are not.Over two months,the overall level of psychological functioning is evaluated on a daily basis.What is the independent variable in this study?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated in the study, in this case whether or not the nursing home residents received a pet. A is incorrect because the number of months of testing is a dependent variable that is measured, not manipulated. C and D are also incorrect because they are outcome measures, not independent variables.

Question 20

Which of the following is a major difference between field experiments and laboratory experiments?

Accepted Answer

The major difference between field experiments and laboratory experiments is that laboratory experiments permit researchers greater control, whereas field experiments are conducted in real-world settings where there is less control. Option A is incorrect because, in laboratory experiments, there is less mundane realism since participants know they are being observed, and the environment is artificial. Option B is incorrect because laboratory experiments have less naturalistic observation due to the controlled environment. Option C is incorrect because laboratory experiments are also susceptible to experimenter expectancy effects.

Quiz 2: Doing Social Psychology Research

What do experiments examine?

A researcher manipulates certain factors in an experiment to see whether they affect the variables of interest.What are these factors called?

A study conducted by Ashton-James and her colleagues (2009) examined the type of pen selected by Western and East Asian participants.What type of research is this study?

Ashton-James and her colleagues (2009) conducted a study in which they examined the type of pen selected from a group of pens by Western and East Asian participants.What did they find?