Question 1

In a well-controlled experiment, researchers seek to minimize

Accepted Answer

Minimizing confounding variables is essential in a well-controlled experiment to ensure that the independent variable is the only factor affecting the dependent variable. Informed consent, replication, and random assignment are also important aspects of experimental design, but minimizing confounding variables is crucial in establishing cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 2

To test the potential effect of hunger on taste sensitivity, groups of research participants are deprived of food for differing lengths of time before they engage in a taste-sensitivity test. This research is an example of

Accepted Answer

This research involves manipulating the independent variable (length of time without food) to observe its effect on the dependent variable (taste sensitivity), which is the hallmark of an experiment.

Question 3

In an experimental study of the extent to which mental alertness is inhibited by sleep deprivation, alertness would be the

Accepted Answer

The study is testing the effect of sleep deprivation on mental alertness. Therefore, mental alertness is the dependent variable, as it is the outcome that is being measured. The independent variable would be the manipulation of sleep deprivation, and the alertness of participants who get normal sleep would serve as the control condition.

Question 4

To assess whether sense of humor is affected by sexual stimulation, researchers exposed married couples to either sexually stimulating or to sexually nonstimulating movie scenes prior to watching a comedy skit. In this research, the independent variable consisted of

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this research is the level of sexual stimulation, as this is what the researchers manipulated in order to assess its effect on sense of humor. The other options (reactions to the comedy skit, marital status, sense of humor) are all either not directly manipulated by the researchers or are not the primary focus of the study.

Question 5

The ________ is a measure of ________.

Accepted Answer

The standard deviation is a measure of variation in a set of data. The other answer choices are incorrect because the median and range are measures of central tendency and variation, respectively, while the correlation coefficient is a measure of the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, not central tendency or variation.

Question 6

A negative correlation between people's work-related stress and their marital happiness would indicate that

Accepted Answer

The answer of A negative correlation between people's work-related stress...

Question 7

A correlation of +0.70 between children's physical height and their popularity among their peers indicates that

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of +0.70 indicates a strong positive relationship between children's physical height and their popularity among their peers. This means that as a child's height increases, so does their likelihood of being popular among their peers. It does not necessarily mean that height causes popularity or that being unusually short or tall has a negative impact on popularity.

Question 8

The ________ can be a particularly misleading indication of what is average for a ________ distribution of scores.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ can be a particularly misleading...

Question 9

In a study of factors that might affect memory, research participants were assigned to drink either an alcoholic or a nonalcoholic beverage prior to completing a memory test. Those who drank the nonalcoholic beverage were assigned to the ________ group.

Accepted Answer

The control group is the group that does not receive the treatment being studied. In this case, the treatment is drinking an alcoholic beverage, so those who drank the nonalcoholic beverage are the control group.

Question 10

Stacey suggests that because children are more impulsive than adults, they will have more difficulty controlling their anger. Stacey's prediction regarding anger management is an example of

Accepted Answer

Stacey's prediction is a proposed explanation or hypothesis that can be tested through research.

Question 11

Which method offers the most reliable way of assessing whether athletic performance is boosted by caffeine consumption?

Accepted Answer

The most reliable way of assessing whether athletic performance is boosted by caffeine consumption is through experimentation. This involves manipulating the independent variable, in this case caffeine consumption, and measuring the effects on the dependent variable, athletic performance. Randomly assigning participants to different conditions and controlling for extraneous variables allows for the most accurate assessment of the effects of caffeine on athletic performance. Surveys, case studies, and naturalistic observation may provide some insight, but they are not as controlled and may be subject to biases and limitations.

Question 12

Differences between two samples are LEAST likely to be statistically significant if

Accepted Answer

Small sample sizes and large standard deviations increase variability and reduce the likelihood of detecting a statistically significant difference between samples.

Question 13

In drug-treatment studies, double-blind procedures minimize outcome differences between experimental and control conditions that could be attributed to

Accepted Answer

Double-blind procedures are effective in minimizing placebo effects, which can result in outcome differences between experimental and control conditions. Replication, operational definitions, and random sampling are important factors in research design, but they are not directly addressed by double-blind procedures.

Question 14

In an experimental study of the effects of dieting on weight loss, dieting would be the

Accepted Answer

Dieting is the independent variable that is being manipulated in the study, while weight loss is the dependent variable that is being measured. The control condition would be a group that does not diet, in order to provide a comparison for the experimental group that does diet. A placebo is a substance or treatment that has no actual therapeutic effect, but is given to participants in order to control for the placebo effect.

Question 15

Participants in an experiment are said to be blind if they are uninformed about

Accepted Answer

Participants are said to be blind if they are unaware of which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving. This is known as single-blind or double-blind depending on whether the experimenter or both the experimenter and participants are unaware of the treatment assignment. Being blind to the other options listed (the experimental hypothesis, statistical significance, or measurement of the dependent variable) would not have as much impact on the validity of the experiment.

Question 16

Which research method runs the greatest risk of collecting evidence that may be unrepresentative of what is generally true?

Accepted Answer

The case study method focuses on a single individual or group and may not be representative of the larger population. Therefore, the data collected may not reflect what is generally true.

Question 17

Every twenty-fifth person who subscribed to a weekly news magazine was contacted by market researchers to complete a survey of opinions regarding the magazine's contents. The researchers were applying the technique known as

Accepted Answer

The researchers were using random sampling because they were selecting every twenty-fifth person from the population of subscribers to participate in the survey. This means that each subscriber had an equal chance of being selected, which is the definition of random sampling.

Question 18

Psychological theories

Accepted Answer

Psychological theories organize scientific observations, explain observed facts, and generate hypotheses. It provides a framework for understanding behavior and mental processes.

Question 19

Researchers control factors that might influence a dependent variable by means of

Accepted Answer

Random assignment allows researchers to distribute participants across experimental and control groups in a random and unbiased manner, thus minimizing the influence of extraneous variables on the dependent variable. Replication and naturalistic observation do not directly control for extraneous variables, while operational definitions define variables rather than controlling their influence.

Question 20

Professor Carter observes and records the behavior of grocery shoppers as they select items to purchase. Which type of research is Professor Carter using?

Accepted Answer

Professor Carter is using naturalistic observation, which involves observing and recording behavior in natural settings without any intervention or manipulation of the environment. This type of research is useful for providing insight into everyday behaviors and experiences.

Quiz 3: Research Strategies