Question 1

Experimental research studies are more likely to be conducted in the _________,while descriptive and correlational studies are usually performed in the __________.

Accepted Answer

Experimental research studies require strict control over variables, which is easier to achieve in a laboratory setting. Descriptive and correlational studies, on the other hand, focus on observing and describing behavior in natural settings and are therefore more suited to fieldwork.

Question 2

In a formal experiment,the participants who are subjected to an independent variable make up the ____________ group.

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group of participants who are subjected to the independent variable. The control group is used to establish a baseline or comparison for the experimental group, while the outcome group is a group that is evaluated at the end of the experiment to determine the results. Therefore, the correct answer is C) experimental.

Question 3

Russell is conducting a study that employs naturalistic observation of teenagers at a local shopping mall food court.He is observing their "flirting" behaviors,and hypothesizes that the better clothes a teenager wears,the more likely he or she is to be flirted with.As he makes his observations,one of his research partners notices that he does not pay attention to the teenagers who have less "nice" clothing nearly as much as he does to those kids who have a lot of trendy,fashionable clothing.Russell is falling prey to which disadvantage of naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

Observer bias is the tendency for an observer to only report what they perceive to be important or interesting, leading to a skewed view of the phenomenon being observed. In this case, Russell is biased towards observing teenagers with nicer clothing and may be missing important observations of teenagers with less fashionable clothing.

Question 4

In order to counteract the __________variable problem that affects correlational research,a psychologist might use the matched samples or matched pair technique.

Accepted Answer

The correct term is "third variable problem," which refers to a situation in correlational research where an unaccounted-for third variable causes the observed correlation between two variables, rather than one variable directly causing changes in the other. The matched samples or matched pairs technique is used to control for this by ensuring that the two groups being compared are equivalent on some third variable.

Question 5

A single participant is to a(n)____________ as a large number of participants is to a(n)___________.

Accepted Answer

A single participant is typically studied in a case study, while a large number of participants are often used in a survey. The other options (A, B, and C) are incorrect because they do not represent a clear comparison between a small versus large number of participants.

Question 6

Famed primatologist Jane Goodall earned international notoriety for her studies of chimpanzees.Much of her research was spent observing the animals from afar without interfering with their day to day lives.This type of research,called __________ observation,is important because it allows observation of behaviors without interfering with or changing those behaviors.

Accepted Answer

The description of the research method as observing animals from afar without interfering with their behavior is a clear indication of naturalistic observation, making choice B the best answer. Choice A, case observation, involves studying a single person or a small group in depth, which is not the case here. Choice C, laboratory observation, involves observing behavior in controlled environments, which is not mentioned in the passage. Choice D, external observation, is not a commonly used research term and does not accurately describe the research method described.

Question 7

If you wanted to get information from a very large number of college students about their drinking habits in a non-intrusive manner,which descriptive research method would probably be your best bet?

Accepted Answer

A survey would allow for a large sample size of college students to provide information about their drinking habits in a non-intrusive manner. Naturalistic observation and laboratory observation would be intrusive, and a case study would only provide information about a small number of individuals.

Question 8

What is a technique that a researcher can use to avoid the observer bias effect when engaging in naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

Using blind observers is the best technique to avoid observer bias in naturalistic observation. A blind observer is not informed about the research hypothesis or the behavior being observed, which helps reduce the potential for bias. Matched, counter-balanced, or random observers do not necessarily prevent observer bias.

Question 9

__________ studies allow us to make predictions about one variable based on the knowledge of another.

Accepted Answer

Correlational studies examine the relationship between two variables and allow us to make predictions about one variable based on our knowledge of the other. Case studies are detailed examinations of a single subject or small group and do not usually make predictions. Experimental studies involve manipulating variables to determine cause and effect, but do not necessarily involve predicting outcomes. Naturalistic studies are observational and describe behavior in its natural context but do not provide predictions.

Question 10

When research participants are involved in laboratory observation,they often know that they are being observed.Why is this a potential problem for the results of the study?

Accepted Answer

Knowing that one is being observed can cause participants to alter their behavior, leading to artificial results. This is a well-known issue in psychology research, and researchers must take steps to minimize the impact of observer effects.

Question 11

The best way to conduct descriptive research in a highly controlled setting is to use __________ observation.

Accepted Answer

Laboratory observation allows for a highly controlled setting where variables can be manipulated and monitored in a systematic way, making it the best way to conduct descriptive research in a highly controlled setting. Correlational and naturalistic observation are not as controlled, and experimental observation involves the manipulation of variables to determine causation, which may not be the goal of descriptive research.

Question 12

In a formal experiment,the participants who are given no treatment or a treatment that is believed to have no effect make up the __________ group.

Accepted Answer

In a formal experiment, the control group is the group of participants who are given no treatment or a treatment that is believed to have no effect. This group is used for comparison to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment being tested in the experimental group.

Question 13

In order to eliminate the third-variable problem in correlational research,which of the following techniques can a researcher employ?

Accepted Answer

Matched samples are used to eliminate the third-variable problem in correlational research by ensuring that the two groups being compared are similar on all relevant variables except for the independent variable.

Question 14

Dr.Ayers conducts a correlational study examining the relationship between ice cream consumption and death by drowning.She finds that there appears to be a strong relationship between these two variables.Which of the following conclusions would be inappropriate for Dr.Ayers to make?

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not equal causation, therefore it would be inappropriate to conclude that eating more ice cream causes people to drown. The correlation could be influenced by other factors such as warmer weather or increased swimming activity during summer months when ice cream consumption also tends to be higher.

Answer: B, C, D
 These conclusions are appropriate based on the correlational study. The study found a strong relationship between ice cream consumption and death by drowning, but it does not establish causality. It is possible that a third variable, such as temperature or swimming habits, could be influencing both ice cream consumption and drowning.

Question 15

If you were interested in studying the impact that child abuse has on people later in life,you would probably be unable to use an experiment because this is an independent variable that could not be ethically manipulated.Instead,you might find a small number of people who had suffered abuse as children,and gather as much information as you could about them (with their consent,of course).This kind of research that involves gathering a lot of information about one or a few participants is called a __________ study.

Accepted Answer

A case study is a type of research that involves gathering detailed information about one individual or a small group of individuals. It is often used when the topic of study is rare or difficult to replicate, and in this case, child abuse is not something that can ethically be manipulated in an experimental setting. Therefore, gathering in-depth information from a small number of individuals who have experienced abuse is a more feasible research approach. The other options (B, C, and D) do not accurately describe this type of research.

Question 16

What is the main distinction of using a descriptive research design as compared to a correlational or experimental design?

Accepted Answer

The main distinction of a descriptive research design is that it focuses on observing and describing behaviors or phenomena without investigating the relationship between specific variables. Correlational and experimental designs, on the other hand, are focused on exploring the relationships between variables and determining cause-and-effect relationships. Descriptive studies can still collect data from human participants, but their main goal is not to determine correlations or causation.

Question 17

All but which of the following are examples of descriptive research designs?

Accepted Answer

Experimentation is not a descriptive research design, as it involves manipulation of variables and testing of hypotheses. The other options, naturalistic observation, case study, and surveys, all fall under descriptive research designs that focus on observing and describing behavior or characteristics without manipulation or control of variables.

Question 18

Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget conducted rigorous observations of his own children as they grew up,and that is what formed the basis for his stage theory of cognitive development.From a research perspective,Piaget conducted a(n)__________.

Accepted Answer

Piaget conducted a case study by observing his own children, which formed the basis for his stage theory of cognitive development.

Question 19

Dr.Kochkodin wants to do a research study where he will be able to determine if changes in room temperature cause changes in exam score among undergraduate psychology students.What sort of research design is he most likely to use?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Kochkodin wants to determine if there is a causal relationship between changes in room temperature and exam scores, which is best done through an experimental design where he can manipulate the independent variable (temperature) and measure its effect on the dependent variable (exam scores).

Question 20

What is the main difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

Accepted Answer

The main difference between an experiment and a correlational study is that an experiment involves the manipulation of variables, while a correlational study does not. In an experiment, the researcher deliberately changes one variable (independent variable) to observe its effect on another variable (dependent variable). In a correlational study, the researcher simply measures the relationship between variables without manipulating them. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Quiz 2: Research Methods

Experimental research studies are more likely to be conducted in the _,while descriptive and correlational studies are usually performed in the __.

In a formal experiment,the participants who are subjected to an independent variable make up the ____________ group.

In order to counteract the __________variable problem that affects correlational research,a psychologist might use the matched samples or matched pair technique.

A single participant is to a(n) __ as a large number of participants is to a(n) _.

If you wanted to get information from a very large number of college students about their drinking habits in a non-intrusive manner,which descriptive research method would probably be your best bet?

What is a technique that a researcher can use to avoid the observer bias effect when engaging in naturalistic observation?

__________ studies allow us to make predictions about one variable based on the knowledge of another.

When research participants are involved in laboratory observation,they often know that they are being observed.Why is this a potential problem for the results of the study?

The best way to conduct descriptive research in a highly controlled setting is to use __________ observation.

In a formal experiment,the participants who are given no treatment or a treatment that is believed to have no effect make up the __________ group.

In order to eliminate the third-variable problem in correlational research,which of the following techniques can a researcher employ?

Dr.Ayers conducts a correlational study examining the relationship between ice cream consumption and death by drowning.She finds that there appears to be a strong relationship between these two variables.Which of the following conclusions would be inappropriate for Dr.Ayers to make?

What is the main distinction of using a descriptive research design as compared to a correlational or experimental design?

All but which of the following are examples of descriptive research designs?

Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget conducted rigorous observations of his own children as they grew up,and that is what formed the basis for his stage theory of cognitive development.From a research perspective,Piaget conducted a(n) __________.

Dr.Kochkodin wants to do a research study where he will be able to determine if changes in room temperature cause changes in exam score among undergraduate psychology students.What sort of research design is he most likely to use?

What is the main difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

Quiz 2: Research Methods

Experimental research studies are more likely to be conducted in the _________,while descriptive and correlational studies are usually performed in the __________.

In a formal experiment,the participants who are subjected to an independent variable make up the ____________ group.

In order to counteract the __________variable problem that affects correlational research,a psychologist might use the matched samples or matched pair technique.

A single participant is to a(n) ____________ as a large number of participants is to a(n) ___________.

If you wanted to get information from a very large number of college students about their drinking habits in a non-intrusive manner,which descriptive research method would probably be your best bet?

What is a technique that a researcher can use to avoid the observer bias effect when engaging in naturalistic observation?

__________ studies allow us to make predictions about one variable based on the knowledge of another.

When research participants are involved in laboratory observation,they often know that they are being observed.Why is this a potential problem for the results of the study?

The best way to conduct descriptive research in a highly controlled setting is to use __________ observation.

In a formal experiment,the participants who are given no treatment or a treatment that is believed to have no effect make up the __________ group.

In order to eliminate the third-variable problem in correlational research,which of the following techniques can a researcher employ?

Dr.Ayers conducts a correlational study examining the relationship between ice cream consumption and death by drowning.She finds that there appears to be a strong relationship between these two variables.Which of the following conclusions would be inappropriate for Dr.Ayers to make?

What is the main distinction of using a descriptive research design as compared to a correlational or experimental design?

All but which of the following are examples of descriptive research designs?

Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget conducted rigorous observations of his own children as they grew up,and that is what formed the basis for his stage theory of cognitive development.From a research perspective,Piaget conducted a(n) __________.

Dr.Kochkodin wants to do a research study where he will be able to determine if changes in room temperature cause changes in exam score among undergraduate psychology students.What sort of research design is he most likely to use?

What is the main difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

Experimental research studies are more likely to be conducted in the _,while descriptive and correlational studies are usually performed in the __.

A single participant is to a(n) __ as a large number of participants is to a(n) _.