Question 1

RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making.Specifically, he is curious about the factors that are irrelevant to the crime committed that influence the sentences juries give to defendants (known as extra-legal factors).To study this further, he samples a group of jury-eligible adults from the Memphis area.He provides them with the fact pattern to a particular case and allows them to watch the closing statements from the trial.He then asks them to provide a sentence (in months) for the defendant.In addition, he measures two legal factors (the number of arguments made by the prosecuting attorney and the length of time the defense attorney speaks during his or her closing argument) and two extra-legal factors (how attractive the participants think the defendant is [higher scores indicate higher ratings of attractiveness] and how many legal television shows the participants watch).The data are below.  List the predictor and dependent/criterion variables in Dr.Nguyen's study.

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist...

Question 2

Explain why longitudinal designs can help researchers make causal statements.If a researcher is hoping to make a causal statement, why would a researcher use a longitudinal design instead of an experimental design?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why longitudinal designs can help researchers...

Question 3

Which of the following words/symbols would indicate that you are reading results from a multiple-regression analysis?
A) b
B) Sig
C) r
D) d

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following words/symbols would indicate...

Question 4

When examining the results of a multiple regression, which of the following should be compared to determine which predictor variables have the largest relationship to the criterion variable?
A) b values
B) Beta values
C) Significance values
D) Effect sizes

Accepted Answer

Beta values allow for comparison of the magnitude of the relationship between each predictor variable and the criterion variable, while controlling for the influence of other predictor variables in the model.

Question 5

Name two consequences of journalists reporting on single studies rather than reporting on patterns of data.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making.Specifically, he is curious about the factors that are irrelevant to the crime committed that influence the sentences juries give to defendants (known as extra-legal factors).To study this further, he samples a group of jury-eligible adults from the Memphis area.He provides them with the fact pattern to a particular case and allows them to watch the closing statements from the trial.He then asks them to provide a sentence (in months) for the defendant.In addition, he measures two legal factors (the number of arguments made by the prosecuting attorney and the length of time the defense attorney speaks during his or her closing argument) and two extra-legal factors (how attractive the participants think the defendant is [higher scores indicate higher ratings of attractiveness] and how many legal televisions shows the participants watch).The data are below.  Choose one of the variables in Dr.Nguyen's study.Explain how this variable relates to criminal sentencing, considering direction of the effect, statistical significance, and strength of relationship compared with the other variables.

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist...

Question 7

The degree to which a good scientific theory provides the simplest explanation of some phenomenon is known as .
A) minimalism
B) pretentiousness
C) parsimony
D) density

Accepted Answer

The term that refers to providing the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is known as parsimony.

Question 8

A criterion variable is also known as a(n) variable.
A) predictor
B) independent
C) control
D) dependent

Accepted Answer

A criterion variable is the dependent variable in a study, meaning that it is the variable that is being measured and tested for its relationship with other variables. Therefore, the best choice is D (dependent variable).

Question 9

If an experiment cannot be done for practical or ethical reasons related to manipulating the variable of interest, which of the following events should happen?
A) The study should not be conducted at all.
B) The researchers should wait until the experiment can be done.
C) A longitudinal correlational design could be done instead.
D) The IRB can grant a waiver of review to conduct the study anyway.

Accepted Answer

If an experiment cannot be done for practical or ethical reasons related to manipulating the variable of interest, a longitudinal correlational design could be done instead. This would allow for the observation and measurement of variables over time without manipulating them. Option A is not the best choice because it assumes that no other research design could be used instead. Option B is not the best choice because it assumes that the experiment will eventually become possible, which might not be the case. Option D is not the best choice because the IRB would not grant a waiver for a study that cannot be done for ethical reasons.

Question 10

RESEARCH STUDY 9.4: Dr.O'Toole is a counseling psychologist who researches family dynamics.He is curious as to whether there is a causal link between the amount of time families spend together on vacation and children's happiness.More specifically, he thinks that spending more time together as a family on vacation causes children to be happier.He designs a study where he samples 63 single-child families in December 2012 and measures how many days the family spent on vacation in the past year as well as the child's happiness.He then contacts the same families in December 2016 and measures those two variables again.The results of his study are below.  Describe what makes Dr.O'Toole's study (1) a longitudinal study and (2) a multivariate correlational study.

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 9.4: Dr.O'Toole is a counseling...

Question 11

RESEARCH STUDY 9.6: Dr.Cheong is a clinical psychologist who is curious about how people deal with natural disasters to report on how their well-being was affected by the hurricane, the social support felt after the storm, and the number of PTSD symptoms.Dr.Cheong finds support for his proposed relationship.However, in examining his data more closely, he finds that the relationship between emotional well-being and PTSD symptoms is stronger for men than for women.
Using Dr.Cheong's study, identify a mediating variable and a moderating variable and explain the difference between the two types of variables.

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 9.6: Dr.Cheong is a clinical...

Question 12

Adding several variables to a regression analysis can help do which of the following?
A) Increase the statistical significance of the results
B) Control for several variables at once
C) Increase the construct validity of a study
D) Meet the temporal precedence criterion for causal inference

Accepted Answer

The answer of Adding several variables to a regression analysis...

Question 13

RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making.Specifically, he is curious about the factors that are irrelevant to the crime committed that influence the sentences juries give to defendants (known as extra-legal factors).To study this further, he samples a group of jury-eligible adults from the Memphis area.He provides them with the fact pattern to a particular case and allows them to watch the closing statements from the trial.He then asks them to provide a sentence (in months) for the defendant.In addition, he measures two legal factors (the number of arguments made by the prosecuting attorney and the length of time the defense attorney speaks during his or her closing argument) and two extra-legal factors (how attractive the participants think the defendant is [higher scores indicate higher ratings of attractiveness] and how many legal televisions shows the participants watch).The data are below.  Explain whether Dr.Nguyen could conduct an experiment instead of a multiple regression design.Regardless, why would an experiment be better than his current study?

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist...

Question 14

Explain the value of pattern and parsimony in attempting to establish causal links in correlational findings.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the value of pattern and parsimony...

Question 15

RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist who studies legal decision making.Specifically, he is curious about the factors that are irrelevant to the crime committed that influence the sentences juries give to defendants (known as extra-legal factors).To study this further, he samples a group of jury-eligible adults from the Memphis area.He provides them with the fact pattern to a particular case and allows them to watch the closing statements from the trial.He then asks them to provide a sentence (in months) for the defendant.In addition, he measures two legal factors (the number of arguments made by the prosecuting attorney and the length of time the defense attorney speaks during his or her closing argument) and two extra-legal factors (how attractive the participants think the defendant is [higher scores indicate higher ratings of attractiveness] and how many legal televisions shows the participants watch).The data are below.  Explain whether Dr.Nguyen is correct in thinking that extra-legal factors are more important in legal decision making than legal factors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 9.5: Dr.Nguyen is a psychologist...

Question 16

Why is it problematic when journalists only report on a single study?
A) It can make journalists look bad.
B) It can lead people to think journalists are scientists.
C) It can lead people to value one study over decades of previous research.
D) It can cause people to interrogate a study's validities.

Accepted Answer

Reporting on a single study can lead people to value that study over other research that has been conducted in the same field over many years. This can lead to incomplete or inaccurate understandings of a topic, which can be problematic.

Question 17

Why should journalists report on the previous body of research when writing about a newly published scientific study?
A) To highlight pattern and parsimony in scientific research
B) To demonstrate that they have a background in science
C) To make it easier for their readers to determine that the story is credible
D) To prove to their editors that readers will be interested in the story

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why should journalists report on the previous...

Question 18

How do multiple regression designs help rule out third variables?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do multiple regression designs help rule...

Question 19

Such topics as the link between media and aggression and smoking and lung cancer have been studied with a variety of methods and by a variety of researchers and have all reached similar conclusions.This is an example of which of the following?
A) Hypothesis generation
B) Third variable problems
C) Multiple-regression designs
D) Pattern and parsimony

Accepted Answer

This is an example of pattern and parsimony, which is the idea that a theory or explanation should be as simple and straightforward as possible while still accounting for all the available evidence. In this case, multiple researchers and methods have all produced consistent results, making the conclusion about the link between media and aggression and smoking and lung cancer a simple and parsimonious explanation for the observed patterns.

Question 20

Why would a researcher interested in making a causal claim NOT do an experiment?
A) Experiments are very expensive and the researcher might not have grant funding.
B) There may be ethical limitations of manipulating a variable.
C) Laboratory space is required for experiments and the researcher might not have a lab.
D) Experiments take longer to do than other types of studies.

Accepted Answer

If there are ethical limitations in manipulating a variable, researchers cannot do an experiment. They would have to find an alternative method to establish causation, such as a quasi-experiment or observational study. The other options (A, C, and D) are not valid reasons for not doing an experiment as they can be addressed through alternative means, such as securing funding, finding laboratory space, or adjusting the study design to account for time constraints.

Quiz 9: Multivariate Correlational Research

Explain why longitudinal designs can help researchers make causal statements.If a researcher is hoping to make a causal statement, why would a researcher use a longitudinal design instead of an experimental design?

Which of the following words/symbols would indicate that you are reading results from a multiple-regression analysis?

When examining the results of a multiple regression, which of the following should be compared to determine which predictor variables have the largest relationship to the criterion variable?

Name two consequences of journalists reporting on single studies rather than reporting on patterns of data.

The degree to which a good scientific theory provides the simplest explanation of some phenomenon is known as .

A criterion variable is also known as a(n) variable.

If an experiment cannot be done for practical or ethical reasons related to manipulating the variable of interest, which of the following events should happen?

Adding several variables to a regression analysis can help do which of the following?

Explain the value of pattern and parsimony in attempting to establish causal links in correlational findings.

Why is it problematic when journalists only report on a single study?

Why should journalists report on the previous body of research when writing about a newly published scientific study?

How do multiple regression designs help rule out third variables?

Such topics as the link between media and aggression and smoking and lung cancer have been studied with a variety of methods and by a variety of researchers and have all reached similar conclusions.This is an example of which of the following?

Why would a researcher interested in making a causal claim NOT do an experiment?