Question 1

A social psychologist is interested in studying aggression in sports fans. He goes to various sporting events and keeps track of the number of aggressive acts that occur between fans using a well-defined coding system. This psychologist is using which of the following ways of measuring behaviour?
A)Self-report measures
B)Physiological measures
C)Behavioural observations
D)Scientific measures

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is using behavioral observations to study aggression in sports fans by directly observing and recording their actions using a specific coding system. This method involves watching and noting behaviors as they occur in natural settings.

Question 2

A researcher wants to know how much time students in a dorm spend watching TV, but she has noticed that students tend to leave the TV room when she comes in to see who is watching. To get around this problem, she decides to observe wear-and-tear on the TV remote control as a measure of how much time students spend watching TV. Like many psychologists, this researcher is using a(n)
A)unobtrusive measure
B)hypothetical measure
C)double-blind measure
D)placebo measure

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using an unobtrusive measure, which allows her to gather data without interfering with the subjects' behavior or making them aware that they are being studied.

Question 3

The tendency to respond in a socially appropriate manner rather than according to how a person actually thinks, feels, or behaves is called the
A)social acceptability bias
B)social desirability bias
C)social adequacy bias
D)social worth bias

Accepted Answer

Social desirability bias is the term used to describe the tendency of respondents to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others, often leading to over-reporting of "good" behavior or under-reporting of "bad" behavior.

Question 4

An advantage of using operational definitions is that
A)they allow other researchers to agree with these definitions
B)they let other researchers know exactly what is meant by the various terms
C)they automatically generate the relevant dependent and independent variables
D)they are consistent with the law of parsimony

Accepted Answer

Operational definitions specify exactly how variables are measured or manipulated in a study, allowing other researchers to understand precisely what the terms mean, facilitating replication and verification of research findings.

Question 5

One of the major limitations of behavioural observations is that
A)researchers know that people may behave differently when they know they are being watched
B)researchers know that people may not behave differently when they know they are being watched
C)researchers do not know whether people's behaviours are internally valid
D)researchers do not know what a given physiological response really means

Accepted Answer

Researchers are aware that the presence of an observer can influence the behavior of participants, a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne effect. This can limit the naturalness and authenticity of observed behaviors.

Question 6

A limitation of physiological measures of behaviour is that
A)they are subject to the social desirability bias of physiological measurement
B)they are subject to random sampling of physiological measures
C)they fail to use operational definitions for physiological measures
D)they fail to convey what a given physiological response means

Accepted Answer

Physiological measures can accurately record biological responses but interpreting what these responses signify in terms of specific emotions, thoughts, or intentions can be challenging. This is because the same physiological response can be associated with different psychological states, making it difficult to determine the exact meaning behind a given response.

Question 7

An in-depth study of an individual, a group, or an event is called a _________________.
A)naturalistic observation
B)survey
C)case study
D)correlational study

Accepted Answer

A case study is a detailed examination of an individual, a group, or an event to explore or investigate outcomes that are relevant to the prediction, description, or underlying mechanisms.

Question 8

Two research assistants trained to code the type of interactions observed between siblings, repeatedly disagree on how to code siblings' sarcastic comments toward one another. The resulting data may then be
A)useful, as there is diversity in the observation
B)useful, and the consistent disagreement can be further studied
C)useless, as the coding system may be faulty
D)useless, as the information derived may be unreliable

Accepted Answer

The disagreement on coding indicates a reliability issue in the observational method, making the derived data potentially unreliable.

Question 9

If a measure of behaviour is reliable, we know that it is
A)valid
B)operationally defined
C)based on a theory
D)consistent

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, meaning that the results are repeatable under the same conditions.

Question 10

Brain imaging technology is generally used to explore the following
A)physical disabilities
B)motivation
C)drug efficacy
D)social skills acquisition

Accepted Answer

The answer of Brain imaging technology is generally used to...

Question 11

A case study is considered to be which type of research method?
A)Descriptive research
B)Correlational research
C)Experimental research
D)Hypothetical research

Accepted Answer

Case studies are a type of descriptive research method focused on the detailed observation and analysis of a single case or a small number of cases.

Question 12

In a study designed to investigate the causes of stress, a psychological researcher measures stress by monitoring people's heart rate and blood pressure. In this study, the researcher has utilized which method of measuring behaviour?
A)Self-report measures
B)Archival records
C)Physiological measures
D)Behavioural observations

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using physiological measures to study stress, as heart rate and blood pressure are physiological responses that can be objectively measured to assess stress levels.

Question 13

In order to assess the effectiveness of a new province-wide seatbelt law, researchers collect data from the department of transportation regarding the number of traffic fatalities in the last year. This type of measurement of behaviour is called a(n)
A)chronological record
B)archival record
C)historical record
D)sequential record

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B) archival record because this type of measurement involves analyzing existing records or documents (in this case, data from the department of transportation) to gather information about past behaviors or events, such as the number of traffic fatalities.

Question 14

An fMRI study confirmed that the ventral and dorsal streams of the visual cortex independently processes object perception and object ____.
A)shape
B)action
C)size
D)colour

Accepted Answer

The ventral and dorsal streams of the visual cortex are known to process different aspects of visual information: the ventral stream is involved in object perception (what things are), and the dorsal stream is involved in processing object location and action (how to interact with them).

Question 15

People sometimes change their behaviour when they know that they are being observed. To counter this problem, psychologists monitor behaviours in a way that people are unaware that they are being observed. These measures are called _________.
A)hidden measures
B)unintentional measures
C)unobtrusive measures
D)subtle measures

Accepted Answer

Unobtrusive measures are used by psychologists to observe behaviors in a way that does not alter the behavior being observed, because the individuals do not know they are being watched.

Question 16

Despite having excellent vision, Kris was unable to grasp or pick up objects properly. It is likely that he has damaged his
A)visual cortex: ventral stream
B)visual cortex: dorsal stream
C)motor cortex
D)cerebellum

Accepted Answer

The dorsal stream of the visual cortex, often referred to as the "where" or "how" pathway, is involved in the processing of spatial awareness and the coordination of movements in relation to objects. Damage to this area can impair one's ability to grasp or pick up objects properly, despite having good vision.

Question 17

A researcher is interested in studying the frequency of aggression in school-aged children. Which would be the best method to use to measure aggression?
A)Self-report measures
B)Behavioural observations
C)Physiological measures
D)Archival records

Accepted Answer

Behavioural observations are the most direct and reliable method for studying aggression in school-aged children, as they allow researchers to directly observe and record aggressive behaviors in natural or controlled settings, providing a more accurate assessment of aggression frequency.

Question 18

The social desirability bias exists as a limitation of which of the ways of measuring behaviour?
A)Physiological measures
B)Behavioural observations
C)Reports by others
D)Self-report measures

Accepted Answer

Social desirability bias is a type of response bias where respondents answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favorably by others, which is most prevalent in self-report measures. This is because individuals may wish to present themselves in a positive light, especially when their responses are subject to scrutiny by others.

Question 19

A child psychologist is working with a young child named Sally. In order to get more information, the psychologist interviews Sally's parents and asks them about Sally's childhood experiences. This would best be considered an example of which of the major ways of measuring behaviour?
A)Self-report measures
B)Physiological measures
C)Reports by others
D)Behavioural observations

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is using reports by others (in this case, Sally's parents) to gather information about Sally's behavior and experiences, which is a common method in psychological assessments and research when direct self-reports or observations are not feasible or sufficient.

Question 20

Pre-existing documents that researchers use to gather information about people's overt behaviours are called __________.
A)archival measures
B)physiological reports
C)self-report measures
D)random samples

Accepted Answer

Archival measures refer to pre-existing documents or records that researchers analyze to gather information about behaviors, events, or other phenomena of interest. These can include historical documents, medical records, financial reports, and other collected data that are not specifically created for the purpose of the current research study.

Quiz 2: Studying Behaviour Scientifically

A social psychologist is interested in studying aggression in sports fans. He goes to various sporting events and keeps track of the number of aggressive acts that occur between fans using a well-defined coding system. This psychologist is using which of the following ways of measuring behaviour?

The tendency to respond in a socially appropriate manner rather than according to how a person actually thinks, feels, or behaves is called the

An advantage of using operational definitions is that

One of the major limitations of behavioural observations is that

A limitation of physiological measures of behaviour is that

An in-depth study of an individual, a group, or an event is called a _________________.

Two research assistants trained to code the type of interactions observed between siblings, repeatedly disagree on how to code siblings' sarcastic comments toward one another. The resulting data may then be

If a measure of behaviour is reliable, we know that it is

Brain imaging technology is generally used to explore the following

A case study is considered to be which type of research method?

In a study designed to investigate the causes of stress, a psychological researcher measures stress by monitoring people's heart rate and blood pressure. In this study, the researcher has utilized which method of measuring behaviour?

In order to assess the effectiveness of a new province-wide seatbelt law, researchers collect data from the department of transportation regarding the number of traffic fatalities in the last year. This type of measurement of behaviour is called a(n)

An fMRI study confirmed that the ventral and dorsal streams of the visual cortex independently processes object perception and object ____.

People sometimes change their behaviour when they know that they are being observed. To counter this problem, psychologists monitor behaviours in a way that people are unaware that they are being observed. These measures are called _________.

Despite having excellent vision, Kris was unable to grasp or pick up objects properly. It is likely that he has damaged his

A researcher is interested in studying the frequency of aggression in school-aged children. Which would be the best method to use to measure aggression?

The social desirability bias exists as a limitation of which of the ways of measuring behaviour?

A child psychologist is working with a young child named Sally. In order to get more information, the psychologist interviews Sally's parents and asks them about Sally's childhood experiences. This would best be considered an example of which of the major ways of measuring behaviour?

Pre-existing documents that researchers use to gather information about people's overt behaviours are called __________.