Question 1

Virtually all studies done in psychology rely on studying people representative of a larger group. The groups of people who participate in these studies are most commonly known as

Accepted Answer

The groups of people who participate in psychology studies are commonly known as samples. Populations refer to the larger group of people that the sample is meant to be representative of. Mesosystems refer to connections between different levels of a person's environment (such as family, school, and peers) that can influence their development. Independent variables are factors that are manipulated in a study to see how they affect the dependent variable.

Question 2

In a correlational study, variables are always studied

Accepted Answer

In a correlational study, researchers observe and measure variables as they exist naturally. The researcher does not manipulate or change the variables, but rather simply observes and measures them to determine if there is a relationship between them. This type of study can be used to identify potential cause-and-effect relationships, but it cannot conclusively prove causation. Therefore, studying variables as they exist naturally is the best choice for a correlational study.

Question 3

Retha is interested in studying the relationship between self-esteem and school marks. She wants to be able to quantify this relationship but wants to avoid any ethical concerns regarding the manipulation of these variables. What sort of method is the best option for Retha?

Accepted Answer

A correlational study is the best option for Retha as it allows her to observe the natural relationship between self-esteem and school marks without manipulating either variable. Correlational studies measure the degree of association between two variables without changing, controlling or manipulating them. Furthermore, by using a correlational design, Retha avoids any ethical concerns or risks associated with experimental manipulation.

Question 4

Dr Naidoo is interested in studying the way people spend their time when they are in their homes alone. Which method is Dr Naidoo most likely to use for this study?

Accepted Answer

Self-reports are most likely to be used in this study as they allow individuals to provide detailed accounts of their activities and behaviors when they are alone at home, which might be difficult to observe directly.

Question 5

Mario is going to do a correlational study dealing with playing video games and intelligence. Because he is using this particular method, he will not be able to

Accepted Answer

Correlational studies can only establish a relationship between two variables and cannot determine causation. Therefore, Mario will not be able to determine whether changes in playing video games causes changes in intelligence or vice versa.

Question 6

Enzokuhle takes notes on the behaviours shown by university students attending a residence party. This study would best be described as

Accepted Answer

The study is best described as systematic observational as Enzokuhle is observing and taking notes on the behaviours shown by university students attending a residence party. Longitudinal studies involve observing and collecting data from the same group of participants over an extended period of time, experimental studies manipulate one or more variables to observe the effect on another variable, and sequential studies involve combining longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches.

Question 7

Which method of measuring behaviour is most likely to be used in combination with other behavioural measures?

Accepted Answer

Physiological measures can be combined with other behavioural measures such as self-reports or naturalistic observation to provide a more complete picture of behaviour. For example, measuring changes in heart rate or cortisol levels in response to a certain task or situation can provide additional information to self-reported feelings or observations of behaviour.

Question 8

Validity is to reliability as

Accepted Answer

Validity is about the accuracy of a measure, while reliability is about the consistency of a measure. Similarly, accuracy is about the correctness of a measure, while consistency is about the stability of a measure. Therefore, the best choice is D, accuracy is to consistency.

Question 9

Bongani is upset with his mark on his developmental psychology test and says, 'I bet if I had done that test at another time, I would have done much better.' Bongani's complaint deals most directly with the questionable ____of the test.

Accepted Answer

Bongani's complaint about doing better at another time suggests a concern about the reliability of the test, meaning its consistency and whether it accurately measures what it's supposed to measure. Validity refers to whether a test actually measures what it claims to measure, sample refers to the group of participants used in the study, and population refers to the larger group the sample is meant to represent.

Question 10

Buhle is interested in doing a study to determine whether a relationship exists between participating in university athletics and self-efficacy for academic work. Because Buhle is not interested in determining a cause-and-effect relationship, he would be best advised to do a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

A correlational study explores the relationship between two variables without manipulating them. Buhle wants to determine if there is a relationship between participating in university athletics and self-efficacy for academic work. Since he is not interested in determining a cause-and-effect relationship, an experimental study is not necessary. A cross-sectional study looks at a particular point in time, while Buhle is interested in exploring a relationship between two variables over time. Naturalistic observation is also not appropriate in this situation since Buhle is interested in exploring a relationship between two variables, not simply observing behaviors. Thus, a correlational study is the best choice for Buhle.

Question 11

You read a research article that concludes that the higher a student's self-esteem, the worse he performs in school. This sort of relationship would best be characterised as

Accepted Answer

The description of the relationship between self-esteem and academic performance as "the higher a student's self-esteem, the worse he performs in school" indicates a negative correlation. This means that as self-esteem increases, academic performance decreases. There is no evidence of a causal relationship or no relationship between the two factors based on this information.

Question 12

Dr du Toit stages a fire drill at the primary school in order to study how children respond to potential emergency situations. Dr du Toit's method would best be described as a(n)

Accepted Answer

Dr du Toit's method of staging a fire drill in order to observe how the children respond is a structured observation, as he has set up a specific scenario in order to gather data. Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in its natural setting without manipulating anything, and self-report involves asking individuals to report their own thoughts or feelings. An experiment involves manipulating variables and observing the effects on behavior, which is not necessarily occurring in this scenario.

Question 13

Which correlation coefficient value indicates the strongest relationship?

Accepted Answer

The absolute value of the correlation coefficient indicates the strength of the relationship, with 1 being a perfect positive correlation and -1 being a perfect negative correlation. Therefore, -.82 has the strongest relationship as it is closest to -1.

Question 14

Which research finding supports the idea that a new intelligence test is valid?

Accepted Answer

Scores on the new intelligence test correlating with scores on another valid intelligence test is evidence of the new test's validity. This is because if two tests are measuring the same construct (in this case, intelligence), then scores on one test should be related to scores on the other, suggesting that they are both measuring the same thing.

Question 15

Population is to sample as

Accepted Answer

The relationship between population and sample is that a population refers to the entire group of individuals or objects that you want to study, while a sample is a subset of that population that you actually observe and analyze. Therefore, the best choice is D, as "set is to subset" is the most accurate comparison.

Question 16

Dr Dlamini's students were rightfully upset when he used very accurate weight scales (assessing the weight of each pupil) to determine their marks in a developmental psychology class. This is partially because his method of assessment lacked

Accepted Answer

The method of assessment lacked validity because using weight scales to determine marks in a developmental psychology class is not measuring what is intended to be measured, which is the students' understanding and application of the subject matter. Using weight scales is not a valid assessment tool for this type of class.

Question 17

Based on a study that finds that self-esteem is negatively correlated with university marks, which person would you predict would have the highest marks?

Accepted Answer

The study found that self-esteem is negatively correlated with university marks, meaning that as self-esteem decreases, marks increase. Therefore, it is predicted that Sadie, who has very low self-esteem, would have the highest marks.

Question 18

Dr Ngcobo is studying how teenagers think about high school by asking them to answer several questions related to their classroom experiences. It is most likely that Dr Ngcobo's research involves a(n) ____ method.

Accepted Answer

Dr Ngcobo is collecting data through questions and asking the teenagers to report their experiences, making it a self-report method.

Question 19

Which method of measuring behaviour is most effective at directly studying brain activity?

Accepted Answer

Physiological measures involve recording and measuring bodily processes such as brain activity, heart rate, and eye movements. This is the most effective method for studying brain activity directly. Self-reports rely on individuals reporting their own behaviour, which may be unreliable. Naturalistic observation involves observing behaviour in real-life settings, which may not always be possible or practical. Sampling behaviour with tasks involves creating controlled situations, which may not capture the complexities of real-life behaviour.

Question 20

The value of a(n) ____can range from -1.0 to 1.0.

Accepted Answer

The value -1.0 indicates a perfect negative correlation, 0 indicates no correlation, and 1.0 indicates a perfect positive correlation. Therefore, the only option that fits this description is the correlation coefficient.

Quiz 1: The Study of Human Development