Question 1

Smita studies two different cohorts over a 50-year period, testing each subject every five years. Smita is using a ____design.

Accepted Answer

A sequential design involves studying multiple cohorts over time, combining elements of both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs.

Question 2

Results from individual research participants should be

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality is a fundamental ethical principle in research, ensuring that information from individual participants is kept private and not disclosed without consent.

Question 3

Dr. Ann Daround is conducting a study to determine whether fidget spinning causes a reduction in stress. In this experiment, fidget spinning is the

Accepted Answer

Fidget spinning is the independent variable because it is the condition being manipulated or changed by the researcher to observe its effect on stress levels, which would be the dependent variable.

Question 4

According to the American Psychological Association, researchers must

Accepted Answer

The American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines emphasize minimizing risk to participants rather than eliminating it entirely, which is often not feasible. The guidelines aim to protect participants by ensuring that any potential risks are reduced as much as possible.

Question 5

Qualitative research differs from quantitative research because it

Accepted Answer

Qualitative research focuses on understanding concepts, thoughts, or experiences rather than quantifying them, aiming to gain insight into what governs behavior or how individuals perceive and experience their world.

Question 6

Greta wants to do a study on how self-efficacy changes over the life span. Her primary concerns are economic - she needs to do the study in the way that will cost the least in terms of time and money. Given these concerns, she is probably going to be best served doing a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study is more economical in terms of time and money compared to longitudinal, sequential, or experimental studies because it examines different age groups at one point in time, rather than following the same group over many years or conducting extensive experiments.

Question 7

The fact that Tatiana likes to watch reality television and her grandfather prefers watching 1960s television westerns is probably best explained by

Accepted Answer

This is best explained by cohort effects, as preferences in television genres can be significantly influenced by the era or time period in which an individual grows up or belongs to. Tatiana and her grandfather belong to different cohorts, each with its own unique set of cultural and societal influences that shape preferences, including those for entertainment.

Question 8

The advantage of the ____design is that it allows a researcher to synthesize data from numerous studies.

Accepted Answer

Meta-analysis is a research design that allows a researcher to synthesize data from numerous studies.

Question 9

As a result of reading several research articles on the long-term effects of daycare, a state legislature passes a new law mandating that all daycare providers modify their practices to be in concordance with this research. This action reflects

Accepted Answer

The action of the state legislature demonstrates how research findings can influence and shape social policy by mandating changes based on the outcomes of the research. This reflects the direct impact that research can have on societal practices and regulations.

Question 10

A researcher has a hypothesis that hostility toward women is created by viewing pornography. If the researcher does an experiment to test this, what would be the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on another variable. In this case, the viewing of pornography is manipulated to see its effect on hostility toward women, making it the independent variable.

Question 11

Dr. Feldman is studying sibling rivalry. Each of his participants has been assessed every five years since 1970. Dr. Feldman's overall research design is best classified as

Accepted Answer

Dr. Feldman's study, which assesses participants every five years over a long period, is a longitudinal study. This design allows for the observation of changes and developments in the participants over time.

Question 12

In an experiment designed to determine whether taking vitamin A before attending a social event improves self-esteem, what is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the level of self-esteem because it is the outcome that the researchers are measuring to see if it changes in response to taking vitamin A.

Question 13

You are doing a study to determine whether vaping nicotine prior to taking a psychology test affects performance on that test. What is the independent variable in your study?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the factor that is manipulated by the researcher to observe its effect on the dependent variable. In this study, vaping nicotine is the variable being manipulated to see its effect on psychology test performance.

Question 14

Kelly is doing research on the effect of birth order on personality. Rather than collecting data on a new set of subjects, she is analyzing hundreds of studies that have already been done on this topic and is going to attempt to come up with an overall estimate of what all these other studies have found. What sort of study is Kelly doing?

Accepted Answer

Kelly is conducting a meta-analysis, which involves statistically combining the results of multiple studies on the same topic to derive a comprehensive understanding of that topic.

Question 15

Which statement is not consistent with ethical research?

Accepted Answer

Ethical research guidelines require that subjects be debriefed after participation, especially if deception was used. This means informing them of any deception and the true nature of the study.

Question 16

Michael studies developmental differences in extroversion by testing 9-, 19-, 39-, and 59-year-old subjects at the same time. Michael is performing a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

Michael is performing a cross-sectional study because he is examining individuals of different ages at one single point in time to understand developmental differences.

Question 17

A publishing company does a study to determine whether using a study guide for a textbook improves performance on psychology exams. In this study, grades on the psychology exams would constitute the ____variable.

Accepted Answer

In research, the dependent variable is the outcome that is measured to see if it is affected by the independent variable. In this case, grades on the psychology exams are being measured to see if they are affected by the use of a study guide, making them the dependent variable.

Question 18

After completing their study, researchers send a copy of their findings to a scientific journal in hopes of having it published. This reflects which step of the research process?

Accepted Answer

Sending a copy of their findings to a scientific journal for publication is part of communicating research results, which is a crucial step in the research process to share findings with the scientific community and the public.

Question 19

Dr. Mitchell is very interested in how individual participants' behaviors change over time. If she wants to study this, she'll have to do a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study involves observing the same participants over a period of time to detect changes and developments in their behavior.

Question 20

Which problem is least associated with longitudinal research?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research, which involves studying the same participants over a long period, often faces issues like cost (C), practice effects (B), and attrition (D). However, difficulty in generalizing results to a larger population (A) is not specifically a problem of longitudinal research; it's more about how representative the sample is, which can affect any research design.

Quiz 1: The Study of Human Development