Question 1

A longitudinal study assesses people during what time frame?

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study assesses people at several different time points, allowing for the examination of changes or trends over an extended period.

Question 2

Which of these is an example of a cross-sectional study?

Accepted Answer

A public opinion poll is an example of a cross-sectional study because it gathers data from a specific population at a specific point in time, rather than following individuals over time. The other options involve longitudinal studies where data is collected over time.

Question 3

What additional ingredient sets experimental studies apart from assessment studies?

Accepted Answer

Manipulation of variables is the key ingredient that sets experimental studies apart from assessment studies. In experimental studies, researchers manipulate one or more variables to observe the effect on a dependent variable. Assessment studies, on the other hand, do not involve manipulation of variables. Options A and B are not necessarily distinguishing factors between experimental and assessment studies, as both types of studies can involve animals or retrospective data. Option D could be present in both types of studies, as observation and assessment of behavior can be done in experimental and assessment studies alike.

Question 4

Which scientific method involves the manipulation of variables?

Accepted Answer

The experiment is the scientific method that involves the manipulation of variables. In an experiment, the researcher manipulates one variable (the independent variable) while measuring the effect on another variable (the dependent variable) while controlling for the influence of other variables. Other scientific methods, such as case studies and correlational studies, do not involve the manipulation of variables in the same way.

Question 5

Hypothesis-testing experiments involve

Accepted Answer

Hypothesis-testing experiments involve making predictions based on theory, which are then tested through various experimental methods to determine their validity.

Question 6

If Dr. Raymond designs a study to assess the effectiveness of social skills training for patients with schizophrenia, what type of research is he conducting?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Raymond is conducting a behavior-change experiment because he is assessing the effectiveness of an intervention (social skills training) on a specific outcome (improvement in patients with schizophrenia), which involves manipulating one variable to determine if it causes a change in another variable.

Question 7

What is the most scientifically sound method of conducting a clinical trial?

Accepted Answer

Randomly assigning participants to control and treatment groups is the most scientifically sound method of conducting a clinical trial as it helps to eliminate bias and ensures that the differences observed between the two groups are due to the treatment, rather than other factors. Eliminating placebo conditions is not always possible or ethical, as placebos are often necessary to establish the efficacy of a treatment. Allowing subjects to volunteer for the control group can also introduce bias and is not a reliable method of selecting participants. Conducting a case study of an experimental treatment is not as rigorous as a randomized controlled trial and does not provide the same level of scientific evidence.

Question 8

What is a clinical trial?

Accepted Answer

A clinical trial is a controlled study that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of medical treatments or interventions, including medications, procedures, and devices. It involves recruiting participants who typically have a specific condition or illness and comparing the effects of the treatment being studied to those of a placebo or standard treatment. Clinical trials are important for assessing the efficacy of new treatments and determining if they are safe enough for use in the general population.

Question 9

A psychologist compares groups of patients who receive social skills training to similar groups of patients who do not receive social skills training. Patients at several hospitals are studied. This research is an example of a

Accepted Answer

This research is an example of a clinical trial because it involves comparing a treatment (social skills training) to a control group (patients who do not receive the training) to assess the effectiveness of the treatment.

Question 10

What is one reason that animals are used in experiments to help answer questions about humans?

Accepted Answer

Animals are often used in experiments because their shorter life spans allow researchers to study effects and outcomes across a whole lifespan or across several generations in a shorter amount of time than would be possible with human subjects. This can provide valuable insights into long-term effects of treatments, environmental factors, and genetic issues.

Question 11

Why are clinical trials often held in more than one clinic at a time?

Accepted Answer

Clinical trials are often held in multiple clinics at the same time to increase the generalizability of the results. By including a diverse group of participants from different clinics, researchers can reduce the potential impact of any individual clinic's unique factors (such as patient population, treatment protocols, or environmental conditions) on the study's outcomes. This can increase the reliability and relevance of the findings, as they are more likely to be applicable to a wider range of patients and settings.

Question 12

Under what circumstances has animal research revealed that monkeys show the most disturbed behavior?

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that monkeys raised in isolation exhibit the most disturbed behavior, including self-injury, aggression, and abnormal repetitive behaviors. This is likely due to the fact that social interaction is critical for the development and well-being of primates.

Question 13

If young monkeys are raised in isolation until the age of 6 months, they are likely to show improvements in their disturbed behavior when they

Accepted Answer

The answer of If young monkeys are raised in isolation...

Question 14

Young monkeys who are separated from their mothers often exhibit behaviors that are similar to those observed in humans diagnosed with

Accepted Answer

Young monkeys who are separated from their mothers often exhibit behaviors such as withdrawal, listlessness, and a decrease in activity levels, which are all similar to the symptoms of depression in humans.

Question 15

Double-blind studies are designed to reduce

Accepted Answer

Double-blind studies are designed to reduce the expectation effects, which means that neither the participants nor the researchers know which group is receiving the treatment or the placebo. This helps to avoid biased results due to participants' expectations or researchers' unintentional influence.

Question 16

A television reporter wants to report on treatments for insomnia. After consulting with experts, she decides to discuss drug and behavioral treatments. Which of the following statements is the most accurate conclusion on the effectiveness of these treatments?

Accepted Answer

According to the statement provided, both drug and behavioral treatments are effective in treating insomnia in the short term. However, behavioral treatments are more effective in the long run. Therefore, option C is the most accurate conclusion.

Question 17

You are assigned the task of finding the root meaning of the word placebo. When you look it up you find that the word derives from

Accepted Answer

The word placebo comes from the Latin word "placere" which means "I shall please."

Question 18

What do we call the experimental prediction that groups do not really differ from one another?

Accepted Answer

The experimental prediction that groups do not really differ from one another is called the null hypothesis. This is the default assumption in research that there is no significant effect or difference between the groups being compared.

Question 19

You are a member of a research team that is beginning a study of the effectiveness of a new drug called Focus on the symptoms of attention deficit disorder. One of the researchers asked you to describe the null hypothesis for this study. What will you say?

Accepted Answer

The null hypothesis for this study would be that the new drug, Focus, has no significant impact on the symptoms of attention deficit disorder compared to a control group receiving no treatment. This is the base assumption that the research team sets out to challenge with their study. Option B is incorrect as objective measurement of the dependent variable is a requirement for all research, not just the null hypothesis. Option C is also incorrect as blinding is a requirement for minimizing bias in experiments and is not unique to the null hypothesis. Option D is irrelevant to the null hypothesis and concerns differences between the control and experimental groups, not the drug's effectiveness.

Question 20

In a group of scores, the median is the score that is

Accepted Answer

The median is the score that is in the middle of a set of scores. It is not necessarily the highest or most common score, nor is it always equal to the arithmetic average.

Quiz 1: Introduction