Question 1

Students conducted a naturalistic observation to study whether people arriving at the library alone would be more likely to hold the door open for a person coming in immediately after them than would people who arrived in pairs.The students made their observations looking through the window of a classroom building across from the library.They chose this position for observation to avoid the potential problem of

Accepted Answer

Reactivity occurs when individuals alter their performance or behavior due to the awareness that they are being observed. By observing from a hidden location, the students minimized the chance that people would change their behavior because they knew they were being watched.

Question 2

Ethologists such as Diane Fossey (who studied mountain gorillas)use a technique to adapt animal subjects to the presence of an observer by gradually increasing the time they spend in the animals' environment.This technique is called

Accepted Answer

The technique described in the question of gradually increasing the time an observer spends in an animal's environment to adapt the animal to their presence is known as desensitization. This technique is commonly used by ethologists and other animal behavior professionals to reduce stress and fear in animals during research or observation. Implosion, counterconditioning, and progressive relaxation are all other behavior modification techniques, but they do not specifically address the issue of reducing fear or stress in animals during observation.

Question 3

Although there is no hard-and-fast percentage of agreement that defines low interobserver reliability,in published research studies,researchers generally report interobserver reliabilities that are at least as high as

Accepted Answer

Although there is no fixed percentage for low interobserver reliability, researchers generally report interobserver reliabilities that are at least 85 percent or higher. Therefore, option D is the most appropriate choice.

Question 4

Two student researchers wish to determine the degree of interobserver reliability they achieved in their study.They observed individual students who were approaching another person on a campus path.The two observers both independently recorded whether or not each observed student greeted the other person.Which of the following measures should the student researchers use to assess interobserver reliability?

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate measure for assessing interobserver reliability in this scenario is the percentage agreement measure, which calculates the proportion of observations on which both observers agreed. This would provide a concrete measure of the level of agreement between observers when recording whether or not students greeted another person on the campus path. The other measures listed (Pearson Product-Moment correlation and Spearman's rank-order correlation) are more appropriate for examining the degree of association between continuous variables, while the interobserver coding measure is not a widely used or established reliability measure.

Question 5

Students conducted a research project in which they hypothesized that women,more than men,would stop studying and look at each person who enters a library study room.Results indicated that women did make more head movements than men when people entered the library.To be confident about these results,we would want to make sure their results are not affected by

Accepted Answer

The answer of Students conducted a research project in which...

Question 6

In order to avoid the problem of ______,it is sometimes necessary to use ______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In order to avoid the problem of...

Question 7

Low interobserver reliability is likely to result because of

Accepted Answer

Lack of clear definitions of events to be recorded can lead to different observers interpreting and recording things differently, ultimately leading to low interobserver reliability. Extensive training and specific feedback can help improve reliability, but they may not be enough if there is confusion or ambiguity about what to observe and record.

Question 8

The two pieces of information obtained from a correlation coefficient are

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient provides information about two variables' relationship in terms of direction (positive or negative) and strength (weak, moderate, or strong). It does not provide information on external or internal validity, interobserver reliability, percent agreement, predictive relationship, or causal inference.

Question 9

Which of the following correlations represents the greatest predictive relationship between two variables?

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient indicates the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables. A correlation coefficient of -0.80 represents a strong negative relationship, indicating that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases in a predictable way. Therefore, A represents the greatest predictive relationship between two variables. A correlation coefficient of -0.40 represents a moderate negative relationship, while a correlation coefficient of 0.00 represents no relationship, and a correlation coefficient of 0.40 represents a moderate positive relationship.

Question 10

Researchers planned a long-term study of children's relationships with their parent using observations in the homes of the families.Before beginning to collect data,the observers visited each home a few times and set up their recording equipment and recorded behavior just as they would do in the data collection phase of their study.These early visits to the home were done so that families would get used to the presence of observers.Which of the following techniques did these researchers use?

Accepted Answer

The researchers used habituation, which involves introducing a stimulus repeatedly until it no longer elicits a strong response. In this case, the observers repeatedly visited the homes and set up their equipment, allowing the families to get used to their presence and behavior to return to normal. This helped ensure that the observations collected during the actual data collection phase were more accurate and representative of typical behavior.

Question 11

The cues and other information used by participants to guide their behavior in a psychological study are called

Accepted Answer

The cues and other information used by participants to guide their behavior in a psychological study are known as demand characteristics. These are clues that participants pick up on which can lead them to act or respond in a certain way, based on their interpretation of what they think the experimenter wants.

Question 12

Reactivity is a research problem because when it occurs,

Accepted Answer

Reactivity refers to the phenomenon where individuals alter their behavior due to the awareness of being observed, which means their behavior may not represent their typical behavior.

Question 13

In order to minimize observer bias,researchers should

Accepted Answer

Limiting the amount of information observers have about the hypothesis can reduce the chances of them being influenced by their preconceptions or expectations. This can help minimize observer bias. Fully explaining the hypothesis can actually increase the chances of observer bias, while asking observers to self-report their biases may not be reliable. Reading previously published research may be useful, but it may also introduce bias if the observer becomes too fixated on certain ideas or findings.

Question 14

When researchers' expectations about behavior lead to systematic errors in identifying and recording behavior,_________________ is a problem.

Accepted Answer

Observer bias occurs when researchers' expectations about behavior lead to systematic errors in identifying and recording behavior. Reactivity refers to the phenomenon where the act of being observed changes participants' behavior. Selective deposit and data reduction are not relevant in this context.

Question 15

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r)can be used to measure interobserver reliability when

Accepted Answer

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) can only be used to measure interobserver reliability when the behavioral data have been measured on at least an interval scale. It cannot be used with nominal or ordinal scales as they do not provide enough information for calculating the correlation.

Question 16

A researcher studying interpersonal communication measured the time that couples made eye contact during a conversation.Which descriptive statistics would most commonly be used describe the researcher's duration measurements?

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate descriptive statistics for measuring duration measurements would be the mean and standard deviation, which would provide information on the typical length of time couples made eye contact and how varied that duration was within the sample population.

Question 17

Probably the most important control over observer bias is

Accepted Answer

The most important control over observer bias is the awareness that it might be present. This means that observers should be conscious of their own biases and take steps to reduce the potential impact of those biases on their observation. Informed consent and the use of checklists can also help reduce observer bias, but they are not as effective as self-awareness. Restricting observations to the public domain would limit the scope of the study and would not necessarily address observer bias.

Question 18

Two ethical issues researchers face when observing naturally occurring behavior (e.g.,messages)during online discussions are

Accepted Answer

Observing naturally occurring behavior in online discussions can potentially reveal sensitive information about individuals. Researchers must ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of the participants are protected. This includes obtaining informed consent and using pseudonyms or other measures to mask participants' identities, as well as keeping data secure and accessible only to authorized personnel. Failure to uphold these ethical standards can harm participants and damage the reputation of the research field.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about interobserver reliability is true?

Accepted Answer

Interobserver reliability is improved when events are clearly defined so that observers can consistently detect and record them. While high interobserver reliability is desirable, it does not necessarily mean that observations are accurate or valid. Additionally, subjective judgments can introduce bias and reduce interobserver reliability.

Question 20

Some researchers argue that hypnosis is a special state of consciousness; other researchers disagree.They argue that when the hypnosis procedure is used,individuals simply respond to the cues and instructions made by the hypnotist in order to know how to respond.These cues are called

Accepted Answer

The cues and instructions made by the hypnotist in order to know how to respond are called demand characteristics. These cues are not necessarily indicative of a special state of consciousness, but rather just the individual's response to the social cues provided by the hypnotist.

Quiz 4: Observation

Ethologists such as Diane Fossey (who studied mountain gorillas) use a technique to adapt animal subjects to the presence of an observer by gradually increasing the time they spend in the animals' environment.This technique is called