Question 1

When people are aware of being observed,they might change their behaviors.This phenomenon illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Reactivity refers to the phenomenon where individuals alter their behavior due to the awareness of being observed. This can happen in experimental settings where participants may consciously or unconsciously modify their behavior in response to cues from the researcher or the situation.

Question 2

Unintended differences between the groups in an experiment may introduce confounds; these differences reflect a condition known as ________ bias.

Accepted Answer

Selection bias occurs when the groups being compared are not equivalent at the start of the study because of differences in the way participants are chosen or assigned to each group. This can introduce confounding variables that may affect the results, making it difficult to draw clear conclusions about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

Question 3

Jamal wants to find out whether the customers of his coffee shop prefer that he add booths or keep his tables and chairs.A researcher would be likely to use what kind of study to help him?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jamal wants to find out whether the...

Question 4

The Hawthorne effect refers to changes in behavior associated with:

Accepted Answer

The Hawthorne effect refers to changes in behavior due to reactivity, or the conscious or unconscious awareness of being observed in an experiment. Observer bias and experimenter expectancy refer to the biases that researchers can bring to an experiment, while informed consent refers to the ethical principle that participants should be informed about the purpose and procedures of the study before agreeing to participate.

Question 5

What is the main characteristic that sets case studies apart from other types of studies?

Accepted Answer

Case studies often focus on a single individual or a very small group of people, which sets them apart from other types of studies that typically involve larger groups or samples.

Question 6

According to your textbook,if you wanted to conduct observational research but were concerned that the people you observed would change their behaviors due to reactivity,you could:

Accepted Answer

Using a blinded study is a way to minimize reactivity, as participants may not realize they are being observed and therefore are less likely to alter their behaviors.

Question 7

A psychologist wants to create two groups that are as similar as possible at the beginning of an experiment.To do this,he or she should use:

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is the process of assigning participants to groups in an experiment in a random manner, which minimizes the effects of any pre-existing differences between the groups. This ensures that the groups are as similar as possible at the beginning of the experiment, which increases the internal validity of the study. Random sampling (option A) is a technique of selecting a sample from a larger population, while self-report methods (option C) are data collection techniques that rely on participants reporting their own attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. Participant observation (option D) involves observing participants in their natural setting and is not relevant for creating similar groups at the beginning of an experiment.

Question 8

In which of the following studies would the concept of reactivity be most relevant?

Accepted Answer

Reactivity refers to the idea that individuals may alter their behavior when they know they are being observed. Therefore, an observational study in which the presence of observers may influence the behavior of participants is the most relevant context for considering reactivity.

Question 9

Philippe wants to study the number of times that close friends touch each other in their interactions.His interpretations of this behavior would need to take into consideration:

Accepted Answer

The cultural differences in the meaning of touches need to be taken into account because what may be considered appropriate or affectionate in one culture may not be seen the same way in another culture. This could impact the interpretation of the behavior.

Question 10

A college is planning on turning a grassy area into a parking lot.A researcher wants to investigate the response of students about this change.She plans to give a questionnaire to a random sample of students.It is likely that:

Accepted Answer

By using a random sample, the researcher increases the likelihood that her results will generalize to the population of interest, in this case, the entire student population. A random sample is unbiased, so the responses of the students sampled can be representative of the entire population.

Question 11

Pablo is conducting research and trying to determine whether he should monitor the presence versus the absence of a behavior or how long a behavior occurs.What approach to research is he most likely using?

Accepted Answer

Pablo is most likely using observational research, as he is trying to determine whether he should monitor the presence or absence of a behavior or its duration by directly observing it. Psychophysiological assessment involves measuring physiological changes in the body, self-report methods rely on participants' subjective responses, and experience sampling involves participants reporting on their experiences over time.

Question 12

A study of the experiences of a synesthete-for example,a person who experiences a visual sensation when hearing a sound-is likely to make use of:

Accepted Answer

A case study would be the most appropriate choice to explore the experiences of a synesthete, as it allows for an in-depth examination of a single individual's experiences, perceptions, and reactions to stimuli. Random selection, cross-sectional research, and participant observation would not provide the necessary level of detail and individual scrutiny required to understand the person's unique experiences.

Question 13

Investigators who are interested in gaining a lot of information about group attitudes quickly are likely to use what kind of research approach?

Accepted Answer

A self-report research approach allows investigators to gather a lot of information about group attitudes quickly through surveys or questionnaires. This method is commonly used in social and behavioral sciences research.

Question 14

In observational studies,participants sometimes show reactivity.A related phenomenon in self-report studies is called:

Accepted Answer

Socially desirable responding is when participants in a self-report study report what they believe to be socially acceptable or desirable, rather than their true feelings or behaviors. This can lead to biased results and inaccurate conclusions.

Question 15

Jafar conducted an experiment with student participants enrolled in his PSY 101 class.He investigated their reactions to advertisements that used humor.When analyzing his results,he should take into account that:

Accepted Answer

Jafar used a convenience sample which may not be representative of the larger population, so his findings cannot be generalized to adults in general.

Question 16

In order to maximize the likelihood that experimental and control groups are similar before any treatment is begun,researchers typically use:

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is the best choice for maximizing the likelihood that experimental and control groups are similar before any treatment is begun. It involves randomly assigning participants to either the experimental or control group, which ensures that any differences between the two groups are due to chance rather than preexisting variables.

Question 17

If a researcher created two groups by assigning the first 30 people to the experimental group and the last 30 to the control group,the process would violate the principle of:

Accepted Answer

The process violates the principle of random assignment, which involves assigning participants to groups in a way that ensures each person has an equal chance of being in either group. By assigning the first 30 people to one group and the last 30 to the other, the researcher is not randomly assigning participants and thus cannot control for individual differences between the groups.

Question 18

Unintended differences between the groups in an experiment reflect ________ bias; these differences stem from a failure to follow the principle of random ________.

Accepted Answer

Unintended differences between the groups in an experiment reflect selection bias; these differences stem from a failure to follow the principle of random assignment. Therefore, the best choice is D. Option A is incorrect because sampling bias pertains to the group of individuals from which the sample is drawn, not the differences between the groups in the experiment. Option B is incorrect because random assignment, not sampling, addresses the differences between the groups in the experiment. Option C is incorrect because sampling bias, not selection bias, pertains to the group of individuals from which the sample is drawn.

Question 19

Socially desirable responding is a potential problem in research because it may:

Accepted Answer

Socially desirable responding can lead participants to answer in a way that they think is socially appropriate rather than how they actually feel, leading to inaccurate data. This can interfere with the integrity of the data collected. Option A is incorrect because socially desirable responding does not necessarily reveal the researchers' hypotheses. Option C is incorrect because it suggests that researchers would fabricate data, which is unethical and not a result of socially desirable responding. Option D is incorrect because socially desirable responding does not indicate zero correlation, but rather a potential bias in participants' responses.

Question 20

The systematic recording of overt behavior of human and nonhuman animals in their natural environment involves what research strategy?

Accepted Answer

Observational techniques involve the systematic recording of overt behavior of human and nonhuman animals in their natural environment. Case studies involve in-depth analysis of an individual, psychophysiological assessments involve measuring physiological responses to stimuli, and response performance strategies involve measuring response times and accuracy.

Quiz 2: Research Methodology