Question 1

A researcher is interested in documenting the relationship between internal psychological states such as a person's motivation to succeed and his or her feelings of self-confidence.Which type of measure would most likely be used?

Accepted Answer

Internal psychological states cannot be directly observed, making self-report measures the most appropriate method for measuring them. Behavioral measures would involve observing external actions, physiological measures would involve measuring bodily responses, and naturalistic observational measures would involve observing people in their natural environment without any manipulation or intervention.

Question 2

Which scenario best lends itself to naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation is best suited for observing behaviors in their natural environment without interference. Observing individuals showing courtesy at a busy intersection can be done unobtrusively in a real-world setting.

Question 3

While conducting a naturalistic observation study of children's play behaviour,the researcher asked the children to limit their play activity to only one area in the playground in order to make more accurate observations.How does this approach fail to meet the criteria for naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

Asking the children to limit their play activity to only one area is not naturalistic as it alters the natural environment and behaviour. The purpose of naturalistic observation is to observe behaviours in their natural environment without any manipulation or interference.

Question 4

A good interviewer must try to create a positive social relationship with the respondent in order to facilitate trust and open communication.What is the interviewer attempting to establish?

Accepted Answer

The interviewer is attempting to establish rapport with the respondent in order to build trust and facilitate open communication.

Question 5

If a test has been shown to be valid,what conclusions can likely be drawn?

Accepted Answer

If a test has been shown to be valid, it means that it accurately measures what it is intended to measure. This indicates that the test is likely to produce consistent and reliable results. Therefore, A) it is also reliable is the best choice. Option B is incorrect since validity and reliability are two different concepts. Option C and D depend on factors like the specific purpose of the test and the characteristics of the population being tested.

Question 6

A professor is trying to determine if the number of questions students ask in class is related to their class performance.The number of questions students ask is then compared to performance on the next test.How would the number of questions asked be classified?

Accepted Answer

The number of questions asked is considered the process of behavior as it is an action taken by students that may influence their performance, which is the outcome.

Question 7

What does it mean if the results of an experiment are reliable?

Accepted Answer

Reliability suggests that if an experiment is repeated, the same results will be obtained. The other options are not necessarily included in the definition of reliability.

Question 8

Which of the following is an open-ended question?

Accepted Answer

Option D is an open-ended question because it asks for an opinion or explanation rather than a specific piece of information. Options A, B, and C can be answered with a concrete answer, such as a number or a simple yes/no response.

Question 9

A researcher is using the observational technique to study the relationship between student classroom behaviour and academic performance.In this context,what is a good measure of a behavioural process?

Accepted Answer

The amount of time students spend looking at the teacher during instructional time is a measure of their behavioural process as it reflects their engagement and attention towards the learning process. Quiz grades and final grades measure academic performance rather than behavioural processes, while mid-term course evaluations measure student perceptions and attitudes towards the course, which may not necessarily reflect their actual behaviour.

Question 10

A researcher who is trying to develop a test of musical aptitude is overheard to say,"I want to make sure that the test that I am developing gives similar results time after time." Which term best captures this goal?

Accepted Answer

The goal of obtaining similar results time after time is related to the concept of reliability. Reliability refers to the consistency or stability of the scores obtained from a measure or test over time, across different raters or observers, or across similar items on a test. Therefore, the researcher's goal is to ensure that the musical aptitude test yields reliable scores, indicating that the measures assess the same underlying construct consistently. Validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure, generalizability refers to the extent to which the findings apply to other populations or settings, and standardization refers to the process of establishing norms or standards for interpreting test scores.

Question 11

A student is interested in the kinds of movies young people enjoy watching.The student develops a simple questionnaire that asks the youth about their attitudes toward different film genres and then records which films they actually attend.How is this measurement technique best described?

Accepted Answer

The technique involves both self-report measures (questionnaire about attitudes toward different film genres) and behavioral observation (recording which films they actually attend). It is a combination of both measurement techniques.

Question 12

Which of the following terms is closest to the concept of psychological measurement?

Accepted Answer

Psychological measurement involves quantifying psychological constructs such as personality traits, intelligence, and emotions using standardized assessments and scales. Therefore, quantification is the term closest to the concept of psychological measurement.

Question 13

Which topic of discussion would likely include the terms,"process," "products," "direct," and "naturalistic" ?

Accepted Answer

The terms "process" and "products" suggest an interest in how something is done, so it's likely a reference to observing a naturalistic setting to understand this process. The term "direct" suggests observing behavior directly, rather than relying on indirect reports from individuals, and this is typically done in naturalistic observation.

Question 14

In a study conducted in England by Haddock,participants were asked how much they were interested in politics.Then the questionnaire continued in one of four ways.One version asked the participants to list two positive characteristics for Prime Minister Tony Blair.A second version asked participants to list five positive characteristics for the prime minister.The remaining two versions of the questionnaires asked for two or five negative characteristics.What did the results reveal for the subset of participants who were relatively uninterested in politics?

Accepted Answer

The results revealed that participants who were relatively uninterested in politics rated Tony Blair more positively when they were asked to recall five negative characteristics, likely because they struggled to come up with that many negative traits, leading to a more positive overall impression.

Question 15

How does an interview primarily differ from a questionnaire?

Accepted Answer

Interviews allow for flexibility in questioning, unlike questionnaires which require standardized questions.

Question 16

An elementary school teacher is interested in measuring the amount of time a young student in class is working productively versus chatting with classmates.What approach to data collection should the teacher take?

Accepted Answer

A behavioural measure would be the best approach for measuring the amount of time a young student in class is working productively versus chatting with classmates. This could involve the teacher observing the student and keeping track of their behaviour on a checklist or recording sheet. A questionnaire, self-report measure, or face-to-face interview may not accurately capture the student's behaviour in real-time and may be subject to social desirability bias.

Question 17

On the basis of carefully controlled research on subliminal messages,what did the authors of the textbook conclude?

Accepted Answer

The authors of the textbook concluded that subliminal messages on CDs offer nothing more than placebo effects. This means that any perceived benefits from listening to subliminal messages are likely due to the power of suggestion and not the actual content of the messages.

Question 18

Which scenario would be classified as a self-report measure?

Accepted Answer

A self-report measure refers to a method of collecting data through participants' responses to questions or statements about their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, or behaviors. Therefore, a person's written response to a questionnaire (option C) fits this definition. Options A, B, and D measure behaviors directly without requiring participants to report their thoughts, feelings or beliefs.

Question 19

With respect to the concepts of reliability and validity,what can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to consistency in measurements or observations, while validity refers to the accuracy of those measurements or observations in measuring what they are intended to measure. It is possible for a test or experiment to show a high level of reliability, meaning it consistently produces the same results, but have low validity, meaning it is not accurately measuring what it is intended to measure. Therefore, choice C is correct.

Question 20

An instructor develops a test for introductory psychology students that contains ten analytical geometry problems.What is this test clearly lacking?

Accepted Answer

The test is lacking validity because it does not measure what it is intended to measure (introductory psychology), instead it is measuring analytical geometry which is not related to the subject matter.

Quiz 2: A: Research Methods in Psychology