Question 1

A researcher is designing a study that includes a procedure that may be upsetting or psychologically disturbing to the participants.What special actions do the guidelines for ethical standards of the Canadian Psychological Association require the researcher to follow?

Accepted Answer

The guidelines for ethical standards of the Canadian Psychological Association require the researcher to minimize risks, inform participants of potential risks, and be prepared to deal with participant reactions when designing a study that includes a procedure that may be upsetting or psychologically disturbing to the participants. While consulting with an institutional review board may be beneficial, it is not required. Personal liability insurance and having a medical doctor and psychiatrist on-call in the laboratory are not specifically mentioned in the guidelines.

Question 2

How did Jane Goodall study patterns of behaviour among chimpanzees?

Accepted Answer

Jane Goodall conducted a longitudinal program of naturalistic observation in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, where she observed chimpanzees in their natural habitat and recorded their behavior. She spent time getting to know individual chimpanzees and followed them throughout their lives, documenting their behavior and social interactions.

Question 3

To become a more sophisticated and critical thinker,what should one do?

Accepted Answer

Considering how to disprove a theory before seeking confirming evidence encourages critical thinking by promoting skepticism and reducing confirmation bias.

Question 4

Before giving its approval,an institutional review panel is attempting to ascertain the benefits of a study that will involve some degree of physical discomfort for the participants.What is the most pressing issue before the committee?

Accepted Answer

The most pressing issue before the institutional review panel is to conduct a risk/gain assessment of the study. The panel needs to determine whether the potential benefits of the study outweigh the physical discomfort that participants may experience during the study. This assessment is crucial in order to ensure that the study conforms to ethical guidelines and can be approved by the panel.

Question 5

A clinical psychologist is working with the police to develop an understanding of serial killers.The psychologist decides to study a particularly brutal murderer who is serving a life sentence.What type of research is being done?

Accepted Answer

A case study involves an in-depth examination of a particular individual or group, often to gain insight into a specific phenomenon or condition. In this scenario, the clinical psychologist is studying one specific serial killer in order to better understand the mindset and behavior of this group of criminals. A case study allows for a detailed analysis and exploration of a specific case, and can provide valuable information that could not be gained through other research methods.

Question 6

Prior to a study,participants are given information about what to expect and other details of the research.They are also asked to sign a form indicating their willingness to participate.Which term best describes this process?

Accepted Answer

This process is called informed consent, as the participants are given information about the study and asked to sign a form indicating their willingness to participate. Debriefing occurs after the study, where participants are provided with information about the results and the purpose of the study. Risk/gain assessment and risk/benefit analysis are related to evaluating potential risks and benefits of a research study, but do not refer specifically to the process of obtaining informed consent.

Question 7

How are the rights of research participants best ensured?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How are the rights of research participants...

Question 8

Which term best indicates that measures accurately reflect the variable or quality that they are intended to measure?

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the extent to which a measure assesses what it is intended to measure. It is a crucial aspect of research as measurements that lack validity may not provide accurate or useful information.

Question 9

At the conclusion of the experiment,the researcher explains to the participants that it was necessary to provide them with inaccurate information to minimize bias.The researcher goes on to say that even though their data have been collected,they can still withdraw their data if they choose to do so.Which process is being carried out by the researcher?

Accepted Answer

The researcher is providing debriefing information to the participants, which includes informing them of the deception used in the experiment and allowing them to withdraw their data. This is important to ensure participants are not harmed psychologically or emotionally by their participation in the study.

Question 10

For which of the following data sets would the mean be the BEST measure of central tendency to use?

Accepted Answer

The data set in option C is relatively symmetric and has no extreme outliers, making the mean a suitable measure of central tendency.

Question 11

A survey sampled students and members of the American Psychological Association on their attitudes toward the use of animals in research.What did the survey reveal?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A survey sampled students and members of...

Question 12

Should animals be used in psychological and medical research? Why would researchersanswer yes to this question?

Accepted Answer

Animal research has led to significant advances in medical and psychological sciences, making it difficult to argue against its usefulness in these fields. Additionally, due to ethical considerations, it is often not feasible to carry out research on humans, making animal research the only feasible option for certain types of studies.

Question 13

At the end of a research study,participants must be provided with as much information about the study as possible and any emotional or psychological problems must be addressed.Which term best captures this process?

Accepted Answer

Debriefing is the process of providing participants with comprehensive information about the study upon its completion. This includes addressing any emotional or psychological issues that may have arisen during the study. Informed consent refers to the process of obtaining participants' permission to participate in the study, and risk/gain assessment refers to weighing the potential risks and benefits of the study before conducting it. Unintentional deception refers to situations where participants are misled or provided with false information without the researcher's intent. None of these options capture the process of providing participants with information and addressing any issues at the end of a study as well as debriefing does.

Question 14

Suppose Dr.Spock found that a sample of humans showed more emotional reactions than a sample of Vulcan aliens.How could Dr.Spock be sure that the results weren't due to chance alone?

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics would allow Dr. Spock to analyze the data and calculate the probability of obtaining such a difference in emotional reactions between humans and Vulcans by chance alone. This would involve hypothesis testing and calculating p-values. Descriptive statistics, such as measures of central tendency and variability, would provide information about the sample but cannot infer whether the results are due to chance or a true difference between the populations. Option C is also not sufficient on its own because variability alone does not indicate whether the difference between the groups is significant. Re-testing both samples may provide replication but does not address the issue of chance alone.

Question 15

Suppose the standard deviation for the scores in Group A was 3.12,and the standard deviation for the scores in Group B was 10.67.What would be a safe conclusion based on these standard deviations?

Accepted Answer

Standard deviation measures the spread or variability of the data. As Group B has a larger standard deviation, it means that the scores in Group B are more scattered and less consistent compared to Group A. Therefore, we can conclude that Group B has scores that are more variable than Group A.

Question 16

In 2005,approximately how many manuscripts submitted for publication did the American Psychological Association reject?

Accepted Answer

The passage states that the American Psychological Association "rejects about 69% of the manuscripts submitted for publication." Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 17

In a study that examined male and female participation in "Doctors of the World," what was the primary source of data?

Accepted Answer

The use of "archival records" suggests that the researchers analyzed existing records or documents related to the participation of male and female members in "Doctors of the World."

Question 18

A student has signed up to participate in a psychological research study.Is there any chance that the student will be deceived?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A student has signed up to participate...

Question 19

In the debate over the use of animals in research,what do ethicists typically believe?

Accepted Answer

Ethically, it is believed that we should shift from laboratory-based invasive research to research conducted in naturalistic settings.

Question 20

What type of statistics should be used to summarize sets of scores?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics should be used to summarize sets of scores, as they provide a summary of the basic features of the data, such as measures of central tendency (e.g. mean, median, mode) and measures of variability (e.g. range, standard deviation). Inferential statistics are used to draw conclusions about the larger population based on a sample, while significant statistics is not a commonly used term in statistics.

Quiz 2: A: Research Methods in Psychology