Question 1

Which is the BEST example of baseline data in a single-subject design?

Accepted Answer

Baseline data refers to the level of behavior before any treatment or intervention is introduced. This is important in single-subject designs because it allows for comparison of behavior before and after treatment and demonstrates the effectiveness of the intervention. Therefore, the best example of baseline data would be the level of behavior before treatment begins (Choice D).

Question 2

If researchers using matched control subjects find that abused children are sadder than nonabused children, those researchers know that:

Accepted Answer

Matching control subjects helps to control for other factors that could be causing the difference, so we can infer that the abuse is the likely cause of the difference in sadness between the groups.

Question 3

Which might be an example of an analogue experiment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which might be an example of an...

Question 4

Which item is an analogue study?

Accepted Answer

An analogue study involves studying a phenomenon in a controlled environment that mimics real-life situations. Studying the effects of stress in nonhumans is an analogue study because it uses nonhuman subjects to simulate and understand stress responses that may be applicable to humans.

Question 5

Studies that are structured like experiments but use groups that already exist instead of randomly assigning participants to control and experimental groups are called:

Accepted Answer

Quasi-experiments are studies that resemble experiments in their structure but do not involve random assignment to groups. Instead, groups that already exist are used, such as people who have already experienced a certain event or who are part of a certain population. This allows researchers to make comparisons between groups and examine cause-and-effect relationships, but without the same level of control as in a true experiment. The other options, analogue experiments, correlational experiments, and developmental experiments, do not involve the use of pre-existing groups and are not structured like experiments.

Question 6

To justify analogue experiments with animals, researchers must:

Accepted Answer

While animals and humans have similarities, they are not the same. Therefore, option A is not correct as it is not necessary to make the case that they are the same. Option C is also not correct as it is not possible to conduct experiments without some discomfort to the animals. Option D is also not necessary as animals do not have the same rights as humans. Therefore, the most appropriate choice is B as it recognizes the importance of considering the suffering of animals but also acknowledges that some animal experiments can be necessary for scientific progress.

Question 7

Seligman's study in which he created learned helplessness in the lab is an example of a(n) _____ study.

Accepted Answer

Seligman's study in which he created learned helplessness in the lab is an example of an analogue study, as it is a laboratory experiment designed to simulate a real-life situation.

Question 8

Which would be the BEST design to study the effects of disasters on survivors?

Accepted Answer

A natural experiment is the best design to study the effects of disasters on survivors because it occurs naturally, allowing for the observation of individuals without manipulating or controlling variables. This provides a more accurate representation of the real-life situation and avoids ethical concerns that may arise from experimental manipulation. A quasi-experiment and double-blind strategy involve some form of manipulation or control, which may not be feasible or ethical in studying disaster survivors. An experiment also involves manipulation of variables, which may not be possible or ethical in studying the effects of disasters.

Question 9

"Why do we do natural experiments?" asks a student. "After all, each disaster that causes a natural experiment is unique." A good answer would be, "Using natural experiments, researchers have learned quite a lot about:

Accepted Answer

Natural experiments can provide significant insights into the effects of stress and trauma on mental health, including stress disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers can examine the aftermath of natural disasters or other traumatic events and use this information to better understand and treat stress-related disorders. However, natural experiments may not provide as much useful information about specific psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, autism, or bipolar disorder.

Question 10

In single-subject experimental designs, the participant is observed and measured before the manipulation of an independent variable. This initial observation period is called the:

Accepted Answer

In single-subject experimental designs, the baseline period is the initial observation period during which the participant's behavior is measured without any manipulation of an independent variable. It serves as a reference point for determining whether the manipulation of the independent variable has had an effect on the participant's behavior. The other answer choices are not commonly used or recognized terms in this context.

Question 11

The function of the double-blind design is to guard against:

Accepted Answer

The double-blind design is used to guard against participant and experimenter expectancies, which could bias the results of a study. A double-blind design ensures that both the participant and the experimenter are unaware of which group the participant is assigned to (e.g., treatment group or control group). This helps to eliminate the potential for bias due to expectations or beliefs that either the participant or experimenter may have about the treatment being studied. Option B (imitation therapies), C (subject bias), and D (the Rosenthal effect) are all factors that can impact the validity of a study, but they are not specifically addressed by the double-blind design.

Question 12

Which would MOST appropriately be studied using a quasi-experimental design?

Accepted Answer

Quasi-experimental designs are often used when random assignment is not possible. Studying the effects of parents with schizophrenia on children's adjustment involves pre-existing groups (children with and without parents with schizophrenia), making it suitable for a quasi-experimental design.

Question 13

In an experiment on the effects of two new drugs on mood, patients, researchers, and those who are evaluating the mood of patients are all unaware of which drug the patients are getting. The study is _____-blind.

Accepted Answer

In a triple-blind study, the patients, researchers, and evaluators are all unaware of which treatment the patients are receiving.

Question 14

To study some gender differences, a researcher selected a group of 10 men and 10 women and treated all participants exactly the same. Each participant was given a test of psychological function. This study is an example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

This study is a quasi-experimental study because it involves comparing pre-existing groups (men and women) without random assignment to conditions.

Question 15

Which statement distinguishes a quasi-experimental study from a true experiment?

Accepted Answer

A quasi-experimental study differs from a true experiment in that it does not allow for the manipulation of the independent variable. In a quasi-experiment, the independent variable is naturally occurring and cannot be controlled by the researcher. The other statements (A, B, and C) are not necessarily true for all quasi-experiments and do not distinguish them from true experiments.

Question 16

If one were studying the hypothesis that people with high levels of stress are more likely to get cancer and wanted to include a matched control group, that group would:

Accepted Answer

The answer of If one were studying the hypothesis that...

Question 17

A researcher is interested in the effects of a new drug for treating anxiety and decides to study it in rats by conditioning in them the fear of a high-pitched noise and then testing the rats' reactions with and without the drug. This is an example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

This is an example of an analogue experiment because the researcher is trying to simulate the symptoms of anxiety in rats to test the effectiveness of a new drug for treating anxiety in humans. The experiment is not natural because the rats are being conditioned to fear a noise, which is not a natural fear, and it is not a quasi-experimental study because there is a control group (rats without the drug) and an experimental group (rats with the drug). It is also not a correlation study because the researcher is manipulating the variable (the drug) to observe its effect on the rats' behavior.

Question 18

Experimenters are generally willing to:

Accepted Answer

Experimenters often subject animals to more discomfort than humans due to ethical guidelines and regulations that prioritize minimizing harm to human participants.

Question 19

Which would be LEAST appropriately studied using a natural experiment?

Accepted Answer

The effects of premarital abstinence on later sexual functioning would require individuals to be randomly assigned to an abstinent or non-abstinent group, which would raise ethical concerns. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to study using a natural experiment. The other options can be studied using natural experiments, as they involve external events that occurred naturally and can be compared to how individuals or communities were affected before and after the event.

Question 20

The form of experiment used MOST often to study the psychological effects of unusual or unpredictable events is:

Accepted Answer

Natural experiments are often used to study the psychological effects of unusual or unpredictable events because they involve observing the effects of real-life occurrences that are not manipulated by the researcher.

Quiz 2: Research in Abnormal Psychology