Question 1

What is one advantage of behavioral observation?

Accepted Answer

Behavioral observation allows the researcher to directly observe the behavior in its entirety, providing an objective view of the behavior and reducing the need for inferences. This makes it less vulnerable to assumptions, biases, and demand characteristics.

Question 2

What is a behavioral observation?

Accepted Answer

A behavioral observation is a measure that involves directly seeing behavior as it occurs. This can be done through various channels such as video recordings, audio recordings, or simply observing and recording the participant's behavior in real-time. It is considered one of the most reliable and valid ways to collect data on behavior as it is based on actual observable actions rather than subjective self-report or indirect evidence.

Question 3

Which of the following would likely provide the most accurate self-report data?

Accepted Answer

Questions about the present are less subject to memory distortion or bias compared to questions about the past or future. Additionally, questions about sensitive topics may result in social desirability bias, where participants may answer in a way that makes them look more favorable.

Question 4

Behavioral trace requires the researcher to make _____ inferences than behavior observation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Behavioral trace requires the researcher to make...

Question 5

Behavioral observation is to real time as:

Accepted Answer

Behavioral observation involves directly observing and recording behavior as it happens in real time. Similarly, a behavioral trace involves recording and analyzing evidence of past behavior, such as social media posts, emails, or other written communication. Self-report, on the other hand, involves asking individuals about their past or future behavior or experiences, and therefore is not directly tied to real-time observation.

Question 6

When people remember their behavior they often do so in a way that:

Accepted Answer

People generally have a positive bias towards themselves, which means they tend to remember their behavior in a way that makes them look better than they may have actually been. This is known as a self-serving bias.

Question 7

Which type of data are open to the LEAST amount of interpretation?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which type of data are open to...

Question 8

Given the tendency of participants to engage in the social desirability bias,behavioral observation should provide _____ responses than self-report measures,particularly on sensitive topics.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral observation is less susceptible to social desirability bias because it involves directly observing a person's behavior rather than relying on their self-reported responses. Therefore, participants are less likely to intentionally present themselves in a socially desirable way, resulting in more genuine responses.

Question 9

_____ is/are a behavioral measure that relies on evidence left behind by a participant who is no longer present.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral trace is a measure that relies on evidence left behind by a participant who is no longer present. Interviews and focus groups rely on direct communication with participants, while observation involves directly watching and recording participant behavior in real-time.

Question 10

Each of the following are potential disadvantages of self-report measures,EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Experimenter bias is not a potential disadvantage of self-report measures, as it refers to biases introduced by the experimenter themselves and not the participants providing self-reports. The other options (social desirability bias, demand characteristics, retrospective bias) are potential disadvantages because they involve factors that can influence the accuracy or validity of self-report measures.

Question 11

The _____ misdirection in the cover story,the _____ naturally participants respond to the variables under investigation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The _____ misdirection in the cover story,the...

Question 12

A behavioral measure is:

Accepted Answer

A behavioral measure is a measure of participants' actions in a research design, such as their performance on a task or their observable behavior. This is different from measuring their feelings or thoughts, which are internal experiences that are not directly observable. Options A, B, and D refer to measures of internal experiences rather than observable behavior.

Question 13

What is retrospective bias?

Accepted Answer

Retrospective bias refers to the phenomenon of participants interpreting past events in inaccurate ways. This can be due to various factors such as memory distortions, cognitive biases, and emotional factors. Retrospective bias can affect the results of research studies that rely on participants' recall of past events.

Question 14

What is social desirability bias?

Accepted Answer

Social desirability bias refers to the tendency of participants to give responses that are socially acceptable and consistent with the norms of the society or the research setting, rather than their true beliefs or attitudes. This bias can affect the validity and reliability of research, especially in sensitive or controversial topics where participants may feel pressure to conform to societal expectations.

Question 15

What are demand characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics are cues in the experimental setting or design that may cause participants to guess the experimenter’s hypotheses or alter their behavior to fit what they think is expected of them. This can lead to biased or inaccurate results. Therefore, D is the correct answer. A refers to social desirability bias, B is about confounding variables, and C is about response bias.

Question 16

How can a researcher minimize the likelihood of social desirability bias in participants' self-report responses?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring confidentiality can minimize social desirability bias because participants may feel more comfortable being truthful if they believe their responses will be kept private. Providing compensation may incentivize participants to participate, but it may not necessarily reduce social desirability bias in their responses. Designing the study in accord with the ethical principle of justice is important for the ethical conduct of research, but it does not directly address social desirability bias. Having participants sign their name to each page of the questionnaire may make them feel more accountable for their responses, but it may also increase their awareness of the potential judgment of others and lead to more socially desirable responses.

Question 17

Researchers want to _____ retrospective bias and _____ demand characteristics.

Accepted Answer

Researchers want to minimize retrospective bias (which occurs when participants remember past events differently than they actually happened) and minimize demand characteristics (which occur when participants modify their behavior or responses to fit what they believe are the expectations of the researcher). By minimizing these biases, researchers can increase the validity and reliability of their findings.

Question 18

A drawback of using behavioral trace is that it:

Accepted Answer

Behavioral trace relies on inferences made by the experimenter because it involves analyzing remnants of behavior, such as wear patterns or digital footprints, which require interpretation to understand the underlying behaviors.

Question 19

To minimize the impact of demand characteristics,an experimenter should:

Accepted Answer

By making the real purpose of the study difficult for participants to figure out, they will be less likely to alter their behavior to match the experimental hypothesis or expectations. This helps minimize demand characteristics, which are the tendency of participants to change their behavior in ways they believe are expected of them. The other choices may be helpful in minimizing other potential sources of bias or error, but they do not specifically address demand characteristics.

Question 20

Upon conclusion of his study,Wilkinson asks participants how much they enjoyed participating.Most participants were aware that Wilkinson wanted them to say that they enjoyed the study a great deal.This best demonstrates the influence of:

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics refer to cues in a research setting that may influence participants to respond in a certain way or produce behavior that is expected by the researcher. In this case, participants were aware that Wilkinson wanted them to say they enjoyed the study, which is a type of demand characteristic. Social desirability bias refers to the tendency of participants to respond in a way that is perceived as socially appropriate or desirable, but this does not fully capture the nature of the influence at play in this scenario. There is no indication of retrospective or scorer bias in this situation.

Quiz 4: B: The Psychologists Toolbox: Tools for Building Better Designs