Deck 9: Social Psychology As a Science

Question 1

In conducting an experiment, the researcher's goal is to:

A) determine whether experimental findings also operate under real-world conditions
B) determine whether the theory of random assignment actually works when put into practice
C) determine whether manipulations of the independent variable cause systematic differences in subjects' behavior
D) predict whether subjects will believe the "cover story" used in the experiment

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The crucial difference between experimental and nonexperimental methods of investigation is that experimental methods involve:

A) the quantification of empirical findings
B) establishing a relationship between two or more variables
C) the use of deception
D) the use of random assignment

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Suppose you constructed an experiment to better understand the effect of the content of a speech on how persuaded people were by it. In this experiment, the independent variable would be:

A) the content of the speech
B) how persuaded the subjects were
C) the characteristics of the subject
D) how the speech was delivered

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In the Aronson and Mills experiment, the ________ was (were) the independent variable(s), and the ________ was (were) the dependent variable(s).

A) severity of initiation; young women who participated
B) severity of initiation; women's liking for the discussion group
C) severity of initiation; boring discussion group
D) liking for discussion group; severity of initiation

Question 5

________ realism refers to the impact an experiment has upon a subject; ________ realism refers to the degree to which laboratory procedures are similar to commonly occurring events in the outside world.

A) Experimental; dependent
B) Mundane; procedural
C) Independent; dependent
D) Experimental; mundane

Question 6

The factor systematically varied by the experimenter is usually termed:

A) the dependent variable
B) the extraneous variable
C) the independent variable
D) the control variable

Question 7

In the context of an experiment, "random assignment" means that:

A) subjects are assigned at random to different "cover stories"
B) subjects are selected at random from a large population of potential subjects
C) subjects are assigned to only one experimental condition
D) each subject has an equal chance to be in any condition in the study

Question 8

If researchers find a positive correlation between cowardice and nosebleeds, it most likely means that:

A) cowardice is a cause of nosebleeds
B) nosebleeds are a cause of cowardice
C) that a third variable-a genetic, hormonal factor-causes both cowardice and nosebleeds
D) there is an association between the two variables

Question 9

Aronson believes that the study of social psychology is:

A) an art and a science
B) an art but not a full-blown science
C) science but not an art
D) an incomplete science

Question 10

Experimentation is used in social psychology primarily because:

A) it allows for more precise quantification of the dependent variable than other research techniques
B) it allows for greater control of the relevant variables than other research techniques
C) it is less time consuming than other research techniques
D) it presents fewer ethical problems than other research techniques

Question 11

According to the text, the first step in the scientific method is:

A) assigning subjects randomly to groups
B) specifying the independent and dependent variables
C) answering the ethical questions implied by the research question
D) observation

Question 12

In social psychological experiments, the experimenter tries to:

A) create an exact duplicate of conditions found in the real world
B) control conditions in natural, real-world situations
C) create a functional equivalent to conditions found in the real world
D) let the subject know what behavior is expected of him or her

Question 13

The dependent variable in an experiment is used to measure:

A) the effects of extraneous variables in the experimental setting
B) the effects of the independent variable
C) the degree of experimental realism achieved in the experiment
D) the degree of mundane realism achieved in the experiment

Question 14

In an experiment, extraneous (nonmanipulated) variables are controlled by:

A) having more than one experimenter interact with all subjects in the study
B) using subjects who are similar to each other in nearly all respects
C) making all aspects of the procedure identical for all conditions, except for the independent variable manipulation
D) the assignment of subjects to experimental conditions based on the characteristics of the subjects

Question 15

Simply knowing that achievement is positively correlated with happiness tells us:

A) that there is a causal relationship between achievement and happiness
B) that a third variable is the cause of both achievement and happiness
C) that as achievement increases, happiness also increases
D) that achievement causes happiness or that happiness causes achievement

Question 16

According to Aronson, the most important condition that must be met before any experiment can lead to definite cause-and-effect conclusions is:

A) random assignment of subjects to groups
B) the presence of a correlation between variables
C) the presence of broad demand characteristics
D) the manipulation of all dependent variables

Question 17

The main reason social psychologists want their experiments to have impact on subjects is that, without impact:

A) an exact duplicate or real-world situation cannot be achieved
B) subjects will be bored and thus will refuse to participate in the experiment
C) subjects' reactions will not be spontaneous, and thus the results of the experiment will have little meaning
D) subjects will probably guess the hypothesis of the experiment

Question 18

Which of the following word pairs corresponds most closely to "cause-effect"?

A) Experiment-correlation
B) Independent variable-dependent variable
C) Experimental realism-mundane realism
D) Control-impact

Question 19

Generally, the relationship between control and impact is such that:

A) as impact increases, control increases
B) as impact increases, control decreases
C) as impact increases, control shifts from the independent to the dependent variable
D) as impact increases, control shifts from the dependent to the independent variable

Question 20

Suppose you conducted an experiment to study the effect of violence in television shows on aggressiveness in children. The dependent variable would be:

A) the factors that distinguished between one group of children and another
B) how aggressive the children were
C) whether the children should be exposed to the violence
D) how violent the programs were

Question 21

Psychiatric interviews of subjects in Milgram's obedience study (in which subjects believed they were delivering intense electric shocks to another person) conducted one year following the study revealed:

A) that many subjects still had negative feelings toward the experimenter who deceived them
B) that many subjects believed their participation in the study had been both instructive and enriching
C) that only a few subjects experienced long-term negative effects as a result of the study
D) that some subjects still believed they had actually shocked the confederate

Question 22

If deception is used, its negative effects best can be overcome by:

A) never telling the subject anything
B) debriefing the subject
C) using role-playing techniques
D) paying the subjects more money

Question 23

Replications cannot:

A) determine the robustness of an effect reported in a single study
B) broaden the scope of the findings to new people or situations
C) catch oversights or unintentional biases
D) determine causality

Question 24

According to the text, ethical dilemmas faced by experimental social psychologists stem from two conflicting values to which most researchers subscribe. These values are reflected in the belief ________ versus the belief ________.

A) that they must advance their scientific careers; that research should address important social problems
B) that informed consent is desirable; that deception cannot be avoided in research
C) that most people benefit from participating in research; that some people may be harmed by experimental deception
D) that free scientific inquiry is important; that the dignity of humans and their right to privacy should be respected

Question 25

Jane is a subject in Milgram's study of obedience. As she delivers increasingly severe shocks to the "learner," she feels a great deal of anxiety, engages in nervous laughter, and breaks out into a sweat. Caught in the grip of conflicting emotions, she would like to stop but feels she must continue to obey the orders of the experimenter. She has never encountered a situation like this before. Based on this description, what can we conclude about the Milgram experiment?

A) It was high in experimental realism.
B) It was high in experimental and mundane realism.
C) It was low in experimental and mundane realism.
D) It was high in mundane realism.

Question 26

Many subjects in a study by Robyn Dawes, Jeanne McTavish, and Harriet Shaklee experienced considerable discomfort after their participation in a study of how people respond to "social dilemmas." This study was included in The Social Animal to illustrate:

A) the pitfalls inherent in doing research involving deception
B) the hazards of failure to carefully debrief subjects after their participation in an experiment
C) the need to screen subjects before conducting an experiment to make sure they are in good psychological health
D) that no code of ethics can anticipate all problems, even when an experiment is carefully planned and conducted

Question 27

The postexperimental session (debriefing):

A) allows the experimenter to explain the details to the participants to protect the dignity of the participants
B) should fool the subject in order to be effective and gain more information
C) increases the mundane realism of the experiment
D) is a chance to conduct even more research

Question 28

When a study is repeated by other investigators in other labs, it is called

A) scientific fraud
B) a replication
C) plagiarism
D) a debriefing

Question 29

Debriefing a subject at the end of an experiment:

A) is unethical if the subject already seems upset by the experimental procedure
B) is a valuable way of undoing some of the discomfort and deception that may have occurred during the experiment
C) has been shown to be relatively ineffective in undoing possible harmful effects to the subject
D) helps to keep the subject unaware of the true nature of the experiment

Question 30

If subjects know the true purpose of an experiment while participating in it, the most serious risk is if they:

A) refuse to continue their participation in the experiment
B) tell the experimenter ways that the experiment could be improved
C) act in ways that they believe will make them look good or "normal"
D) ruin the "cover story" by telling other subjects about the hypothesis of the experiment

Question 31

An experiment that gets the subject involved and interested but that does not represent events that occur in the real world is:

A) high in experimental control and low in correlational control
B) high in mundane realism and low in experimental realism
C) high in experimental realism and low in mundane realism
D) high in correlational control and low in experimental control

Question 32

In Asch's study of conformity, which involved a comparison of the lengths of different lines, subjects were told that the experiment was about perceptual judgment. Telling subjects this:

A) involved the unnecessary use of deception, which Asch later regretted
B) aroused a great deal of suspicion because the line-judging task was too easy
C) was part of the experimenter's cover story
D) created a high level of mundane realism in the experiment

Question 33

Cover stories are used to:

A) mislead subjects about the true purpose of the experiment
B) direct the subject's attention toward the specific behavior being studied
C) decrease experimental realism
D) decrease mundane realism

Question 34

Suppose you volunteered to be a subject in a psychology experiment in which you were locked into a soundproof booth and were told that your brain waves were being measured. Furthermore, you truly believed that your brain wave pattern was being used to predict your basic personality traits. According to Aronson, this experiment would have_________mundane realism and_________experimental realism.

A) low; low
B) high; high
C) low; high
D) high; low