Deck 2: Psychologys Scientific Method

Question 1

Allie has developed a theory concerning test grades. She believes that there is a relationship between her frequency of study and the resulting grade. In order to test her theory, she has to
State a(n)

A) theory.
B) principle.
C) strategy.
D) hypothesis.

Answer 1

hypothesis.

Question 2

In surveys of adolescents, many teenagers claim that they began smoking cigarettes because of peer pressure. In observing adolescent groups, however, you rarely see an individual offer another student a cigarette or asking another student whether they would like to smoke. You predict that peer pressure is NOT the primary reason that adolescents smoke cigarettes. You have just formulated a(n)

A) theory.
B) hypothesis.
C) bias.
D) variable.

Answer 2

hypothesis.

Question 3

Which of the following is a technique that would NOT fall under the survey method?

A) telephone interviews
B) online polls
C) naturalistic observation
D) paper and pencil questionnaires

Answer 3

naturalistic observation

Question 4

Variables are elements of research which

A) can change.
B) cannot be depended upon.
C) are invalid due to fluidity.
D) remain constant.

Question 5

Surveys, case studies, and interviews are all a part of ________ research.

A) experimental
B) descriptive
C) case study
D) developmental

Question 6

A theory can be defined as

A) an attempt to test behavior and thought processes.
B) a naturalistic observation of behavior.
C) a set of closely related ideas that explains an observation.
D) the application of the scientific method.

Question 7

You believe that working women are happier than women who do not work outside the home. You predict that working women are less socially isolated than women who work at home. You have just formulated two

A) representative samples.
B) operational definitions.
C) theories.
D) hypotheses.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of research using the survey method?

A) Dr. Adele watches children as they learn to read.
B) Dr. Gomes studies his patients while they undergo psychological counseling.
C) Dr. Trooper collects children's school grades and test scores.
D) Dr. Frank asks people how many hours of TV they watch per week.

Question 9

The specific description of a behavior to be studied is referred to as the

A) hypothesis.
B) theory.
C) procedure.
D) operational definition.

Question 10

________ is a method by which researchers combine results across studies to establish the strength of an effect.

A) Meta-analysis
B) Replication
C) Substantiation
D) Verification

Question 11

The scientific method requires

A) insight into thoughts and emotions.
B) an advanced degree in statistics.
C) evaluation of conclusions drawn.
D) training in test administration.

Question 12

Joaquin has been assigned a primary research project in his psychology class. He is to observe student behavior during a learning task and attempt to form a/an ________. In order to do this, he must be able to articulate a broad idea that describes principles and events, and how they may be related.

A) theory
B) conclusion
C) operational definition
D) scientific method

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of a case study?

A) asking all general psychology students to complete a mood survey for extra credit
B) conducting a series of interviews over a year with an anxiety-disordered student
C) observing the study habits of students in the library versus those of students in the cafeteria
D) assigning half the class to computerized instruction and half to the traditional classroom

Question 14

Professor Gordon is planning an experiment. She has decided that each time Johnny leaves his desk, it indicates hyperactivity. Professor Gordon has formulated a(n)

A) finding.
B) theory.
C) operational definition.
D) descriptor.

Question 15

It has been proposed that students have difficultly returning to their academic schedule after a holiday or break. Specifically, it has been predicted that there will be more student absences on the Monday following spring break than on the Friday prior to spring break. The first statement describes the ________, while the second is the ________.

A) design of the study; research method
B) theory; hypothesis
C) hypothesis; theory
D) prediction; procedure

Question 16

For which of the following would a survey be LEAST useful?

A) determining students' attitudes towards their new class president
B) determining subjects' opinions about a new amendment
C) determining subjects' level of honesty
D) determining students' feelings about homework

Question 17

Ashton wants to study butterflies using the scientific method. Which of these represents a step or steps in the scientific method?

A) While watching the butterflies, Ashton notices a phenomenon in their feeding behavior.
B) Ashton makes a logical educated guess to predict the butterflies' future behavior.
C) Ashton tests his prediction by recording objective information on the butterflies.
D) All of these.

Question 18

A variable is defined as anything that

A) can be assigned a numerical value.
B) can be predicted.
C) can change.
D) stays constant.

Question 19

Which of the following best represents an operational definition?

A) Dr. Williams is counting the number of times a person picks up an item from the counter.
B) Dr. Bowden is determining the efficiency of the newest jets found in the Air Force.
C) Dr. Smith is having student's recall the earliest childhood memory they can remember.
D) Dr. Benedict is having his subjects go online to look up examples of jealousy.

Question 20

If a psychologist were to study "love," she would need to have a(n) ________ love. Without this specific information, the hypothesis could not be tested.

A) theory of
B) operational definition for
C) statistical approach to the study of
D) point of view concerning

Question 21

Which of the following correlation coefficients is indicative of the strongest relationship between two variables?

A) +0.65
B) 0.00
C) -0.87
D) -0.24

Question 22

A correlation coefficient indicates the ________ between two variables.

A) cause and effect relationship
B) degree of relationship
C) standard deviation
D) validity

Question 23

If you find no relationship between two variables, what is the correlation coefficient?

A) +1.00
B) 0.00
C) -0.87
D) -0.99

Question 24

The "third variable problem" refers to a

A) study in which an independent variable was not manipulated.
B) study where the results revealed a zero correlation.
C) situation where a variable that was not measured actually accounts for the relationship.
D) situation where the proper dependent variable was not measured.

Question 25

The Nun Study, in which researchers followed up with a group of nuns repeatedly over the course of 20 years, is an example of what type of research?

A) longitudinal
B) sequential
C) cross-sectional
D) unethical

Question 26

You want to determine the relationship between caffeine intake and performance on a mid-quarter exam. As students sit down to take the exam, you ask them to write the number of cups of tea, soda, or coffee they ingested two hours prior to the exam. You also obtain their exam scores. You calculate the correlation coefficient between the two variables to be +0.82. What can you conclude?

A) Higher caffeine consumption is related to higher exam scores.
B) Eighty-two percent of the students consumed caffeine prior to the exam.
C) Drinking coffee caused better scores.
D) The more caffeine students consumed, the worse they scored on the exam.

Question 27

We can predict participants' scores on Variable A with perfect accuracy by knowing their scores on Variable B. Higher scores on Variable A are associated with higher scores on Variable B. What is the correlation coefficient for the correlation between Variables A and B?

A) -1.00
B) +0.50
C) 0.00
D) +1.00

Question 28

A study indicated a strong positive correlation between two variables. This means that

A) as one variable increases, the other decreases.
B) the correlation is equal to zero.
C) one variable causes the other variable to occur.
D) as one variable increases, the other also increases.

Question 29

We can predict participants' scores on Variable A with perfect accuracy by knowing their scores on Variable B. Higher scores on Variable A are associated with lower scores on Variable B. What is the correlation coefficient for the correlation between Variables A and B?

A) +1.00
B) 0.00
C) -1.00
D) -0.99

Question 30

Professor Rodman found a -0.72 correlation between the severity of injuries in an automobile accident and the use of seat belts. What can he conclude?

A) Wearing seat belts saves lives.
B) People who wear seat belts are less likely to receive serious injuries in an accident.
C) People who wear seat belts will receive fewer injuries in an accident.
D) Wearing your seatbelt is not predictive of the type of injury one receives in an accident.

Question 31

You design a research study to investigate if there is a relationship between two variables. You measure each of them without manipulating either one. If you find that Variable A is increasing at about the same rate as Variable B is increasing, what can you conclude?

A) Variable A is causing Variable B.
B) Variable A is negatively correlated with Variable B.
C) Variable B is causing Variable A.
D) Variable A is positively correlated with Variable B.

Question 32

Professor Jacobs believes that sleep deprivation is related to conflicts between roommates. He collects data on the number of hours of sleep and the number of roommate conflicts for a group of college students over the course of a month. He obtains a correlation coefficient of
+0)75. What can he conclude?

A) Seventy-five percent of the conflicts he investigated were not related to sleep deprivation.
B) Sleep deprivation is associated with fewer conflicts.
C) Sleep deprivation is associated with more conflicts.
D) Sleep and conflict were not related.

Question 33

If Professor Milton wants to examine the relationship between brain damage and intelligence levels, she will have to conduct a ________ study.

A) experimental
B) operational
C) correlational
D) observational

Question 34

What does the positive or negative sign of a correlation coefficient indicate?

A) cause of the relationship
B) strength of the relationship
C) number of data points
D) direction of the relationship

Question 35

When conducting an experiment, Jamie assigns everybody who arrives before noon to the treatment condition and everybody who arrives after noon to the control group. What is wrong with this experiment?

A) It is not ethical.
B) Jamie has not used true random assignment to conditions.
C) Jamie is demonstrating experimenter bias.
D) It is deceptive.

Question 36

Which of the following best represents the correlation between hair color and intelligence?

A) .59
B) -.68
C) 1.0
D) -.03

Question 37

What does the size of a correlation coefficient indicate?

A) size of the variables
B) strength of the relationship
C) number of data points
D) direction of the relationship

Question 38

Professor Jordan has suggested to his students that a correlation exists between the number of hours spent in serious study and one's grade on the final exam. He would like his students to improve their test scores by increasing study time. The professor is describing a

A) mean score.
B) negative correlation.
C) positive correlation.
D) standard deviation.

Question 39

A correlational study is used to determine

A) cause and effect.
B) the relationship between variables.
C) the nature of the dependent and independent variables.
D) a representative population.

Question 40

"The problem with drinking coffee in the evening," complained Saundra, "is that it interferes with my ability to fall asleep. My mind keeps racing, but my body is so tired!" Saundra is describing the ________ between caffeine intake and sleep.

A) negative correlation
B) positive correlation
C) causal relationship
D) bias

Question 41

Dr. Smith has plans to conduct an experiment on motivation. His subjects will be varsity athletes who receive the experimental treatment as a group. Dr. Smith has hired Jack to act as a research subject who has little motivation despite the encouragement provided to him during the experiment. Dr. Smith wants to see how Jack's behavior affects the motivation of the actual research subjects. Jack is serving as

A) the dependent variable.
B) a confederate.
C) an observer.
D) a third variable.

Question 42

Skinner discovered that a pigeon will peck at a button more often if the pecking is rewarded with a food pellet. In Skinner's study, the food pellet is the ________ variable.

A) dependent
B) third problem
C) independent
D) correlational

Question 43

If Professor Jung wants to be able to draw cause and effect conclusions from her research, which of the following is the most crucial aspect of her experimental design?

A) hypothesis formulation
B) random assignment
C) data recording
D) control group size

Question 44

Dr. Kingston is examining how student's reading speed is affected by being tutored either by a teacher's assistant or a computer-based reading program. In this experiment, what is the
Dependent variable?

A) reading speed
B) teacher's assistant
C) computer program
D) grade level

Question 45

Random assignment of participants is important in order to ensure that

A) independent variables are not restricted.
B) groups have equal and balanced composition.
C) genders and ages are viewed independently.
D) all participants having specific characteristics are viewed in a single group.

Question 46

In experimental research, the group which receives no treatment is called the ________ group.

A) placebo
B) abstinence
C) control
D) experimental

Question 47

A researcher tells a group of participants that as part of his experiment they are going to receive "painful" electrical shocks. He tells a second group that they will receive "mild" electric shock. He asks participants in both groups whether they prefer to wait alone or with others while he sets up the shock machinery. What is the dependent variable?

A) painful shocks
B) mild shocks
C) participants' answers to the question about waiting
D) the shock machinery

Question 48

In a formal experiment, which group is the experimental group?

A) group that is subjected to manipulation of the independent variable
B) randomly assigned group
C) group that is not subjected to manipulation of the independent variable
D) group that is representative of the general population

Question 49

An experimenter wants to study the relationship between caffeine and reaction time. She assigns participants as follows: Group One receives 100 mg of caffeine; Group Two receives 200 mg of caffeine; Group Three receives 300 mg of caffeine; and, Group Four receives no caffeine. Twenty minutes later all participants complete the reaction-time test. Which group is the control group?

A) Group Four
B) Group Three
C) Group Two
D) Group One

Question 50

Skinner discovered that a pigeon will peck at a button more often if the pecking is rewarded with a food pellet. In Skinner's study, the amount of pecking is the ________ variable.

A) dependent
B) experimental
C) the independent
D) third problem

Question 51

Participants in a study are divided into two groups, with one group receiving an experimental medication and the second group receiving a pill that looks like the experimental medication but does not actually contain medication. The group receiving the experimental medication is called the ________ group.

A) independent
B) control
C) placebo
D) experimental

Question 52

Dr. Gillespie has two groups in her experiment. She places each participant in a group by flipping a coin - heads means Group A, tails means Group B. Dr. Gillespie has satisfied the requirement of

A) experimental control.
B) placebo control.
C) blind experimentation.
D) random assignment.

Question 53

In scientific research, the group which receives treatment is called the ________ group.

A) experimental
B) control
C) independent
D) dependent

Question 54

A properly designed hypothesis will test a theory by predicting the

A) random assignment of the experimental and control groups.
B) changes in the dependent variable that are caused by changes in the independent variable.
C) reduction of randomness caused by the experimental treatment.
D) participant error and its effect upon the results of the experiment.

Question 55

In a formal experiment, the group that is NOT subjected to a treatment condition is referred to as the ________ group.

A) control
B) dependent
C) experimental
D) independent

Question 56

Participants in a study listen to a lecture either in a lecture hall filled with natural light or in a lecture hall with no windows and artificial light. Before leaving the lectures, the participants fill out a mood survey. What is the independent variable in this study?

A) participants' responses to the survey questions
B) number of participants
C) type of light
D) the mood survey

Question 57

Professor Stenson is examining the effects of color on patients' anxiety level. She randomly assigns patients to either a room painted white or a room painted black, and then records their
Blood pressure. What is the independent variable?

A) blood pressure
B) anxiety level
C) room color
D) building type

Question 58

A researcher predicted that talking to plants enhances their growth. She gave 24 plants the same amount of food, water, and sunlight. She talked to 12 of the plants daily for 6 weeks. In this experiment, what was the dependent variable?

A) food, water, and sunlight
B) the plants
C) talking to the plants
D) plant growth

Question 59

In an experiment, the control group is the

A) group that is subjected to manipulation of the independent variable.
B) randomly assigned group.
C) group that is not subjected to manipulation of the independent variable.
D) group that is representative of the general population.

Question 60

A history class has agreed to be the subjects of a research study. Half of the class has been asked to study for the next test while listening to classical music. The remaining students will study in a silent environment. The test scores of the two groups will be compared. Which of the following is the dependent variable?

A) classical music
B) silent environment
C) reading speed
D) test scores

Question 61

"This cannot be the real opinion of the entire student body! She didn't ask me to fill out her survey!" Haley complained. Her psychology teacher explained that

A) responses to surveys are very complex and are seldom understood.
B) Haley is correct as an accurate survey would include responses from all members of the student body.
C) a representative sample of responses can indicate the view of the majority.
D) freshmen were excluded from the survey due to their lack of experience.

Question 62

Internal validity refers to the

A) extent to which experimental design represents the real world.
B) extent to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable.
C) causes of relationships as determined by correlational research.
D) methodology used to carry out random assignment.

Question 63

Although research has shown that it takes approximately thirty minutes for an aspirin to have an effect on the body, most people report that their headaches begin to fade after only about ten
Minutes. What is the best explanation for this finding?

A) subjects are giving false reports
B) correlational data is inaccurate
C) placebo effects
D) effect of demand characteristics

Question 64

Researchers who use ________ attempt to view behavior without disturbing the environment.

A) naturalistic observation
B) controlled observation
C) experimental research
D) restricted design research

Question 65

The tendency to provide subtle clues as to the true nature of an experiment is a form of ________ bias.

A) experimenter
B) control
C) participant
D) third variable

Question 66

Kevin has just completed his first day of naturalistic observation at the local high school, and he is concerned about the effects his presence in the classrooms is having on adolescent behavior. This is an important issue since, in truly naturalistic research, researchers cannot

A) be visible.
B) intervene.
C) be vocal.
D) All of these.

Question 67

The correlational method differs from naturalistic observation in that it

A) involves the use of more than one variable.
B) explains the causal nature of a relationship.
C) is not limited to real word settings.
D) can be carried out over an extended period.

Question 68

A male experimenter is friendlier towards female participants than he is towards male participants. This is an example of ________ bias.

A) subject
B) response
C) experimenter
D) participant

Question 69

Although the true nature of the experiment was supposed to be a secret, Professor Bobson always smiled when a subject checked the left box. As a result, subjects began to routinely check
The left box. How would one describe this potential problem?

A) experimenter demands
B) unethical practices
C) demand characteristics
D) experimenter manipulation

Question 70

Dr. Wong's research subjects include all of the students who are taking his introductory sociology course. In the context of the research, this group of students are referred to as the

A) control group.
B) sample.
C) experimental group.
D) population.

Question 71

The placebo effect refers to the

A) difference between experimental and control groups.
B) experimenter's expectation that the experimental group will perform better.
C) finding that people feel better simply because they believe they are receiving medication.
D) effect the third variable problem has on the dependent variable.

Question 72

One criticism leveled towards Skinner was that a majority of his work was conducted in laboratories with animals. Critics were most concerned with

A) external reliability.
B) internal reliability.
C) external validity.
D) internal validity.

Question 73

The group of participants observed in a research study are referred to as the

A) sample.
B) study group.
C) population.
D) control group.

Question 74

In a double-blind experiment,

A) only the participants know which group they are in.
B) only the researchers know which group the participants are in.
C) neither researchers nor participants know who is in the control or experimental group.
D) researchers do not have access to the results of the study.

Question 75

In a ________ experiment, neither the participants nor the experimenter know which group receives the treatment.

A) double-blind
B) controlled
C) naturalistic
D) placebo

Question 76

Dr. Jimand poses as a student in his study of Bosnian students who are adjusting to college life in the United States. Dr. Jimand lives in the dorm with the students and attends classes with them. What research method is he using?

A) formal experimentation
B) survey method
C) clinical method
D) naturalistic observation

Question 77

Sonja believes the pill her doctor gave her has cured her of her anxiety disorder, even though, unbeknownst to her, the pill contained no active ingredients. Sonja's belief is an example of the ________ effect.

A) experimenter
B) bias
C) control
D) placebo

Question 78

Mean, median, and standard deviation are examples of ________ statistics.

A) descriptive
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) interpretative

Question 79

Group A received progressive relaxation training prior to test taking while Group B received no treatment. Group A is the ________ group, while Group B is the ________ group.

A) treatment; placebo
B) experimental; control
C) control; treatment
D) placebo; control

Question 80

External validity refers to the

A) extent to which the results of a study can improve human life.
B) reliability of naturalistic observation.
C) problem with placebo effects.
D) extent to which an experimental design reflects the real-world issues it explores.