Deck 2: A: The Research Enterprise in Psychology

Question 1

What is a hypothesis?

A)a conclusion drawn from an experiment
B)a random guess as to what might happen in an experiment
C)a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations
D)a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Answer 1

a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Question 2

Dr. Licciardi predicts that if people are observed while they perform a complex task, they will make more errors. Which of the following terms is Dr. Licciardi's prediction is an example of?

A)theory
B)inferential statistics
C)hypothesis
D)operational definition

Answer 2

hypothesis

Question 3

A researcher is measuring the heart rate of subjects as an index of anxiety. In this study, what is heart rate?

A)negatively correlated with anxiety
B)independent variable
C)confounded variable
D)operational definition of anxiety

Answer 3

operational definition of anxiety

Question 4

There are multiple goals in science, and researchers move between goals at various points in their research. Which goals can researchers move between if they have a theory??

A)from application to control
B)from concept to description
C)from description to understanding
D)from understanding to application

Question 5

What is a theory?

A)a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations
B)a preliminary proposal that has yet to be tested
C)a statement of research results that have been proven correct
D)a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Question 6

Which of the following patterns is typical of theory construction?

A)a gradual iterative process that is always subject to revision
B)a process that results in concrete findings that are accepted by other scientists
C)a standard step-like process that quickly moves toward the truth
D)a circular process that typically leads nowhere

Question 7

Dr. Hessels is examining how different people respond to frightening events. She will have participants walk through a haunted house at a local amusement park, and each participant will be outfitted with a heart monitor. She will use the changes in heart rate as a measure of stress. What are two ways that such changes in heart rate can be described?

A)an operational definition and a case study
B)a case study and a physiological recording
C)a physiological recording and a direct observation
D)an operational definition and a physiological recording

Question 8

Dr. Critelli is studying aggression in children and plans to define aggression as the number of times one child pushes or strikes another child. What is Dr. Critelli doing when he defines aggression in this way?

A)operating the theory
B)creating a hypothesis
C)implementing a hypothetical definition
D)providing an operational definition

Question 9

A group of students are administered a series of written questions designed to assess their attitudes, opinions, and behaviour related to studying. What is this method called?

A)a psychological test
B)a questionnaire
C)a paper-based interview
D)a direct written observation

Question 10

Dr. Malm predicts that if teachers ignore students who act up in class, fewer students will act up in class. What is the scientific term for Dr. Malm's prediction?

A)operational definition
B)inferential statistics
C)hypothesis
D)theory

Question 11

What is an operational definition?

A)It provides a logical basis for each term.
B)It states relationships to other variables.
C)It describes the actions and procedures used to measure or control a variable.
D)It separately defines each term used.

Question 12

A psychologist monitors changes in the subject's heart rate as the subject watches a violent movie. What is this data-collection technique called?

A)archival records
B)direct observation
C)psychological testing
D)physiological recording

Question 13

How are hypotheses typically expressed?

A)as theories
B)as predictions
C)as statistics
D)as variables

Question 14

Forensic profilers use information about known serial killers to make statements about the likely next-steps of a new killer, and to anticipate a pattern of behaviour. Which goal of the scientific enterprise does this reflect?

A)application and control
B)measurement and description
C)the search for truth
D)understanding and prediction

Question 15

Which goal of science is most closely associated with answering the question of "how" something works?

A)understanding and prediction
B)measurement and description
C)application and control
D)search for truth

Question 16

Which goals of science are reflected in the use of reinforcement principles to modify a child's unruly behaviour?

A)understanding and prediction
B)application and control
C)measurement and description
D)determinism and teleology

Question 17

Dr. Dieringer wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families. She plans to define the strength of attachment as the time it takes for the parent to respond when the infant starts to cry. Why is this definition important?

A)It allows others to understand exactly what Dr. Dieringer means by "attachment."
B)It allows Dr. Dieringer to generate a scientific hypothesis.
C)It prevents research assistants from violating ethical guidelines for psychological research.
D)It requires a double-blind research design.

Question 18

Dr. Marqueta believes that "misery loves company." Based on this belief, Dr. Marqueta predicts that people who have received bad news will seek out other people. Which of the following terms characterizes Dr. Marqueta's prediction?

A)theory
B)hypothesis
C)variable
D)application

Question 19

Which of the following must be true of a scientific theory?

A)It is well established and not disputed.
B)It is accepted by others.
C)It is testable.
D)It is correct.

Question 20

What do we call any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviours that are controlled or observed in a study?

A)confounds
B)variables
C)correlations
D)hypotheses

Question 21

Which type of study did Dr. Amalie's research team conduct?

A)experiment
B)double-blind procedure
C)case study
D)naturalistic observation

Question 22

In the Featured Study, some individuals crossed a high, fear-arousing bridge, while others crossed a low, non-frightening bridge. In this study, what do we call the type of bridge?

A)naturalistic observation
B)dependent variable
C)operational definition
D)independent variable

Question 23

In the Featured Study, individuals who had just recently crossed a bridge were met by either a male or a female confederate of the researcher. What do you call the type of confederate in this study?

A)confounding variable
B)independent variable
C)extraneous variable
D)dependent variable

Question 24

Jackson is working with a company to help them develop more effective training programs for their employees. He has spent a great deal of time reviewing all the documentation the company has about previous training opportunities they have provided for their employees. What research technique is Jackson using?

A)meta-analysis
B)direct observation
C)psychological testing
D)archival research

Question 25

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a projective test that contains ambiguous stimuli that are to be interpreted by the participant. In the Featured Study, participants crossed a bridge and then completed the TAT. How did the researchers use participants' responses to the TAT in this study?

A)as a dependent variable
B)as a confounding variable
C)as an extraneous variable
D)as an independent variable

Question 26

Which of the following is a measure of central tendency from this study?

A)The satisfaction rating for large groups is 4.6.
B)The difference in decision time between small groups and large groups is 10.4 minutes.
C)There was a total of 340 participants in the study.
D)The range of potential satisfaction scores is from 1 to 10.

Question 27

There appears to be a correlation between efficiency and satisfaction, such that the less time required to make a decision, the greater the satisfaction of the group members. Which of the following correlation coefficients would reflect this relationship?

A)+0.85
B)+0.05
C)0.00
D)-0.79

Question 28

What is the term for a standardized measure used to obtain a sample of a person's behaviour?

A)experiment
B)survey
C)case study
D)psychological test

Question 29

Why is publication of research findings extremely important to the scientific method?

A)It allows for critique and self-correction.
B)It forces the writer to be clear.
C)The royalties help the researcher pay for the research.
D)It brings recognition to the research worker.

Question 30

Of the following pairs, which pair contains two data collection techniques that are most likely to involve direct contact between the researcher and the research participant?

A)direct observation and interviews
B)questionnaires and interviews
C)archival research and questionnaires
D)archival research and psychological testing

Question 31

What is the independent variable in this study?

A)satisfaction of individual group members
B)efficiency, as measured by speed of decision making
C)group size
D)leadership strategies

Question 32

Amanda tells you about her date with Brett the night before. They went to the local amusement park, where they rode roller-coasters, attempted a climbing wall, and went into the House of Horrors. At first, Amanda wasn't that interested in Brett, but by the end of the night she found herself very attracted to him. What insights could you provide, given the results of the Featured Study on the effects of arousal on attraction?

A)She must really be in love, because people who experience fear-inducing stimuli often end up showing fear or revulsion to people nearby.
B)We tend to seek out dangerous events when we are with someone whom we want to impress, so if she tried to climb a wall then she must have feelings for Brett.
C)Fear-inducing events can lead us to interpret our arousal as attraction, instead of fear, if we are around potential mates.
D)She must be overcompensating for her guilt about not wanting to go out with Brett in the first place, so she's convinced herself that he's attractive.

Question 33

In this study, what is the operational definition of efficiency?

A)difference between speed and satisfaction
B)size of the group
C)satisfaction ratings
D)speed of decision making

Question 34

Ling answered a series of written questions that asked about her attitudes and opinions on a number of current issues. What is this method of data collection called?

A)a questionnaire
B)archival research
C)a standardized psychological test
D)direct observation

Question 35

How many dependent variables are used in this study?

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)10

Question 36

What is a scientific journal?

A)a personal diary kept by a scientist
B)a detailed record of the daily procedures followed in conducting a study
C)a periodical that publishes technical and scholarly articles
D)a collection of biographies of famous scientists

Question 37

Which of the following is a general term for collecting empirical data?

A)descriptive statistic
B)hypothesis
C)research method
D)case study

Question 38

According to your text, what is the final step in a scientific investigation?

A)analyzing the data
B)rejecting the hypothesis
C)reporting the findings
D)debriefing participants

Question 39

What conclusion can you draw from the results of this study?

A)Smaller groups are more likely to be influenced by the opinion of one individual.
B)Group size is confounded with satisfaction ratings.
C)Medium-sized groups have only a moderate amount of disagreement.
D)Larger groups take longer to come to a decision.

Question 40

You're planning a night out with a special someone, and you'd really like your date to find you particularly attractive and arousing. Which of the following activities would be particularly useful for enhancing the amount of sexual thoughts that your date experiences, according to the results of the Featured Study on the effects of arousal on attraction?

A)a soothing evening of chamomile tea and soft jazz music
B)doing something that you already enjoy, in order to show your date the "real you"
C)a visit to a local gallery, where your date's favourite artist is having an exhibit
D)a trip to an amusement park, followed by a horror movie

Question 41

In an experiment, what do you call the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher?

A)stimulus variable
B)dependent variable
C)control variable
D)independent variable

Question 42

What is an independent variable in an experiment?

A)a variable that provides an alternative explanation for the results of the experiment
B)a variable that is held constant across experimental conditions
C)a variable that the experimenter believes will change in value because of systematic correlations that exist in the experiment
D)a variable deliberately manipulated by the experimenter

Question 43

What does a researcher do when conducting an experiment?

A)in-depth investigation of an individual subject, through detailed documentation
B)observation of behaviour as it occurs in its natural environment
C)systematic observation or measurement of two variables to see whether there is an association between them
D)manipulation of a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observation of whether there are changes in a second variable as a result

Question 44

What is an experimental group?

A)It must be chosen to be as different from the control group as possible.
B)It consists of the subjects who do not receive the special treatment.
C)It consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the independent variable.
D)It consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the dependent variable.

Question 45

A group of researchers wanted to determine if people will eat more food in a room with red paint and red decorations than in a room that is decorated blue. Half the participants in this study ate in a red room and half ate in a blue room. The researchers then measured how much food was consumed in each of the two rooms. What is the independent variable in this study?

A)the colour of the decorations in the room
B)the type of food that was available during the study
C)the amount of food that was consumed
D)how hungry the participants were at the end of the study

Question 46

Researchers studying the effects of sleep deprivation tested the physical coordination skills of 25-year-old males who had been sleep deprived for 24, 36, or 48 hours. In this study, what is the dependent variable?

A)the length of time the participants had been sleep deprived
B)the type of physical coordination task the researchers use
C)the age of the research participants
D)the physical coordination skills of the men in the study

Question 47

In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease, half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half of the patients were given a placebo (sugar pill). In this study, which group is the experimental group?

A)the group that showed evidence of an improvement in their memory
B)the group that received the actual drug
C)the group that received the placebo
D)the group of patients that was not included in the study

Question 48

Researchers who were studying plant growth raised plants in two separate rooms. One room had taped conversations playing 24 hours a day; the other room was silent. The researchers found that the plants grew better in the room that had the conversations playing. In this study, what would you call the type of room (silent versus conversation)?

A)placebo
B)independent variable
C)dependent variable
D)extraneous variable

Question 49

Researchers who were studying memory had participants learn a list of words after consuming a soft drink with caffeine or a decaffeinated version of the same soft drink. The researchers then counted the number of words that were recalled from the list. In this study, what would you call the type of beverage (caffeinated or decaffeinated)?

A)extraneous variable
B)dependent variable
C)confounding variable
D)independent variable

Question 50

Which approach is defined by manipulating a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable?

A)experimental approach
B)survey approach
C)testing approach
D)naturalistic approach

Question 51

A group of researchers investigates the effects of gingko biloba on animal memory. During the first part of the study, the animals learn to run a maze while they are not receiving the supplement; in the second part of the study, the animals learn to run a different maze while they are receiving the supplement. In each case the researchers count how many trials it takes before the animals can run the maze pattern without making any errors. What is the independent variable in this study??

A)the number of trials it takes to run the maze without making any errors
B)the type of animal that the researchers select for the study
C)the presence or absence of the supplement in the animal's diet
D)the age of the animals in the study

Question 52

Which of the following terms refers to differing approaches to the observation, measurement, manipulation, and control of variables in empirical studies?

A)validity operationalizations
B)research methods
C)statistical analyses
D)inductive techniques

Question 53

What is a dependent variable?

A)a variable that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in an experiment
B)a variable deliberately manipulated by an experimenter
C)a variable that the experimenter is depending on to cause something to happen in an experiment
D)a variable held constant across experimental conditions

Question 54

If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship, how can we define the relationship between the variables in an experiment?

A)The independent variable is the cause, and the control variable is the effect.
B)The dependent variable is the cause, and the independent variable is the effect.
C)The control variable is the cause, and the independent variable is the effect.
D)The independent variable is the cause, and the dependent variable is the effect.

Question 55

A group of researchers wants to determine if people are more likely to follow directions if the person giving the directions is in a uniform. Half the participants are directed to a parking spot by a uniformed security guard; the other half are directed to a parking spot by an individual wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt. In this study, what is the dependent variable?

A)the gender of the person driving into the parking lot
B)the number of participants who park in the spot they are directed to
C)the type of clothing worn by the person giving the directions
D)the distance between the parking spot and the entrance

Question 56

A researcher found that clients who were randomly assigned to same-sex groups participated more in group therapy sessions than clients who were randomly assigned to co-ed groups. In this experiment, what is the dependent variable?

A)whether or not the group was co-ed
B)how much the clients' mental health improved
C)the clients' attitudes toward group therapy
D)the amount of participation in the group therapy sessions

Question 57

A group of researchers conducts a study to determine if a child's performance is affected by the presence of other children. First, the children are taken to a room with no other children and timed while they complete a puzzle. Later, the same children are taken to a room with four other children and timed while they complete a similar puzzle. In this study, what do you call the length of time it takes to complete the puzzle?

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

Question 58

Nula is conducting a study in which one group is exposed to loud music while completing a writing assignment and the other group has quiet conditions. Further, Nula examines the effect of gender within these groups. Therefore, she is examining the effects of both noise and gender on participants' performance on a writing task. Which of the following reflects the type of variables present in this study?

A)one independent variable and two dependent variables
B)one control variable and two independent variables
C)one independent variable, one control variable, and one dependent variable
D)two independent variables and one dependent variable

Question 59

In an experiment designed to test memory processes, one group was given special instructions and asked to group the items on a list into categories while trying to memorize them. A second group of participants was given the same list, but did not receive any special instructions. In this study, which group is the experimental group?

A)the group that received the special instructions
B)the group in which the participants remember the most items from the list
C)the group that did not receive any special instructions
D)the group in which the participants remember the fewest items from the list

Question 60

An industrial designer wants to determine if the new design for a piece of office equipment will result in fewer errors. The designer sets up a machine with the old design in one room, and a machine with the new design in a second room. He counts how many errors are made using each of the two machines. In this study, what do you call the number of errors made?

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

Question 61

What is random assignment?

A)Subjects are allowed to choose which group or condition they would like to be in.
B)All topics have an equal chance of being assigned to a particular experimenter.
C)A different method is used to assign each subject to a group or condition.
D)All subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the groups or conditions.

Question 62

Which research method gives researchers the ability to infer a cause-and-effect relationship?

A)correlational
B)experimental
C)case history
D)empirical

Question 63

What is the purpose of the control group?

A)to isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable
B)to correlate the dependent variable with the independent variables
C)to make statistical significance more likely
D)to make the experiment more complex

Question 64

A researcher has children watch 30 minutes of violent television, and then counts the number of times they hit each other afterward in a one-hour play period as a measure of aggression. The researcher concludes that television violence causes aggression. Why might this conclusion be invalid?

A)It is unethical to force children to watch violent television.
B)There was no control group.
C)Aggression wasn't operationally defined.
D)The study is strictly correlational.

Question 65

What do you call a variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study?

A)univariate
B)extraneous variable
C)redundant variable
D)covariate

Question 66

What do we call two variables that are linked, and their individual effects cannot be separated out?

A)codependent
B)confounded
C)independent
D)dependent

Question 67

Jack believes that patrons in his bar will be more likely to leave a tip if the tip jar already has some money in it. To test this belief, he has the tip jar empty about half the time when a customer approaches the bar; the rest of the time he ensures there is at least $5.00 in the jar when a customer approaches. In Jack's experiment, which is the control group?

A)the patrons who see an empty tip jar
B)all the patrons who leave the bar without tipping
C)the patrons who see a tip jar that contains at least $5.00
D)all the patrons who leave a tip when they leave the bar

Question 68

In a study of the effect of fatigue on task performance, participants were asked to complete a series of puzzles. One day, all participants completed puzzles after 24 hours without sleep. On another day, the same participants completed puzzles after sleeping for at least eight hours. What can be said about the research methods used in this study?

A)The control and experimental groups were entirely confounded with one another.
B)There was no control group, so the study is seriously flawed.
C)Participants served as their own control group, in order to examine the effect of the independent variable under different conditions for the same individuals.
D)Participants provided their own matched controls, so that the researchers were unable to determine whether the independent variable had any functional impact.

Question 69

Diaz conducts a decision-making experiment to determine if people reason more logically when they have more time to decide. All the participants who are under 40 are allowed 15 minutes to reach a decision about a problem; all the participants who are over 40 are allowed 20 minutes to reach a decision about the same problem. What is the problem with this experimental design?

A)The age of the participants is confounded with the independent variable.
B)There are two control groups and no experimental group.
C)There is no dependent variable in the experiment.
D)The time allowed for the decision is confounded with the independent variable.

Question 70

Dr. Prutherow believes that people who are under stress will develop more colds than people who are not under stress. When he randomly selected 10 participants and exposed them to high levels of stress, he found that 9 of the participants developed colds. Based on these results, he concluded that stress causes an increase in colds. What is a fundamental flaw in Dr. Prutherow's study?

A)He didn't measure the independent variable when the study ended.
B)There was no dependent variable in his study.
C)There was no control group for comparison.
D)He didn't formulate a hypothesis before he collected his data.

Question 71

Phong and Mikaela both take part in a research study that is investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on reaction time. Phong is kept awake for 24 hours straight, while Mikaela follows her normal sleep routine. Which group is Phong in?

A)the hypothesis group
B)the control group
C)the dependent variable group
D)the experimental group

Question 72

Dr. Kalmagura plans on introducing a new exam review procedure in his chemistry classes. To check the effectiveness of the new procedure he is going to have half his students try the new technique for one semester, while the remaining students review in the way they have always done in the past. He asks each student to decide whether they would like to use the new technique or the standard technique. What procedure is illustrated in this example?

A)a double-blind research design
B)informed consent in research
C)the use of non-random assignment
D)a correlational research design

Question 73

In experiments, what do we call the placement of subjects in experimental groups such that each subject has an equal probability of ending up in any experimental group?

A)random forecasting
B)random selection
C)random assignment
D)random sampling

Question 74

Braeden received a poor performance evaluation in his job last year. Since then Braeden has started working through his lunch hour, taken on four special projects, and enrolled in night classes to upgrade his computer skills. Why will it be hard for Braeden to figure out the cause if he receives a better evaluation at his next performance?

A)He failed to use a double-blind procedure to test his hypothesis.
B)None of the actions he took are likely to be related to his overall job performance.
C)The three actions he took are confounded with each other.
D)He didn't formulate a research hypothesis before implementing the changes.

Question 75

What is the main advantage associated with the experimental method?

A)its precise control
B)it can be generalized to multiple contexts
C)its ability to duplicate real life in the laboratory
D)its appeal to participants

Question 76

A researcher wants to see if a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats. One group of rats is fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to receive ordinary rat chow. What types of groups are represented in this study?

A)The high-protein group is an experimental group; the rat chow group is a control group.
B)Both groups are experimental groups.
C)Both groups are control groups.
D)The high-protein group is a control group; the rat chow group is an experimental group.

Question 77

What is an extraneous variable?

A)the same thing as a dependent variable
B)a variable, other than the independent variable, that may influence the dependent variable
C)a variable that is completely irrelevant to both the independent and dependent variables
D)a variable that affects the control group but not the experimental group

Question 78

Dr. Shingwauk designed an experiment in which participants listened to a persuasive speech delivered either by a very tall person or a person of average height. In addition, the speeches were delivered by people wearing either business clothes or casual clothes. Dr. Shingwauk asked listeners to fill out a survey about impressions of the speaker's credibility. In this study, what is Dr. Shingwauk looking to determine?

A)Does a double-blind procedure lead to greater credibility of speakers, independent of the effects of appearance?
B)Do height and clothing style interact to influence judgements of credibility?
C)Does persuasion interact with any other factors?
D)Does the persuasiveness of the speech depend on the additive effects of height and clothing style?

Question 79

What does it mean when there is an interaction between two variables?

A)The measurement of the dependent variable depends on the effect of the independent variable.
B)The measurement of one dependent variable gets added to the measurement of another.
C)The effects of one independent variable get added to the effects of another.
D)The effects of one independent variable depend on the effects of another.

Question 80

A group of researchers wanted to determine whether children would behave more aggressively after watching violent television programming. Half the children in the study watched a violent television show; the other children watched a non-violent television program. Which group is the control group?

A)the children who watched the violent show
B)the children who behaved the most aggressively at the end of the study
C)the children who behaved the least aggressively at the end of the study
D)the children who watched the non-violent program