Deck 2: Psychology Research

Question 1

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between a theory and a hypothesis?

A)A theory is more focused than a hypothesis.
B)A theory is broader than a hypothesis.
C)A theory is the same as a hypothesis.
D)A theory is unrelated to a hypothesis.

Answer 1

A theory is broader than a hypothesis.

Question 2

The approach used by psychologists to systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest is called:

A)the trial and error method.
B)the informed speculation method.
C)the scientific method.
D)the educated guessing method.

Answer 2

the scientific method.

Question 3

According to Bibb Latane and John Darley's theory of _____,the greater the number of bystanders or witnesses to an event that calls for helping behavior,the more the responsibility for helping is perceived to be shared by all the bystanders.

A)diffusion of responsibility
B)command responsibility
C)social responsibility
D)collective responsibility

Answer 3

diffusion of responsibility

Question 4

Prediction is to explanation what _____ is to _____.

A)hypothesis; theory
B)theory; hypothesis
C)variable; supposition
D)hypothesis; variable

Question 5

Which of the following sequences correctly arranges the steps in the scientific method from first to last?

A)Identify problem $\rarr$ formulate explanation $\rarr$ carry out research $\rarr$ communicate findings
B)Carry out research $\rarr$ formulate explanation $\rarr$ identify problem $\rarr$ communicate findings
C)Identify problem $\rarr$ carry out research $\rarr$ formulate explanation $\rarr$ communicate findings
D)Carry out research $\rarr$ identify problem $\rarr$ formulate explanation $\rarr$ communicate findings

Question 6

"People with opposite personality traits are more likely to be attracted to each other." This is a(n):

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

Question 7

Which of the following is an operational definition of happiness?

A)An individual's feeling of joy
B)An individual's sense of achievement and spirituality
C)An individual's self-rating on a 10-point happiness scale
D)An individual's feeling of contentment

Question 8

_____ are broad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest.

A)Theories
B)Hypotheses
C)Operational definitions
D)Suppositions

Question 9

The development of a hypothesis occurs in which of the following steps of a scientific method?

A)Formulating an explanation
B)Identifying questions of interest
C)Communicating the findings
D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Question 10

Which of the following is the first step in the scientific method?

A)Formulating an explanation
B)Identifying questions of interest
C)Communicating the findings
D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Question 11

Regarding theories,which of the following statements is true?

A)Theories vary in their breadth.
B)Theories are translations of hypotheses into specific procedures.
C)Theories stem from hypotheses.
D)Theories are predictions stated in a way that allow them to be tested.

Question 12

A hypothesis is best defined as a:

A)prediction stated in a way that allows it to be tested.
B)specification of a variable in terms of the procedures that will be used to measure it.
C)broad,general explanation of the phenomenon of interest.
D)behavior,event,or other characteristic that can assume different values.

Question 13

Andrea is reading a general,comprehensive account of human aggression in the introduction to a research report in psychology.Andrea is reading a(n):

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

Question 14

After identifying the question of interest,which is the next step in the scientific method?

A)Formulating an explanation
B)Evaluating the findings
C)Communicating the findings
D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Question 15

Collection and analysis of data is done in which of the following steps of the scientific method?

A)Formulating an explanation
B)Identifying questions of interest
C)Communicating the findings
D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Question 16

As compared to the theories about human behavior we all develop in daily life,those formulated by psychologists are:

A)more general.
B)broader.
C)more complex.
D)more formal.

Question 17

Frederico is presenting the outcomes of an experiment he conducted in a talk at a regional psychology conference.Frederico is engaged in the _____ step of the scientific method,namely _____.

A)first; communicating results
B)first; formulating an explanation
C)last; communicating results
D)last; formulating an explanation

Question 18

When asked to define "popularity," Brianna offers,"It's when everyone likes you." Chrissy suggests,"It's basically the number of friends you have." How do the two girls' definitions differ?

A)Chrissy's is a procedural definition; Brianna's is not.
B)Brianna's is an operational definition; Chrissy's is not.
C)Brianna's is a procedural definition; Chrissy's is not.
D)Chrissy's is an operational definition; Brianna's is not.

Question 19

Regarding operational definitions,which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)For a given hypothesis,there are usually two operational definitions.
B)For a given hypothesis,there is a single best operational definition.
C)For a given hypothesis,many operational definitions are usually possible.
D)Some hypotheses cannot be translated into operational definitions.

Question 20

Which of the following is the final step in the scientific method?

A)Formulating an explanation
B)Identifying questions of interest
C)Communicating the findings
D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Question 21

Dr.Gigliotti is conducting an in-depth,intensive investigation of a patient with dissociative identity disorder.He uses psychological tests and interviews to better understand the patient.Dr.Gigliotti is undertaking a(n):

A)survey research.
B)archival research.
C)case study.
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 22

Wilma is undertaking survey research.Which of the following is she probably doing?

A)Recording the behaviors of sea lions in their natural habitat
B)Observing the problem-solving strategies of an extremely gifted middle school girl
C)Comparing students' performance on abstract and concrete versions of problems
D)Asking a sample of students a series of questions about their sexual attitudes and behaviors

Question 23

_____ is an in-depth,intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people.

A)Archival research
B)Survey research
C)Naturalistic observation
D)Case study

Question 24

Which of the following researchers is conducting a case study?

A)Dr.Henriette,who is investigating the effect of word imageability on list memory by handing out questionnaires
B)Dr.Innis,who is investigating in detail the tactile perception of a blind woman
C)Dr.Jefferson,who is observing children on a playground
D)Dr.Kulik,who is studying newspaper stories on serial killers

Question 25

Amy is conducting a survey of dating attitudes and behaviors among young adults as part of her master's thesis work.Amy distributes questionnaires to 200 randomly selected students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at her university.The 200 students constitute Amy's _____.The people whom she assumes her results will generalize are termed the _____.

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

Question 26

Naturalistic observation entails:

A)the systematic,detailed study of a single individual.
B)examining existing records such as census documents.
C)asking a sample of individuals a set of questions.
D)examining behavior in the setting in which it typically occurs.

Question 27

Which of the following descriptive research methods is incorrectly matched with an advantage?

A)Archival research-inexpensive
B)Naturalistic observation-examines behavior in the "real world"
C)Survey-small sample can give accurate picture of much larger population
D)Case study-it controls any of the factors of interest

Question 28

Evelyn,a psychology graduate,watches parent-child interactions in a park.She simply records what she sees and does not make a change in the situation.The method she uses is known as _____.

A)naturalistic observation
B)archival research
C)experimentation
D)a case study

Question 29

Which of the following descriptive research methods is correctly matched with a description?

A)Archival research-in-depth investigation of an individual
B)Naturalistic observation-behavior is investigated in the environment in which it typically occurs,without intervention by the researcher
C)Case study-a sample is asked a series of questions about their thoughts,attitudes,or behaviors
D)Survey research-existing data is examined to test a hypothesis

Question 30

Dr.Estevez prepares a set of questions to ask college students about their drinking behavior and their attitudes toward alcohol.Dr.Estevez is undertaking a(n):

A)survey research.
B)case study.
C)naturalistic observation.
D)archival research.

Question 31

Brooke is engaged in naturalistic observation.In which of the following projects is she most likely engaged?

A)Asking a sample of college students a set of questions about tendency to become angry in different situations
B)Watching and recording interactions between subordinates and their supervisors in a large corporate office
C)Conducting an in-depth investigation of the history and current behavior of an autistic boy
D)Examining crime statistics from the Department of Justice to see if the rate of property crimes is related to the rate of violent crimes

Question 32

Which of the following sequences is correct?

A)Operational definition $\rarr$ hypothesis $\rarr$ theory
B)Operational definition $\rarr$ theory $\rarr$ hypothesis
C)Hypothesis $\rarr$ theory $\rarr$ operational definition
D)Theory $\rarr$ hypothesis $\rarr$ operational definition

Question 33

Research in which existing data,such as census documents,college records,and newspaper clippings,are examined to test a hypothesis is known as _____.

A)experimental research
B)archival research
C)naturalistic research
D)a case study

Question 34

Each of the following is a descriptive research technique except:

A)experimental research.
B)case study research.
C)naturalistic observation.
D)archival research.

Question 35

Dr.Carruthers is using crime statistics available in a federal database as part of a study.Dr.Carruthers is conducting a(n):

A)case study.
B)naturalistic observation.
C)archival research.
D)survey.

Question 36

Which of the following is not a drawback of archival research?

A)Existing records are often incomplete.
B)It is expensive to conduct.
C)Existing data may not have been collected systematically.
D)Data may not be in a form that allows the researcher to test a hypothesis fully.

Question 37

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between a sample and a population?

A)A sample includes a population.
B)A population includes a sample.
C)A population is similar to a sample.
D)A sample is completely separate from a population.

Question 38

_____ is defined as the systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge.

A)Theory
B)Critical thinking
C)Coherent observation
D)Research

Question 39

Wallace is engaged in archival research.In which of the following projects is he most likely engaged?

A)Comparing the effects of cell phone distractions to those of text message distractions on participants' performance in a driving simulator
B)Asking a large sample of community dwellers a set of questions about their perceptions of healthcare reform
C)Recording language comprehension deficits in a woman with left hemisphere brain damage
D)Examining the registrar's records at a state university to explore the relationship between SAT scores and freshman GPA

Question 40

DeAndre is recording instances of physical aggression among children in a schoolyard at recess.DeAndre is undertaking:

A)a naturalistic observation.
B)an archival research.
C)a survey.
D)a case study.

Question 41

Why are control groups included in experiments?

A)To determine whether two variables are correlated
B)To ascertain cause-and-effect relationships
C)To ensure that participant characteristics are essentially the same in each group
D)To translate the hypothesis into something testable

Question 42

The strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables are represented by a mathematical statistic known as a(n)_____.

A)standard deviation
B)affiliation
C)operational definition
D)correlation

Question 43

Behaviors,events,or other characteristics that can change in some way are referred to as:

A)variables.
B)constants.
C)operational definitions.
D)hypotheses.

Question 44

The correlation coefficient ranges from _____ to _____.

A)1 to 10
B)+1.0 to -1.0
C)0 to 1
D)-10 to +10

Question 45

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

A)-.75
B)+.60
C).00
D)+.30

Question 46

Using a sample of young adolescents,Dr.Nguyen finds a correlation of +.55 between scores on a measure of neglectful or uninvolved parenting and scores on a measure of delinquent behavior.Which of the following might Dr.Nguyen legitimately conclude?

A)Uninvolved parenting causes juvenile delinquency.
B)Parenting that is more neglectful is related to a lower degree of delinquent behavior.
C)Uninvolved parenting is unrelated to delinquency.
D)Parenting that is more neglectful is related to a higher degree of delinquent behavior.

Question 47

Experimental research requires that the responses of _____ group(s)be examined.

A)at least one
B)at least five
C)at least two
D)at least three

Question 48

Experimental research is to correlational research what _____ is to _____.

A)association; cause
B)description; prediction
C)cause; association
D)description; association

Question 49

In the context of psychological research,_____ is any group that receives a treatment.

A)research group
B)experimental group
C)control group
D)secondary group

Question 50

Correlation research is:

A)research in which an investigator simply observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in the situation.
B)research in which people chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior,thoughts,or attitudes.
C)research in which the relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they are associated.
D)research in which existing data,such as census documents,college records,and newspaper clippings,are examined to test a hypothesis.

Question 51

The only way psychologists can establish cause-and-effect relationships through research is by carrying out a(n)_____.

A)correlational research
B)survey research
C)experiment
D)survey

Question 52

No relationship between two variables is represented by a:

A)negative sign.
B)sigma.
C)zero.
D)positive sign.

Question 53

Which of the following sequences of correlation coefficients correctly arranges the relationships between three pairs of two variables in order of increasing strength?

A)-.60,+.10,+.50
B)+.10,+.50,-.60
C)-.60,+.50,+.10
D).00,-.60,+.50

Question 54

_____ is a group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment.

A)Research group
B)Experimental group
C)Control group
D)Secondary group

Question 55

A positive correlation indicates that:

A)as the value of one variable increases,the value of the other increases.
B)as the value of one variable increases,the value of the other decreases.
C)little or no relationship exists between two variables.
D)one variable causes the other.

Question 56

Experimental group is to control group what _____ is to _____.

A)treatment; no treatment
B)no treatment; treatment
C)independent variable; dependent variable
D)dependent variable; independent variable

Question 57

Irving has noticed a pattern: The more alcohol people drink,the more aggressive they seem to be.Which research method is aimed at verifying a relationship between two variables?

A)Naturalistic observation
B)Case study
C)Correlational research
D)Archival research

Question 58

Which term is most nearly synonymous with the term correlation?

A)Association
B)Explanation
C)Observation
D)Manipulation

Question 59

Dr.Ingram deliberately varied the imageability of items on a list and later measured participants' recall of the items.Dr.Ingram conducted a(n)_____ research.

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

Question 60

In a negative correlation:

A)the values of both variables increase simultaneously.
B)as the value of one variable increases,the value of the other decreases.
C)the values of both variables decrease simultaneously.
D)one variable is the cause of the other variable.

Question 61

Which of the following is an advantage of archival research?

A)It provides a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants.
B)It provides a sample of people in their natural environment.
C)A small sample can be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population.
D)Data collection is easy because data already exists.

Question 62

Doctors Chase and Sanborn are conducting an experiment on the effects of caffeine on memory.Participants are randomly assigned to a caffeine or a no-caffeine group; their recall of items on a word list is later assessed.In this experiment,word recall is the _____ variable.

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

Question 63

Doctors Chase and Sanborn are conducting an experiment on the effects of caffeine on memory.Participants are randomly assigned to a caffeine or a no-caffeine group; their recall of items on a word list is later assessed.Which pair below correctly names and identifies the variables in this experiment?

A)Word recall-control variable; caffeine-experimental variable
B)Word recall-independent variable; caffeine-dependent variable
C)Word recall-dependent variable; caffeine-independent variable
D)Word recall-experimental variable; caffeine-control variable

Question 64

In an experiment,the _____ variable is measured and is expected to change due to the experimenter's manipulation.

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

Question 65

Meaningful results that make it possible for researchers to feel confident that they have confirmed their hypotheses is known as a _____.

A)mutually exclusive result
B)subjective outcome
C)significant outcome
D)conditional result

Question 66

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a case study?

A)It is dependent on the availability of existing datA.
B)The "typically occurring habitat" being observed cannot be controlled.
C)Results may not be generalizable beyond the sample.
D)It fails to provide a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants.

Question 67

Which of the following is an advantage of survey research?

A)It provides a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants.
B)It provides a sample of people in their natural environment.
C)A small sample can be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population.
D)Data collection is easy because data already exists.

Question 68

In an experiment,the _____ variable is deliberately manipulated by the researcher.

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

Question 69

Doctors Chase and Sanborn are conducting an experiment on the effects of caffeine on memory.Participants are randomly assigned to a caffeine or a no-caffeine group; their recall of items on a word list is later assessed.Which pair correctly identifies a variable in this experiment?

A)Caffeine-dependent variable
B)Caffeine-independent variable
C)Word recall-independent variable
D)Word recall-experimental variable

Question 70

In which of the following procedures are participants assigned to different experimental groups on the basis of chance and chance alone?

A)Operationalization
B)Correlation
C)Random sampling method
D)Random assignment to condition

Question 71

In a typical Latane and Darley "bystander" experiment,_____ is the independent variable and _____ is the dependent variable.

A)the presence of bystanders; whether a false emergency occurs
B)whether a false emergency occurs; the presence of bystanders
C)whether the participant helps; the number of people present
D)number of people present; whether the participant helps

Question 72

In an experiment,the dependent variable is:

A)applied to the treatment group.
B)randomized across groups.
C)measured by the researcher and is expected to change.
D)deliberately manipulated by the researcher.

Question 73

Iyesha reads a journal article reporting a study in which a small sample of women undertook tests of spatial ability at two points during their menstrual cycle.Iyesha conducts a similar study using not only spatial ability but also verbal ability tests.In addition,Iyesha tests a larger sample of women.She aims to confirm the findings of the study mentioned in the journal.Iyesha performs a _____.

A)meta-analysis
B)replicated research
C)significance test
D)control study

Question 74

Research that is conducted,sometimes using other procedures,settings,and groups of participants,to increase confidence in prior finding is referred to as _____.

A)replicated research
B)archival research
C)naturalistic research
D)survey research

Question 75

The people taking part in an experiment are referred to as _____.

A)patients
B)subjects
C)confederates
D)assignees

Question 76

The purpose of random assignment is to:

A)combine the results of a number of similar studies.
B)determine how likely it is that the results of a treatment were due to chance.
C)ensure that participant characteristics are equivalent across the various groups.
D)determine whether two variables are related.

Question 77

In an experiment,the independent variable is:

A)applied to the control group.
B)randomized across groups.
C)measured by the researcher and is expected to change.
D)deliberately manipulated by the researcher.

Question 78

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

A)It provides a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants.
B)It provides a sample of people in their natural environment.
C)A small sample can be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population.
D)Data collection is easy because data already exists.

Question 79

Which of the following is a disadvantage of survey research?

A)It is dependent on the availability of existing datA.
B)The "typically occurring habitat" being observed cannot be controlled.
C)A small sample cannot be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population.
D)The sample may not be representative of the larger population.

Question 80

An experimenter flips a coin for each participant and assigns the participant to one group when "heads" came up and to the other group when "tails" came up.This process is referred to as:

A)operationalization.
B)random assignment to condition.
C)purposive sampling.
D)correlation.