Deck 2: Research Methods in Io Psychology

Question 1

This criterion of a good theory states that it should be practical and help to describe, explain, and predict an important phenomenon. Thus, a good theory must be:

A)systematic.
B)useful.
C)deterministic.
D)testable.

Answer 1

useful.

Question 2

Researchers are using _____ when they start with data and create a theory to explain it; and they are using _____ when they start with a theory and collect data to support or refute that theory.

A)induction; deduction
B)deduction; induction
C)reduction; induction
D)induction; reduction

Answer 2

induction; deduction

Question 3

The goals of science include description, explanation, control, and:

A)expectation.
B)prescription.
C)confirmation.
D)prediction.

Answer 3

prediction.

Question 4

The approach to science that involves starting with a theory and propositions and then collecting data to test those propositions is:

A)reduction.
B)induction.
C)production.
D)deduction.

Question 5

Which of these is the key characteristic of science?

A)It involves formal and systematic observation.
B)It involves the use of laboratories.
C)It is performed by professors.
D)It results in technological advances.

Question 6

Sofia has heard about a theory that suggests that when people are in a group they tend to put forth less effort than when they work alone. She decides to collect some data to see if they support this theory. Sofia is using:

A)deduction.
B)reduction.
C)parsimony.
D)induction.

Question 7

The goal of science that involves the accurate portrayal of a certain phenomenon is known as:

A)control.
B)explanation.
C)description.
D)evaluation.

Question 8

Jill develops the theory that students learn better from lectures than from reading. Sam believes that this theory is not very good because it is unclear what Jill means by "better." In other words, Jill's theory lacks:

A)precision.
B)discoverability.
C)parsimony.
D)generativity.

Question 9

Professor Fisk has developed a theory that contains statements that are verifiable by experimentation. The professor's theory has met the criterion for a "good" theory that is known as:

A)parsimony.
B)precision.
C)discoverability.
D)testability.

Question 10

A scientist who believes that behavior is orderly and systematic and does not happen by chance holds the basic assumption of science known as:

A)discoverability.
B)empiricism.
C)descriptivism.
D)determinism.

Question 11

Professor Sandhurst collects data from employees before developing a theory of job satisfaction. This approach is known as:

A)reduction.
B)deduction.
C)induction.
D)postduction.

Question 12

The scientific philosopher Karl Popper stated that science is really about:

A)generating as many theories as possible in order to advance science.
B)proving that theories are true based on experimental data.
C)ruling out alternative explanations until one explanation or theory fits the data.
D)creating new theories, even if no one ever tests them.

Question 13

Dr. Le believes that humans behave in orderly ways, and it is possible to detect this orderliness . Dr. Le appears to believe in an assumption of science known as:

A)parsimony.
B)precision.
C)discoverability.
D)generativity.

Question 14

Which of these is a criterion of a good theory?

A)usefulness
B)empiricism
C)entropy
D)pseudoscience

Question 15

When considering whether to begin scientific research with data or with theory, it is important to know that the approach taken by most distinguished scientists is one that:

A)combines both inductive and deductive processes.
B)uses the deductive process only.
C)uses the inductive process only
D)uses the reductive process only.

Question 16

Which of these is a goal of science?

A)inquiry
B)Internal validity
C)description
D)discovery

Question 17

The goal of science that involves the manipulation of antecedent conditions to affect behavior is called:

A)control.
B)explanation.
C)prediction.
D)disconfirmation.

Question 18

The goal of science that involves learning about how and why a phenomenon exists is known as:

A)control.
B)explanation.
C)description.
D)proving.

Question 19

Ting believes that if you die in a dream you will also die in real life. Karen points out that if someone dies in his or her sleep we could never find out what happened in the dream. Thus, there is no way to demonstrate support for Ting's theory. His theory lacks:

A)precision.
B)parsimony.
C)testability.
D)determinism.

Question 20

Professor Sanchez has data from an experiment that indicate that being treated rudely by a boss leads to employees missing work more often. With such data the professor can draw a(n):

A)causal inference.
B)deductive inference.
C)inductive inference.
D)conclusive inference.

Question 21

In an experiment, a researcher is investigating the effects of two types of rewards on employee motivation. The independent variable in this experiment is:

A)the type of rewards.
B)employee motivation.
C)employee performance.
D)employee salary.

Question 22

"Criteria," "outcomes," and "consequences" are all words we might use to describe:

A)extraneous variables.
B)independent variables.
C)dependent variables.
D)predictor variables.

Question 23

_____ is the extent to which we can draw causal inferences about the variables in an experiment.

A)External validity
B)Extraneous validity
C)Content validity
D)Internal validity

Question 24

When an experiment uses college students as participants, some people may raise concerns that the results are not generalizable to employees in the "real world." This represents a concern about:

A)content validity.
B)construct validity.
C)external validity.
D)internal validity.

Question 25

The extent to which results in an experiment generalize to other people, settings, and times is referred to as:

A)internal validity.
B)external validity.
C)empirical validity.
D)experimental control.

Question 26

Dr. Xiong conducts a study examining whether people feel more motivated when music is playing versus when there is silence. At first, his findings appear to indicate that those in the "music condition" do better. However, he learns that his research assistant encouraged the participants in the music condition but did not encourage those in the silent condition. Now, Dr. Xiong doesn't know whether the better performance was due to the music or the encouragement. Dr. Xiong's study has poor:

A)external validity.
B)extraneous validity.
C)content validity.
D)internal validity.

Question 27

Dr. Chinua is conducting a lab study. The situation is very artificial, and participants may not always behave normally. However, Dr. Chinua can very carefully control the conditions so that he can be certain that the effects that he sees on the dependent variable result from changes in the independent variable. His research is high in _____, but low in _____.

A)internal validity; external validity
B)external validity; internal validity
C)internal validity extraneous validity
D)extraneous validity; internal validity

Question 28

The type of variable that can contaminate the results of an experiment and may be an alternative to a causal relationship is known as a(n):

A)predictor variable.
B)criterion variable.
C)extraneous variable.
D)antecedent variable.

Question 29

When research participants have an equally likely chance of being assigned to an experimental condition or the control condition, the experimenter has:

A)manipulated the independent variable.
B)demonstrated external validity.
C)employed random assignment.
D)set up a quasi-experiment.

Question 30

Independent variables are frequently referred to as:

A)predictors.
B)criteria.
C)confounds.
D)outcomes.

Question 31

"Predictors," "precursors," and "antecedents" are all words we might use to describe:

A)extraneous variables.
B)independent variables.
C)dependent variables.
D)criterion variables.

Question 32

One way to demonstrate the external validity of an experiment is to:

A)replicate the results with different participants, in different settings, and at different times.
B)rule out all extraneous variables affecting the independent variable.
C)implement statistical control to minimize variability in the experiment.
D)manipulate different levels of the independent variable.

Question 33

The first step in any research project is to:

A)design the study and consider validity.
B)formulate testable hypotheses.
C)decide how data will be collected from participants.
D)use statistical analysis to make sense of the data.

Question 34

Dr. Wickersham wants to examine how light affects participants' performance on a counting task. So she has two groups, one that works under dim light, and one that works under bright lights. She finds that those in the dim-light condition perform better. However, one of her research assistants admits that he gave those in the dim-light condition extra time to complete the task. Now Dr. Wickersham is not sure whether those in the dim-light condition did better because of the lighting or because of the extra time they received. The extra time on the test is an example of a(n):

A)independent variable.
B)dependent variable.
C)criterion variable.
D)extraneous variable.

Question 35

Dr. Applesmith conducts a study in which he manipulates the light in a room while assessing participants' performance on a counting task. In this example, the light is the _____, and the performance on the counting task is the _____.

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

Question 36

Dr. Begley is conducting a study in a factory in which she is examining whether having employees wear uniforms affects their job satisfaction. In this study, her sample is very representative of other factory workers; however, because the employees work in an actual workplace, she cannot control other things that might affect their satisfaction. Her research is high in _____, but low in _____.

A)internal validity; external validity
B)external validity; internal validity
C)internal validity; extraneous validity
D)extraneous validity; internal validity

Question 37

Which research design is the ONLY design in which we can assert that one variable is causing another variable?

A)survey research
B)case study research
C)experimental research
D)archival research

Question 38

In an experiment, the variable of interest-that is, the variable the experiment is designed to assess-is known as the:

A)independent variable.
B)dependent variable.
C)causal variable.
D)internal variable.

Question 39

After designing a study, the next step in the research process involves:

A)developing hypotheses.
B)testing the hypotheses.
C)reporting results.
D)collecting data.

Question 40

A researcher is conducting an experiment to test the effect of feedback on job performance. The researcher can exercise control over extraneous variables, such as intelligence, by:

A)using participants with the same level of intelligence.
B)using participants with the same level of job performance.
C)giving all participants the same type of feedback.
D)randomly assigning participants to feedback conditions.

Question 41

Which method of data collection is MOST frequently used in I/O psychology?

A)unobtrusive naturalistic observation
B)experience sampling methodology
C)surveys
D)case studies

Question 42

Which of these is a primary characteristic of quasi-experiments?

A)the use of animal subjects instead of human subjects
B)use of intact groups and manipulation of independent variables
C)eliminating extraneous variables
D)a laboratory setting

Question 43

Test-retest reliability is often called a:

A)coefficient of equivalence.
B)coefficient of stability.
C)Cronbach's coefficient alpha.
D)split-half reliability.

Question 44

Laboratory experiments are typically:

A)high in internal validity and low in external validity.
B)low in internal validity and high in external validity.
C)generalizable to any workplace situation.
D)conducted in real-world work settings.

Question 45

Lily is conducting a study about emotions at work. She uses smartphone apps to signal participants at predetermined times to answer questions. Lily is using the data collection approach known as:

A)longitudinal design.
B)case studies.
C)experience sampling methodology (ESM).
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 46

Meena, using an archival data set for her research, notices that the data were collected from the same group of children when they were in first, second, and third grade. This data set is:

A)longitudinal.
B)cross-sectional.
C)normally distributed.
D)unobtrusive.

Question 47

What is one drawback of using self-administered mail surveys in research?

A)It is difficult to administer them.
B)They cannot be administered to large groups of people.
C)Response rates can be low.
D)There is a lack of respondent anonymity.

Question 48

Using _____, we can conclude ONLY that results either do or do not indicate a relationship between the variables of interest.

A)observational methods
B)field experiments
C)true experiments
D)laboratory experiments

Question 49

Split-half reliability, inter-item reliability, Cronbach's coefficient alpha, and the Kuder-Richardson 20 are all measures of:

A)interrater reliability.
B)parallel forms reliability.
C)internal consistency.
D)criterion-related validity.

Question 50

In I/O psychology, a rule of thumb for the reliability of measures is to have reliability levels of AT LEAST:

A).45.
B).50.
C).60.
D).70.

Question 51

Aneen wants to know which students will succeed in a gifted program, so she administers a test at the beginning of the year. At the end of the year, she finds that the test results correlate with those students' grades. The test has demonstrated:

A)content validity.
B)predictive validity.
C)concurrent validity.
D)divergent validity.

Question 52

What is the key difference between an experiment and a quasi-experiment?

A)Quasi-experiments do not include dependent variables.
B)Quasi-experiments do not include independent variables.
C)Quasi-experiments do not include random assignment.
D)Quasi-experiments cannot be used in a real-world setting.

Question 53

If a practitioner gives a math test to a group of participants at two points in time, and finds that the high scorers on the first test are also the high scorers on the second test, the test has demonstrated:

A)content validity.
B)test-retest reliability.
C)interrater reliability.
D)internal consistency.

Question 54

_____ is the degree to which a test or predictor covers a representative sample of the quality being assessed.

A)Criterion-related validity
B)Parallel-forms reliability
C)Content validity
D)Internal consistency

Question 55

Studies using observational methods are sometimes called:

A)correlational designs.
B)regression designs.
C)archival designs.
D)meta-analyses.

Question 56

Which of these is the LEAST common method of collecting data in I/O psychology research?

A)naturalistic observation
B)surveys
C)case studies
D)archival research

Question 57

Professor Lang has created a new measure of intelligence. She administers the test to a number of participants. Two weeks later, she administers the same test to the same people. Professor Lang is examining:

A)content validity.
B)interrater reliability.
C)test-retest reliability.
D)parallel forms reliability.

Question 58

Amy, using an archival data set for her research, notices that the data were collected on March 1, 1999, from a group of army leaders. This data set is:

A)longitudinal.
B)cross-sectional.
C)normally distributed.
D)unobtrusive.

Question 59

The extent to which items on a test are interrelated and hang together is referred to as:

A)parallel forms reliability.
B)content validity.
C)divergent validity.
D)internal consistency.

Question 60

Beatrice has created a test to measure high school students' math ability. However, she includes only questions on addition and subtraction, even though most high school students also know other procedures (such as division and multiplication). Because her test does not measure everything that should be considered as part of math ability in this group, her test has low:

A)predictive validity.
B)concurrent validity.
C)content validity.
D)interrater validity.

Question 61

Which correlation indicates the strongest relationship?

A).07
B)-.23
C).53
D)-.76

Question 62

_____ is the most useful measure of dispersion and is calculated by subtracting scores from the mean, adding the squared differences, and dividing the sum by the total number of scores.

A)Range
B)Variance
C)Standard deviation
D)Mode

Question 63

One would expect that the higher a GPA that someone has, the fewer classes he or she skips. In this case, one would expect a _____ between GPA and classes skipped.

A)positive correlation
B)negative correlation
C)null correlation
D)nondirectional correlation

Question 64

_____ involves providing research participants with information about the purpose of the study, their right to decline participation, the potential risks and benefits to participants, and where to direct questions about the research.

A)Informed consent
B)Ethical consent
C)Participant code of conduct
D)Deception consent

Question 65

A _____ provides information about the direction and magnitude of the relationship between two or more variables.

A)median
B)correlation coefficient
C)standard deviation
D)mean

Question 66

Which statistical and methodological technique is used for conducting quantitative literature reviews?

A)meta-analysis
B)deduction
C)experience sampling methodology (ESM)
D)correlation coefficient

Question 67

Which of these is a goal of science?

A)explanation
B)evocation
C)provocation
D)recovery

Question 68

When squaring a correlation coefficient (r²), the resulting value tells how much variance in the criterion is explained by the predictor. This statistic is also known as the coefficient of:

A)explanation.
B)determination.
C)stability.
D)equivalence.

Question 69

Correlations are relevant to I/O psychology because they are involved in making:

A)concessions.
B)predictions.
C)causal inferences.
D)surveys.

Question 70

One would expect that someone who has a high SAT score will also earn a high GPA in college. In this case, one would expect a _____ between SAT scores and GPA.

A)positive correlation
B)negative correlation
C)zero correlation
D)null correlation

Question 71

In a normal distribution, 99% of observations fall within:

A)one standard deviation above the mean.
B)two standard deviations above the mean.
C)two standard deviations above and below the mean.
D)three standard deviations above and below the mean.

Question 72

The MOST frequent single score in a distribution is called the:

A)mode.
B)mean.
C)median.
D)variance.

Question 73

Which of these is a goal of science?

A)capitalism
B)internal validity
C)control
D)external validity

Question 74

In the data set 3 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 10 15 17 20 20, what is the mode?

A)8
B)9
C)10
D)20

Question 75

Jerome wants to determine whether a test can identify employees who will be top performers. He administers his test to his employees, and he finds that its results correlate with their current performance. He has demonstrated:

A)content validity.
B)predictive validity.
C)concurrent validity.
D)divergent validity.

Question 76

In the data set 3 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 10 15 17 20 20, what is the range?

A)8
B)10
C)15
D)17

Question 77

If the correlation between variable A and variable B is .20, then variable A explains _____ of the variance in variable B.

A).02
B).04
C).20
D).40

Question 78

In the data set 3 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 10 10 15 17 20 20, which number represents the median of the distribution?

A)5
B)9
C)10
D)20

Question 79

Which of these is a stipulation of the APA ethical code for conducting research?

A)Researchers can never use participant deception.
B)Research studies must be approved by the APA.
C)Research participants' data must always be held confidential.
D)There are no ethical requirements for the care and use of animals in research.

Question 80

If one develops a new measure of employee motivation and demonstrates that the measure is not related to dissimilar constructs, then he/she has demonstrated:

A)concurrent validity.
B)predictive validity.
C)divergent validity.
D)internal consistency.