Deck 1: Social Psychology: the Science of the Social Side of Life

Question 1

The planning fallacy is ________.

A)a tendency for individuals to believe that projects will take less time than they actually do
B)a bias that some people have in planning for worst-case scenarios
C)a tendency to rely on our memories of previous similar activities when planning future projects
D)the mistaken belief that one can completely plan for social encounters
E)a technique used by some social psychologists when studying group interactions

Answer 1

a tendency for individuals to believe that projects will take less time than they actually do

Question 2

The moon is full,and Cristinel has been behaving wildly.Although sober,he's been alternately barking like a dog at strangers on the street and/or asking them,"aren't ya' just happy now?" According to your text,Cristinel's behavior could be due to ________.

A)the moon as an environmental influence
B)an undiagnosed mental illness
C)a cultural norm imported from his Transylvanian homeland
D)a good grade on his midterm paper
E)the fact that he has not seen his dog since school started

Answer 2

the moon as an environmental influence

Question 3

Based on his estimate of how long it would take him to complete his mid-term essay,Armando told his instructor he would turn in the paper on Tuesday,but was late turning it in,causing his instructor to deduct a letter grade from the paper.Next time Armando makes such a promise based on a plan,he will likely ________.

A)remember the negative consequence he experienced and turn the paper in on time
B)more carefully examine how to go about doing the paper on time
C)base his estimate on an outline of the paper
D)make arrangements to work away from his noisy roommates
E)make the same planning error and be late again

Answer 3

make the same planning error and be late again

Question 4

Social Psychology embraces ________ as core scientific values.

A)accuracy,objectivity,skepticism,and open-mindedness
B)accuracy,objectivity,statistical support,and open-mindedness
C)objectivity,theoretical coherence,open-mindedness,and skepticism
D)theoretical coherence,participant-observer approach,client-centered stance,skepticism
E)open-mindedness,skepticism,statistical support,theoretical coherence

Question 5

As a scientific discipline,social psychology seeks ________.

A)a non-skeptical understanding of unobservable forces
B)a unified theory of group behavior
C)an understanding of the nature and causes of social behavior
D)a narrow focus on the determinants of group behavior
E)a subjective understanding of group functions

Question 6

In addition to social cognition and behavioral approaches,research on ______ has helped social psychologists develop a greater understanding of how people form impressions,choose to help others,and even comply with requests.

A)mores
B)animals
C)emotions
D)evolution
E)thinking

Question 7

LaShawna meets another girl at a party who is not from LaShawna's ethnic group,and whom LaShawna judges,based on her stereotype of that group,is probably shallow and a gossip.The best description of LaShawna's judgment is that she is engaged in ________.

A)a social cognitive process
B)cultural norming
C)prejudice
D)developmental processes
E)a typical interaction between young females

Question 8

Why take a scientific approach? Part of the answer lies in the ________ nature of proverbs,axioms,maxims and the like.

A)contradictory
B)anecdotal
C)medieval
D)Socratic
E)rhetorical

Question 9

Social psychologists seek to find basic principles that will explain social behavior;however,both _____differences and _____ social world make this challenging.

A)cultural;religious
B)biological;a rapidly changing
C)intrapersonal;a conforming
D)cultural;a rapidly changing
E)rapidly changing;an evolution-based

Question 10

People tend to become more irritable and aggressive when the weather is hot and humid.This fact is an example of the effects of ________ on social behavior.

A)environmental variables
B)biological processes
C)cognitive processes
D)cultural context
E)interpersonal variables

Question 11

The branch of psychology that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior and thought in social situations is ________.

A)general psychology
B)social psychology
C)organizational psychology
D)applied psychology
E)interpersonal psychology

Question 12

Which of the following categories is NOT one of the five categories mentioned in your text regarding factors affecting social interaction?

A)None of these categories were mentioned
B)Perceptual processes
C)Cognitive processes
D)Environmental variables
E)Biological factors

Question 13

Kim knows she needs to go take summer courses,but worries about leaving her new boyfriend for three months.She wonders,will "absence make the heart go stronger" be true,or is "out of sight,out of mind" more applicable? This is an example of ________.

A)the unscientific nature of conventional wisdom
B)confusion regarding an interpersonal problem
C)the seductive nature of jealousy
D)the need for female advice
E)the need for better communication with her boyfriend

Question 14

The ways we think about other people and the things we remember about them may have an effect on our behavior.These thoughts and memories are examples of ________.

A)social processes
B)cultural processes
C)interpersonal processes
D)historical processes
E)cognitive processes

Question 15

Doug and Belinda are most likely to have higher satisfaction if they ___________.

A)have accurate impressions of each other
B)see each other in a positive light
C)see each other as similar to one another
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 16

One reason that social scientists put their faith in the scientific method is that the scientific method ________.

A)produces incontrovertible proof of the accuracy of their theories
B)assures acceptance of their conclusions by the general public
C)substantiates the status quo
D)allows scientists to rely on their own intuition
E)produces more conclusive evidence than other methods

Question 17

Social psychologists are primarily interested in understanding the many factors and conditions that shape the social ________ and ________ of individuals.

A)behavior;thought
B)behavior;planning
C)emotion;cognition
D)emotion;addiction
E)thought;judgment

Question 18

The focus of social psychology is on ________.

A)the processes society uses to direct and control the behavior of individuals
B)how groups define and shape society
C)the behavior and thoughts of individuals
D)the actions of small groups of individuals
E)the effects that society may have on group behavior

Question 19

Social psychologists focus their attention mainly on individuals because ________.

A)our actions are performed by and thoughts occur in the minds of individuals
B)the behavior of groups is too difficult to study in laboratory conditions
C)cultural differences have a strong effect on the behavior of groups but only a weak effect on individuals
D)some individuals are more strongly affected by society than are others
E)society doesn't have much influence over how individuals should behave in most situations

Question 20

Radha is from India and is Jana's friend.In making a judgment about Radha's reason for being late for coffee,Jana may infer that Radha was late because she had a confusing day,or Jana may decide that Radha doesn't really have much respect for her schedule.This is best explained as an example of a ________.

A)cognitive process
B)environmental variable
C)cultural context
D)biological factor
E)personality trait

Question 21

Research on mirror neurons with individuals who are high,moderate,and low in empathy revealed________.

A)there is no relationship between mirror neurons and empathy
B)participants low in empathy showed equal amounts of neural activity to both social and non-social stimuli
C)participants high in empathy showed equal amounts of neural activity to all stimuli
D)participants low in empathy showed relatively high amounts of neural activity only to non-social stimuli
E)participants high in empathy showed relatively high amounts of neural activity only to non-social stimuli

Question 22

A(n)________ in social psychology ________ in the U.S.

A)multicultural perspective;recognizes a narrowing of diversity
B)multicultural perspective;recognizes a widening of diversity
C)neuroscientific view;sees a universality of brain function,as opposed to diversity
D)social cognitive perspective;views multiculturalism as embracing stereotypes about social groups
E)environmental view;sees minority group well-being as primarily a goodness-of-fit problem

Question 23

The branch of psychology that seeks to examine the potential role of genetic factors in different aspects of human behavior is known as ________.

A)psychology of perception
B)physiological psychology
C)cultural psychology
D)evolutionary psychology
E)social psychology

Question 24

The evolutionary perspective on social behavior suggests that ________.

A)we are driven by our genes to act in specific ways
B)much of our behavior is biologically determined and cannot be consciously known
C)we inherit specific patterns of social behavior
D)we inherit tendencies or predispositions to behave in certain ways
E)we cannot act counter to the drives established by our genetic inheritance

Question 25

Despite some variation,there appear to be universal mating preferences for certain physical features.This fact suggests that these attractiveness features are influenced by ________.

A)evolutionary factors
B)cultural context
C)cognitive processes
D)developmental perspectives
E)individual differences

Question 26

In one study,participants were presented with words that were either consistent or inconsistent with their strongly held values.Participants showed quite strong reactions to the value inconsistent words.This suggests that we process information we ____ .

A)agree with quite slowly
B)disagree with slowly but thoroughly
C)disagree with quickly
D)agree with quickly
E)agree with quickly and thoroughly;

Question 27

The evolutionary perspective on social psychology suggests that ________.

A)we inherit specific patterns of social behavior
B)we inherit biological predispositions that have no effect on our actual behavior
C)our biological inheritance determines many of the actions we take
D)we are driven by our genes to act in specific ways
E)we inherit tendencies to behave in certain ways

Question 28

A researcher worked with members of a political action committee (PAC)to survey potential voters by telephone before an election.PAC members conducted the poll themselves while the researcher tabulated the results.The poll asked which candidate people plan to vote for in the upcoming election.Which of the following may present problems for the accuracy of the results?

A)None of these will present problems for the accuracy of the results.
B)One question was "Do you plan to vote for Candidate A or Candidate B?"
C)The survey was scheduled to coincide with a large rally for one candidate.
D)All of these may present problems for the accuracy of the results.
E)The sample of potential voters was taken from telephone directories only.

Question 29

________ processes represent those factors and processes which influence thought,feelings,or behaviors and of which we are either not aware or only dimly aware.

A)Implicit
B)Explicit
C)Neural
D)Common sense
E)Immediate

Question 30

Based on research regarding the preference for a good sense of humor in a romantic partner,which of the following were found?

A)A good sense of humor is a sign of poor intelligence.
B)A good sense of humor may signal availability or interest in the other.
C)People express more humor and laugh more when they would prefer to be "just friends" rather than romantically involved.
D)During speed dating sessions,those who used humor were thought to be showing less romantic interest.
E)None of the above.

Question 31

________ is the area of psychology that studies the interplay between brain events and thought,emotion and behavior.

A)Social neuroscience
B)Social phrenology
C)Nuclear resonance imaging
D)Event related potentials
E)PET scans

Question 32

In order to determine whether people have a strong or weak preference for the color of their cookware,a company wants to collect information from many of its past customers.If the number of past customers is very large,the company may want to consider using ________ methods.

A)mystery shopper
B)survey
C)naturalistic observation
D)field experimental
E)quasi-experimental

Question 33

A multicultural perspective is recognized as increasingly important to research in social psychology because ________.

A)a variety of cultural factors such as race or ethnicity,sexual orientation,or disability help determine self-identity
B)some cultural factors may be important,but these factors have not yet been identified
C)cultural factors are only important in some areas of research,such as research dealing with facial recognition
D)cultural factors have a weak influence on social behavior
E)cultural factors are relatively unimportant in a heterogeneous society

Question 34

The observation of behavior as it occurs in natural settings is known as ________.

A)correlational observation
B)social observation
C)quasi-experimental observation
D)naturalistic observation
E)systematic observation

Question 35

The process of carefully observing behavior as it occurs is known as ________.

A)systematic observation
B)social observation
C)naturalistic observation
D)quasi-experimental observation
E)correlational observation

Question 36

The variation referred to by evolutionary psychologists is that ________.

A)some individual members of a species vary on important traits while others do not
B)individual members of any given species differ from each other in many ways
C)evolved traits exhibit more intraindividual variation than do non evolved traits
D)members of different species differ from each other in many ways
E)particular traits of individuals may vary over the life span

Question 37

The people who complete a survey must be representative of the population about which conclusions are to be drawn.This is known as the issue of ________.

A)perverse responders
B)representation
C)margin of error
D)diversity
E)sampling

Question 38

One study has demonstrated the ways in which multicultural approaches can tell us about attractiveness.In this study,participants were asked what body drawings would be most attractive to others.Findings indicated that ___.

A)participants from different cultures made different ratings
B)participants regardless of culture preferred the thinner line drawings of women but not men
C)participants from higher socioeconomic statuses preferred heavier body shapes
D)participants from lower socioeconomic statuses preferred slimmer body shapes
E)both A and D are true

Question 39

Much research on implicit processes has demonstrated that people often ___.

A)have good intuition
B)are unable to quickly explain themselves
C)do not know why they think or behave as they do
D)have great common sense approaches
E)make correct first impressions

Question 40

Recent research on implicit processes demonstrate that such processes ________.

A)are relatively unimportant in our social behavior and thought
B)are quite influential in our social behavior and thought
C)are extremely difficult to study and therefore of little use
D)often show strong influence,but are impossible to properly interpret
E)are becoming less of an interest in the field of social psychology

Question 41

In an experiment,researchers wanted to know whether changing the level of lighting in a factory would have an effect on the productivity of employees.In order to address this question,employees were randomly assigned to three separate identical work areas,but the lighting was set at a different level in each of the work areas.Then employees in all three work groups began to operate machinery that produced small electrical components.The number of components produced by each group was carefully tallied at the end of each 8-hour shift.In this example,the dependent variable is the ________.

A)machinery operated by the employees
B)employees chosen to participate in the experiment
C)presence or absence of the researchers
D)level of lighting
E)number of components produced

Question 42

Researchers believe that experiencing strong negative emotions such as fear or anxiety will increase people's need to affiliate.To test this idea,the researchers randomly assigned participants to one of two small groups.Members of Group 1 were left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows.While waiting,the lights went out for a brief period of time and the participants could hear screams from another room.Members of Group 2 were likewise left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows,but the lights were left on and no screams were heard.Researchers observed how frequently members of each group started conversations with other members of their group on non-experiment related topics.In this experiment,the independent variable is ________.

A)whether or not the lights went out and screams were heard
B)the frequency of non-experiment related conversations
C)the current emotional state of the participants
D)the level of anxiety induced in the participants
E)assignment to one of the three groups

Question 43

Research has shown a positive correlation between 1)socio-economic status of the family of origin,and 2)college graduation rates.Based on this information,we can conclude that ________.

A)financial aid such as scholarships and student loans does not take the place of having strong financial backing from one's family during the college years
B)students born into wealthier families are more likely to complete college than students born into poorer families
C)students from wealthier families are more likely to have attended college preparatory schools
D)students from poorer families have a more difficult time adjusting to college life
E)having adequate financial resources from his or her family will cause a student to finish college

Question 44

Which of the following values would indicate the "strongest" correlation?

A)+.67
B)0
C)-.55
D)+ 1.33
E)-.72

Question 45

A researcher is interested in the relationship between courtship behaviors and physical characteristics of people.If the researcher should establish that there is a correlation of +.37 between physical attractiveness and dating frequency,we can conclude that ________.

A)it is impossible to predict dating frequency based on attractiveness
B)less attractive people date more often than more attractive people
C)more attractive people date more often than less attractive people
D)there is no relationship between dating frequency and attractiveness
E)more attractive people tend to date less attractive people

Question 46

Suppose smoking and drinking alcohol are found to be correlated at +.65.We can conclude that ________.

A)smoking is probably unrelated to drinking
B)smoking causes drinking
C)drinking causes smoking
D)smoking is probably related to drinking
E)people who smoke tend to drink less than non-smokers

Question 47

Sue is conducting an experiment in which she is trying to determine the influence of staring at a speaker on how much different speakers stutter.Sue sends people to a speech class with instructions to stare for varied amounts of time at the speaker.The dependent variable is the ________.

A)speaker
B)people doing the staring
C)amount of time that the people stare
D)the speech class
E)amount of stuttering that occurs

Question 48

Research of adult populations has documented a negative correlation between 1)obesity,and 2)participation in physically demanding leisure activities.One possible interpretation of these results is that ________.

A)the lack of exercise is a primary cause of obesity
B)obese people tend to exercise less than non-obese people
C)obese people prefer mental challenges to physical ones
D)some people are obese regardless of how much exercise they get
E)non-obese people tend to be hyperactive adults

Question 49

Researchers were recently surprised to learn that the correlation between the type of clothing people wear when they are not at work and the type of jobs they hold is approximately zero.Based on this,we can conclude that ________.

A)people with lower status jobs tend to wear the same clothing both on and off the job
B)there is no relationship between the types of clothing worn in non-work settings and the type of work that people do
C)people with higher status jobs tend to dress worse when they are not at work
D)people with higher status jobs tend to dress better on and off the job
E)people with lower status jobs tend to dress worse than people with higher status jobs

Question 50

Professor Garcia is studying how cancer patients are coping with their illness by giving them one of the following sets of instructions: they are to keep a daily diary and write about anything,keep a daily diary and write about how they are trying to cope with their illness,or not told to keep any diary whatsoever.After following this protocol for a month,Professor Garcia then measures the cancer patients' self-reported level of depression.The independent variable in this hypothetical study is ________ and the dependent variable is ________.

A)the type of diary kept,if any;the progression of the cancer
B)the type of diary kept,if any;the self-reported level of depression
C)the self-reported level of depression;the type of diary kept,if any
D)the cancer patients;the self-reported level of depression
E)how well the subjects are coping;the type of diary kept,if any

Question 51

Suppose a company asked its workers "Now that you have received a raise,how satisfied are you with your job?" and found out that 87% indicated they were "very satisfied" or "satisfied." A major concern of this study would likely be ________.

A)the way the question was asked
B)the way the participants were selected
C)the way the jobs were described
D)the amount of the raise
E)the way the results were tabulated

Question 52

The way a question is phrased may sometimes influence the way people respond to the question.In survey research,this is known as the issue of ________.

A)faulty design
B)wording
C)leading questions
D)systemic invalidation
E)biasing

Question 53

In an experiment,researchers wanted to know whether changing the level of lighting in a factory would have an effect on the productivity of employees.In order to address this question,employees were randomly assigned to three separate identical work areas,but the lighting was set at a different level in each of the work areas.Then employees in all three work groups began to operate machinery that produced small electrical components.The number of components produced by each group was carefully tallied at the end of each 8-hour shift.In this example,the independent variable is the ________.

A)level of lighting
B)employees chosen to participate in the experiment
C)number of components produced
D)machinery operated by the employees
E)presence or absence of the researchers

Question 54

In an experiment,researchers wanted to know whether changing the level of lighting in a factory would have an effect on the productivity of employees.In order to address this question,employees were randomly assigned to three separate identical work areas,but the lighting was set at a different level in each of the work areas.Then employees in all three work groups began to operate machinery that produced small electrical components.The number of components produced by each group was carefully tallied at the end of each 8-hour shift.In this example,the hypothesis is the ________.

A)presence or absence of the researchers will affect productivity
B)number of components produced will not change because of lighting
C)level of lighting will affect employee productivity
D)employees chosen to participate in the research will affect productivity
E)machinery operated by the employees will determine productivity

Question 55

Suppose a researcher found a very strong,positive correlation between how much television a child watches and their levels of aggression.Which of the following conclusions is MOST accurate?

A)Viewing television causes decreased aggression in children.
B)Lack of parental supervision causes children to watch a great amount of television and to become more aggressive.
C)Viewing television causes increased aggression in children.
D)Given that this investigation represents a correlational study,it is impossible to determine the nature of causality.
E)High levels of aggression in children causes them to view greater amounts of television.

Question 56

Researchers believe that experiencing strong negative emotions such as fear or anxiety will increase people's need to affiliate.To test this idea,the researchers randomly assigned participants to one of two small groups.Members of Group 1 were left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows.While waiting,the lights went out for a brief period of time and the participants could hear screams from another room.Members of Group 2 were likewise left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows,but the lights were left on and no screams were heard.Researchers observed how frequently members of each group started conversations with other members of their group on non-experiment related topics.In this experiment,the hypothesis is that ________.

A)brief periods of darkness will cause negative emotions
B)strong negative emotions will increase people's need to affiliate with others
C)isolation in a waiting room will affect people's need to affiliate
D)people's need to affiliate will cause people to start more conversations
E)members of small groups will affiliate with each other quickly

Question 57

A correlation exists between two variables when ________.

A)changing one variable has no effect on the other variable
B)changing one variable causes the other to change by the same amount
C)changes in the two variables are related to each other
D)the two variables are inversely related - as one increases,the other decreases
E)changing one variable sometimes causes the other to change and sometimes not

Question 58

A researcher thinks that a person's mood has an effect on how helpful that person is likely to be.To test this,the researcher has some research participants come to the laboratory where they are first given a difficult test and then either heavily praised or strongly criticized for their test performance.Afterwards,participants are asked to help the researcher's assistant move some heavy boxes into another room.The researcher makes careful note of how many and which participants help with moving the boxes.In this example,the hypothesis is ________.

A)a person's mood has an effect on how helpful that person is likely to be
B)praise will improve the mood of research subjects and criticism will worsen their mood
C)helping the researcher's assistant will change a participant's mood
D)some participants will be in a better mood than others
E)the difficulty of the test will cause participants to be in a bad mood

Question 59

Researchers believe that experiencing strong negative emotions such as fear or anxiety will increase people's need to affiliate.To test this idea,the researchers randomly assigned participants to one of two small groups.Members of Group 1 were left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows.While waiting,the lights went out for a brief period of time and the participants could hear screams from another room.Members of Group 2 were likewise left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows,but the lights were left on and no screams were heard.Researchers observed how frequently members of each group started conversations with other members of their group on non-experiment related topics.In this experiment,the dependent variable is ________.

A)assignment to one of the three groups
B)whether or not the lights went out and screams were heard
C)the participants' level of anxiety
D)whether or not researchers explained the screams that were heard
E)the observed frequency of non-experiment related conversations

Question 60

One advantage of knowing the correlation between two variables is that ________.

A)the size of the correlation helps determine whether the variables are important enough to devote further research to them
B)one variable can then be used to predict another
C)one variable can be eliminated from the theory
D)this knowledge helps us understand the limitations of social research
E)since correlation does not indicate causal relationships,there is no advantage

Question 61

A researcher thinks that a person's mood has an effect on how helpful that person is likely to be.To test this,the researcher has some research participants come to the laboratory where they are first given a test and then either heavily praised or strongly criticized for their test performance.Afterwards,participants are asked to help the researcher's assistant move some heavy boxes into another room.The researcher makes careful note of how many and which participants help with moving the boxes.In this example,the independent variable is ________.

A)type of feedback,praise,or criticism given to the participants
B)whether the participants helped the assistant
C)the researcher's notes and observations
D)the participants test performance
E)the number of boxes participants moved

Question 62

A researcher thinks that a person's mood has an effect on how helpful that person is likely to be.To test this,the researcher has participants come to the laboratory where they are first given a difficult test and then either heavily praised or strongly criticized for their test performance.As it happens,the researcher has one of two research assistants,one who is a bit rude and the other more friendly,running each participant through the experimental procedure.After the praise or critical feedback,each participant is asked to help the research assistant in moving some heavy boxes into another room.The researcher observes how many boxes each participant moves in helping the research assistant.One possible confound for this experiment is ________.

A)the researcher's notes and observations
B)the participants' mood after the praise or criticism
C)whether or not participants showed up for the experiment
D)the attitude of the assistant
E)the number of boxes the assistant moved

Question 63

Researchers believe that experiencing strong negative emotions such as fear or anxiety will increase people's need to affiliate.To test this idea,the researchers randomly assigned participants to one of two small groups.Members of Group 1 were left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows.While waiting,the lights went out for a brief period of time and the participants could hear screams from another room.Members of Group 2 were likewise left for 10 minutes in a room with no windows,but the lights were left on and no screams were heard.Researchers observed how frequently members of each group started conversations with other members of their group on non-experiment related topics.Researchers assigned participants to one of the two groups randomly because ________.

A)random assignment eliminates the need for statistical analysis of the results of an experiment
B)random assignment makes sure that unknown characteristics of research participants may cause differences in the dependent variable across the three groups
C)random assignment is the easiest,most cost effective way of assigning group membership to participants
D)random assignment ensures that any changes in the dependent variable are caused only by changes in the independent variable
E)random assignment ensures that no group member knows any other group members before the experiment begins

Question 64

A researcher wants to know whether writing an essay on a controversial topic will have an effect on the attitudes held by people.First,she administers an attitude survey that covers a number of topics,including electronic voting machines.She then randomly assigns subjects to write an essay either supporting or opposing electronic voting machines.One week later,she administers the same attitude survey and compares those responses to the responses from the first time the survey was administered.In this experiment,the independent variable (IV)is ________.

A)the attitude survey
B)the essay
C)the controversial topic
D)the students' attitudes
E)random assignment

Question 65

In experimental research,one variable is measured.This variable is known as the ________.

A)independent variable
B)confound
C)experimental group
D)control variable
E)dependent variable

Question 66

A "causal relationship" means that ________.

A)it is virtually impossible to determine the cause of either variable
B)a decrease in one variable is related to an increase in another variable
C)an increase in one variable is related to a decrease in another variable
D)an increase in one variable is related to an increase in another variable
E)changes in one variable causes changes in another variable

Question 67

In experimental research,one variable is systematically changed.This variable is known as the ________.

A)confound
B)dependent variable
C)independent variable
D)experimental group
E)control variable

Question 68

Variables are said to be confounded when ________.

A)each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each experimental condition
B)a factor that is not systematically varied exists and may have an effect on an experiment's outcomes
C)an experiment includes too many factors for the researcher to control in a laboratory
D)each participant will experience all experimental conditions at different times
E)participants are randomly assigned to experimental conditions

Question 69

The extent to which experimental results can be generalized to real-life situations is a question of an experiment's ________.

A)reliability
B)confounding of variables
C)experimental manipulation
D)hypothesis vs.reality testing
E)external validity

Question 70

A researcher wants to know whether writing an essay on a controversial topic will have an effect on the attitudes held by people.First,she administers an attitude survey that covers a number of topics,including electronic voting machines.She then randomly assigns subjects to write an essay either supporting or opposing the use of electronic voting machines.One week later,she administers the same attitude survey and compares those responses to the responses from the first time the survey was administered.In this experiment,the dependent variable (DV)is ________.

A)electronic voting machines
B)the researcher's attitudes
C)the essay
D)the controversial topic
E)the attitude survey

Question 71

A researcher thinks that a person's mood has an effect on how helpful that person is likely to be.To test this,the researcher has some research participants come to the laboratory where they are first given a test and then either heavily praised or strongly criticized for their test performance.Afterwards,participants are asked to help the researcher's assistant move some heavy boxes into another room.The researcher makes careful note of how many and which participants help with moving the boxes.In this example,the dependent variable is ________.

A)the participants' test performance
B)the extent to which participants helped the assistant
C)the researcher's praise or criticism
D)whether or not participants showed up for the experiment
E)the participants' mood after the praise or criticism

Question 72

Which is NOT an advantage of using surveys to collect information?

A)Surveys can be used to collect information from very large numbers of people.
B)Surveys can be used to determine causal relationships between variables.
C)Surveys can be administered easily either by telephone or over the Internet as well as in person.
D)Surveys can help collect information on sensitive topics because they can be answered anonymously.
E)Surveys can allow customers to help direct the direction of future innovative products.

Question 73

A framework that reflects basic concepts,as well as statements about the relationships between these concepts,is known as ________.

A)a hypothesis
B)a theory
C)a paradigm
D)a meta-analysis
E)the scientific method

Question 74

The dependent variable is defined as the variable that is ________.

A)changed by the subject
B)varied by the experimenter
C)known by the experimenter
D)adjusted by the experimenter
E)measured by the experimenter

Question 75

Even though there is no single "best" method of research,the ________ method is generally preferred by social psychologists.

A)field
B)observational
C)experimental
D)theoretical
E)correlational

Question 76

The procedure that ensures that participants are not assigned to an experimental condition on the basis of any individual characteristics is called ________.

A)informed consent
B)generic subjectification
C)random assignment
D)confound control
E)interaction

Question 77

Random assignment of research participants to experimental conditions means that ________.

A)each participant will experience all experimental conditions at different times
B)experimental conditions will be the same for all research participants
C)participant characteristics will have an effect on the outcomes of the experiment
D)each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to each experimental condition
E)a confounding of variables cannot occur

Question 78

The fundamental purpose of a theory is to ________.

A)provide practical applications for observed data
B)generate statistical analyses for further exploration
C)explain some particular group of events or processes
D)unify all the known factors that contribute to human behavior
E)produce evidence in support of a hypothesis

Question 79

Suppose a researcher exposes participants to one of the following three scenarios: for a 20-minute period,they hear either classical music,rock music,or no music.Afterwards,the researcher measures the general mood of the participants.The three scenarios refer to the ________ of the ________ variable.

A)measures;dependent
B)levels;dependent
C)conditions;experimenter
D)cause;independent
E)levels;independent

Question 80

Researchers who systematically change one variable in order to determine what effect this has on another variable are using ________.

A)dependent variables
B)experimental methods
C)correlational methods
D)independent variables
E)control groups