Deck 2: Personality Research Methods

Question 1

According to the text, the goal of a scientific education is to

A) question what is known and how to find out what is not yet known.
B) convey what facts are already known about a subject.
C) train individuals to exclusively rely on deductive reasoning to solve problems.
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Researchers must use clues to personality in their research because personality

A) is defined solely by biological factors that cannot be observed.
B) tests are unethical.
C) is something difficult to measure that resides inside an individual.
D) is defined by responses to self-report questionnaires.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To obtain S data, a psychologist can

A) develop a questionnaire.
B) recruit informants.
C) observe the subject directly.
D) look up information in public records.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

When gathering data or clues about personality, the best policy is to

A) gather only a very small number of clues and focus on the important ones.
B) gather only clues that are certain not to be misleading.
C) rely solely on self-report data.
D) collect as many clues as possible.

Question 5

________ data are the most frequently used basis for personality assessment.

A) B
B) L
C) S
D) I

Question 6

According to the text, accidental mistakes in judging personality are considered ________, whereas inaccurate judgments that are influenced by prejudices are considered ________.

A) biases; stereotypes
B) heuristic errors; formal errors
C) errors; biases
D) trivial; serious

Question 7

Because each kind of data has limitations, personality psychologists should

A) not bother collecting data.
B) gather as much data as possible.
C) only use L data, which are the most reliable.
D) use only one source of data and control for its limitations.

Question 8

To assess the personality traits of a group of 5-year-olds, researchers use puppets to illustrate different personality traits. Children are then asked to pick the puppet that best matches their personalities. This is an example of ________ data.

A) S
B) I
C) L
D) B

Question 9

I data essentially measure

A) your internal states or emotions.
B) your level of self-awareness.
C) your reputation.
D) work productivity (in industrial psychology).

Question 10

The typical experimental psychologist in a testing situation collects ________ data.

A) B
B) I
C) L
D) S

Question 11

In order to examine the relationship between early life experiences and adult criminality, Dr. Robbins asks his research participants to fill out questionnaires describing their early lives. He then obtains copies of their arrest records from the county courthouse. The questionnaires used in Dr. Robbins's study would be ________ data, whereas the arrest records would be ________ data.

A) L; B
B) S; I
C) S; L
D) B; L

Question 12

The Thematic Apperception Test and the Rorschach test elicit ________ data.

A) L
B) I
C) S
D) B

Question 13

What is one advantage of collecting descriptions of a participant's personality from his or her acquaintances?

A) The acquaintances are likely smarter.
B) The acquaintances' descriptions of the participant are likely based on many behaviors in many situations.
C) The acquaintances are likely more accurate in judging the participant's internal state.
D) There is little to no bias with acquaintance descriptions.

Question 14

According to the text, a ________ would receive technical training, whereas a ________ would receive scientific education.

A) pharmacologist; pharmacist
B) physician; biologist
C) botanist; computer programmer
D) research psychologist; clinical psychologist

Question 15

What you do may be influenced by how you see yourself and how you are seen by others. This means that your self-perceptions and others' perceptions have

A) definitional truth.
B) causal truth.
C) phenomenological force.
D) causal force.

Question 16

According to the textbook, there are no perfect ________ of personality, only ________.

A) measures; devices
B) indicators; clues
C) theories; hypotheses
D) reliable measures; valid measures

Question 17

I data are

A) self-judgments.
B) judgments made by knowledgeable observers.
C) easily observable, real-life outcomes.
D) direct observations of the subject in some predefined context.

Question 18

There is a possibility that individuals are so accustomed to certain aspects of their personality that they might not be aware of those traits. This is called the ________ effect.

A) fish-and-water
B) self-verification
C) self-expectancy
D) narcissism

Question 19

According to a study reported in the text, researchers were able to predict individuals' level of conscientiousness and openness to experience based solely on various aspects of their bedrooms. This study used ________ data to assess personality.

A) S
B) I
C) B
D) L

Question 20

The goal of the dissertation in the process of scientific education is to demonstrate that the future scientist

A) has memorized all of the known facts about a given topic.
B) has read all of the known articles about a given a topic.
C) can contribute something new to the field.
D) can apply the technical knowledge learned in graduate school.

Question 21

What kinds of behaviors by an acquaintance would MOST likely be remembered?

A) an atypical behavior that was emotionally evocative
B) only behaviors consistent with the acquaintance's personality
C) the most recently observed typical behavior
D) behaviors that are observed every day

Question 22

Which type of data is likely to be the most judgmental, subjective, and irreducibly human?

A) I
B) B
C) L
D) S

Question 23

The fact that behavior is frequently determined by multiple causes presents the most significant disadvantage for ________ data.

A) B
B) L
C) I
D) S

Question 24

What is the best way for a researcher to judge the face validity of items on a measure?

A) Conduct an exploratory factor analysis on the items.
B) Conduct a confirmatory factor analysis on the items.
C) Conduct an internal consistency analysis on the items.
D) Read and consider the content of the items.

Question 25

When a psychologist asks a question because he or she wants to know the answer, the question elicits ________ data. When a psychologist asks a question because he or she wants to see how the individual will respond to that stimulus, the test elicits ________ data.

A) B; I
B) S; I
C) S; B
D) laboratory B; natural B

Question 26

Which of the following types of personality data is the MOST objective and verifiable?

A) S
B) B
C) I
D) L

Question 27

Dr. Garcia wants to measure the earliest autobiographical memories of the participants in her project. She would most likely obtain ________ data.

A) L
B) I
C) S
D) B

Question 28

________ data derive from the researcher's direct observation of what the subject does.

A) L
B) I
C) S
D) B

Question 29

A major advantage of S data is that

A) only a trained personality psychologist can interpret S data.
B) the best information about personality is obtainable from real-life social outcomes.
C) you are probably the world's best expert about your own personality.
D) to assess personality, you must observe what the person actually does.

Question 30

Different informants may not agree about the personality of a common target individual because

A) each judge may see the target person in only a limited number of social contexts.
B) judges may form a mistaken impression based on the recollection of a single, uncharacteristic behavior.
C) some informants may have biases that affect the accuracy of their judgments.
D) All of the answer options are correct.

Question 31

Which kind of data would be the easiest way to obtain information about the content of dreams?

A) S
B) B
C) L
D) I

Question 32

According to the text, which of the following is another term for behavioral confirmation?

A) action verification
B) causal force
C) expectancy effect
D) narcissistic reflection

Question 33

The tendency for us to become what other people believe us to be is called a(n) ________ effect.

A) confirmation
B) expectancy
C) fish-and-water
D) self-monitoring

Question 34

In a priming study, participants solved puzzles that included words such as gray, wise, retired, and Florida. After solving these puzzles, participants were observed as they walked down a hallway. The observation of participants' speed of walking would be considered ________ data.

A) experience sampling
B) laboratory B
C) L
D) projective

Question 35

Records of employee absenteeism are what type of data?

A) S
B) B
C) I
D) L

Question 36

The judgments that others make of your personality affect your opportunities and expectancies. Thus, these judgments have

A) generalizability.
B) validity.
C) causal force.
D) reliability.

Question 37

________ data are fairly easily verifiable, concrete, real-life outcomes of possible psychological significance.

A) S
B) B
C) I
D) L

Question 38

Which kind of data is the LEAST expensive to collect?

A) L
B) S
C) I
D) B

Question 39

Which of the following would be an example of natural B data?

A) observations of the number of times a subject told a joke in a day
B) number of seconds a subject waits before seeking help in an experimental emergency situation
C) a subject's verbal responses to a Rorschach test
D) number of times a subject interrupts others during a videotaped laboratory situation

Question 40

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be considered B data?

A) measures of heart rate and other physiological measurements
B) observation of how many times a participant spoke during a five-minute conversation
C) a psychologist's interpretation of a participant's responses to an unstructured clinical interview
D) a participant's records of his daily activities in a daily research "diary"

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of B data?

A) Direct observations require little in the way of psychological interpretation.
B) Direct observations are easily quantifiable.
C) Direct observations can be made with extreme precision, as in the case of reaction times.
D) Psychologists can construct situations to elicit particular behaviors.

Question 42

Which formula in psychometrics quantifies the principle of aggregation?

A) alpha
B) Spearman-Brown
C) kappa
D) Kaiser-Guttman

Question 43

As part of a research project, a participant uses a smart phone application that signals her at random times throughout the day. At those times, the application presents a series of questions for her to answer regarding her current activities. This is an example of ________ data.

A) experience sampling
B) experimental B
C) L
D) projective

Question 44

One concern with items on measures like the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is that they often lack face validity. What kind of problem does this create?

A) Participants can easily fake responses on the items.
B) Such items raise concerns with social desirability.
C) Responses are difficult to interpret in psychological terms.
D) Such items tend to make participants anxious.

Question 45

A major disadvantage of L data is that

A) they provide too much information.
B) informants may have access to only a narrow range of the target's behavior.
C) the data are influenced by multiple factors besides just personality.
D) judges may be biased about the person they are describing.

Question 46

A researcher asks participants to imagine that they have been excluded from their circle of friends and then takes images of their brains using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning technology. The images generated in this study would be considered ________ data.

A) experience sampling
B) experimental B
C) L
D) projective

Question 47

A behavioroid measure is a combination of which two types of data?

A) S and B
B) L and B
C) I and B
D) S and L

Question 48

The most important advantage of B data is that they are based on

A) common sense, so they have greater psychological relevance.
B) a report by the best expert, so they are more accurate.
C) direct psychological tests, so they have greater causal force and scientific value.
D) direct observations of behavior, so they are more objective and quantifiable.

Question 49

If you can get the same answer repeatedly, then your measure is

A) reliable.
B) valid.
C) significant.
D) generalizable.

Question 50

If Dr. O'Connell wants to learn about Laura, why might Dr. O'Connell want to avoid using S data?

A) The person supplying the S data may not want to or be able to provide accurate reports about Laura.
B) The S data often do not have psychological relevance.
C) The S data are influenced by too many factors to reveal much about a person's personality.
D) The S data have definitional truth.

Question 51

Because Jesse's teacher believes that he is intelligent, she challenges him with extra assignments and generally encourages his curiosity. At the end of the school year, Jesse performs better on the school's achievement test than any other student. Jesse's enhanced performance is likely due to the

A) recency effect.
B) expectancy effect.
C) self-serving bias.
D) judgment bias.

Question 52

What term is sometimes used to describe instruments like the Rorschach and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

A) S instruments
B) omnibus personality test batteries
C) objective tests
D) performance-based personality tests

Question 53

When someone is high in narcissism, what type of data about this person might be the LEAST trustworthy?

A) B
B) I
C) L
D) S

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of I data?

A) They have causal force.
B) They include common sense.
C) They are based on large amounts of information.
D) They come from carefully controlled experimental situations.

Question 55

According to the principles on enhancing reliability described in the text, it would be relatively difficult to create a reliable measure of attitudes toward

A) lumber tariffs.
B) casual sexual encounters.
C) outgroup members.
D) the self (like self-esteem).

Question 56

On Friday, Terence completes the Self-Monitoring Scale and receives a score of 49. On the following Tuesday, he fills out the scale again and receives a score of 28. Terence's scores on the Self-Monitoring Scale do not appear to be

A) valid.
B) reliable.
C) significant.
D) free of unwanted biases.

Question 57

The technical meaning of reliability refers to

A) how much measurement error is present in your assessment instrument.
B) whether an instrument accurately assesses the construct it is intended to measure.
C) whether an instrument correlates with a similar measure of the same construct.
D) whether a sample of participants reasonably represents the population of interest.

Question 58

If measurement errors are truly random, then they should

A) never occur.
B) not affect the reliability of a measure.
C) not attenuate the validity of a measure.
D) sum to zero.

Question 59

What term describes computer-assisted methods to measure thoughts and feelings that occur during normal daily activities?

A) experiential assessment
B) ambulatory assessment
C) projective assessment
D) digitally assisted experimental assessment

Question 60

Linda is taking an intelligence test. During the test, the teachers walk through the halls and chat loudly with each other. Due to these distractions, Linda scores lower on the test than she would have if she had been able to concentrate fully. The influence of the teachers' chatting is an example of

A) reliability.
B) a validity bias.
C) a cohort effect.
D) measurement error.

Question 61

The strongest advantage of the experimental method is that

A) it allows the assessment of causality.
B) it allows the study of naturally occurring individual differences that already exist in the participants.
C) participants are always randomly sampled from the general population.
D) it can take advantage of extreme levels of the independent variable.

Question 62

A researcher can increase the reliability of a personality test by

A) refusing to aggregate items.
B) measuring something important instead of something trivial.
C) using very few items to reduce the risk of mistakes.
D) constructing items with complicated words and phrases.

Question 63

Reliability and validity are actually both aspects of a broader concept called

A) factorial invariance.
B) systematic bias.
C) measurement equivalence.
D) generalizability.

Question 64

Narrative psychology is an example of the ________ method.

A) case study
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) behavioral

Question 65

The MOST important and generally useful way to enhance reliability is to

A) use the smallest possible number of items.
B) measure something that is important.
C) aggregate your measurements.
D) maximize error variance.

Question 66

Dr. Grant is creating a new measure of shyness, and she decides to include more than one item in her scale. She believes that using multiple items will lead to a more reliable measure. Dr. Grant is following which principle of measurement?

A) multitrait assessment
B) content validation
C) aggregation
D) construct validation

Question 67

Many psychologists tend to use college students as participants in their research and then assume that what they learn applies to people in general. However, this common practice may limit the

A) ecological reliability of their research.
B) internal validity of their studies.
C) generalizability of their findings.
D) construct validity of their studies.

Question 68

Which of the following sampling methods affords a researcher the greatest generalizability?

A) randomly selecting a sample of introductory psychology students
B) randomly selecting a sample of both high school and college students
C) recruiting all the executives at a large company to participate
D) collaborating with researchers from other countries to recruit participants from outside the country

Question 69

At the heart of aggregation is the idea that

A) random errors cancel each other out.
B) random errors never cancel each other out.
C) reliable errors cancel each other out.
D) a sufficiently precise measure has no reliable error.

Question 70

What is the big disadvantage of the case study method?

A) It describes isolated variables, not the whole phenomenon.
B) It is rarely the source of testable hypotheses.
C) It does not usually apply to particular individuals, only to groups.
D) It is not generalizable.

Question 71

According to the text, which of the following would NOT be a threat to the generalizability of personality research?

A) More women than men participate in research.
B) Participants who show up for research studies are more conventional than individuals who do not show up.
C) Personality researchers strive to study multiple cohorts.
D) Much personality research is based on samples of college students.

Question 72

Validity is the degree to which a measurement

A) is consistent and stable.
B) provides the same result if repeated.
C) actually reflects or measures what you think it does.
D) is reliable.

Question 73

Which of the following is NOT likely to undermine the reliability of a survey?

A) entering data into a database incorrectly after collection
B) the immediate state of the participant
C) the mood of the experimenter
D) aggregation of responses to different items

Question 74

According to Cronbach and Meehl's (1955) terminology, psychological attributes such as intelligence and sociability are examples of ________, whereas an IQ test and an extraversion questionnaire are examples of specific tests or measurements.

A) constructs
B) valid ideas
C) assessments
D) manifest factors

Question 75

The fact that much of modern empirical research in psychology has been based on white, middle-class college sophomores may reduce the ________ of psychological research.

A) generalizability
B) reliability
C) validity
D) statistical significance

Question 76

Reliability is ________ for validity.

A) a necessary and sufficient condition
B) a necessary but not sufficient condition
C) a sufficient condition
D) not at all relevant

Question 77

In simple language, questions about reliability concern ________, whereas questions about validity concern ________.

A) accuracy; consistency
B) consistency; dependability
C) stability; dependability
D) consistency; accuracy

Question 78

Janelle recently completed a new test that was designed to measure her IQ. She took the test twice and each time received the same score. The test administrator told her that her scores indicate she is extremely intelligent. However, Janelle scored well below average when she completed the Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), two well-established intelligence tests. Based on this pattern of results, it appears that the new measure of IQ was a

A) valid measure of intelligence.
B) valid but unreliable measure of intelligence.
C) reliable but not valid measure of intelligence.
D) more accurate measure of intelligence than the Stanford-Binet or the WAIS.

Question 79

A research strategy that involves gathering as many different measurements as you can of a particular construct and determining if those measurements correlate is called

A) construct validation.
B) aggregation validation.
C) generalization.
D) internal validation.

Question 80

The major difference between the experimental and correlational methods is that in the experimental method the presumed causal variable is ________, whereas in the correlational method the same variable is ________.

A) externally derived; internally derived
B) significant; important
C) manipulated; measured
D) reliable; valid