Question 1

To discover the extent to which economic status can be used to predict political preferences,researchers are most likely to use

Accepted Answer

Correlational measures would be the most appropriate method for studying the relationship between economic status and political preferences, as it allows researchers to examine the degree of association between two variables without manipulating them. The other options (case study, naturalistic observation, experimental research) would not be as suitable for this type of study.

Question 2

People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by ________ cases.

Accepted Answer

Vivid cases are those that are particularly memorable, emotional, or attention-grabbing. Because they stand out, people may give them more weight than they deserve when making generalizations, even though they may not be representative of the larger population.

Question 3

To assess reactions to a proposed tuition hike at her school,Ariana sent a questionnaire to every fifteenth person in the registrar's alphabetical listing of all currently enrolled students.Ariana is ensuring that her survey results are accurate by using

Accepted Answer

By selecting every fifteenth person from the registrar's alphabetical list, Ariana is using a method of random sampling. This ensures that every student has an equal chance of being selected for the survey, reducing the potential for bias in the results.

Question 4

In a survey,psychologists select a random sample of research participants in order to ensure that

Accepted Answer

Selecting a random sample helps to ensure that the participants in the study are representative of the larger population being studied. This increases the generalizability of the findings and reduces the potential for bias. B, C, and D may be secondary benefits of using a random sample, but are not the primary purpose.

Question 5

To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School,Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students.In this instance,all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n)

Accepted Answer

The population in this case refers to all the children attending Oakbridge School, which is the group the researcher is interested in studying. The 50 students randomly selected for the study are a sample of this population, but not necessarily representative of the entire population. Therefore, A) population is the best choice for this question.

Question 6

University of Texas students were fitted with electronically activated recorders for up to four days so that researchers could sample their daily activities.The researchers employed a scientific method known as

Accepted Answer

The use of electronically activated recorders to sample the daily activities of University of Texas students is an example of naturalistic observation, as it involves observing behavior in its natural setting without any manipulation or intervention by the researcher. The other methods listed (double-blind procedure, experimentation, and case study) involve more active manipulation or control by the researcher.

Question 7

Which of the following is most useful for helping survey researchers avoid false generalizations?

Accepted Answer

Random sampling helps survey researchers avoid false generalizations by ensuring that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected for the study. This helps avoid bias and increases the likelihood that the sample is representative of the larger population, which reduces the risk of making false generalizations based on an unrepresentative sample. The other options (case study, naturalistic observation, and operational definitions) do not directly address the issue of false generalizations in survey research.

Question 8

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a representative sample of a population is known as

Accepted Answer

Surveys are a research method commonly used to obtain self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a representative sample of a population. The survey method involves collecting data through questionnaires or interviews, and can be administered in a variety of ways including online, telephone, or in person. Surveys are a popular method because they are able to gather large amounts of data in a relatively quick and cost-effective manner.

Question 9

New technologies such as smart phone apps and body-worn sensors have enabled the collection of "big data" by means of

Accepted Answer

Smart phone apps and body-worn sensors enable the collection of data from real-world environments through naturalistic observation, which is the most appropriate method for this type of data collection. Scatterplots are a tool used to visualize data, but not a method of data collection. Case studies involve in-depth examination of a single individual or group, while experimentation involves manipulation of variables in a controlled environment, neither of which are well-suited to collecting large volumes of data from diverse sources.

Question 10

Correlational research is most useful for purposes of

Accepted Answer

Correlational research is best suited for predicting relationships between variables. It cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships or control for extraneous variables.

Question 11

Governor Donovan was greeted by large,enthusiastic crowds at all of his political rallies.As a result,he became overconfident about his chances of re-election.In this instance,the governor needs to be alerted to the value of

Accepted Answer

The governor needs to be alerted to the value of random sampling, which involves selecting a representative sample from the population to ensure generalizability of results. The large, enthusiastic crowds that greeted the governor may not be representative of the entire population and may result in overconfidence in his chances of re-election.

Question 12

Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion?

Accepted Answer

The most appropriate research method for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion would be a survey. This method allows for the collection of large amounts of data from a diverse sample of individuals in a relatively short amount of time, making it ideal for studying attitudes and beliefs on a larger scale. Surveys also typically include questions about demographics and can control for variables such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status, which could potentially impact attitudes toward abortion.

Question 13

When every individual in a large population has a small but equal chance of being included in a survey,researchers are using a procedure known as

Accepted Answer

Random sampling is the procedure where every individual in a large population has a small but equal chance of being included in a survey. This method ensures that the sample is representative of the population and minimizes the risk of bias or sampling error.

Question 14

Suppose you want to find out which candidate college students will vote for in an upcoming national election.To be sure the sample of college students you survey is representative of the college student population,you should

Accepted Answer

In order to ensure that the sample of college students surveyed is representative of the college student population, it is important to survey a large, representative sample. Only surveying a small sample could lead to biased results and limit the generalizability of the findings. Surveying only politically informed college students could also lead to biased results as they may not be representative of the wider college student population. Surveying every college student on your own campus is not feasible as it would be time-consuming and resource-intensive, and may not be representative of the wider college student population. Therefore, option D is the best choice as it ensures a large and diverse sample for greater accuracy and reliability of the findings.

Question 15

After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American,Ervin concluded that African-Americans are better athletes than members of other racial groups.Ervin's conclusion best illustrates the danger of

Accepted Answer

Ervin's conclusion is an example of generalizing from vivid cases, which involves drawing a broad conclusion based on a few memorable or striking examples, without considering other relevant factors or data. In this case, Ervin's observation that many basketball players are African-American may not reflect broader patterns or representativeness of the population. Therefore, generalizing from vivid cases can be misleading and inaccurate.

Question 16

A representative sample is one that accurately reflects a larger

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is one that accurately reflects the population from which it is drawn. The population refers to the entire group of individuals or objects that share certain characteristics, while a sample is a subset of the population. Therefore, the best choice is D, which refers to the population.

Question 17

Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of

Accepted Answer

This question highlights the importance of how wording can influence survey results. The wording of a question can evoke different emotions or biases that can affect how people respond. In this case, the term "welfare" may have negative connotations associated with abuse or dependency, while "aid to the needy" may have more positive connotations associated with helping those in need. Therefore, the choice of words can significantly impact the results of a survey.

Question 18

One research team studied the ups and downs of human moods by counting positive and negative words in 504 million Twitter messages from 84 countries.The researchers' method best illustrates the use of

Accepted Answer

The researchers observed natural behavior on Twitter by counting positive and negative words in messages. This method is an example of naturalistic observation.

Question 19

Correlation is a measure of the extent to which two factors

Accepted Answer

Correlation measures the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, indicating how much variation in one variable is associated with variation in the other variable. Therefore, Option A is the correct choice. Option B is incorrect, because random sampling does not necessarily relate to correlation. Option C is incorrect, because correlation does not imply causation or influence. Option D is incorrect, because operational definitions relate to how variables are measured, but not their correlation.

Question 20

To compare the pace of life in different countries,investigators measured the speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request.Which research method did this illustrate?

Accepted Answer

This method illustrates naturalistic observation, as the investigators were observing and recording behavior in a real-life setting (the post office) without manipulating any variables.

Quiz 2: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science