Question 1

Sandi believes that people who eat at McDonald's are overweight, so she decides to do a naturalistic observation of people who eat at McDonald's. What should most concern us about Sandi's observations?
A) the observer effect
B) the bystander effect
C) observer bias
D) subject bias

Accepted Answer

Sandi's belief that people who eat at McDonald's are overweight may bias her observations, leading her to focus only on observing the people who appear to be overweight and overlooking those who do not fit her belief. This is observer bias. The observer effect refers to the potential influence of the observer on the behavior being observed, but it is less of a concern here as Sandi likely cannot influence the eating habits of the McDonald's patrons. The bystander effect relates to the tendency of people to not intervene in an emergency situation when others are present, and this concept does not apply to the scenario presented. Subject bias refers to the influence of the participant's expectations or own beliefs on their behavior, and while it is possible that the participants may exhibit subject bias, it is not the primary concern in this situation.

Question 2

Participants selected for a survey from a population make up a group referred to as a __________
A) subpopulation.
B) critical mass.
C) subgroup.
D) sample.

Accepted Answer

A group selected for a survey from a larger population is referred to as a sample. A subpopulation is a smaller group within a larger population, a critical mass refers to the minimum amount of something needed to create a significant effect, and a subgroup is a subset of a larger group based on specific criteria.

Question 3

Sigmund Freud's primary research approach was __________
A) the naturalistic study.
B) survey research.
C) experimental study.
D) the case study.

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud's primary research approach was the case study, which involved analyzing detailed information about the experiences and behaviors of individual patients, such as his famous case study of Anna O. This approach allowed Freud to develop his theories on psychoanalysis and explore the unconscious mind.

Question 4

Which of the following questions could be answered best by using the survey method?
A) What is the effect of ingesting alcohol on problem-solving ability?
B) Does wall color affect the frequency of violence in prison populations?
C) Do students prefer a grading system with or without pluses and minuses?
D) What is the relationship between number of hours of study per week and grade point average?

Accepted Answer

The survey method is best for gathering opinions or preferences of a particular group, such as students in this case. The other questions require different research methods such as experiments or observational studies.

Question 5

A __________ includes all the subgroups within a given population in numbers that are proportionally equal to those found in that population.
A) selective sample
B) survey group
C) biased sample
D) representative sample

Accepted Answer

A representative sample accurately reflects the diversity within a given population, ensuring that no one subgroup is overrepresented or underrepresented. This is important for obtaining reliable and generalizable results. A selective sample intentionally targets a specific subgroup, a survey group is simply the group of individuals who responded to a particular survey, and a biased sample is one that systematically overrepresents or underrepresents certain subgroups, potentially leading to inaccurate results.

Question 6

In the 1970s, a 13-year-old girl was found locked up in a room, strapped to a potty chair. Since she had grown up in a world without human speech, researchers studied "Genie's" ability to acquire words, grammar, and pronunciation. This type of research is called __________
A) a case study.
B) a representative sample.
C) a single-blind study.
D) a naturalistic observation.

Accepted Answer

The type of research described in the scenario is a case study. A case study is an in-depth analysis of a single person, group, or event. In this case, Genie was the focus of the study, and researchers analyzed her ability to acquire language after experiencing extreme social isolation.

Question 7

Dr. Littman-Smith is conducting research in Kenya into the ways that mothers and their toddlers interact throughout the day. Given the purpose of her study, it is most likely that she is engaged in ______________________
A) naturalistic observation.
B) laboratory observation.
C) case study research.
D) experimental research.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Littman-Smith is observing mothers and toddlers in their natural environment in order to study their interactions throughout the day. This is a prime example of naturalistic observation, which involves observing behavior in its natural setting without any intervention or manipulation from the researcher. The other choices (B, C, D) involve more structured settings or interventions, which do not align with the purpose of Dr. Littman-Smith's study.

Question 8

To understand the criminal mind, you might study one criminal, like the "Unabomber," in great detail. Extensive interviews, questionnaires, and psychological tests might provide interesting information about the mental processing in such a person. This type of study would be an example of a __________
A) case study.
B) survey study.
C) laboratory study.
D) naturalistic observation study.

Accepted Answer

A case study involves in-depth examination and analysis of a single individual, group, or situation. In this scenario, studying the criminal known as the "Unabomber" in great detail would be considered a case study.

Question 9

You overhear psychology students preparing for a test. They note that one of the research methods often "fails to generalize." Which method is the MOST likely topic of their discussion?
A) correlation
B) case study
C) experiment
D) surveys

Accepted Answer

Case studies often involve examining a single individual or group in depth, and the results may not be able to be applied to a larger population due to the uniqueness of the case being studied. This can limit the generalizability of the findings.

Question 10

Which research method involves watching behaviors as they occur without intervening or altering the behaviors in any way?
A) case study
B) experiment
C) correlational studies
D) naturalistic observation

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves simply observing behaviors as they occur without any intervention or alteration, making it the best choice for this question. The other options, such as case studies and experiments, involve more active involvement from the researcher and do not fit the description provided in the question.

Question 11

In conducting a survey of the sexual behaviors of young adults, which sampling technique below would be the most "scientific"?
A) taking a random sample of 2,000 young adults
B) polling 10,000 young adults who volunteer for the survey
C) polling readers of magazines like Playboy
D) polling college students on a nearby campus

Accepted Answer

Taking a random sample of 2,000 young adults would be the most "scientific" sampling technique as it would ensure that the sample is representative of the population of interest and has a lower risk of bias compared to the other options. Polling volunteers (option B) may introduce volunteer bias, polling readers of magazines like Playboy (option C) may introduce selection bias, and polling college students on a nearby campus (option D) may introduce sampling bias as the sample may not be representative of all young adults.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of naturalistic observation?
A) researchers have no control over the situation
B) researchers must wait for events to occur
C) behavior often occurs spontaneously
D) researchers cannot reach conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships

Accepted Answer

This statement is actually a benefit of naturalistic observation. The fact that behavior often occurs spontaneously allows researchers to observe how people behave in their natural environment without any interference or manipulation. The limitations of naturalistic observation are that researchers have no control over the situation, they must wait for events to occur, and they cannot reach conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 13

What represents a distortion in a researcher's observation?
A) observer expectancy
B) observer drift
C) observer bias
D) the Pygmalion effect

Accepted Answer

Observer bias refers to a researcher's personal beliefs or expectations that can influence their observations or interpretation of data, leading to distortions in the results. Observer expectancy and the Pygmalion effect can also involve preconceived notions affecting observations, but they are more specifically related to how those expectations influence the behavior of those being observed (such as study participants). Observer drift is a phenomenon where an observer's standards or criteria for observation shift over time, leading to inconsistencies in their observations, but it is not specifically related to bias or distortions in the data.

Question 14

Shannon is a researcher who studies sleep patterns in humans. Shannon most likely uses __________
A) laboratory observation.
B) only adult participants.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) structured observation.

Accepted Answer

Since Shannon is a researcher studying sleep patterns in humans, laboratory observation would be the most suitable method for her. This method allows for controlled conditions and precise measurement of different variables that affect sleep. Naturalistic observation, on the other hand, is used to observe behavior in natural settings and would not be useful for studying sleep patterns in humans. Structured observation is a method of observing pre-determined behaviors, which may not be useful for studying human sleep patterns. The choice of adult participants is not specified and does not affect the choice of observation method.

Question 15

A researcher stops people at the mall and asks them questions about their attitudes toward gun control. Which research technique is being used?
A) survey
B) experiment
C) case study
D) naturalistic observation

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using a survey technique by stopping people at the mall and asking them questions about their attitudes toward gun control.

Question 16

A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated is called __________
A) a representative sample.
B) a case study.
C) a single-blind study.
D) a naturalistic observation.

Accepted Answer

A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated is referred to as a case study. Option A refers to a group of individuals selected to represent a larger population, option C refers to a study in which either the participant or the researcher is unaware of the treatment or condition being given, and option D refers to a study in which the researcher observes the subject in their natural environment without any manipulation of the environment or conditions.

Question 17

A case study would be the most appropriate method to investigate which of these topics?
A) The ways in which the games of boys differ from the games of girls.
B) The development of a male baby raised as a female after a surgical error destroyed his penis.
C) The math skills of students in Japan as compared to those of U.S. students.
D) Physiological changes that occur when people watch violent movies.

Accepted Answer

A case study would be appropriate to investigate the unique individual experience of the male baby who was raised as a female after a surgical error. This topic requires an in-depth exploration of a particular case, which is the hallmark of a case study approach. The other topics, such as the differences in games between boys and girls, comparison of math skills between two groups, and physiological changes due to watching violent movies can be investigated through different research methods.

Question 18

Observing behavior as it happens in real-life natural settings without imposing laboratory controls is known as the __________
A) naturalistic observation method.
B) experimental method.
C) survey method.
D) psychometric approach.

Accepted Answer

The naturalistic observation method involves observing behavior as it unfolds in natural settings without any interference or manipulation of variables. This method allows researchers to study behavior in a more authentic and realistic context, rather than in a laboratory setting where controls and artificial stimuli may impact behavior. The other options listed (experimental method, survey method, psychometric approach) do not involve direct observation of behavior in natural settings without laboratory controls.

Question 19

Bernice received a phone call from a person interested in finding out her views on a specific politician. It is likely that she is a participant in a __________
A) sample.
B) population.
C) survey.
D) representative sample.

Accepted Answer

Bernice is likely a participant in a survey as she received a phone call with a specific question about her views on a politician. A survey involves collecting information from a sample of individuals to gain insights into the attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of a larger population.

Question 20

Which of the following does a case study allow you to do?
A) apply findings to different cultures
B) generalize findings to larger groups
C) establish the cause of behaviors
D) advance knowledge in an area of psychology

Accepted Answer

A case study allows researchers to dive deeply into a particular phenomenon, which can advance knowledge in a specific area of psychology. However, it is not typically used to establish cause and effect relationships or to generalize findings to larger groups. Applying findings to different cultures would require cross-cultural research methods.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Psychology

Sandi believes that people who eat at McDonald's are overweight, so she decides to do a naturalistic observation of people who eat at McDonald's. What should most concern us about Sandi's observations?

Participants selected for a survey from a population make up a group referred to as a __________

Sigmund Freud's primary research approach was __________

Which of the following questions could be answered best by using the survey method?

A __________ includes all the subgroups within a given population in numbers that are proportionally equal to those found in that population.

In the 1970s, a 13-year-old girl was found locked up in a room, strapped to a potty chair. Since she had grown up in a world without human speech, researchers studied "Genie's" ability to acquire words, grammar, and pronunciation. This type of research is called __________

Dr. Littman-Smith is conducting research in Kenya into the ways that mothers and their toddlers interact throughout the day. Given the purpose of her study, it is most likely that she is engaged in ______________________

You overhear psychology students preparing for a test. They note that one of the research methods often "fails to generalize." Which method is the MOST likely topic of their discussion?

Which research method involves watching behaviors as they occur without intervening or altering the behaviors in any way?

In conducting a survey of the sexual behaviors of young adults, which sampling technique below would be the most "scientific"?

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of naturalistic observation?

What represents a distortion in a researcher's observation?

Shannon is a researcher who studies sleep patterns in humans. Shannon most likely uses __________

A researcher stops people at the mall and asks them questions about their attitudes toward gun control. Which research technique is being used?

A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated is called __________

A case study would be the most appropriate method to investigate which of these topics?

Observing behavior as it happens in real-life natural settings without imposing laboratory controls is known as the __________

Bernice received a phone call from a person interested in finding out her views on a specific politician. It is likely that she is a participant in a __________

Which of the following does a case study allow you to do?