Question 1

Videotaping individuals at work to look for off-task behaviors is an example of ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

Videotaping individuals at work is an example of naturalistic observation technique, where the behavior of individuals is observed in a natural setting without any interference from the observer. Survey techniques involve asking individuals about their behaviors and opinions through questionnaires. Systematic observation involves observing behaviors in a structured and systematic manner, and archival observation involves analyzing previously recorded data such as historical documents or videos.

Question 2

For the instruction type study in the above question (19), the dependent variable is ______.
A) test scores
B) time limit instructions
C) instruction type
D) there is no dependent variable in this study

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is test scores, as this is what is being measured and affected by the independent variable, which is the type of instructions given.

Question 3

Studies of the amnesiac H.M. used the ______ research design.
A) experimental
B) quasi-experimental
C) case study
D) correlational

Accepted Answer

The studies of H.M. were a case study, as they involved a detailed examination of a single individual's neurological and psychological functioning.

Question 4

Of the following, ______ is a not a good operational definition for "hunger."
A) number of times someone's stomach makes an audible rumble in 2 hours
B) general feeling of emptiness in one's stomach
C) number of minutes since someone last ate any food
D) blood sugar levels

Accepted Answer

Operational definitions require measurable criteria. Choices A, C, and D offer quantifiable measures (audible rumbles, time since last meal, blood sugar levels), whereas B ("general feeling of emptiness") is subjective and not easily measured, making it not a good operational definition for "hunger."

Question 5

Using records of car crashes where individuals were not wearing seatbelts to measure use of seatbelt behavior is an example of ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

Archival observation technique involves analyzing data or records that already exist. In this case, the researcher is using records of car crashes where individuals were not wearing seatbelts to measure seatbelt behavior, which is an example of archival observation technique.

Question 6

A researcher who examines the difference in anxiety level between individuals who smoke and those who do not smoke is using the ______ research design.
A) experimental
B) quasi-experimental
C) case study
D) correlational

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using a quasi-experimental design because they are comparing two groups (smokers vs. non-smokers) on a variable (anxiety level) without manipulating the independent variable (smoking status). In quasi-experimental designs, participants are not randomly assigned to conditions.

Question 7

Asking individuals to rate how often each of 20 items related to depression symptoms occurs in their daily lives is an example of ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

The survey technique involves asking individuals to indicate their experiences, attitudes, or opinions through a questionnaire or interview. In this case, the individuals are being asked to rate how often they experience depression symptoms, which is a form of survey research.

Question 8

The research design that allows researchers to compare groups of individuals on a measured variable based on characteristics of the individuals is a(n) ______.
A) experiment
B) quasi-experiment
C) case study
D) correlational study

Accepted Answer

This is a description of a quasi-experiment, which allows for comparisons between groups based on characteristics of the individuals rather than random assignment. The other options do not involve group comparisons based on individual characteristics.

Question 9

The research design that allows researchers to answer descriptive and predictive questions about the relationship between different measured variables is a(n) ______.
A) experiment
B) quasi-experiment
C) case study
D) correlational study

Accepted Answer

A correlational study examines the relationship between different measured variables and allows researchers to answer descriptive and predictive questions about that relationship. Experiments focus on manipulating variables to observe their effect on an outcome, quasi-experiments lack random assignment to groups, and case studies focus on in-depth analysis of a single individual or group.

Question 10

Asking individuals to respond to questions or rate items according to their attitudes or behaviors uses the ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

The survey observation technique involves asking individuals to respond to questions or rate items according to their attitudes or behaviors. The other options (naturalistic, systematic, and archival) do not involve asking individuals for their direct input.

Question 11

Measuring how quickly individuals can perform a scrambled sentence task is an example of ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

Measuring how quickly individuals can perform a scrambled sentence task involves measuring a specific behavior in a controlled setting, which is characteristic of systematic observation techniques. Naturalistic observation involves observing behaviors in a natural setting, survey techniques involve collecting self-report data through questionnaires or interviews, and archival techniques involve analyzing pre-existing data such as historical records or documents.

Question 12

Asking individuals to complete a task under controlled conditions uses the ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

Controlled conditions indicate that the observation is being conducted systematically, as the researcher has control over the environment and variables present. Naturalistic observation would involve observing behavior in a natural setting without manipulation, surveys ask individuals to self-report without direct observation, and archival observation involves using previously recorded data.

Question 13

Ruling out alternative explanations for results increases the ______ validity.
A) subjective
B) objective
C) external
D) internal

Accepted Answer

Ruling out alternative explanations for results increases internal validity. Internal validity refers to the extent to which a study's design and conduct supports a causal conclusion. By ruling out alternative explanations, the study can be more confident that the observed results are due to the intervention being studied rather than other factors.

Question 14

Looking up records of behaviors that have already occurred uses the ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

Archival observation technique involves looking up pre-existing records or data, making it the best choice for researching behaviors that have already occurred. Naturalistic observation involves observing behaviors in their natural settings, survey involves asking questions to individuals about their behaviors, and systematic observation involves creating a strict set of criteria to observe and record behaviors.

Question 15

A researcher who examines the relationship between individuals' tooth flossing frequency and the incidence of heart disease in these individuals is using the ______ research design.
A) experimental
B) quasi-experimental
C) case study
D) correlational

Accepted Answer

The researcher is examining the relationship between two variables (tooth flossing frequency and incidence of heart disease), so the correlational research design is the most appropriate. The study is not manipulating any variables (experimental design) or comparing groups without random assignment (quasi-experimental design). A case study research design usually focuses on a single individual, while this study involves a larger group of individuals.

Question 16

A study is conducted to examine the effect of instruction type on test scores. Participants in the study are asked to complete a simple math test with either time limit instructions (i.e., the participants are told they must complete the test within 3 minutes) or no time limit instructions (i.e., the participants are not given a time limit for the test). Participants are randomly assigned to one of the instruction types. The independent variable in this study is ______.
A) time limit instructions
B) no time limit instructions
C) instruction type
D) not present (i.e., there is no independent variable in this study)

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in the study is instruction type, as this is what is being manipulated and randomly assigned to participants. The two levels of the independent variable are time limit instructions and no time limit instructions.

Question 17

A researcher who examines the causal relationship between amount of exercise (randomly assigned as 30 minutes per day or none) and memory abilities is using the ______ research design.
A) experimental
B) quasi-experimental
C) case study
D) correlational

Accepted Answer

An experimental research design is the best choice because the researcher has randomly assigned participants to either an exercise group (30 minutes per day) or a control group (no exercise). This allows the researcher to manipulate the independent variable (amount of exercise) and observe the effects on the dependent variable (memory abilities). Additionally, the researcher can control for potential confounding variables, which strengthens the ability to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between exercise and memory abilities.

Question 18

The research design that allows researchers to gain a lot of descriptive information about a single individual or institution is a(n) ______.
A) experiment
B) quasi-experiment
C) case study
D) correlational study

Accepted Answer

A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single individual or case, which allows researchers to collect a lot of detailed descriptive information about that subject. Experiments and quasi-experiments involve manipulating variables and comparing groups, and correlational studies focus on exploring relationships between variables.

Question 19

Observing behaviors as they occur in an individual's natural environment uses the ______ observation technique.
A) naturalistic
B) survey
C) systematic
D) archival

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves observing behaviors as they occur in a natural environment, such as a person's home or workplace. This allows for the behaviors to be observed in a more realistic context, which can be beneficial for understanding how they occur and what factors may influence them. Surveys, systematic observations, and archival research are all different techniques that do not involve direct observation of behaviors as they occur in a natural environment.

Question 20

The research design that allows researchers to answer causal questions about manipulated and measured variables is a(n) ______.
A) experiment
B) quasi-experiment
C) case study
D) correlational study

Accepted Answer

An experiment involves the manipulation of one or more variables and the measurement of their effects on other variables. This design allows researchers to establish causality between variables by manipulating an independent variable and observing the effects on a dependent variable. Quasi-experiments, case studies, and correlational studies do not involve the manipulation of variables and are therefore not able to establish causality.

Quiz 4: How Psychologists Use the Scientific Method: Data Collection Techniques and Research Designs

Videotaping individuals at work to look for off-task behaviors is an example of ______ observation technique.

For the instruction type study in the above question (19) , the dependent variable is ______.

Studies of the amnesiac H.M. used the ______ research design.

Of the following, ______ is a not a good operational definition for "hunger."

Using records of car crashes where individuals were not wearing seatbelts to measure use of seatbelt behavior is an example of ______ observation technique.

A researcher who examines the difference in anxiety level between individuals who smoke and those who do not smoke is using the ______ research design.

Asking individuals to rate how often each of 20 items related to depression symptoms occurs in their daily lives is an example of ______ observation technique.

The research design that allows researchers to compare groups of individuals on a measured variable based on characteristics of the individuals is a(n) ______.

The research design that allows researchers to answer descriptive and predictive questions about the relationship between different measured variables is a(n) ______.

Asking individuals to respond to questions or rate items according to their attitudes or behaviors uses the ______ observation technique.

Measuring how quickly individuals can perform a scrambled sentence task is an example of ______ observation technique.

Asking individuals to complete a task under controlled conditions uses the ______ observation technique.

Ruling out alternative explanations for results increases the ______ validity.

Looking up records of behaviors that have already occurred uses the ______ observation technique.

A researcher who examines the relationship between individuals' tooth flossing frequency and the incidence of heart disease in these individuals is using the ______ research design.

A researcher who examines the causal relationship between amount of exercise (randomly assigned as 30 minutes per day or none) and memory abilities is using the ______ research design.

The research design that allows researchers to gain a lot of descriptive information about a single individual or institution is a(n) ______.

Observing behaviors as they occur in an individual's natural environment uses the ______ observation technique.

The research design that allows researchers to answer causal questions about manipulated and measured variables is a(n) ______.