Question 1

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 the test scores because it is the variable that is being measured and is expected to be affected by the independent variable (instruction type).

Question 2

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

The researcher is manipulating the amount of exercise by randomly assigning participants to either 30 minutes per day or none, and is examining the causal relationship between exercise and memory abilities. This is a classic experimental design.

Question 3

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 is designed to manipulate and measure variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships. Quasi-experiments are similar but lack random assignment, which can weaken the ability to establish causality. Case studies and correlational studies do not involve manipulation of variables and are not designed to establish causality.

Question 4

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 technique involves observing behaviors as they occur in an individual's natural environment. This technique provides an opportunity to observe behavior in a real-life setting and allows researchers to gain a better understanding of how individuals behave in their natural surroundings. Survey, systematic, and archival observation techniques are different from naturalistic observation as they do not involve direct observation of behavior in a natural setting.

Question 5

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 this study is the instruction type, which has two levels: time limit instructions and no time limit instructions. The participants are randomly assigned to one of these levels of the independent variable. Therefore, the correct answer is C, instruction type.

Question 6

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 to look for off-task behaviors is an example of naturalistic observation technique because it involves observing individuals in their natural setting without any manipulation of the environment. Survey is a method of data collection that involves administering a set of questions to a sample of individuals to collect data. Systematic observation is a type of observation that involves the use of a specific codebook or checklist to record behaviors. Archival research involves analyzing existing data that has already been collected by others.

Question 7

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 is designed to examine the relationship between two or more variables, allowing researchers to answer descriptive and predictive questions about that relationship. Quasi-experiments and experiments are more suited for determining cause-and-effect relationships, while case studies focus on examining a single individual or group in depth.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Asking individuals to complete a task under controlled conditions is an example of systematic observation, where the researcher controls the conditions to ensure consistency and accuracy in the data collected. Naturalistic observation involves observing individuals in their natural environment, a survey involves asking individuals to self-report their thoughts or behaviors, and archival observation involves analyzing existing records or data sources.

Question 9

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

A survey involves asking individuals about their attitudes or behaviors through structured questions or rating scales. The other options (naturalistic, systematic, and archival) do not involve direct questioning of individuals about their attitudes or behaviors.

Question 10

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

The use of records of car crashes to measure seatbelt behavior is an example of archival observation, as data is being collected from pre-existing records rather than being directly observed or surveyed.

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 requires a structured and controlled environment, making it an example of a systematic observation technique. Naturalistic observation would involve observing people in their natural environments without any manipulation or control, while surveys involve asking individuals to report their own behaviors or attitudes. Archival observation involves analyzing previously collected data, which does not apply to this scenario.

Question 12

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 13

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 accessing records, documents, and other data that already exist, which can provide insights into past behaviors and events.

Question 14

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 description best fits a quasi-experiment as it involves comparing groups of individuals on a measured variable, but without randomly assigning individuals to those groups. The other options, experiment, case study, and correlational study, do not necessarily involve comparing groups of individuals.

Question 15

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 a research design that involves studying a single individual or institution in depth, usually over a period of time, in order to gain detailed descriptive information. Experiments, quasi-experiments, and correlational studies typically involve larger samples and focus on establishing causal relationships or correlations between variables.

Question 16

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 17

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 the amnesiac H.M. used the case study design. This is because the research was focused on studying the unique case of a person with amnesia rather than trying to manipulate variables in an experiment or compare different groups in a quasi-experimental design. Correlational designs would have focused on examining relationships between variables, which was not the aim of the H.M. studies.

Question 18

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 given description of asking individuals to rate their depression symptoms relates to a survey observation technique, where data is collected through self-report measures, rather than through direct observation.

Question 19

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) without manipulating any variables, so this is a correlational research design.

Question 20

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, which refers to the degree to which a study's findings are due to the independent variable and not to extraneous variables or other confounding factors.

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

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

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 answer causal questions about manipulated and measured variables is a(n) ______.

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

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

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

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

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

Measuring how quickly individuals can perform a scrambled sentence task 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.

Looking up records of behaviors that have already occurred uses the ______ 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 gain a lot of descriptive information about a single individual or institution is a(n) ______.

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

Studies of the amnesiac H.M. used 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.

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.

Ruling out alternative explanations for results increases the ______ validity.