Question 1

If someone plans to administer a survey to determine which event people think is the most important one of the 20th century,the person who administers the survey should definitely

Accepted Answer

Administering the survey to a random or representative sample of the population will provide a more accurate representation of the overall population's perspectives and opinions, rather than just those who choose to participate or those who have easy access to the survey (such as through the internet). Giving people a few suggestions of possible answers may potentially lead to response bias, as people may be inclined to choose one of the suggested options rather than considering other possibilities.

Question 2

A researcher announces that according to a recent survey,78% of all American workers say they have cheated their employer in the past year.Before we can interpret these results,which of the following questions would be most important to ask?

Accepted Answer

It's important to know what the researcher defines as "cheating" in this study. Different people may have different interpretations of what constitutes cheating, so understanding the operational definition used in the study is crucial for interpreting the results accurately.

Question 3

Suppose we find that how many hours various people have studied their textbook correlates -.60 with their knowledge about current television programs.We could conclude that,in general,

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation of -.60 suggests that as the number of hours spent studying increases, knowledge about current television programs decreases.

Question 4

One of the most common techniques for finding out about people's beliefs or attitudes is to ask a large number of people a series of questions.This technique is called

Accepted Answer

The best choice for finding out about people's beliefs or attitudes is to use surveys, which involve asking a large number of people a series of questions. Surveys are a common and effective way to gather information about people's opinions and beliefs, and they can be used in a variety of settings, from political polls to market research to psychological studies. While naturalistic observation and case studies can be useful for studying individual behavior, they are not well-suited for gathering information about beliefs or attitudes on a larger scale. The ganzfeld procedure is a specialized technique used in parapsychology research that involves sensory deprivation, and is not typically used in mainstream social science research.

Question 5

A survey

Accepted Answer

A survey is a data collection method that involves asking people questions about their beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. It is an efficient way to gather data from a large sample size and can provide valuable insights into various topics. However, statistical analysis is often required to make sense of the data collected. A survey does not involve a study of a single individual's attitudes, nor is it the best way to measure mental capacities.

Question 6

According to one report,people with higher levels of stress have a greater probability of suffering a heart attack.Therefore the correlation between stress and probability of a heart attack is

Accepted Answer

The report states that higher levels of stress have a greater probability of suffering a heart attack, indicating that there is a positive correlation between stress and the probability of a heart attack.

Question 7

Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates that you could use measurements of one variable to predict measurements of a second variable with perfect accuracy?

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation, meaning that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases at a consistent rate. Therefore, if one variable is known, the other variable can be predicted with perfect accuracy.

Question 8

The results of a survey are likely to be misleading if

Accepted Answer

Knowing how the questions were phrased is crucial in understanding the results of a survey. Different phrasing or wording of questions can lead to different interpretations or responses. Therefore, not knowing how the questions were asked can lead to misleading results. A, B, and C are all important components of a well-designed survey and do not necessarily contribute to misleading results.

Question 9

A researcher measures people's blood type and tests whether those with different blood types have different personalities.This type of research is called a

Accepted Answer

This type of research is looking for a correlation between blood type and personality, rather than manipulating or controlling any variables, making it a correlational study.

Question 10

A correlation coefficient is a mathematical value that ranges between

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables, and its value ranges from -1 to +1. A value of -1 indicates a perfect negative linear relationship, +1 indicates a perfect positive linear relationship, and 0 indicates no linear relationship.

Question 11

A study of the relationship between two variables that the investigator does not control is known as a

Accepted Answer

A correlational study is a research design that examines the relationship between two variables that the investigator does not control. Random assignment is not relevant to correlational studies because there is no experimental manipulation of variables. Double-blind experiments involve manipulating variables, but the investigator still controls the variables. Case histories involve in-depth examination of a single case or individual, but do not necessarily involve examining relationships between variables.

Question 12

One of the problems with survey research is

Accepted Answer

Survey research relies on self-report measures, which means that participants are simply reporting their own opinions or behaviors. However, some people may feel pressure to provide an opinion even if they do not have a full understanding of the topic. This can lead to inaccurate or unreliable data.

Question 13

A correlation is a

Accepted Answer

The answer of A correlation is a
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Question 14

According to the results of one survey,95% of high-school students say they have been sexually harassed.Before you can decide how seriously to take these results,one of the most important questions you should ask is,

Accepted Answer

The definition of sexual harassment used in the survey may greatly impact the results, so it is important to know how it was defined. Knowing whether the survey dealt with equal numbers of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, whether the results were similar the following year, and whether precautions against cheating were taken are important, but they do not address the fundamental issue of the definition of sexual harassment used in the survey.

Question 15

It is found that children who have many friends are generally happier than children who have fewer friends.What kind of research design was probably used in this study?

Accepted Answer

A correlation design was probably used as the study is looking at the relationship between two variables (number of friends and happiness) without manipulating any variables.

Question 16

Lycanthropy is an extremely rare condition in which someone believes he or she is a wolf.An investigator who wished to study this condition would most likely rely on which method?

Accepted Answer

Lycanthropy is a rare condition, so surveying may not yield many participants. Additionally, experiments would not be ethical or appropriate for this condition. Therefore, studying individual case histories would be the most appropriate method for investigating lycanthropy.

Question 17

A case history

Accepted Answer

A case history is a detailed description of a single individual, often used in psychological or medical contexts to provide a comprehensive overview of symptoms, behaviors, and interventions. It does not necessarily involve experimental designs, inferential statistics, or establishing relationships between variables.

Question 18

Investigators are most likely to use the case history method when they study

Accepted Answer

The case history method is most useful when studying rare behaviors or unusual people. It typically involves a detailed study of one individual or a small group of individuals, providing a rich description of their experiences and behaviors. This method is often used in clinical psychology or psychiatry, where understanding the unique experiences of a particular patient is critical to developing an effective treatment plan.

Question 19

It has been reported that people who trust other people are generally happier than people who do not trust others.This conclusion is probably based on the results of a

Accepted Answer

The conclusion that people who trust others are generally happier is likely based on the results of a correlational study, which examines the relationship between two variables without manipulating them. In this case, the variables would be trust in others and happiness, and the study would likely have measured both variables and looked at the extent to which they are related. A correlational study does not involve manipulation or control of variables, making choices A and D incorrect. A case history, while it may provide some anecdotal evidence, is not a systematic study and cannot support general conclusions.

Question 20

You give a survey and ask,"Do you support the current laws on abortion?" Ninety-four percent of the respondents answer "no." Based on these results,you

Accepted Answer

The survey question only asks if respondents support the current laws on abortion, without specifying whether they think the laws are too restrictive or not strict enough. Therefore, we cannot assume which direction the respondents' opinions lean – they could be supportive of more restrictions, or they could be advocating for fewer. All we know is that the current laws are not satisfactory to them.

Quiz 2: Scientific Methods in Psychology