Question 1

Shaun wants to be a good participant. He knows that his professor is an environmentalist, so his answers on the survey reflect a pro-environment position. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of subject bias because Shaun is altering his responses based on what he believes the researcher wants to hear, rather than providing his genuine opinions.

Question 2

A researcher's expectations about a study can affect its outcome. The type of research design used specifically to address this problem is a(n):

Accepted Answer

A masked design (also known as a double-blind study) is specifically used to prevent researchers' expectations from affecting the outcome of a study. In this design, neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment and who is receiving a placebo, thus minimizing bias.

Question 3

The group of participants that is NOT exposed to the independent variable under investigation (in an experiment) is called the:

Accepted Answer

The control group is not exposed to the independent variable, serving as a baseline to compare against the experimental group, which is exposed to the independent variable.

Question 4

Researchers are examining the effects of listening to background music on the stress levels of truck loaders. Only experienced loaders are included in the study. During the morning shift, music is played. During the afternoon shift, no music is played. What is a potential confound in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The type of music played could influence stress levels differently, making it a potential confound if not controlled for. Different genres or tempos could have varying effects on stress, impacting the experiment's outcomes.

Question 5

One hundred psychiatric patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received a new drug in pill form. The other group was given identical-looking placebo pills. A panel of psychiatrists, who did not know which pill each participant received, evaluated all participants for level of agitation. What is the control group?

Accepted Answer

The control group in this experiment is the group of participants who received the placebo pills. This group serves as a baseline to compare against the effects of the new drug, as they did not receive the active treatment.

Question 6

Not all participants are the same. Researchers use _____ to reduce the possibility that preexisting differences between groups are responsible for observed differences after experimental manipulation.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is used to ensure that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group, thereby reducing the impact of preexisting differences between groups.

Question 7

A person with an anxiety disorder receives treatment. Because of the treatment, the person's anxiety level is lower, but he still finds it almost impossible to live a normal life. For this person, the improvement in the anxiety disorder is:

Accepted Answer

Statistically significant improvement means that the treatment has had a measurable effect on the person's anxiety levels, which is likely the case here. However, clinically significant improvement refers to a change that makes a real, noticeable difference in the patient's daily life or functioning, which does not seem to have occurred since the person still finds it almost impossible to live a normal life.

Question 8

The Rosenthal effect:

Accepted Answer

The Rosenthal effect, also known as the experimenter expectancy effect, occurs when a researcher's expectations influence the outcome of a study. Using a masked (or double-blind) design helps prevent this bias by ensuring that neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment.

Question 9

A "fake" pill used as the control condition in a drug study is a:

Accepted Answer

A placebo is a substance with no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs. It's often called a "fake" pill in drug studies to compare the actual drug's effects against no treatment.

Question 10

As a general rule, if the sample is large, the difference between the groups is large, and the range of scores within a group is small, then:

Accepted Answer

When the sample size is large, the difference between groups is significant, and the variability within groups is low, it increases the likelihood that any observed differences are not due to random chance, thus making the results more likely to be statistically significant.

Question 11

When more than one research method produces similar results, researchers:

Accepted Answer

When different research methods lead to similar results, it increases the reliability and validity of the findings, allowing researchers to have more confidence in the results. This convergence of evidence from multiple approaches strengthens the conclusions drawn from the research.

Question 12

In preparation for a study of the effectiveness of an antipsychotic drug, an assistant puts all drugs into capsules of the same color and codes them. The assistant will have no part in administering the drug. Neither the subjects nor the experimenter will know who receives which drug. This is an example of a:

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a double-masked design, also known as a double-blind study, where neither the participants (subjects) nor the experimenters know who is receiving the active treatment versus a placebo, eliminating bias from both parties.

Question 13

A researcher trying to eliminate the Rosenthal effect would be sure to:

Accepted Answer

A masked design (also known as a double-blind study) helps eliminate the Rosenthal effect by preventing both the participants and the researchers from knowing which participants are in the control group and which are receiving the treatment, thus reducing bias.

Question 14

To accomplish random assignment, one could assign participants to groups by:

Accepted Answer

Random assignment can be achieved by using a method that does not follow a predictable pattern, such as flipping a coin. This ensures that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any of the groups, which is crucial for the validity of experimental results. Options A, B, and D introduce biases or limitations that would compromise the randomness of the assignment.

Question 15

The BEST way to select a random sample of 10 students from a class would be to:

Accepted Answer

Option C is the best way to select a random sample because it ensures that every student has an equal chance of being selected, which is a key principle in random sampling.

Question 16

One hundred psychiatric patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group A received a new drug in pill form. Group B was given identical-looking placebo pills. A panel of psychiatrists, who did not know which pill each participant received, evaluated all participants for level of agitation. In this study, experimenter bias was reduced by:

Accepted Answer

Experimenter bias was reduced by ensuring the psychiatrists evaluating the participants were blinded to which treatment each participant received, thus preventing their expectations from influencing the outcomes.

Question 17

One hundred psychiatric patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 received a new drug in pill form. Group 2 was given identical-looking placebo pills. A panel of psychiatrists, who did not know which pill each participant received, evaluated all participants for level of agitation. What could be a potential confound in this study?

Accepted Answer

Having the drug group as inpatients and the placebo group as outpatients introduces a significant confound because the environment and level of care could influence the outcomes independently of the drug's effects.

Question 18

A researcher randomly assigned participants to two groups. Group A received the drug whenever they reported depressive symptoms to the experimenter; group B received no drugs at any point. In this study, group A was the:

Accepted Answer

Group A is the experimental group because they received the intervention being tested (the drug), which is a key characteristic of an experimental group in research studies.

Question 19

Imagine that a statistically significant result is found in a well-designed experimental research project without any confounding variables. The MOST appropriate conclusion would be that:

Accepted Answer

B) When a statistically significant result is found in a well-designed experiment without confounding variables, it suggests that differences observed in the dependent variable are likely due to the manipulation of the independent variable, indicating a cause-effect relationship.

Question 20

A p value of less than .05 signifies that the findings are:

Accepted Answer

A p-value of less than .05 typically indicates that the findings are statistically significant, meaning there is a less than 5% probability that the observed differences or relationships occurred by chance.

Quiz 2: Research in Abnormal Psychology