Question 1

Researchers have found that people who live in crowded cities are more likely than others to develop schizophrenia (a psychological disorder).From these results,which of the following conclusions (if any)can we draw?

Accepted Answer

The research findings only establish a correlation between living in crowded cities and a higher likelihood of developing schizophrenia, not a causal relationship. Therefore, we cannot definitively conclude that city life causes schizophrenia (A), that people with schizophrenia move to cities (B), or that those predisposed to schizophrenia choose city life (C) based solely on this correlation.

Question 2

John believes that Saturdays are more likely to be cloudy or rainy than weekdays are.However,he is relying entirely on casual impressions;he has never collected data systematically to test his hypothesis.His belief is most likely an example of

Accepted Answer

John's belief is based on casual impressions rather than systematic data collection, so it is likely that he is experiencing an illusory correlation - perceiving a relationship between two variables that doesn't actually exist.

Question 3

Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates that two variable have no measurable relationship to each other?

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates that there is no linear relationship between the two variables being studied. It does not necessarily mean that there is no relationship at all, as there may be a non-linear relationship or a relationship that is not captured by a simple correlation coefficient.

Question 4

Researchers report that people who smile frequently are more likely than other people to have many friends.Which of the following conclusions can we draw,if any?

Accepted Answer

The information provided does not allow us to definitively conclude that smiling causes one to have more friends (A), that a third factor influences both smiling and making friends (C), or that having friends causes one to smile more often (D). Therefore, we cannot draw any of these specific conclusions based on the information given.

Question 5

What can we conclude if the correlation between variable A and variable B is zero?

Accepted Answer

A zero correlation between variables A and B indicates that there is no linear relationship between them. Therefore, as A increases, B does not consistently increase or decrease. It does not necessarily mean they have the same mean, median, or distribution, nor does it imply that we can predict the value of B with zero error, or that as A goes up, B goes down.

Question 6

One reason why illusory correlations arise and persist is that

Accepted Answer

Illusory correlations arise when people perceive a relationship between two variables that doesn't actually exist. This can happen when people remember examples that fit their expectations and ignore those that don't. As a result, their perception of the relationship can be skewed, and the illusory correlation can persist over time.

Question 7

Researchers find that happy people tend to be healthier than unhappy people.From this kind of information,which of the following (if any)can we conclude?

Accepted Answer

The information provided only establishes a correlation between happiness and health, not a causal relationship. Therefore, we cannot conclude that one causes the other or if there's a third factor influencing both.

Question 8

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 statement describes a positive correlation between stress and probability of a heart attack. This means that as stress levels increase, so does the probability of a heart attack.

Question 9

Researchers have found that people who own many books about chess tend to be better chess players than those who own few or none.This conclusion was almost certainly based on what kind of study?

Accepted Answer

This conclusion is based on a correlation study, which looks at relationships between variables to determine if there is a connection or association between them. In this case, the variable being studied is the number of chess books owned and the outcome variable is the level of chess skill. The researchers likely looked at a large group of people who play chess and asked them how many chess books they own, and then compared that to their level of skill as determined by a standardized measurement or tournament performance. The correlation between the two variables was then calculated to determine if there was a relationship between owning chess books and being a better chess player.

Question 10

Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the strongest relationship between two variables? That is,which one would enable us to make the most accurate predictions of one variable from the other?

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of -0.9 indicates a strong negative relationship between the two variables, meaning that as one variable increases, the other decreases. This strong relationship between the variables would allow for more accurate predictions of one variable based on the other.

Question 11

An investigator finds that it is possible to use measurements of people's speed of response as a moderately accurate predictor of their grades in school.From this information we can conclude that the correlation between speed of response and grades is

Accepted Answer

Since the speed of response can predict grades with moderate accuracy, it indicates a relationship exists between the two variables, meaning the correlation is not zero. However, without specific directionality indicated (whether faster responses correlate with higher or lower grades), we cannot determine if the correlation is positive or negative, only that it is not zero.

Question 12

An investigator finds no consistent relationship between how much sleep students get at night and their grade point average in school.According to that study,the correlation between sleep and grades is

Accepted Answer

The statement "no consistent relationship" suggests that there is no correlation between the amount of sleep students get and their grades. Therefore, the correlation is close to zero, making choice B the best answer.

Question 13

Some people believe that genius is associated with insanity,although they have no scientific evidence to support their claim.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

This statement is an example of an illusory correlation, which occurs when people perceive a relationship between two variables that does not actually exist or is much weaker than they think it is. In this case, the statement suggests that there is a connection between genius and insanity, even though there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. This is a classic example of an illusory correlation because people are seeing a relationship that isn't there.

Question 14

Parents who frequently beat their children tend to have aggressive children.What,if anything,can we conclude?

Accepted Answer

The statement only establishes a correlation between parents beating their children and the children being aggressive. It does not provide enough information to determine causation, genetic inheritance, or the direction of the relationship, thus we cannot conclusively draw any of the specific conclusions listed in options A, B, or C.

Question 15

Researchers have found that people who report having trouble sleeping are more likely than others to become depressed.Which of the following conclusions,if any,follows from these data?

Accepted Answer

The data only shows a correlation between trouble sleeping and becoming depressed, not causation or the direction of the relationship, making none of the specific conclusions (A, B, C) directly supported by the data provided.

Question 16

The main reason for the persistence of many illusory correlations is the fact that

Accepted Answer

Many illusory correlations persist because people selectively remember facts that support their expectations. This means that people may remember instances where their expected correlation occurred but may not remember instances where the correlation did not occur, leading to the false belief that the correlation is real. This phenomenon is known as confirmation bias.

Question 17

Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the weakest relationship between two variables? That is,which one permits the least accurate predictions of one variable from the other?

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates that there is no relationship between the two variables. Therefore, it is the weakest relationship and predicts one variable from the other the least accurately.

Question 18

An illusory correlation is

Accepted Answer

An illusory correlation is an imagined or greatly exaggerated correlation. It is not a real correlation but rather a perceived relationship between two variables that does not actually exist.

Question 19

If an increase in one variable is not associated with any consistent increase or decrease in a second variable,then the correlation between the two variables is

Accepted Answer

A correlation of zero means that there is no relationship or association between the two variables. Therefore, a change in one variable does not affect or predict a change in the other variable.

Question 20

According to one study,the more hours students spend watching television,the lower their grades in school.This relationship is an example of

Accepted Answer

The negative correlation is a type of relationship in which an increase in one variable is associated with a decrease in the other variable. In this case, the more hours students spend watching television, the lower their grades in school, indicating a negative correlation between these variables.

Quiz 2: Scientific Methods in Psychology

Researchers have found that people who live in crowded cities are more likely than others to develop schizophrenia (a psychological disorder) .From these results,which of the following conclusions (if any) can we draw?