Question 1

You are conducting an experiment to determine if listening to music improves learning.If the average test score of the experimental group is higher than the average of the control group, then we can conclude that

Accepted Answer

If the average test score of the experimental group is higher than the average of the control group, it suggests that the independent variable (listening to music) improved the dependent variable (learning). However, it is important to note that other factors (extraneous variables) could have influenced the results, so further research would be needed to confirm the findings. Therefore, we can conclude that listening to music improved learning in this specific experiment.

Question 2

Giving placebos in drug experiments is necessary to

Accepted Answer

Giving placebos in drug experiments is necessary to control for the effects of suggestion and expectation. This is because participants may feel better simply because they believe they are taking an effective drug, rather than because of any actual chemical properties in the drug itself. Placebos are substances that have no active ingredients but are designed to look and taste like the real drug being tested, so that participants in the control group cannot tell the difference. This helps researchers draw accurate conclusions about the safety and effectiveness of the drug being tested.

Question 3

Changes in behavior due to participants' expectations that a drug or other treatment will have some effect is known as the

Accepted Answer

The placebo effect refers to changes in behavior or symptoms that occur in response to the expectation that a treatment or drug will have some effect, even if the treatment or drug itself is inert or ineffective. The anthropomorphic error refers to attributing human characteristics or emotions to animals or objects. The Barnum effect refers to the tendency for people to believe vague or general personality descriptions as accurate and unique to themselves, when in fact they are applicable to many people. The extraneous error refers to other sources of error or variability in an experiment that are not directly related to the independent variable.

Question 4

You are conducting an experiment to determine if listening to music improves learning.If there was no difference between the test performance of the experimental and control groups, then we can conclude that

Accepted Answer

If there was no difference between the test performance of the experimental and control groups, it means that the dependent variable (test performance) was not affected by the independent variable (listening to music). Therefore, we can conclude that listening to music had no effect on learning.

Question 5

In research reports, a statement that "the results of the experiment were statistically significant" means that the difference must be large enough so that it would occur by chance in how many experiments out of 100?

Accepted Answer

When results are statistically significant, it means that the probability of obtaining those results by chance is less than 5% (or less than 1 in 20), which is why the answer is less than five. This is commonly known as the p-value, which is a measure of the strength of evidence against the null hypothesis.

Question 6

You are conducting an experiment to determine whether teaching students the SQ4R method will increase their test scores.So, you explain your hypothesis to your participants and then conduct the experiment.Informing the participants about your hypothesis

Accepted Answer

Informing participants about the hypothesis may create research participant bias. Participants may feel pressure to perform well in order to confirm the hypothesis, or may alter their behavior in some way that could affect the outcome of the experiment. It is important to try to minimize the potential for biased responses by carefully selecting participants and providing clear instructions for the experiment.

Question 7

Dr.Arrinson is interested in whether males or females tend to be greater risk takers.A computer search reveals that more than 100 different studies have investigated various types of risk taking, including smoking, fast driving, and unprotected sex.What can Dr.Arrinson use to combine the results of these 100 different studies as if they were all part of one big study?​

Accepted Answer

Dr. Arrinson can use meta-analysis to combine the results of these 100 different studies as if they were all part of one big study. Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that combines the results of multiple studies to arrive at an overall conclusion. It is commonly used in medical research and social sciences to provide a more accurate and reliable estimate of the true effect size of a particular intervention or factor.

Question 8

A researcher hypothesized that the drug amphetamine (a stimulant)improves learning.She explains her hypothesis to her participants and gives experimental group participants an amphetamine pill before they begin studying.Control group members get nothing.Later, she assesses how much each participant learned.Because of the hypothesis explanation and because the experimental group was given a pill that the other group did not receive, the experimental group will most likely expect to learn more.Thus, any observed differences between groups may reflect differences in expectation, not the actual effect of the drug, a problem known as the

Accepted Answer

The described scenario is an example of research participant bias, where the participants' expectations or beliefs can influence their behavior or responses and thus affect the outcomes of the study. In this case, the experimental group's expectation of improved learning due to the drug could affect their motivation, attention, or self-perception during studying, leading to potentially biased results compared to the control group. To mitigate this bias, the researcher could use double-blind procedures, where neither the participants nor the experimenter know who receives the drug or placebo, to eliminate expectation effects.

Question 9

Which of the following is a statistical technique that can be used to combine the results of many studies on the same subject, as if they were all part of one large study?

Accepted Answer

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that allows researchers to combine the results from multiple studies on the same topic, increasing the power and precision of the analysis. This approach allows researchers to draw more definitive conclusions about the overall effect of an intervention or treatment, as well as identifying potential sources of variability in the results across studies.

Question 10

In an experiment, if the obtained results would occur by chance in less than five experiments out of 100, the results

Accepted Answer

If the obtained results would occur by chance in less than five experiments out of 100, then they are considered statistically significant. This means that the probability of obtaining the results by chance is very low, and therefore, the results are likely to be meaningful and not just due to random factors.

Question 11

Responding to a substance, such as a sugar pill or a saline injection, as if it were the real drug is referred to as

Accepted Answer

The placebo effect refers to the phenomenon of responding to a treatment or substance (such as a sugar pill) as if it were the actual drug, despite the fact that the treatment or substance has no therapeutic properties. This response is often attributed to the patient's belief or expectation that they will benefit from the treatment.

Question 12

The placebo effect is a form of

Accepted Answer

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which a person experiences a perceived improvement in their medical condition, even though they have not received an active drug or treatment. This improvement is due to the person's belief that they are receiving an effective treatment, rather than any actual medical benefit. Therefore, the placebo effect is a form of research participant bias, as the participant's expectations and beliefs can influence the outcome of the experimental treatment. Anthropomorphic error, somatization variable, and researcher bias are not related to the placebo effect.

Question 13

Changes in the behavior of research subjects caused by the unintended influence of the subjects' own expectations are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Research participant bias refers to the phenomenon where the behavior of research subjects is influenced by their own expectations of what they believe the researcher wants or what the study is about, thus leading to unintended changes in behavior. Observer bias refers to the tendency of an observer to see what they expect to see, whereas confirmation bias refers to the tendency of people to seek out and interpret information to confirm their preexisting beliefs. Anthropomorphic error refers to attributing human qualities to non-human entities.

Question 14

To replicate an experiment means to

Accepted Answer

Replicating an experiment means to repeat the experiment using either identical or improved research methods. This is done in order to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. Options A, B, and C are important considerations in the design of an experiment, but they are not specific to the act of replicating an experiment.

Question 15

Which of the following has been used to summarize and synthesize large amounts of psychological research and allows researchers to draw conclusions that might be missed in a single, small-scale study?

Accepted Answer

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that allows researchers to combine results from multiple studies to draw overall conclusions. It is often used in psychology as a way to synthesize a large body of research on a particular topic and identify patterns or inconsistencies in the findings. The other options (natural clinical tests, multi-phasic research, and double-blind experiments) are not methods commonly used for this purpose.

Question 16

You are investigating the topic of gender differences in which extensive previous research has already been conducted with the findings of these previous studies not always in agreement.Your best approach to conducting research would be to

Accepted Answer

Conducting a meta-analysis would be the best approach in this situation. A meta-analysis involves analyzing and synthesizing the findings of multiple studies on a particular topic. This would allow for a comprehensive and unbiased understanding of the research on gender differences, including any inconsistencies or conflicting findings in previous studies. Randomly assigning subjects, conducting a double-blind experiment, or utilizing a field experiment may not be as effective in addressing the issue of conflicting findings in previous research.

Question 17

Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that is used to

Accepted Answer

Meta-analysis involves combining the results of many studies on the same subject, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of the overall findings. It is not primarily concerned with controlling research participant bias, randomly assigning subjects to groups, or controlling researcher bias, although these may be important considerations in individual studies that are included in the meta-analysis.

Question 18

Research findings become more convincing when the results are statistically significant and when the findings

Accepted Answer

Statistical significance alone does not guarantee the validity of research findings. Replication by other researchers is crucial to support the generalizability and reliability of the results. Correlation (positive or negative) does not necessarily indicate causation. Natural clinical trials, while important, may not always result in statistically significant findings.

Question 19

An experimenter conducts an experiment on the effects of a drug to control hallucinations.The experimenter declares the results to be "statistically significant," which usually means that

Accepted Answer

When an experimenter declares results to be "statistically significant," it means that the differences of the same size or larger between the experimental and control groups would occur by chance only five times out of 100 (or less). This level of significance is usually denoted as p < .05. This means that the results are unlikely to be due to chance alone and can be considered reliable. However, it does not necessarily mean that the results have important implications for theory or practice.

Question 20

An inactive substance, such as a sugar pill or a saline injection, that is given in the place of a drug in psychological research or by physicians who want to treat a complaint by suggestion,is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A placebo is an inactive substance given in place of a drug. It is used in psychological research or by physicians to treat a complaint by suggestion. Placebos are used to study the effectiveness of a new drug and to control for the placebo effect, which is the psychological phenomenon where a person feels better simply because they believe they are receiving treatment.

Quiz 1: Psychology, Critical Thinking, and Science