Question 1

According to the American Psychological Association, researchers must

Accepted Answer

Minimising risk to participants is the ethical standard set forth by the American Psychological Association. While researchers should take steps to reduce risk as much as possible, they cannot eliminate all risk in some studies. Deception should be avoided whenever possible, and participants should not be paid solely for being put at risk.

Question 2

Lesedi studies two different cohorts over a 50-year period, testing each subject every five years. Lesedi is using a ____design.

Accepted Answer

Lesedi is using a sequential design, which combines elements of both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs by studying different cohorts over time.

Question 3

A publishing company does a study to determine whether using a particular textbook improves performance on psychology exams. In this study, marks on the psychology exams would constitute the ____variable.

Accepted Answer

The marks on the psychology exams are being measured in order to determine the impact of using a particular textbook. Therefore, the marks on the exam are the dependent variable in this study. The independent variable would be the use of the particular textbook, and the correlational variable refers to the strength of the relationship between the two variables (if a correlation analysis were being conducted). The manipulated variable would refer to the variable that is intentionally changed or manipulated by the researchers in order to observe its effect on another variable.

Question 4

A researcher has a hypothesis that hostility toward women is created by viewing pornography. If the researcher does an experiment to test this, what would be the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated in the experiment, in this case, it is the viewing of pornography. The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured, which is the level of hostility toward women, as measured by the 'hostility toward women' scale. The control group in this case is simply a comparison group used for comparison with the experimental group and is not the independent variable. The sex of the subjects is also not the independent variable in this case, as it is not being manipulated by the experiment.

Question 5

Which problem is least associated with longitudinal research?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research is designed to study the same subjects over a period of time, which helps in generalizing results to the larger population. The other options are common issues associated with longitudinal studies.

Question 6

The advantage of the ____design is that it allows a researcher to synthesise data from numerous studies.

Accepted Answer

A meta-analysis is specifically designed to synthesize data from multiple studies on a particular topic, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the research in that area. Longitudinal and cross-sectional designs focus on gathering data from a single study over time or at a single point in time. Qualitative research focuses on understanding the meaning and essence of a particular phenomenon, but does not necessarily synthesize data from multiple studies.

Question 7

Dr Nkosi is studying sibling rivalry. Each of his participants has been assessed every five years since 1970. Dr Nkosi's overall research design is best classified as

Accepted Answer

Dr Nkosi's study involves tracking the same participants over a period of time (since 1970) and assessing them at multiple points in time. This design is known as a longitudinal study.

Question 8

Results from individual research participants should be

Accepted Answer

Individual research participant results should be kept confidential to protect their privacy and ensure they feel comfortable participating in research. Sharing their individual data could expose personal information and compromise their anonymity.

Question 9

In an experiment designed to determine whether taking vitamin A before attending a social event improves self-esteem, what is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this experiment is the level of self-esteem. This is because the study is looking at whether or not taking vitamin A before attending a social event has an effect on the participants' self-esteem. Therefore, self-esteem is the variable that is dependent on whether or not the participants take vitamin A.

Question 10

The fact that Shamima likes to watch reality television and her grandfather prefers watching 1960s television westerns is probably best explained by

Accepted Answer

Cohort effects refer to differences in preferences or behaviors that are attributable to the unique experiences of a particular generation or age group, such as the media they were exposed to during formative years.

Question 11

Gugu wants to do a study on how self-efficacy changes over the life span. Her primary concerns are economic - she needs to do the study in the way that will cost the least in terms of time and money. Given these concerns, she is probably going to be best served doing a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study involves collecting data from individuals of different ages at a single point in time. This requires less time and resources than a longitudinal study, which follows the same individuals over a period of time, and therefore would likely be more cost-effective for Gugu's concerns. A sequential study combines elements of both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, and an experimental study involves manipulating variables, neither of which appear to be the best fit for Gugu's goal of studying self-efficacy changes over the life span in a cost-effective manner.

Question 12

Dr Zikalala is very interested in how individual participants' behaviours change over time. If she wants to study this, she'll have to do a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

If Dr Zikalala wants to study how individual participants' behaviours change over time, she will need to do a longitudinal study. This is because longitudinal studies track participants over an extended period, allowing researchers to observe changes in behavior or characteristics over time. In contrast, cross-sectional studies look at different groups of people at the same time, while experimental studies manipulate variables in a controlled setting. Naturalistic observations involve observing people in their natural environment without manipulating any variables.

Question 13

Which statement is not consistent with ethical research?

Accepted Answer

It is not ethical to deceive research subjects and then not inform them afterwards. Subjects should be made aware of any deception that may have occurred during the research process.

Question 14

Keshia is doing research on the effect of birth order on personality. Rather than collecting data on a new set of subjects, she is analysing hundreds of studies that have already been done on this topic and is going to attempt to come up with an overall estimate of what all these other studies have found. What sort of study is Keshia doing?

Accepted Answer

Keshia is conducting a meta-analysis, which is a study that involves analyzing and synthesizing data from multiple studies on a particular topic.

Question 15

As a result of reading several research articles on the long-term effects of day care, a provincial department rules that all day care providers must modify their practices to follow this research. This action reflects

Accepted Answer

The ruling made by the provincial department shows how research can influence social policy, as they are using the research findings to modify day care practices.

Question 16

Dr Govender is conducting a study to determine whether fidget spinning causes a reduction in stress. In this experiment, fidget spinning is the

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher, in this case, it is fidget spinning. The dependent variable is the variable being measured or tested, in this case, it is the reduction in stress. The control group is the group that does not receive the treatment or independent variable, and the cohort effect refers to the influence of being part of a specific group or generation.

Question 17

Mpho studies developmental differences in extroversion by testing 9-, 19-, 39-, and 59-year-old subjects at the same time. Mpho is performing a(n) ____study.

Accepted Answer

Mpho is conducting a cross-sectional study because she is comparing different age groups at the same time.

Question 18

You are doing a study to determine whether vaping nicotine before taking a psychology test affects performance on that test. What is the independent variable in your study?

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher in order to observe its effects on the dependent variable. In this study, the independent variable is whether or not the participants vape nicotine before taking the psychology test. The psychology test itself is not being manipulated, and neither are the participants (as they are not being randomly assigned to vape or not vape). Therefore, the correct answer is C, vaping nicotine.

Question 19

Qualitative research differs from quantitative research because it

Accepted Answer

Qualitative research is focused on gaining an understanding of what governs behavior, often through in-depth interviews, observations, and analysis of texts or other sources of subjective information. It is not typically conducted in a laboratory and does not rely heavily on statistical analysis, which is a hallmark of quantitative research. The non-correlational option is not a defining characteristic of qualitative research.

Question 20

After completing their study, researchers send a copy of their findings to a scientific journal in hopes of having it published. This reflects which step of the research process?

Accepted Answer

Sending findings to a scientific journal is part of the communication phase of the research process.

Quiz 1: The Study of Human Development