Question 1

A theoretical question or statement, like "Will people lose more weight if they maintain a goal focus or if they maintain an achievement focus?," is too vague to be directly assessed. Therefore, theoretical questions are transformed into testable hypotheses through

Accepted Answer

Operational definitions specify the exact procedures used to measure or manipulate the variables in a study, making theoretical questions testable by clearly defining all components.

Question 2

Your best friend passes you in the school hallway and glares at you without speaking. You think, "Now, why did she do that?" One possible explanation could be that she saw you flirting with her boyfriend. Within the framework of the scientific method, this possible explanation about your friend's behavior will remain tentative until it is objectively verified by asking your friend why she did not speak to you. Thus, this testable hunch would be considered a(n)

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a testable prediction or explanation for a specific set of circumstances, which fits the description of the scenario provided.

Question 3

Three research assistants were assigned the task of counting the number of times a particular student exhibited inattentive behaviors during a 30-minute math class. The first research assistant counted five inattentive behaviors, the second recorded eight, and the third observed only two. Assuming the three research assistants are equally accurate in what they observed, the most likely explanation for this discrepancy in recordings would be that the inattentive behavior

Accepted Answer

The discrepancy in recordings among the three research assistants most likely stems from the inattentive behavior not being precisely operationally defined. Without a clear, specific definition of what constitutes inattentive behavior, each assistant could have interpreted and recorded the behavior differently, leading to the observed variation in their counts.

Question 4

A verifiably predicted outcome of an experiment or an educated guess about the relationship between variables is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction about the relationship between two or more variables that can be tested through experimentation or observation.

Question 5

If there were no theories in psychology, the situation might be characterized as

Accepted Answer

Without theories, psychology would lack a framework to organize, interpret, and connect facts, leading to a collection of disconnected facts without a coherent structure to make sense of them. Theories provide the necessary structure to understand and predict behavior by connecting and explaining various observations and empirical findings.

Question 6

An industrial-organizational psychologist has been asked to identify the ways in which high-stress and low-stress game designers are different. The psychologist comes up with the tentative explanation that the degree of control over one's work determines the designer's stress level. This tentative but objectively verifiable statement would constitute which step in the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a tentative explanation that can be tested through research and experimentation. In this scenario, the psychologist's statement about the relationship between control over work and stress level in game designers is a hypothesis.

Question 7

The researcher stated that in his experiment, aggression will be described as "a negative statement or gesture made by the frustrated individual toward the person who interrupted their work on the puzzle." This description is considered to be a(n)

Accepted Answer

An operational definition specifies the exact criteria or operations used to measure a variable, in this case, defining "aggression" in a measurable way for the experiment.

Question 8

Which of the following summarize observations, explain these observations, allow prediction, and guide future research?

Accepted Answer

Theories summarize observations, explain them, allow for predictions, and guide future research by providing a framework for understanding phenomena.

Question 9

In order to determine whether women talk more than men, a group of researchers used an electronically activated recorder to track people's conversations, counting the number of words spoken in a day by women and men. These researchers used the recorder during which step in the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

Using an electronically activated recorder to track and count the number of words spoken by women and men in a day is a method of gathering evidence to test the hypothesis that women talk more than men. This step involves collecting data to support or refute the initial hypothesis.

Question 10

When one designs a system of ideas so that concepts and facts are interrelated in such a way that existing data is summarized and future observations can be predicted, then this system of ideas is known as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A theory is a system of ideas designed to interrelate concepts and facts in a way that summarizes existing data and predicts future observations. Hypotheses are more specific predictions derived from theories, commonsense statements are everyday beliefs that may not be scientifically tested, and operational definitions specify how concepts are measured or manipulated in a study.

Question 11

Regarding their research on weight loss, Conlon and his colleagues weighed the participants on a standard digital scale at the beginning of the weight-loss period and once every week until the program ended. This exact procedure being used to represent the participants' weights is referred to as a(n)

Accepted Answer

An operational definition specifies the exact procedures used to measure a variable, in this case, the procedure used to measure participants' weights during the weight loss study.

Question 12

In order to permit scientific study, covert behaviors are

Accepted Answer

Covert behaviors, which are internal or hidden actions not directly observable, are made measurable in scientific studies by being operationally defined. This means researchers establish specific, observable indicators or criteria to represent or measure these behaviors, allowing them to be included in the analysis.

Question 13

An industrial-organizational psychologist is studying video game designers. This psychologist carefully questions game designers about how much stress they experience. These interviews would constitute the first step in the scientific method, which is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Making observations is the first step in the scientific method, where the psychologist is gathering data about the designers' stress levels through interviews.

Question 14

After reviewing previously published studies, psychologist Kyle Conlon and his colleagues wanted to know "Will people lose more weight if they maintain a goal focus or if they maintain an achievement focus?" At this point in their research, Conlon and his colleagues were completing which step in the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

Defining the problem is the step in the scientific method where researchers identify and specify the issue they are interested in investigating. In this scenario, Kyle Conlon and his colleagues were formulating the question they wanted to explore, which is a part of defining the problem.

Question 15

The researcher stated that in his experiment, "Frustration is described as any interruption of the subject before he or she finishes the timed puzzle." This description is considered to be a(n)

Accepted Answer

An operational definition specifies the exact way in which a concept is measured or manipulated within a particular study, making "frustration" measurable by defining it as any interruption during a timed puzzle task.

Question 16

The six steps of the scientific method include observation, defining a problem, proposing a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, publishing the results, and

Accepted Answer

The six steps of the scientific method are observation, defining a problem, proposing a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, publishing the results, and theory building. Theory building is the process of developing a theoretical framework that explains the observations and results of experiments.

Question 17

After an industrial-organizational psychologist made his initial observations regarding the stress experienced by game designers, he began the second step in the scientific method, which involved

Accepted Answer

The second step in the scientific method involves defining the problem clearly, after initial observations have been made. This step is crucial for formulating a precise research question or hypothesis to be tested.

Question 18

Theory building is important in psychology because it

Accepted Answer

Theory building is crucial in psychology as it helps provide explanations for phenomena and guides future research by suggesting hypotheses that can be tested. This process is essential for the development and refinement of knowledge within the field.

Question 19

A set of exact measurement procedures that represent a particular concept is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

An operational definition specifies the exact procedures used to measure a concept, allowing researchers to collect data in a consistent and replicable manner.

Question 20

To determine whether weight loss is easier when you maintain a goal focus, Conlon and his colleagues assigned participants to one of the three weight loss groups, goal-focused, achievement-focused, and no-focus control. Each group met for 12 weekly meetings and had access to a special website. Then, every week, goal-focused participants were asked to describe how much more weight they needed to lose to reach their goal, while achievement-focused participants were asked to describe how much weight they had already lost. At this point in their research, Conlon and his associates were completing which step in the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

Conlon and his colleagues were in the process of gathering evidence to test their hypothesis about whether maintaining a goal focus makes weight loss easier, by comparing the outcomes of different focus groups in a controlled setting.

Quiz 1: Psychology, Critical Thinking, and Science