Question 1

A variable that is irrelevant to the hypothesis being tested and can alter a researcher's conclusions is called a(n)____.

Accepted Answer

A confounding variable is a variable that is not the independent or dependent variable, but can affect the outcome of the study or experiment. It is important to control for confounding variables to ensure that the true effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable is observed.

Question 2

In Dr. Segal's study of the effects of television watching on the language development of children under the age of two, which of the following would you recommend to operationalize the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Dr. Segal's study of the effects...

Question 3

What is an experimental design for assessing age-related changes in which data are obtained simultaneously from people of differing ages?

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study collects data from individuals of different ages at a single point in time to assess age-related changes.

Question 4

Random assignment is the procedure in which each participant's chance of being assigned to any group in an experiment is ____.

Accepted Answer

In random assignment, each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group, regardless of their personal qualities or characteristics. Therefore, option C is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because personal qualities are not taken into consideration during random assignment. Option B is incorrect because random assignment is not hypothetical but rather a real process that occurs during an experiment. Option D is incorrect because the size of the control group does not affect random assignment.

Question 5

Which of the following is a drawback of longitudinal studies?

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal studies can take many years to complete, and participants may drop out of the study over time. This can result in missing data and potentially bias the results. Cohort effects (A) and limited generalizability (D) are also potential drawbacks, but they are not as inherent to longitudinal studies as participant dropout. Longitudinal studies can indeed help establish causality (B), given that they follow participants over time and can track changes in variables, but this does require careful design and analysis.

Question 6

Dr. Segal is studying the effects of television watching on the language development of children under the age of two. Because of room scheduling issues, the children in the experimental group underwent testing in the morning and the children in the control group underwent testing in the afternoon. This is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

The time of day that the testing was completed is a situational confounding factor, as it is a variable external to the experimental manipulation (television watching) that could potentially impact the dependent variable (language development). Random assignment, individual differences, and randomization error are not relevant to this particular scenario.

Question 7

A quality of a measure that leads to meaningful conclusions (i.e., the measure measures the concept it was designed to measure)is called ____.

Accepted Answer

Validity is the quality of a measure that ensures it is measuring the intended construct or concept. Reliability refers to consistency of results, variability refers to differences in results, and statistical significance refers to the likelihood that the results are not due to chance. While these are all important qualities of a measure, validity is crucial for drawing accurate and meaningful conclusions.

Question 8

The cross-sectional method is subject to the generational effects of having been born at a particular point in history, which is called the ____.

Accepted Answer

The cohort effect refers to the fact that people who are born in a certain time period (or cohort) may have experienced unique cultural, political, and economic influences that can shape their development and behavior. This can create differences between cohorts that are not related to age but rather to the specific historical context of their birth year. The other answer options are not accurate descriptions of the cohort effect.

Question 9

An experimental design for assessing age-related changes in which data are obtained from the same individuals at intervals over a long period is called a ____.

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study is the best choice because it involves following the same individuals over time and collecting data at multiple intervals. This design allows for examination of changes within individuals as they age, rather than just comparing different age groups at a single point in time as in a cross-sectional study. Correlational and mixed longitudinal studies do not necessarily involve repeated measures over time.

Question 10

Participants in an experiment on stress management are given stress reduction techniques and then measured for the effect. What is the role of the control group in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The control group is important in any experiment because it provides a baseline for comparison. In this case, the control group does not receive the stress reduction techniques, but they are still measured for stress levels in order to compare the effectiveness of the stress reduction techniques on the experimental group. This allows researchers to determine whether any reduction in stress levels is due to the techniques or simply due to other external factors. Choice A is incorrect because the control group must be measured. Choice B is incorrect because the control group should receive no stress management techniques in order to serve as a baseline for comparison. Choice D is incorrect because the control group must also be measured to provide valid results.

Question 11

Conducting a meta-analysis often provides a ____.

Accepted Answer

Conducting a meta-analysis involves analyzing data from multiple studies on a particular topic to draw conclusions. This provides a clearer picture of the phenomenon being studied than single experiments observed in isolation, as it integrates and synthesizes the findings from multiple studies.

Question 12

Which of the following is not a significant drawback of conducting a longitudinal study?

Accepted Answer

The cohort effect refers to the influence of historical events or trends on the participants' behavior or attitudes, which can affect the validity of the study results. This is a significant drawback of conducting a longitudinal study. Therefore, option D is incorrect as it states that longitudinal studies are highly susceptible to the cohort effect, which is actually a limitation of the study design.

Question 13

A group of participants that is exposed to the independent variable is called a(n)____.

Accepted Answer

An experimental group is a group of participants that is exposed to the independent variable. This group is compared to the control group, which does not receive the independent variable. The random group and non-experimental group are not commonly used terms in experimental research.

Question 14

A group that experiences all experimental procedures with the exception of exposure to the independent variable is called a ____.

Accepted Answer

A control group is the group that experiences all experimental procedures with the exception of exposure to the independent variable, allowing researchers to compare results between the control group and the group exposed to the independent variable. The other choices (B, C, and D) do not accurately describe a group that serves as a comparison to the experimental group.

Question 15

A limitation of the experimental method is that ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A limitation of the experimental method is...

Question 16

A statistical analysis of many previous experiments on a single topic is called a ____.

Accepted Answer

A statistical analysis of many previous experiments on a single topic is called a meta-analysis. This involves pooling data from multiple studies to increase statistical power and gain a more accurate estimate of the effect size.

Question 17

Dr. Segal is testing the hypothesis that television watching in children under the age of two enhances the development of language skills. In her study, the use of random assignment ____.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment helps to ensure that individual differences among participants are distributed evenly between the experimental and control groups. This helps to reduce the potential for bias and increases the internal validity of the study by allowing researchers to make more accurate inferences about the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Choice A is incorrect because random assignment does not ensure that the dependent variable reflects the personal qualities of the participants; rather, it helps to control for individual differences. Choice B is incorrect because random assignment is not intended to address situational confounding variables - this may be achieved through other means such as counterbalancing or matching. Choice C is incorrect because the independent variable is manipulated by the researcher and is not reflective of the outcomes of the dependent variables.

Question 18

Defining variables in practical terms is called ____.

Accepted Answer

Operationalization is the process of defining variables in practical terms so that they can be measured and used in research.

Question 19

A method for assessing age-related changes that combines the cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches by observing a cross-section of participants over a relatively limited period of time is called a ____.

Accepted Answer

A mixed longitudinal study combines aspects of both cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches by observing a cross-section of participants over a limited period of time. This method allows for tracking changes over time while avoiding some of the limitations of a traditional longitudinal study, such as participant attrition and time constraints.

Question 20

Which of the following term is most synonymous with "reliability"?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following term is most...

Quiz 2: The Measure of Mind: Methods of Psychology

A variable that is irrelevant to the hypothesis being tested and can alter a researcher's conclusions is called a(n) ____.