Question 1

You conduct a study on college students and find that there is a positive correlation between exercise and happiness.What can you conclude based on your findings?

Accepted Answer

This is because the statement "positive correlation between exercise and happiness" implies that as one variable (in this case, exercise) increases, so does the other variable (in this case, happiness), and vice versa. Therefore, both options B and C are true, and the correct answer is D. Option A is too strong and cannot be inferred from the correlation.

Question 2

Field experiments are considered to be high in which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Field experiments are considered to be high in external validity because they are conducted in natural settings, allowing the results to be more generalizable to real-world situations.

Question 3

In an experimental research design,the group that receives the main treatment or manipulation is called ____________.

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group that receives the main treatment or manipulation in an experimental research design. This group is compared to another group, often called the control group, to determine the effects of the treatment or manipulation. The other answer choices, such as control group and research group, do not accurately describe the group that receives the main treatment or manipulation.

Question 4

In an experimental research design,the group that does not receive the main treatment,and is used for comparison to the treatment group is called ____________.

Accepted Answer

The control group is used as a comparison to the treatment group in order to determine the effectiveness of the main treatment. The experimental group is the group that receives the main treatment. The research group and manipulated group are not typically used in experimental research designs.

Question 5

Which of the following can be considered a major limitation of correlations?

Accepted Answer

Correlations only show a relationship between two variables, but they do not show causal relationships. Therefore, it is a major limitation of correlations as they cannot determine which variable is causing the other.

Question 6

Which of the following statements represent a major difference between experimental methods and descriptive methods?

Accepted Answer

Experimental methods allow for the manipulation of an independent variable to determine its effect on a dependent variable, which enables researchers to identify cause and effect relationships. Descriptive methods, on the other hand, focus on observing and describing phenomena without manipulating variables, and thus do not allow for the identification of cause and effect. Option A and D are incorrect because experimental methods do involve manipulation of variables. Option B is incorrect because experimental methods involve controlling potential third variables in order to establish a causal relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable.

Question 7

One reason random assignment is considered important in experimental research is because

Accepted Answer

Random assignment plays a crucial role in inferring cause and effect relationships between two variables in experimental research. By randomly assigning participants to groups, researchers can ensure that any observed differences between the groups (e.g. in treatment outcomes) can be attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable and not some other extraneous factor. Thus, option C is the correct choice. Options A and B are incorrect because random assignment alone doesn't necessarily reveal which variables are correlated or ensure a representative sample; these outcomes depend on the sampling method used. Option D is partially correct (because it emphasizes the benefits of random assignment) but includes a misleading claim about sampling; random assignment doesn't help with sampling biases but rather with controlling for the effects of extraneous variables.

Question 8

What type of research involves exploring the relationship between two variables?

Accepted Answer

Correlational research is used to explore the relationship between two variables. It involves measuring or observing two or more variables to determine if there is a relationship between them. However, correlational research cannot determine causation, only the presence or absence of a relationship.

Question 9

You want to conduct an experiment but you are concerned with being able to apply your findings to the general population.You would be more likely to conduct what type of study in this situation?

Accepted Answer

A field experiment would be the best choice in this situation because it is conducted in a real-world setting while also allowing for control over the independent variable. This type of experiment can be used to test the generalizability of findings to the population of interest.

Question 10

A research design in which two or more groups of individuals are identical,or matching,on a third variable is known as ____________.

Accepted Answer

A matched samples design matches individuals on a third variable (such as age, gender, or IQ) and then randomly assigns them to different groups in order to reduce the effects of the third variable on the outcome of the study. Archival design involves using existing records or data sets, correlational design examines the relationship between variables, and survey method design involves collecting data through questionnaires or interviews.

Question 11

All of the following can be considered a descriptive method except:

Accepted Answer

Experimental research is not a descriptive method, as it involves manipulating variables and controlling conditions to establish causal relationships between variables. Descriptive methods include naturalistic observation, archival research, and correlational research, which aim to describe and understand phenomena without manipulating variables or controlling conditions.

Question 12

Kristen is interested in studying how heat influences crime.Using data from weather reports and police records of crime reports she tests the hypothesis that crime is higher on days that are hot.Kristen has conducted a(n)

Accepted Answer

Kristen used existing data from weather reports and police records, so she conducted an archival study.

Question 13

Which of the following is a form of data collection in which participants are asked to rate or describe their own behavior or mental state?

Accepted Answer

The survey method involves collecting data from participants by asking them to rate or describe their own behavior or mental state, making it the best choice among the options given. Experimental research involves manipulating variables and measuring the effects, naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in a natural setting without interference, and archival research involves using existing data sources such as medical records or historical documents.

Question 14

A researcher who wants to know whether drinking caffeine causes increased energy would be most likely to conduct what type of study?

Accepted Answer

An experimental study would be best suited for determining whether drinking caffeine causes increased energy. In this type of study, the researcher can manipulate the amount of caffeine participants consume and then measure their energy levels. This allows for a cause-and-effect relationship to be established between caffeine consumption and energy levels.

Question 15

In an attempt to determine whether noise interferes with performance,Marc randomly assigns participants to take a math test either while listening to loud music or in silence.In this study,the presence of absence of noise would be considered the:

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the one that is manipulated by the researcher to see its effect on the dependent variable. In this case, the presence or absence of noise (loud music or silence) is being manipulated to see its effect on performance. Therefore, the presence or absence of noise is the independent variable.

Question 16

In an attempt to determine whether noise interferes with performance,Marc randomly assigns participants to take a math test either while listening to loud music or in silence.In this study,performance is considered the:

Accepted Answer

In this study, the variable being manipulated (presence or absence of loud music) is the independent variable and the variable being measured (performance on the math test) is the dependent variable. Participants' performance on the math test is what is being affected by the independent variable, so it is considered the dependent variable. The predictor is a variable that is used to make predictions about the outcome of interest, and the control group is a group that does not receive the intervention being studied (in this case, listening to loud music), which helps to establish a baseline for comparison with the experimental group.

Question 17

A researcher finds that there is a relationship between the amount of time college students spend at the library and performance on tests.Specifically,the more time spent at the library,the higher students scored on their exams.This relationship represents what type of correlation?

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation suggests that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases. In this case, as the amount of time spent at the library increased, students' performance on exams also increased. Thus, the relationship observed between library time and test scores is an example of a positive correlation.

Question 18

Experimental research involves which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Experimental research involves both random assignment of participants to experimental conditions and manipulation of the independent variable. Random assignment helps to control for extraneous variables and increase the internal validity of the study, while manipulation of the independent variable allows for testing cause-and-effect relationships between variables. Demonstrating correlations between variables is a feature of correlational research, not experimental research.

Question 19

Daniel conducts a study looking at the relationship between exercise and depression and finds there is a negative correlation.Daniel concludes that exercise causes people to become less depressed.However,a colleague points out the possibility that less depressed people may simply be more likely to exercise.This represents a problem in interpreting correlations best known as ____________.

Accepted Answer

The problem of direction in interpreting correlations arises because a correlation between two variables does not indicate which, if either, variable is the cause of changes in the other. In this case, it's unclear whether exercise reduces depression or if less depressed individuals are more inclined to exercise.

Question 20

A different factor that could be responsible for an observed effect between two other variables is defined as _____________.

Accepted Answer

A third variable may influence the relationship between two other variables and could be the reason for the observed effect. The other options are not relevant to this definition.

Quiz 2: The Science of Social Psychology