Question 1

Denise is studying how attitudes toward government change over the course of life by studying one group of people when they are 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, and 61 years old. What kind of design is Denise using?
A) Sequential
B) Longitudinal
C) Cross-sectional
D) Experiment

Accepted Answer

Denise is using a longitudinal design because she is studying the same group of people over a period of time to examine changes in attitudes.

Question 2

The advantage of the _____ design is that it allows a researcher to synthesize data from across numerous studies.
A) longitudinal
B) meta-analysis
C) cross-sectional
D) qualitative

Accepted Answer

A meta-analysis design is specifically designed to gather and synthesize data from multiple studies into one overall conclusion. Longitudinal and cross-sectional designs focus on data gathered from one study, while a qualitative design is more based on subjective interpretations of data.

Question 3

You are reading the results of a study that tracked how a particular individual's religious beliefs changed over the course of her life. The study you are reading is most likely a(n) _______ study.
A) longitudinal
B) cross-sectional
C) sequential
D) experimental

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study tracks changes in an individual or group over a period of time. In this case, the study is tracking changes in the individual's religious beliefs over the course of her life, which would require a longitudinal study design.

Question 4

Greta 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.
A) longitudinal
B) cross-sectional
C) sequential
D) experimental

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies are typically less time consuming and less expensive than longitudinal or sequential studies because data is collected at a single point in time from participants of different ages. This would allow Greta to examine self-efficacy across the life span without having to follow individuals over a long period of time, which would incur greater costs. However, cross-sectional studies do not allow for the examination of individual changes over time.

Question 5

Your developmental psychology teacher tells you that part of the course requirement is that you will have to complete a meta-analytic study. This means that it is most likely that you will be collecting data on _____________ in order to fulfill this requirement.
A) adult human subjects
B) children
C) previously published research
D) a variety of human and animal subjects

Accepted Answer

A meta-analytic study involves analyzing and comparing results from multiple studies that have already been published. Therefore, collecting data on previously published research is the most likely option for fulfilling this requirement.

Question 6

Smita studies two different cohorts over a 50-year period, testing each subject every five years. Smita is using a ____ design.
A) longitudinal
B) cross-sectional
C) sequential
D) microgenetic

Accepted Answer

The answer of Smita studies two different cohorts over a...

Question 7

You are doing a study to determine whether smoking nicotine prior to taking a psychology test affects performance on that test. What is the independent variable in your study?
A) The psychology test
B) The participants in your study
C) Smoking nicotine
D) It depends on where the study is conducted

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the factor being manipulated in the study, which is smoking nicotine in this case. The dependent variable would be the performance on the psychology test. The other options (psychology test and participants) are not the factors being manipulated by the researcher. The location of the study does not affect the independent variable.

Question 8

Michael studies developmental differences in extroversion by testing 9-, 19-, 39-, and 59-year-old subjects all at the same time. Michael is performing a(n) ____ study.
A) sequential
B) longitudinal
C) experimental
D) cross-sectional

Accepted Answer

Michael is comparing individuals of different ages at one point in time, therefore it is a cross-sectional study.

Question 9

A publishing company does a study to determine whether using a study guide for a textbook improves performance on psychology exams. In this study, grades on the psychology exams would constitute the _______ variable.
A) correlational
B) independent
C) manipulated
D) dependent

Accepted Answer

In this study, the grades on the psychology exams are the variable being measured and are therefore the dependent variable.

Question 10

Kelly is doing research on the effect of birth order on personality. Rather than collecting data on a new set of subjects, she is analyzing 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 Kelly doing?
A) Experiment
B) Meta-analysis
C) Correlational
D) Longitudinal

Accepted Answer

Kelly is conducting a meta-analysis, which involves analyzing and synthesizing data from multiple studies to come up with an overall estimate of the effect being studied.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a problem related to longitudinal research?
A) It is difficult to generalize results to the larger population.
B) Participants may improve on the tests by taking them multiple times.
C) It's expensive to keep collecting data on a large number of participants.
D) Participants may choose not to continue.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research can often generalize results to the larger population, as it tracks the same subjects over time, providing comprehensive data. The other options are common issues in longitudinal studies.

Question 12

Dr. Mitchell is very interested in how individual participants' behaviors change over time. If she wants to study this, she'll have to do a(n) ________ study.
A) naturalistic observation
B) cross-sectional
C) experimental
D) longitudinal

Accepted Answer

A longitudinal study follows the same individuals over a period of time, allowing researchers to observe changes in behavior over time. Therefore, if Dr. Mitchell wants to study how individual participants' behaviors change over time, a longitudinal study would be the best choice.

Question 13

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?
A) Scores on a "hostility toward women" scale
B) Being placed in a control group
C) The viewing of pornography
D) The sex of the subjects

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable. In this case, the researcher is manipulating the viewing of pornography to see if it affects hostility toward women. Therefore, the independent variable is the viewing of pornography.

Question 14

Which statement is not consistent with ethical research?
A) Subject responses should be confidential.
B) Never tell subjects if they've been deceived.
C) Minimize risks to subjects.
D) Give subjects the right to withdraw from the research without penalty.

Accepted Answer

It is not consistent with ethical research to never tell subjects if they have been deceived. In fact, it is important to debrief participants after a study to ensure they understand the purpose of the research and to address any concerns they may have. It is also important to obtain informed consent from participants, which includes informing them of any potential deception that may occur during the study.

Question 15

Qualitative research differs from quantitative research because it
A) is conducted in the laboratory.
B) seeks to gain an understanding of what governs behavior.
C) is non-correlational.
D) relies heavily on statistical analysis.

Accepted Answer

Qualitative research is focused on gaining an understanding of the underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations for behavior, rather than numerical data. It often involves collecting data through methods such as interviews or observations in natural settings, and analyzing them using techniques such as thematic analysis. Quantitative research, on the other hand, gathers numerical data that can be analyzed through statistical methods to identify correlations or causation.

Question 16

Dr. Feldman is studying sibling rivalry. Each of his participants has been assessed every five years since 1970. Dr. Feldman's overall research design is best classified as
A) cross-sectional.
B) experimental.
C) longitudinal.
D) sequential.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Feldman's research design involves assessing the same group of participants (siblings) over a long period (since 1970) at different points in their lifespan (every five years). This design is best classified as longitudinal. Cross-sectional designs involve assessing different groups of individuals at one point in time, experimental designs involve manipulating an independent variable to measure its effect on a dependent variable, and sequential designs involve combining longitudinal and cross-sectional designs to compare different cohorts across different ages.

Question 17

Which researcher is most likely doing a cross-sectional study?
A) Jim, who is studying several different-aged groups at the same time
B) Joey, who is using several physiological measures in his study
C) Jan, who is doing a correlational study
D) Jody, who is doing an observation of first-graders

Accepted Answer

A cross-sectional study is one where the researcher studies several different-aged groups at the same time. Choice B refers to a experimental study where the researcher measures physiological variables. Choice C refers to a correlational study where the researcher examines the relationship between variables. Choice D is an observational study where the researcher observes first-graders.

Question 18

The fact that Tatiana likes to listen to the Hives (a 2000s band) and her grandmother prefers listening to Bill Haley and the Comets (a 1950s band) is probably best explained by
A) age effects.
B) non-normative factors.
C) cohort effects.
D) time-of-measurement effects.

Accepted Answer

The difference in music preferences between Tatiana and her grandmother is likely due to cohort effects, which refer to differences in experiences and culture that are specific to a particular generation. Tatiana and her grandmother belong to different cohorts and therefore have been exposed to different types of music throughout their lives. Age effects (A) would imply a linear relationship between age and music preferences, but this is not necessarily the case. Non-normative factors (B) may be important in shaping individual tastes, but they do not explain why entire generations may share similar cultural experiences. Time-of-measurement effects (D) refer to changes in attitudes or behaviors over time, but in this case it is more likely that differences in music preferences are due to longer-term cohort effects rather than short-term fluctuations.

Question 19

Researchers studying of life satisfaction compared measures of life satisfaction over a 17-year period of time. This is an example of the use of a(n) ________ research design.
A) experimental
B) cross-sectional
C) longitudinal
D) sequential

Accepted Answer

This is a longitudinal research design because it involves studying the same variable (life satisfaction) over a long period of time (17 years) in the same group of people.

Question 20

In an experiment, the dependent variable is the behavior that is being
A) manipulated.
B) controlled.
C) correlated.
D) observed.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being observed and measured in an experiment. It is the outcome or behavior that is being studied in response to changes in the independent variable. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they refer to different aspects of an experiment that are not related to the dependent variable.

Quiz 1: The Study of Human Development

Denise is studying how attitudes toward government change over the course of life by studying one group of people when they are 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, and 61 years old. What kind of design is Denise using?

The advantage of the _____ design is that it allows a researcher to synthesize data from across numerous studies.

You are reading the results of a study that tracked how a particular individual's religious beliefs changed over the course of her life. The study you are reading is most likely a(n) _______ study.

Greta 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.

Your developmental psychology teacher tells you that part of the course requirement is that you will have to complete a meta-analytic study. This means that it is most likely that you will be collecting data on _____________ in order to fulfill this requirement.

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

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

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

A publishing company does a study to determine whether using a study guide for a textbook improves performance on psychology exams. In this study, grades on the psychology exams would constitute the _______ variable.

Which of the following is not a problem related to longitudinal research?

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

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?

Which statement is not consistent with ethical research?

Qualitative research differs from quantitative research because it

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

Which researcher is most likely doing a cross-sectional study?

The fact that Tatiana likes to listen to the Hives (a 2000s band) and her grandmother prefers listening to Bill Haley and the Comets (a 1950s band) is probably best explained by

Researchers studying of life satisfaction compared measures of life satisfaction over a 17-year period of time. This is an example of the use of a(n) ________ research design.

In an experiment, the dependent variable is the behavior that is being