Question 1

Suppose someone reports an unexpected difference between two groups,with p < 0.05 and nonoverlapping 95 percent confidence intervals.Before we decide how seriously to take this report,what question should we ask?​
A)Is the finding replicable?
B)​Is the finding statistically significant?
C)​Do the means for the two groups differ?
D)​Did the two groups have equal numbers of participants?

Accepted Answer

The question we should ask is whether the finding is replicable. This means we need to consider whether the results can be reliably reproduced in future studies. The fact that the p-value is less than 0.05 and the confidence intervals do not overlap suggests that the results are statistically significant, but this alone does not guarantee that the finding is meaningful or robust. Therefore, we need to focus on replication to determine whether the report is credible.

Question 2

A standard deviation measures what?​
A)The variation of scores within a group​
B)​The probability of replicating a result
C)​The difference in scores between two groups
D)​The difference between the actual results and the predicted results

Accepted Answer

A standard deviation measures the variation of scores within a group. It is a statistical measure that indicates how much the individual scores in a set vary from the mean or average score. It is commonly used in social and natural sciences to assess the reliability and consistency of data.

Question 3

If most scores are far from the mean,what will be true of the standard deviation?​
A)It will be equal to the mean.​
B)​It will be small.
C)​It will be large.
D)​It will be hard to calculate.

Accepted Answer

When most scores are far from the mean, the standard deviation increases. This is because the standard deviation measures the amount of variation or spread in the data, and if there is a lot of variation, the standard deviation will be larger. Conversely, if most scores are close to the mean, the standard deviation will be smaller.

Question 4

Which of these is an alternative to stating the p value of a research result?​
A)State the mean and median for each group.​
B)​State the number of participants in each group.
C)​State the correlation between two variables.
D)​State the 95 percent confidence intervals for each group.

Accepted Answer

Stating the 95 percent confidence intervals for each group is an alternative to stating the p-value because it provides information about the range of values that are likely to contain the true population parameter, allowing readers to make their own judgments about the significance of the results. Additionally, confidence intervals can provide more information about the precision and accuracy of the study's findings than a single p-value.

Question 5

It is likely that many published studies represent random fluctuations in data,rather than true phenomena.How do scientists guard against this possibility?​
A)They recalculate the statistics of the published study.
B)​They ask for replications of surprising results.
C)​They accuse the author of fraud if the results seem surprising.
D)​They disbelieve any result that does not have a strong theoretical basis.

Accepted Answer

Asking for replications of surprising results is one way that scientists guard against the possibility that a published study represents random fluctuations in data. If the result is a true phenomenon, it should be replicable in other studies. Recalculating statistics is also a good practice, but it may not be enough to confirm the validity of the result. Accusing the author of fraud is not a productive way to approach the issue and can damage the reputation of the author and the scientific community. Disbelieving any result that does not have a strong theoretical basis can be limiting because scientific breakthroughs often challenge prevailing theories.

Question 6

Research with humans requires informed consent.Who signs that informed consent?​
A)The experimenter
B)​The state or national association of psychologists
C)​The people participating in the study
D)​The president of the university

Accepted Answer

Informed consent is a process through which people participating in research are informed about the study's purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and alternatives, and they have the right to decide whether to participate or not. Thus, the people participating in the study (option C) sign the informed consent form. The experimenter (option A) only provides the informed consent form and answers questions regarding the research, but does not sign it. The state or national association of psychologists (option B) has established ethical guidelines for research but does not sign any informed consent form. The president of the university (option D) is responsible for overseeing the research conducted at the university but does not sign the informed consent form.

Question 7

Why are many psychologists concerned about the replicability of their research?​
A)The U.S. government passed a law requiring every research study to be replicated.
B)​Apparently significant results can occur by accident.
C)​Researchers have been shifting from p levels to 95 percent confidence levels.
D)​Psychological researchers are unable to measure anything accurately.

Accepted Answer

Many psychologists are concerned about the replicability of their research because apparently significant results can occur by accident. This means that the findings of studies may not be reliable or consistent if they cannot be replicated by other researchers.

Question 8

In certain studies with rats,female scientists get consistently different results from those of male scientists.Why?​
A)Female scientists tend to talk more than male scientists do.
B)​On average, female scientists tend to be more afraid of the rats.
C)​On average, male scientists handle the rats more roughly.
D)​Rats produce a stress response to the smell of male scientists.

Accepted Answer

Rats produce a stress response to the smell of male scientists, which can affect their behavior and physiology, leading to different outcomes in experiments.

Question 9

A research finding is especially hard to replicate under which of these conditions?​
A)If the finding is statistically significant​
B)​If attempts to replicate use exactly the same procedure as the original study
C)​If attempts to replicate use few participants or imprecise measurements
D)​If attempts to replicate use more precise measurements than the original study

Accepted Answer

If attempts to replicate use few participants or imprecise measurements, the likelihood of replicating the original finding becomes lower as the sample size and measurement quality may not be sufficient to achieve the same result.

Question 10

When is a research result impressive?​
A)If the p value is large and the 95 percent confidence interval is large.
B)​If the p value is large and the 95 percent confidence interval is small.
C)​If the p value is small and the 95 percent confidence interval is.large
D)​If the p value is small and the 95 percent confidence interval is small.

Accepted Answer

A small p value indicates that there is strong evidence against the null hypothesis, while a small confidence interval indicates that the estimate is precise. Therefore, an impressive research result would have a small p value and a small confidence interval.

Question 11

An Institutional Review Board provides what function in research?​
A)It maintains records about which people participated in which study.
B)​It pays the people who participate in a research study.
C)​It decides which studies are or are not ethical.
D)​It provides a list of the people who are willing to participate in research.

Accepted Answer

An Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for reviewing research proposals to ensure that they are ethically sound, and that the welfare and rights of human subjects are protected. They weigh the benefits of the research against any potential risks to human subjects. Therefore, they decide which studies are or are not ethical. Option A is incorrect because maintaining record of participants is not the primary responsibility of IRB. Option B is incorrect because they do not pay participants. Option D is incorrect as the IRB does not provide a list of people who are willing to participate in research.

Question 12

What does the 95 percent confidence interval indicate about a set of results?​
A)It indicates the probability that the experimenter conducted the study properly.​
B)​It indicates the range within which the true mean probably lies.
C)​It indicates the size of difference between the mean and the median.
D)​It indicates the probability that someone else can replicate the result.

Accepted Answer

The 95 percent confidence interval indicates the range within which the true mean probably lies. It is a measure of the level of uncertainty or degree of confidence associated with the results of a study. A 95% confidence interval means that if we repeat this experiment many times with different samples, we would expect the true mean to fall within this range about 95% of the time.

Question 13

Who decides which research studies on humans are ethically permissible?​
A)The dean of the college
B)​The mayor of the city
C)​The Institutional Review Board
D)​Friends or relatives of the people volunteering for a study

Accepted Answer

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is responsible for deciding which research studies on humans are ethically permissible. It is a committee of individuals whose responsibility is to ensure that human subjects are protected and that the research is conducted ethically. The IRB reviews proposed research studies to assess their potential risks and benefits to human subjects, ensuring that research is conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines and government regulations. The other options mentioned in the question (A, B, D) do not have the authority to make such decisions.

Question 14

Ethical research with human participants requires which of the following?​
A)Always pay the participants at least a minimum wage for the hours spent.
B)​Start by informing people of the history of research on the topic being studied.
C)​Start by informing people of the procedures and asking for their consent.
D)​Conduct only the same type of procedures that other researchers have already used.

Accepted Answer

In ethical research with human participants, researchers must start by informing people of the procedures and obtain their consent before proceeding with any research activities. This allows participants to make an informed decision about whether or not they want to participate in the study. It is not always necessary to pay participants a minimum wage, and it is not necessary to start by informing people about the history of research on the topic being studied. It is important to review previous research in the field, but this should be done before the study begins and not necessarily at the outset of recruiting participants. Finally, it is not necessary to conduct only the same type of procedures that other researchers have already used, as long as the study design is ethical and participants are informed and consent to the procedures.

Question 15

Who,if anyone,supervises the treatment of laboratory animals?​
A)A committee appointed by the college or other institution​
B)​The company that sold the animals to the researcher
C)​Anyone who wishes to inspect the laboratory
D)No one, other than the researchers themselves​

Accepted Answer

The treatment of laboratory animals is generally supervised by a committee appointed by the college or other institution. This committee is responsible for ensuring that the animals are treated in an ethical and humane manner, and that their use is justified by the potential benefits of the research. The committee also makes sure that researchers follow strict guidelines for the care and treatment of the animals, and that all applicable laws and regulations are followed. The committee may include veterinarians, researchers, ethicists, and other experts in animal welfare.

Question 16

If scientists cannot find conditions under which they can replicate a research result,what do they do?​
A)They assume that the original researcher was dishonest.​
B)​They continue to accept the original finding anyway.
C)​They ignore the result in theory and practice.
D)​They assume that the finding depends on influences that science cannot measure.

Accepted Answer

If scientists cannot replicate a research result, they tend to ignore the result in theory and practice, as replication is a key part of the scientific method to confirm findings.

Question 17

Before conducting research on humans,what must a researcher obtain?​
A)A license from the American Psychological Association
B)​Licenses from the national and local governments
C)​Informed consent from each participant
D)​A web page on which to post the results

Accepted Answer

Before conducting research on humans, a researcher must obtain informed consent from each participant. This means that the researcher must explain the purpose and procedures of the study, potential risks and benefits, and the participant's right to withdraw from the study at any time. This helps ensure that participants understand the study and willingly agree to participate. Obtaining a license from the American Psychological Association or having a web page to post results may be helpful, but they are not necessary for obtaining consent. Licenses from the national and local governments may be required depending on the nature of the research, but informed consent is still necessary regardless.

Question 18

Which of the following has become more common in psychology than it used to be?​
A)Research studies without asking for informed consent
B)​Attempts to replicate other researchers' findings
C)​Research that reports the p value of the results
D)​Laboratory research on animal learning

Accepted Answer

Attempts to replicate other researchers' findings have become more common in psychology due to increasing awareness of the replication crisis in psychological research.

Question 19

Which of the following has become a serious worry for psychological researchers?​
A)They worry that too many studies deal with children instead of adults.
B)​They worry that some published results may not be replicable.
C)​They worry that not enough research studies are reporting statistical significance levels.
D)​They worry that too many research boards are requiring informed consent.

Accepted Answer

Many psychological researchers have expressed concern about the replication crisis, which refers to the lack of reproducibility of many published findings in psychology and other fields. This has become a serious worry for the field as a whole.

Question 20

Why do researchers try to replicate a result,especially a surprising one?​
A)To guard against accidental findings​
B)​To determine whether it is statistically significant
C)​To increase the number of practical applications
D)​To compete against the original researchers

Accepted Answer

To guard against accidental findings

Quiz 2: Scientific Methods in Psychology

Suppose someone reports an unexpected difference between two groups,with p < 0.05 and nonoverlapping 95 percent confidence intervals.Before we decide how seriously to take this report,what question should we ask?​

A standard deviation measures what?​

If most scores are far from the mean,what will be true of the standard deviation?​

Which of these is an alternative to stating the p value of a research result?​

It is likely that many published studies represent random fluctuations in data,rather than true phenomena.How do scientists guard against this possibility?​

Research with humans requires informed consent.Who signs that informed consent?​

Why are many psychologists concerned about the replicability of their research?​

In certain studies with rats,female scientists get consistently different results from those of male scientists.Why?​

A research finding is especially hard to replicate under which of these conditions?​

When is a research result impressive?​

An Institutional Review Board provides what function in research?​

What does the 95 percent confidence interval indicate about a set of results?​

Who decides which research studies on humans are ethically permissible?​

Ethical research with human participants requires which of the following?​

Who,if anyone,supervises the treatment of laboratory animals?​

If scientists cannot find conditions under which they can replicate a research result,what do they do?​

Before conducting research on humans,what must a researcher obtain?​

Which of the following has become more common in psychology than it used to be?​

Which of the following has become a serious worry for psychological researchers?​

Why do researchers try to replicate a result,especially a surprising one?​

Suppose someone reports an unexpected difference between two groups,with p < 0.05 and nonoverlapping 95 percent confidence intervals.Before we decide how seriously to take this report,what question should we ask?

A standard deviation measures what?

If most scores are far from the mean,what will be true of the standard deviation?

Which of these is an alternative to stating the p value of a research result?

It is likely that many published studies represent random fluctuations in data,rather than true phenomena.How do scientists guard against this possibility?

Research with humans requires informed consent.Who signs that informed consent?

Why are many psychologists concerned about the replicability of their research?

In certain studies with rats,female scientists get consistently different results from those of male scientists.Why?

A research finding is especially hard to replicate under which of these conditions?

When is a research result impressive?

An Institutional Review Board provides what function in research?

What does the 95 percent confidence interval indicate about a set of results?

Who decides which research studies on humans are ethically permissible?

Ethical research with human participants requires which of the following?

Who,if anyone,supervises the treatment of laboratory animals?

If scientists cannot find conditions under which they can replicate a research result,what do they do?

Before conducting research on humans,what must a researcher obtain?

Which of the following has become more common in psychology than it used to be?

Which of the following has become a serious worry for psychological researchers?

Why do researchers try to replicate a result,especially a surprising one?