Question 1

Which of the following is true of operational definitions?

Accepted Answer

Some psychological concepts, such as intelligence or personality, are more complex and abstract, making them difficult to operationally define. However, many other concepts in psychology can be easily defined in concrete terms. Choices A, B, D, and E are incorrect because conceptual definition and operational definition are not the same and popular press descriptions may not always refer to operational definitions, some psychological concepts can be operationally defined while others cannot, and operational definitions do not answer the question of "why" but rather "how" researchers measure variables.

Question 2

RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning paper and reads the following headline: "Female Engineering Majors' Effort on Math Problems Depends on Sex of Role Model." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Stout, Dasgupta, Hunsinger, and McManus, 2011.) In the study, female students were asked to complete a math test by either a male math major or a female math major. Female students tried to solve more of the math problems when asked by a female math major compared with a male math major.
-Refer to Research Study 3.1 above to answer the following question. In this study,the authors recorded how many math questions (out of 10 questions)participants tried to solve.This is an example of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The authors recorded the participants' attempts to solve the math problems, which is a measured variable as it is being directly observed and recorded. It is not a constant as it can vary between participants, nor is it a manipulated variable as it was not intentionally changed by the researchers. It is a variable's level in the sense that it is one of the possible outcomes for the variable "effort on math problems."

Question 3

To evaluate how well a study supports a frequency claim,you need to focus on evaluating which of the following validities?

Accepted Answer

Frequency claims are primarily concerned with how often something occurs, so evaluating construct validity (how well the variables are measured) and external validity (the generalizability of the findings) is crucial.

Question 4

Refer to Research Study 3.3 above to answer the following question. Clarissa's concern is addressing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to Research Study 3.3 above to...

Question 5

RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning paper and reads the following headline: "Female Engineering Majors' Effort on Math Problems Depends on Sex of Role Model." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Stout, Dasgupta, Hunsinger, and McManus, 2011.) In the study, female students were asked to complete a math test by either a male math major or a female math major. Female students tried to solve more of the math problems when asked by a female math major compared with a male math major.
-Refer to Research Study 3.1 above to answer the following question. How many variables are mentioned in this study/headline?

Accepted Answer

The study has two variables: the sex of the role model (male or female) and the number of math problems attempted by the female students.

Question 6

Dr.Hoda measures job satisfaction and number of years of education.In examining her scatterplot,she sees that the cloud of points has no slope.This indicates which type of relationship?

Accepted Answer

A scatterplot with no slope indicates that there is no association between the two variables being plotted. In this case, it means there is zero association between job satisfaction and number of years of education.

Question 7

RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning paper and reads the following headline: "Female Engineering Majors' Effort on Math Problems Depends on Sex of Role Model." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Stout, Dasgupta, Hunsinger, and McManus, 2011.) In the study, female students were asked to complete a math test by either a male math major or a female math major. Female students tried to solve more of the math problems when asked by a female math major compared with a male math major.
-Refer to Research Study 3.1 above to answer the following question. Which of the following is a variable in this study/headline?

Accepted Answer

The variable in this study/headline is the sex of the role model, as the study found that female engineering majors' effort on math problems depended on whether they were asked by a male or female math major. The sex of the participants and the major of the participants are not specifically mentioned as variables in this study, and the math test may be considered a constant or control variable. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 8

Which of the following is the difference between anecdotal claims and frequency claims?

Accepted Answer

Anecdotal claims are based on personal experiences or stories, whereas frequency claims are based on scientific studies involving data and statistics. Therefore, anecdotal claims are not considered scientific evidence, while frequency claims are.

Question 9

Which of the following is an association claim?

Accepted Answer

Option A presents a relationship between two variables, owning a dog and life satisfaction, which is the characteristic of an association claim. Option B is a frequency claim, Option C presents a causal claim, and Option D presents a causal relationship between two variables. Therefore, A is the only association claim.

Question 10

Why do we normally consider statistical validity when interrogating association claims but not when interrogating frequency claims?

Accepted Answer

Researchers use statistical techniques to analyze association claims, which is why statistical validity is especially important when interrogating these types of claims. Frequency claims, on the other hand, simply report the frequency or prevalence of a particular behavior or characteristic, without any statistical analysis. Therefore, statistical validity is not as relevant in interrogating frequency claims.

Question 11

RESEARCH STUDY 3.2
Dr. Ramon makes the following claim: "Watching television leads people to spend less time communicating with their spouses, study says." Dr. LaSalle makes the claim: "Research shows that making more money correlates with spending less time talking with your spouse."
-Refer to Research Study 3.2 above to answer the following question. Which type of claim is Dr.Ramon making?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Ramon is making a causal claim, as she is stating that watching television leads to a specific behavior (spending less time communicating with spouses).

Question 12

Refer to Research Study 3.3 above to answer the following question. Quinn's concern is addressing which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to Research Study 3.3 above to...

Question 13

RESEARCH STUDY 3.2
Dr. Ramon makes the following claim: "Watching television leads people to spend less time communicating with their spouses, study says." Dr. LaSalle makes the claim: "Research shows that making more money correlates with spending less time talking with your spouse."
-Refer to Research Study 3.2 above to answer the following question. Which of the following statements is true of Dr.Ramon's and Dr.LaSalle's claims?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Ramon's claim specifically states that watching television leads to less communication with spouses, while Dr. LaSalle's claim only states a correlation between making more money and spending less time talking with spouses. Therefore, Dr. Ramon's claim goes further in terms of specific causation.

Question 14

RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning paper and reads the following headline: "Female Engineering Majors' Effort on Math Problems Depends on Sex of Role Model." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Stout, Dasgupta, Hunsinger, and McManus, 2011.) In the study, female students were asked to complete a math test by either a male math major or a female math major. Female students tried to solve more of the math problems when asked by a female math major compared with a male math major.
-Refer to Research Study 3.1 above to answer the following question. In this study,the authors were interested in students' math effort.Which of the following would NOT be a reasonable operational definition of math effort?

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning...

Question 15

RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning paper and reads the following headline: "Female Engineering Majors' Effort on Math Problems Depends on Sex of Role Model." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Stout, Dasgupta, Hunsinger, and McManus, 2011.) In the study, female students were asked to complete a math test by either a male math major or a female math major. Female students tried to solve more of the math problems when asked by a female math major compared with a male math major.
-Refer to Research Study 3.1 above to answer the following question. Which of the following is a constant in this study/headline?

Accepted Answer

The answer of RESEARCH STUDY 3.1
Anderson is reading his morning...

Question 16

Which of the following phrases would indicate that a researcher is making a causal claim?

Accepted Answer

All of the phrases indicate a causal claim because they suggest that one variable is causing a change in another variable.

Question 17

Which of the following allow us to make better predictions using association claims?

Accepted Answer

Strong positive and negative associations both provide information about how variables are related to each other, making it easier to make predictions based on those relationships. Strong zero associations, on the other hand, do not provide any information about the relationship between variables and therefore do not improve our ability to make predictions.

Question 18

RESEARCH STUDY 3.2
Dr. Ramon makes the following claim: "Watching television leads people to spend less time communicating with their spouses, study says." Dr. LaSalle makes the claim: "Research shows that making more money correlates with spending less time talking with your spouse."
-Refer to Research Study 3.2 above to answer the following question. Which type of claim is Dr.LaSalle making?

Accepted Answer

Dr. LaSalle is making an association claim, as she is indicating a correlation between making more money and spending less time talking with a spouse.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of variables?

Accepted Answer

Variables can have multiple levels, some can only be measured, others can be manipulated or measured, and all variables should have operational definitions to ensure clarity in research.

Question 20

Dr.Ellison finds a relation between the amount of sleep and problem solving.Specifically,having a higher amount of sleep the night before an exam is associated with higher scores on two measures of problem solving.This is an example of which type of association?

Accepted Answer

The statement mentions that having a higher amount of sleep is associated with higher scores on measures of problem-solving, indicating a positive association between the two variables.

Quiz 3: Three Claims,Four Validities: Interrogation Tools for Consumers of Research