Question 1

A researcher goes to a playground for an hour each day for two weeks and makes notes when children are playing together.He records the number of times that a girl and a boy are playing together,when boys play only with other boys,and when girls play only with other girls.Which research method is the researcher using

Accepted Answer

The researcher is using naturalistic observation as he/she is observing behavior in a natural setting without manipulating any variables.

Question 2

What does it mean when there is an interaction between two variables

Accepted Answer

When there is an interaction between two variables, it means that the effects of one independent variable depend on the effects of another independent variable. In other words, the relationship between the two variables is not additive, but rather interactive. This can be represented in statistical models by including an interaction term, which allows for the effects of one variable to vary at different levels of the other variable.

Question 3

Which research method gives researchers the ability to infer a cause-and-effect relationship

Accepted Answer

Experimental research involves manipulating an independent variable and observing a dependent variable, allowing researchers to infer causation. Other methods, such as correlational research, can only identify relationships between variables but do not establish causation. Case history and empirical research refer more to the general approach or source of data, rather than the specific method of inferring cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 4

What is most important for reducing the likelihood of extraneous variables

Accepted Answer

Random assignment to conditions helps to reduce the likelihood of extraneous variables because it ensures that participants are distributed across conditions in a way that is not systematically related to any other variables. This helps to eliminate the possibility that any pre-existing differences between participants might account for the differences observed between groups. Experimental methods and correlational methods can both be used in research; however, only experimental methods allow us to make causal inferences about the relationship between variables, which is important for reducing the likelihood of extraneous variables. Random sampling is important for ensuring that our sample is representative of the population of interest, but it does not directly address the issue of extraneous variables in the same way that random assignment does.

Question 5

What do naturalistic observation,case studies,and surveys all have in common

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all involve observing and gathering data without manipulating variables.

Question 6

Diaz conducts a decision-making experiment to determine if people reason more logically when they have more time to decide.All the participants who are under 40 are allowed 15 minutes to reach a decision about a problem; all the participants who are over 40 are allowed 20 minutes to reach a decision about the same problem.What is the problem with this experimental design

Accepted Answer

The problem with this experimental design is that the age of the participants is confounded with the independent variable (time allowed for decision-making). This means that any differences observed in the participants' reasoning abilities may be due to age rather than the time allowed for decision-making. To avoid this confound, a better approach would be to randomly assign participants to either a 15-minute or 20-minute time limit group regardless of their age.

Question 7

What do researchers do when conducting descriptive or correlational research

Accepted Answer

When conducting descriptive or correlational research, researchers systematically describe patterns of behavior and discover relationships among variables, rather than manipulating variables or conditions. This is why Option B is the correct answer. Option A refers to experiments with multiple independent variables, while option C describes experimental research with manipulated variables. Option D describes a study design that is not necessarily descriptive or correlational in nature.

Question 8

What is a disadvantage of the experimental method

Accepted Answer

One disadvantage of the experimental method is that experiments often cannot be done for practical or ethical reasons. For example, an experiment in which people are intentionally exposed to harmful substances or situations is unethical and would not be allowed. Additionally, experiments can be expensive and time-consuming, which may make them impractical to conduct in certain situations.

Question 9

A group of researchers wanted to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on a company's assembly line.To make their observations,the researchers took jobs working on the assembly line and pretended to be new employees.What type of research is being conducted in this example

Accepted Answer

The researchers are engaging in naturalistic observation, as they are directly observing and recording the behavior of individuals in their natural setting without interfering with the environment.

Question 10

What is the main advantage associated with the experimental method

Accepted Answer

The main advantage of the experimental method is its precise control over variables, which allows researchers to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables without the influence of extraneous factors. This is crucial for drawing valid conclusions about the relationships between variables under investigation. The other options (B, C, and D) do not represent the main advantage of the experimental method.

Question 11

A researcher is studying two groups of children.One group includes children who are 10 years old and the other group includes children who are 5 years old.Which variable would be confounded with age in this study

Accepted Answer

Height is confounded with age because as children grow older, they also tend to grow taller. This natural growth progression means that any differences observed between the two age groups could be influenced by their height, making it difficult to isolate the effect of age alone.

Question 12

Shelley is a researcher who studies disabilities resulting from head injuries.She has chosen to use non-experimental methods because of some of the limitations of experiments.Which limit would most likely cause problems for Shelley's research

Accepted Answer

The answer of Shelley is a researcher who studies disabilities...

Question 13

What do we call recording all instances of an event for a particular time period (such as how many times an older brother strikes his younger brother during a given week)without the subjects' awareness

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves observing and recording behaviors in their natural environment without interfering or manipulating the situation. In this case, the researcher would be observing the behavior of the older brother and recording the number of times he strikes the younger brother without their awareness. Choice B (compiling a case study) and Choice C (creating an archive) do not accurately describe this research method, and Choice D (correlational research) involves analyzing the relationships between variables, which is not necessarily applicable in this scenario.

Question 14

Donnie wants to know whether attractive waiters make more tips.He has a group of people rate the attractiveness of five different waiters,and he gets the waiters to tell him how much money they make in tips every night for a month.What type of research design has Donnie used

Accepted Answer

Donnie's study is correlational because he is observing and measuring the relationship between two variables (attractiveness and tips) without manipulating any of the variables.

Question 15

Braeden received a poor performance evaluation in his job last year.Since then,Braeden has started working through his lunch hour,taken on four special projects,and enrolled in night classes to upgrade his computer skills.Why will it be hard for Braeden to figure out the cause if he receives a better evaluation at his next performance

Accepted Answer

The three actions Braeden took (working through lunch, taking on special projects, and enrolling in night classes) are confounded with each other, meaning it will be difficult to determine which action had the most impact on his job performance if he receives a better evaluation. For example, if Braeden's evaluation improves, it may be difficult to determine if it was due to his improved computer skills or the fact that he took on extra projects.

Question 16

Dr.Shingwauk designed an experiment in which participants listened to a persuasive speech delivered either by a very tall person or a person of average height.In addition,the speeches were delivered by people wearing either business clothes or casual clothes.Dr.Shingwauk asked listeners to fill out a survey about impressions of the speaker's credibility.In this study,what is Dr.Shingwauk looking to determine

Accepted Answer

Dr.Shingwauk is looking to determine whether height and clothing style interact to influence judgments of credibility. The study manipulates both variables and then asks participants to rate the speaker's credibility, indicating that this is the primary research question. The other answer choices do not accurately reflect the focus or design of the study.

Question 17

Dr.Kalmagura plans on introducing a new exam review procedure in his chemistry classes.To check the effectiveness of the new procedure,he is going to have half his students try the new technique for one semester,while the remaining students review in the way they have always done in the past.He asks each student to decide whether they would like to use the new technique or the standard technique.What procedure is illustrated in this example

Accepted Answer

This is an example of non-random assignment because the students are given the choice of which review technique they would like to use. The assignment to the new technique or standard technique is not random, but rather self-selected by the students. This could potentially introduce bias into the study. A double-blind research design involves neither the experimenter nor the participants knowing which group they are in, and informed consent is a procedure used to obtain ethical approval from participants in research. Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in a natural setting without any intervention or manipulation by the researcher. None of these procedures apply to this example.

Question 18

You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their sex. What type of research method are you using?

Accepted Answer

The researcher is observing people's behavior in a natural setting without any manipulation or interference. Therefore, it is an example of naturalistic observation. Other options do not fit the scenario described in the question. A case study involves a deep analysis of one individual or group, whereas correlation and casual observation involve manipulating variables or making assumptions about causation, neither of which are happening in this scenario.

Question 19

What is random assignment

Accepted Answer

Random assignment refers to the process by which participants are assigned to different groups or conditions in a study, with all participants having an equal likelihood of being assigned to any group or condition. This helps to ensure that any differences observed between groups are due to the experimental manipulation of the independent variable, rather than pre-existing differences between groups. Therefore, D is the correct answer as it best describes random assignment.

Question 20

In a study of the effect of fatigue on task performance,participants were asked to complete a series of puzzles.One day,all participants completed puzzles after 24 hours without sleep.On another day,the same participants completed puzzles after sleeping for at least eight hours.What research design is used in this study

Accepted Answer

This study uses a within-subjects design, as the same participants completed the task under two different conditions (after 24 hours without sleep and after sleeping for at least eight hours). This allows for each participant to serve as their own control, increasing the power of the study and reducing the impact of individual differences between participants.

Quiz 2: A: The Research Enterprise in Psychology