Question 1

The first major challenge facing any researcher is to obtain a representative sample for study. Why is this so important? Give an example.

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The answer of The first major challenge facing any researcher...

Question 2

Match these definitions with the appropriate statistical term.
-Statistical procedures that allow researchers to draw conclusions about how statistically meaningful a study's results are.

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics are used to draw conclusions about the population based on sample data, assessing the statistical significance and generalizability of the results.

Question 3

Briefly outline how you could conduct a study of "personal space."

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Question 4

If TV watching is correlated positively with children's aggressiveness, then in what possible ways could this relationship be explained?

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Question 5

In what circumstances is a psychological case study of limited use?

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Question 6

Dr. Slocum is interested in studying brain lateralization, that is, how the two sides of the brain serve different functions. In order to investigate this topic, she notes whether parents tend to carry their infants in a "left-sided" hold or in a "right-sided" hold. Explain what research method Dr. Slocum is using. What are the limitations of this method?

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Question 7

List five characteristics of an ideal scientist.

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Question 8

Match these definitions with the appropriate statistical term.
-A procedure for combining and analyzing data from many studies.

Accepted Answer

Meta-analysis is a statistical procedure for combining and analyzing data from many studies.

Question 9

In what circumstances is a psychological case study informative?

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Question 10

Think of a topic in psychology (from Chapter 1, from your own experience, or from the media) that interests you. Write a hypothesis regarding this topic and explain what research method you would use in order to investigate the topic.

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Question 11

Dr. Benjamin Rush treated yellow fever by bloodletting. He attributed each recovery to the bloodletting and each death to the severity of the yellow fever. What rule of science did he violate?

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Question 12

Explain the purpose and process of peer review.

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Question 13

When two variables are correlated, it is easy to assume that if "A" predicts "B," then "A" must be causing "B." Explain why this is not necessarily so, using this example: The higher a male monkey's level of the hormone testosterone, the more aggressive he is likely to be.

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Question 14

Norman Cousins wrote a bestseller explaining how humour and vitamins cured him of a life-threatening disease. What rule of science did he violate?

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Question 15

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." How would you frame this question in clear and concrete terms? Specify an operational definition for the major terms.

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Question 16

Match these definitions with the appropriate statistical term.
-The amount of variance among scores in a study accounted for by the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

Effect size measures the amount of variance among scores in a study accounted for by the independent variable.

Question 17

A psychologist has the option of gathering information through psychological tests or through self-evaluations by the subjects. Which option would be more effective in clarifying the differences/similarities between individuals? Why?

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Question 18

Increasingly, internet surveys are being utilized as research tools. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of internet surveys.

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Question 19

Match these definitions with the appropriate statistical term.
-Statistical procedures that organize and summarize research data.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to organize and summarize research data.

Answer: A
 Inferential statistics are used to make inferences and predictions about a population based on sample data.

Answer: C
 Significance tests are used to determine whether the results of a study are statistically significant, i.e., whether they are likely to have occurred by chance.

Answer: B
 Effect size is a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables, or the size of a treatment effect in a study.

Answer: E
 Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that combines the results of multiple studies to estimate the overall effect size or treatment effect.

Question 20

Match these definitions with the appropriate statistical term.
-Statistical tests that show how likely it is that a study's results occurred merely by chance.

Accepted Answer

Significance tests are used to determine the probability (p-value) that the results of a study occurred by chance.

Answer: B
 Effect size is a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables. It is typically expressed as a correlation coefficient or standardized difference between means.

Answer: A
 Inferential statistics are used to make generalizations about a population based on data collected from a sample.

Answer: D
 Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the characteristics of a set of data. They include measures of central tendency (e.g., mean, median) and variability (e.g., standard deviation, range).

Answer: E
 Meta-analysis is a statistical technique used to combine the results of multiple studies on the same topic in order to arrive at an overall conclusion.

Quiz 2: How Psychologists Do Research