Question 1

In a laboratory,smokers are asked to "drive" using a computerized driving simulator equipped with a stick shift and a gas pedal.The object is to maximize the distance covered by driving as fast as possible on a winding road while avoiding rear-end collisions.Some of the participants smoke a real cigarette immediately before climbing into the driver's seat.Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine.You are interested in comparing how many collisions the two groups have.In this study,the cigarette without nicotine group is the:

Accepted Answer

The cigarette without nicotine group is the control group because they are used as a baseline to compare the effects of nicotine on driving performance.

Question 2

Ken is planning on studying the influence of intelligence on the ability to recall events from the 1960s.If Ken does not account for variables such as age that could also influence one's ability to recall these events,age could be considered a/an:

Accepted Answer

A confounding variable is a variable that correlates with both the independent and dependent variables in a study, making it difficult to determine the true effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. In this case, age is a confounding variable because it is likely to be related to both intelligence and the ability to recall events from the 1960s. If Ken does not account for age in his study, he may mistake age-related effects for effects of intelligence on recall.

Question 3

Unintended changes in participants' behaviour due to cues inadvertently given by the experimenter are called:

Accepted Answer

Experimenter effects refer to unintentional changes in participants' behaviour due to cues given by the experimenter. Replications refer to repeating a study to see if the same results are obtained. Volunteer biases refer to a type of sampling bias where volunteers may have different characteristics than non-volunteers. Single-blind studies refer to a type of study where participants are unaware of whether they are in the control group or the experimental group.

Question 4

Adaris has always been drawn to the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," and she decides to incorporate this saying into her research project.Adaris is trying to define absence in a way that can be empirically tested.She is attempting to find an appropriate:

Accepted Answer

Adaris is trying to define absence in a way that can be empirically tested. To do so, she needs to create an operational definition that clearly defines what absence means in her research project. An operational definition is a detailed explanation of how a variable will be measured, manipulated, or observed in a study.

Question 5

A variable that the experimenter manipulates is called a/an

Accepted Answer

An independent variable is a variable that the experimenter manipulates, changes or controls to examine its effect on another variable, which is called the dependent variable. The other two options, confounding variable and operational variable, are not related to the variable that the experimenter manipulates.

Question 6

The steps or procedures an experimenter must use to control or measure the variables in a study is called the:

Accepted Answer

The operational definition outlines the specific steps or procedures used to measure or manipulate the variables in an experiment in order to ensure that the results are reliable and valid. The hypothesis is a testable prediction about the relationship between variables, a double-blind study is a specific type of research design, and a theory is a broader explanation for a set of related phenomena.

Question 7

Sandy was participating in an experiment in which she was given a pill that was supposed to cause her to get drowsy.Five minutes after taking the pill,Sandy reported that she felt drowsy and wanted to lie down.The pill was actually made of sugar and had no ingredients to cause drowsiness.How do you explain Sandy's drowsy feeling?

Accepted Answer

The drowsy feeling experienced by Sandy was likely due to the placebo effect, where the belief that she had taken a pill that would make her drowsy resulted in actual drowsiness. This is a common phenomenon observed in medical experiments and clinical trials, where participants may report improvement in symptoms even after taking a placebo.

Question 8

Two groups of graduate students were given rats and were told to teach them how to run mazes.Group 1 was told that they had "very smart" rats that should learn quickly.Group 2 was told that they had "very stupid" rats that should learn slowly.In actuality,neither group was any different and the rats had been randomly assigned.In spite of that,when the experiment concluded,Group 1 rats had learned the maze much more quickly.How can that be explained?

Accepted Answer

The experimenter effect occurs when the experimenter's expectations or behaviors influence the participants' behavior or performance in the study. In this case, the experimenter's belief that the Group 1 rats were "very smart" may have led them to treat those rats differently or give them more attention, which could have influenced the rats' learning behavior. Therefore, it is likely that the experimenter effect played a role in the rats' differential performance in the two groups. The other options (placebo effect, subject bias, and treatment effect) do not fit the context of this study as well as the experimenter effect.

Question 9

In a laboratory,smokers are asked to "drive" using a computerized driving simulator equipped with a stick shift and a gas pedal.The object is to maximize the distance covered by driving as fast as possible on a winding road while avoiding rear-end collisions.Some of the participants smoke a real cigarette immediately before climbing into the driver's seat.Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine.You are interested in comparing how many collisions the two groups have.In this study,the independent variable is the:

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the factor that is being manipulated or changed by the experimenter, in this case, the use of nicotine. The other variables, such as the use of a driving simulator, the number of collisions, and the driving skills of each driver, are not being manipulated and are either controlled or observed. Therefore, the independent variable is the use of nicotine.

Question 10

A researcher is investigating the effects of exercise on weight.What are the independent and dependent variables in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

In this experiment, the researcher is manipulating the independent variable, exercise, to see its effect on the dependent variable, weight. Therefore, the independent variable is exercise and the dependent variable is weight. Option B is incorrect because it mentions calories consumed and diet, which are not variables being investigated in this experiment. Option C is incorrect because it suggests that weight is the independent variable, which is not the case. Option D is incorrect because it suggests that the dependent variable is amount of exercise, which is not the variable being investigated in this experiment.

Question 11

Marco Leyton,a psychology professor at McGill University,began to study the effects of cocaine on the human brain.To be considered a potential participant in his research,agreement of all of the following was expected EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Previous cocaine use would exclude someone from participating in the study.

Question 12

Which of the following is CORRECT concerning random assignment?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment involves assigning participants to different conditions or groups in a way that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any condition or group. Therefore, option A is correct because it accurately describes random assignment. Option B is incorrect because assigning participants alphabetically does not ensure equal chances of being assigned to each condition. Option C is incorrect because random assignment should be determined before the experiment begins. Option D is incorrect because asking for volunteers may introduce bias and does not ensure equal chances of assignment to each condition.

Question 13

Ideally,everything in the experimental situation EXCEPT the __________________ is held constant.

Accepted Answer

In order to effectively test the impact of a specific independent variable on the outcome, it is necessary to keep all other factors constant in the experimental situation. This helps to ensure that any observed changes can be attributed solely to the independent variable being tested. The other options listed - inferential statistics, placebos, and hypotheses - are not directly related to the need for controlling other variables in an experiment.

Question 14

All the following are accurate statements regarding random assignment EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Subjects cannot be assigned to a type of correlation as correlation is a statistical technique used to measure the relationship between two variables, not a condition to which subjects can be assigned. A and B accurately describe random assignment, and D describes one of the benefits of using random assignment.

Question 15

In order to increase typing speed Minisoft has redesigned its keyboard and provided a chime that is related to typing speed.The company wants to know if its innovations affect typing speed.Identify the independent and dependent variables in this proposed study.

Accepted Answer

The independent variables in this proposed study are the design of the keyboard and the presence of the chime, while the dependent variable is the speed of typing. Therefore, option B is the correct choice.

Question 16

Marcy is trying to define anxiety in a way that can be empirically tested.She is attempting to find an appropriate:

Accepted Answer

Marcy is trying to define anxiety in a way that can be measured or observed. This is the purpose of an operational definition. Hypotheses are statements about the relationship between variables, independent variables are the variables researchers manipulate, and dependent variables are the variables that researchers measure or observe.

Question 17

Which of the following situations best illustrates the placebo effect?

Accepted Answer

The placebo effect is when a person experiences a beneficial effect from a substance or procedure simply because they believe it will work. In this case, drinking a nonalcoholic drink and feeling "intoxicated" because of the belief that it contains alcohol is a classic example of the placebo effect.

Question 18

The placebo effect means:

Accepted Answer

The placebo effect refers to the phenomenon where the expectations of the participants influence their behavior. It occurs when individuals receive treatment, which is not genuinely active, but they perceive it as an actual treatment. They show improvements only because they believe they have received a legitimate therapeutic intervention.

Question 19

In a laboratory,smokers are asked to "drive" using a computerized driving simulator equipped with a stick shift and a gas pedal.The object is to maximize the distance covered by driving as fast as possible on a winding road while avoiding rear-end collisions.Some of the participants smoke a real cigarette immediately before climbing into the driver's seat.Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine.You are interested in comparing how many collisions the two groups have.In this study,the dependent variable is the:

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is the number of collisions, as this is what the researchers are interested in comparing between the two groups (those who smoke real cigarettes and those who smoke fake cigarettes). The use of nicotine, the use of a driving simulator, and the driving skills of each driver are all independent variables or extraneous variables that may influence the outcome but are not the focus of the study.

Question 20

An operational definition is:

Accepted Answer

An operational definition is a precise and specific explanation of a variable being measured, such as a particular behavior, that allows for its observation and measurement in a study. It defines the variable in a measurable and observable way, enabling researchers to accurately assess its effects on other variables. Choices A, B, and D refer to other research concepts such as scientific theories, empirical testing, and predictions, which are not directly related to operational definitions.

Quiz 1: The Science of Psychology