Question 1

A researcher asks a sample of 200 individuals to complete a questionnaire.She then computes statistics such as means and standard deviations to describe how individuals respond in general.This researcher's approach is
A)idiographic and qualitative.
B)idiographic and quantitative.
C)nomothetic and qualitative.
D)nomothetic and quantitative.

Accepted Answer

The researcher's approach is nomothetic, meaning they are interested in general patterns and trends, and quantitative, meaning they are using statistical measures to describe the data.

Question 2

Using the nomothetic approach,psychologists seek to
A)establish general laws of behavior that apply to a diverse population.
B)create change in an individual's life.
C)eliminate confoundings in their experiments.
D)describe one individual's behavior in relation to his or her environment.

Accepted Answer

The nomothetic approach focuses on establishing general laws of behavior that apply to a diverse population, rather than focusing on individual cases or circumstances. It seeks to identify patterns and trends in behavior that can be applied to a larger group or population.

Question 3

Psychologists use _______ to identify the causes of a phenomenon.
A)correlations
B)qualitative research
C)controlled experiments
D)operational definitions

Accepted Answer

Controlled experiments allow psychologists to manipulate one variable (independent variable) and observe its effect on another variable (dependent variable) while controlling for other potential factors. This helps them identify the cause-and-effect relationship between variables. Correlations only show a relationship between variables, but do not establish causation. Qualitative research and operational definitions are not specifically designed for identifying causes of phenomena.

Question 4

When research consists of verbal summaries of "naturally occurring,ordinary events in natural settings" the research is
A)equally likely to be qualitative or quantitative research.
B)more likely to be qualitative research than quantitative research.
C)more likely to be quantitative research than qualitative research.
D)unlikely to be either qualitative or quantitative research.

Accepted Answer

Verbal summaries of naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings are typically associated with qualitative research methods, as they focus on understanding and interpreting subjective experiences and perspectives. Quantitative research is more likely to involve structured data collection and statistical analysis of numerical data.

Question 5

When two potentially effective independent variables are allowed to covary simultaneously,a __________ has occurred.
A)covariation
B)correlation
C)confounding
D)causal inference

Accepted Answer

When two potentially effective independent variables are allowed to covary simultaneously, a confounding has occurred. Confounding occurs when the effects of two variables on an outcome variable cannot be separated from each other. This can lead to incorrect conclusions about the relationship between the independent variables and the outcome variable.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between correlation and causation?
A)Correlation and causation are synonymous.
B)Correlation directly implies a causal inference.
C)Correlation does not imply causation.
D)Correlation is confounded with causation.

Accepted Answer

Correlation refers to a relationship between two variables, but it does not necessarily imply causation. Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that one causes the other. There could be other factors at play that affect both variables. It is important to establish causation through an experimental design or carefully controlling for confounding variables.

Question 7

Research has indicated that amount of undergraduate research activity is a predictor of later success in the profession of psychology.For this prediction to be possible,undergraduate research activity and later success must be
A)circular.
B)qualitative.
C)causal.
D)correlateD.

Accepted Answer

For a prediction to be possible, there must be a correlation between undergraduate research activity and later success, meaning they are statistically related.

Question 8

A(n)____________ is a statement about the cause of an event or behavior.
A)causal inference
B)experiment
C)construct
D)correlation

Accepted Answer

A cause is a reason why something happens. A causal inference is understanding the cause and effect relationship between events or behaviors. It involves making a prediction about what will happen in a certain situation based on the cause that is known to produce the effect. Therefore, causal inference is the best choice that matches the given definition.

Question 9

Correlations are valuable because they allow psychologists to
A)make predictions based on the way two variables covary.
B)create change in people's lives.
C)describe,predict,and understand the causes of psychological phenomena.
D)all of these

Accepted Answer

Correlations allow psychologists to make predictions by identifying relationships between two variables, indicating how one variable may change when the other does.

Question 10

Which of the following characterizes the majority of the research conducted in psychology?
A)qualitative research using the nomothetic approach
B)qualitative research using the idiographic approach
C)quantitative research using the nomothetic approach
D)quantitative research using the idiographic approach

Accepted Answer

The majority of research conducted in psychology is quantitative, which involves using numerical data and statistical analyses. Additionally, the nomothetic approach is more commonly used in psychology as it seeks to establish general laws and principles that apply to large groups of individuals, rather than focusing on unique cases (which is the focus of the idiographic approach).

Question 11

A correlation exists when
A)two hypotheses are shown to support the same theory.
B)two independent variables are confounded.
C)a measurement is both reliable and valid.
D)two measures of the same people,events,or things vary together.

Accepted Answer

Correlation refers to a statistical relationship between two variables, where changes in one variable are associated with changes in another variable. When two measures of the same people, events, or things vary together, it indicates that there is a correlation between them. Therefore, option D is the correct choice. Option A refers to support for a theory, not correlation. Option B refers to confounding, not correlation. Option C refers to measurement properties, not correlation.

Question 12

If a researcher wants to do a study to show that active learning strategies help students learn she should
A)manipulate teaching strategies by having one group assigned to work with active learning strategies and a second group assigned to work with strategies that did not involve active learning and see if students' performance covaries with the teaching method.
B)have one teacher teach one group of students with active learning strategies and have a different teacher teach a second group of students with a method that did not use active learning strategies,then compare the performance of the two groups.
C)have students choose to learn either using active learning strategies or using methods that did not use active learning strategies and then compare the performance of the two groups of students.
D)teach one group of students with the active learning strategies and describe the students' performance based on her observations.

Accepted Answer

By manipulating teaching strategies and comparing the performance of two groups, the researcher can establish a cause-and-effect relationship between active learning strategies and student learning. This type of experimental design is the most appropriate for testing the effectiveness of a teaching intervention. Option B does not control for potential teacher differences that could affect the results, while option C does not assign the groups randomly, which could bias the results. Option D lacks a comparison group and does not provide a basis for comparison.

Question 13

Researchers have shown that teacher evaluations based on brief viewings of videotapes made by students who were not enrolled in a course correlate well with end-of-the-semester teacher evaluations made by students enrolled in the class.The researchers suggest that the relationship occurs because people are attuned to pick up information about a person's affect quickly because this information is adaptive.Based on the correlational evidence alone,the researchers' explanation for their findings can best be considered a
A)causal inference.
B)speculation.
C)sound conclusion.
D)confirmed hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

The researchers' explanation for their findings is based on speculation, as they suggest a possible reason for the correlation but do not provide definitive proof of causation.

Question 14

The nomothetic approach in psychology (or in any science)is intended to establish broad generalizations and universal "laws." When using the nomothetic approach researchers are likely to make
A)many observations of one individual.
B)observations of many individuals and focus on extreme scores.
C)observations of many individuals and focus on the average (typical)score.
D)few observations of a few individuals and focus on the scores that occur most often.

Accepted Answer

The nomothetic approach involves making observations of many individuals and focusing on the average or typical score, in order to establish broad generalizations and universal laws. It is based on the idea that there are underlying similarities between individuals, and that by studying large groups of people we can identify patterns and regularities in behavior or mental processes. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 15

A correlational study is uniquely useful for meeting which of the following goals of the scientific method?
A)description
B)prediction
C)explanation
D)application

Accepted Answer

Correlational studies are useful for making predictions about the relationship between two variables. They allow researchers to determine whether a change in one variable is associated with a change in the other variable, which can help predict future outcomes. Correlational studies are not useful for providing explanations for why a relationship exists or for applying findings to real-world situations.

Question 16

Which of the following is not one of the conditions for making a causal inference?
A)covariation of events
B)a time-order relationship
C)elimination of plausible alternative causes
D)confounding of variables

Accepted Answer

Confounding of variables refers to a situation where there is a third variable that affects both the independent and dependent variables, making it difficult to establish a causal relationship. However, this does not necessarily invalidate a causal inference. The other three conditions (covariation of events, a time-order relationship, and elimination of plausible alternative causes) are essential for making a causal inference.

Question 17

A researcher wanted to compare the relative effectiveness of two techniques for reducing anxiety: a drug and a relaxation exercise.The researcher gave the experimental group both the drug and the relaxation exercise.The control group was given neither the drug nor the exercise.The difference between the drug and the relaxation exercise cannot be compared in this experiment because the experiment involves a
A)redundant relationship.
B)confounding.
C)causal inference.
D)correlation.

Accepted Answer

The experiment involves a confounding variable because both the drug and the relaxation exercise were given to the same group. Therefore, it is impossible to determine which intervention was responsible for any observed effects on anxiety.

Question 18

The research goal of "prediction" is most associated with _____ research,and the research goal of "explanation" is most associated with _____ research.
A)applied,basic
B)multimethod,single method
C)correlational,experimental
D)nomothetic,idiographic

Accepted Answer

Correlational research is often used to predict relationships between variables, while experimental research is used to explain causal relationships.

Question 19

When researchers observe a correlation between two variables,such as between the amount of time spent studying and test scores,they know that
A)the first variable causes the second variable.
B)the second variable causes the first variable.
C)both (A)and (B)
D)neither (A)nor (B)

Accepted Answer

Observing a correlation between two variables does not prove causation. It is possible that a third variable could be causing both of the observed variables, or the observed correlation could be coincidental. Therefore, neither option A nor option B can be assumed as true based solely on a correlation.

Question 20

The criteria used to classify and define mental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders represent an illustration of which of the following goals of the scientific method?
A)description
B)prediction
C)explanation
D)integration

Accepted Answer

The classification and definition of mental disorders in the DSM-5 aims to describe the symptoms and criteria for diagnosing specific disorders. This falls under the goal of description in the scientific method, which involves systematically observing and recording behavior or phenomena.

Quiz 2: The Scientifi C Method

A researcher asks a sample of 200 individuals to complete a questionnaire.She then computes statistics such as means and standard deviations to describe how individuals respond in general.This researcher's approach is

Using the nomothetic approach,psychologists seek to

Psychologists use _______ to identify the causes of a phenomenon.

When research consists of verbal summaries of "naturally occurring,ordinary events in natural settings" the research is

When two potentially effective independent variables are allowed to covary simultaneously,a __________ has occurred.

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between correlation and causation?

Research has indicated that amount of undergraduate research activity is a predictor of later success in the profession of psychology.For this prediction to be possible,undergraduate research activity and later success must be

A(n) ____________ is a statement about the cause of an event or behavior.

Correlations are valuable because they allow psychologists to

Which of the following characterizes the majority of the research conducted in psychology?

A correlation exists when

If a researcher wants to do a study to show that active learning strategies help students learn she should

The nomothetic approach in psychology (or in any science) is intended to establish broad generalizations and universal "laws." When using the nomothetic approach researchers are likely to make

A correlational study is uniquely useful for meeting which of the following goals of the scientific method?

Which of the following is not one of the conditions for making a causal inference?

The research goal of "prediction" is most associated with _ research,and the research goal of "explanation" is most associated with _ research.

When researchers observe a correlation between two variables,such as between the amount of time spent studying and test scores,they know that

The criteria used to classify and define mental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders represent an illustration of which of the following goals of the scientific method?