Question 1

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage to using the survey method to answer questions of interest?
A) Surveys are almost always representative of the population to be sampled.
B) It is possible to collect large amounts of survey data in a relatively short period of time.
C) Surveys may allow us to begin to understand those behaviors that we know the least about.
D) You cannot be sure that answers are completely honest to questions about sensitive topics.

Accepted Answer

One potential disadvantage to using the survey method is that respondents may not be completely honest when answering questions about sensitive or personal topics, such as drug use, sexual behavior, or illegal activities. This can lead to inaccurate or biased results.

Question 2

Interviews and questionnaires are techniques that are used in ______ research.
A) placebo
B) survey
C) clinical
D) naturalistic observation

Accepted Answer

Interviews and questionnaires are commonly used in survey research, where researchers gather data through self-report measures from a sample of participants. Placebo research involves administering a treatment that has no active ingredients to a control group to test the effectiveness of a treatment. Clinical research involves studying the effects of interventions on individuals with specific health conditions. Naturalistic observation involves observing individuals or groups in their natural environment without interfering with their behavior.

Question 3

Naturalistic observation describes a research technique in which careful observation and recording of behavior occurs
A) in real-life settings.
B) through archival research.
C) in a controlled laboratory.
D) under legal scrutiny.

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in real-life settings, such as in homes, schools, or public places. This differs from controlled laboratory settings or archival research, and legal scrutiny may not necessarily be involved in this research technique.

Question 4

In a research study,participants recorded the number of cigarettes they smoked per day."Number of cigarettes they smoked per day" is referred to as a(n)
A) sample.
B) variable.
C) coefficient.
D) hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

"Number of cigarettes they smoked per day" is a characteristic or attribute that can take on different values, making it a variable. The other options do not accurately describe this characteristic.

Question 5

You are recording behaviors as they occur in their natural setting.This type of study is called naturalistic
A) desensitization.
B) experimentation.
C) correlation.
D) observation.

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic study involves observing and recording behaviors as they occur in their natural setting. This type of study is called observation.

Question 6

If you are considering the potential disadvantage of the lack of completely honest answers,particularly about sensitive topics such as sex and drug use,then you are probably considering using the _____ research method.
A) forced choice
B) quasi experimental
C) naturalistic observation
D) survey

Accepted Answer

Surveys tend to rely on self-reported information, which can be subject to social desirability bias, whereby participants may give answers that they think are more socially acceptable, rather than completely truthful. This can be a potential disadvantage of using surveys, particularly when sensitive topics such as sex and drug use are being investigated.

Question 7

The Department of Motor Vehicles recently completed a study that indicated there is a negative correlation between the age of the driver and the number of errors on the written driving test.This result means that
A) The older the driver,the more errors on the driving test.
B) Younger drivers should not be allowed to drive.
C) The older the driver,the fewer errors on the driving test.
D) Older drivers should not be allowed to drive.

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. In this case, the study found that as the age of the driver increased, the number of errors on the driving test decreased. Therefore, choice C is the correct answer. Choices B and D are extreme and not supported by the information given in the study. Choice A is the opposite of what the study found.

Question 8

Going to the shopping mall and watching people's behavior is an example of
A) descriptive research.
B) inferential research.
C) experimental research.
D) variegated research.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of descriptive research because it involves observing and describing behavior without manipulating any variables.

Question 9

A recent study reports that there is a positive correlation between the number of hours a student studies each week and the student's grade point average (GPA).This findings means that
A) as studying increases,students tend to become more distracted.
B) as studying increases,GPA tends to increase.
C) GPA and number of hours studying are unrelated.
D) GPA tends to decrease as the number of study hours increases.

Accepted Answer

The study reports a positive correlation between the number of hours a student studies each week and the student's grade point average (GPA). This means that as studying increases, GPA tends to increase. Option A is incorrect because the correlation is positive, indicating that studying more does not necessarily mean becoming more distracted. Option C is incorrect because the study reports a positive correlation between the two variables. Option D is incorrect because a positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other also tends to increase, not decrease.

Question 10

If you are doing research on how a patient reacts to a treatment in different settings,you are conducting
A) clinical research.
B) observational research.
C) correlational research.
D) descriptive research.

Accepted Answer

Clinical research involves studying the effectiveness of treatments on patients in different settings. This type of research is typically conducted in a controlled environment, such as a clinical trial, where patients are given specific treatments and their progress is closely monitored and recorded. The goal of clinical research is to determine the most effective treatments for specific illnesses or conditions by comparing different treatments and analyzing the data.

Question 11

Prediction is the goal of which research method?
A) correlational
B) formal experiment
C) descriptive
D) clinical

Accepted Answer

The goal of correlational research is to find a relationship between variables, descriptive research aims to describe a phenomenon, and clinical research focuses on identifying effective treatments. Prediction is the main goal of a correlational study, as it utilizes statistical techniques to determine the strength and direction of the relationship between variables, which can then be used to predict the outcome of one variable based on the value of another. A formal experiment may also include prediction as a goal, but it is not the primary focus, as the goal is to establish causation between variables.

Question 12

What do the survey technique and naturalistic observation have in common?
A) They are both descriptive research methods.
B) They are both experimental research methods.
C) They both produce predictive regression coefficients.
D) They both contain a control group and a treatment group.

Accepted Answer

Both survey technique and naturalistic observation are descriptive research methods that aim to describe and gather information about a particular phenomenon or behavior. They do not involve manipulation or control of variables and instead rely on observation and measurement.

Question 13

One advantage of naturalistic observation is that the researcher can examine behavior
A) in a controlled laboratory setting.
B) under conditions where cause and effect are clear.
C) in a setting where subjects are comfortable and relaxed.
D) in a normal and realistic setting.

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation allows for the observation of behavior in a natural and realistic setting, which can provide insight into how individuals behave in their everyday lives. This can be beneficial for understanding human behavior outside of artificial laboratory conditions.

Question 14

Dr.Carr needs a lot of information directly from people and has only one week to collect that information.Dr.Carr would probably benefit most by using
A) the clinical method.
B) formal experimentation.
C) the survey method.
D) natural observation.

Accepted Answer

The survey method would be the best choice for Dr. Carr as it allows for collecting a large amount of information directly from people in a relatively short amount of time. It also allows for standardized data collection and can provide quantitative data, which can be useful for statistical analysis. The clinical method may take longer and is typically used for diagnosing and treating individual patients, not collecting data from a large population. Formal experimentation and natural observation may also take longer or be less feasible within a one-week time frame.

Question 15

A psychologist who gathers data while watching managers interact with their employees is using
A) a correlational strategy.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) the survey technique.
D) a Gallup poll.

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is observing the managers in their natural setting, which is the foundation of naturalistic observation. This method involves observing and recording behavior in the environment where it naturally occurs without any manipulation or intrusion.

Question 16

A researcher using the correlational method is interesting in determining if there is a ______ relationship between two variables.
A) philosophical
B) physical
C) statistical
D) empirical

Accepted Answer

The correlational method is a statistical approach to analyzing the relationship between two variables. It uses statistical analysis to determine if there is a relationship between the variables and the degree and direction of that relationship.

Question 17

Which research technique did Sigmund Freud use while he gathered information to develop his theories of abnormal behavior?
A) experimental method
B) clinical method
C) correlational method
D) survey method

Accepted Answer

Sigmund Freud used the clinical method, also known as the case study method, to gather information and develop his theories of abnormal behavior. This involved closely studying individual patients and their symptoms through personal interviews, observation, and psychoanalytic techniques. Freud believed that by studying individual cases in depth, he could uncover universal principles that apply to all individuals with similar symptoms.

Question 18

Which of the following would best describe what a correlational study would accomplish?
A) Compare the amount of violence on TV to the amount of aggressive behavior in children.
B) Survey children to see if they think they would be aggressive after watching too much TV.
C) Going into stores that sell TV sets and watch children's behavior while they watch TV.
D) Asking parents for their best estimate about their child's aggressive behavior.

Accepted Answer

A correlational study aims to identify relationships between two or more variables, in this case, the relationship between violence on TV and aggressive behavior in children. The other options do not involve identifying a relationship between two variables.

Question 19

The clinical method is a variation of
A) the survey method.
B) correlational methods.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) the dependent variable.

Accepted Answer

The clinical method involves naturalistic observation, as it involves observing and collecting data on individuals in their natural environment, typically with the goal of diagnosing or treating a psychological disorder. It differs from simple naturalistic observation, however, in that it may involve more structured or formalized assessments or interventions.

Question 20

If a psychologist can measure a concept in such a way as to get a numerical value,then that concept is also referred to as a
A) hypothesis.
B) theory.
C) constant.
D) variable.

Accepted Answer

If a psychologist can measure a concept in such a way as to get a numerical value, then that concept is known as a variable because it varies in different individuals or situations. A hypothesis is a tentative prediction or explanation that can be tested by research. A theory is a set of interconnected ideas or concepts that explain a phenomenon. A constant is a factor that remains unchanged.

Quiz 2: Research Methods in Psychology

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage to using the survey method to answer questions of interest?

Interviews and questionnaires are techniques that are used in ______ research.

Naturalistic observation describes a research technique in which careful observation and recording of behavior occurs

In a research study,participants recorded the number of cigarettes they smoked per day."Number of cigarettes they smoked per day" is referred to as a(n)

You are recording behaviors as they occur in their natural setting.This type of study is called naturalistic

If you are considering the potential disadvantage of the lack of completely honest answers,particularly about sensitive topics such as sex and drug use,then you are probably considering using the _____ research method.

The Department of Motor Vehicles recently completed a study that indicated there is a negative correlation between the age of the driver and the number of errors on the written driving test.This result means that

Going to the shopping mall and watching people's behavior is an example of

A recent study reports that there is a positive correlation between the number of hours a student studies each week and the student's grade point average (GPA) .This findings means that

If you are doing research on how a patient reacts to a treatment in different settings,you are conducting

Prediction is the goal of which research method?

What do the survey technique and naturalistic observation have in common?

One advantage of naturalistic observation is that the researcher can examine behavior

Dr.Carr needs a lot of information directly from people and has only one week to collect that information.Dr.Carr would probably benefit most by using

A psychologist who gathers data while watching managers interact with their employees is using

A researcher using the correlational method is interesting in determining if there is a ______ relationship between two variables.

Which research technique did Sigmund Freud use while he gathered information to develop his theories of abnormal behavior?

Which of the following would best describe what a correlational study would accomplish?

The clinical method is a variation of

If a psychologist can measure a concept in such a way as to get a numerical value,then that concept is also referred to as a