Question 1

Research participants drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages in a study of the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels.Those who received the caffeinated drinks were assigned to the ________ group.
A) survey
B) experimental
C) correlational
D) control

Accepted Answer

Participants who received caffeinated drinks were given the treatment being studied (caffeine) and were therefore part of the experimental group. The control group would have received a placebo or no treatment to serve as a comparison to the effects of the caffeine. The survey and correlational designs are not applicable in this scenario as they do not involve experimental manipulation of variables.

Question 2

In which type of research would an investigator manipulate at least one factor and observe its effect on some behavior or mental process?
A) the survey
B) the case study
C) experimentation
D) naturalistic observation

Accepted Answer

Experimentation is the type of research where the investigator manipulates at least one factor (independent variable) and observes its effect on some behavior or mental process (dependent variable). In contrast, surveys involve collecting data through questionnaires or interviews, case studies involve in-depth examination of a single case or individual, and naturalistic observation involves observing behavior in its natural setting without any manipulation of variables.

Question 3

The most reliable way of testing whether a newly introduced method of psychological therapy is truly effective is to use
A) survey research.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) correlational research.
D) experimental research.

Accepted Answer

The most reliable way of testing whether a newly introduced method of psychological therapy is truly effective is to use experimental research. This involves randomly assigning participants to an experimental group that receives the therapy and a control group that does not, and then comparing their outcomes to determine whether the therapy had a significant effect. This method allows for a cause-and-effect relationship to be established between the therapy and its effectiveness, as well as controlling for potential confounding factors.

Question 4

Both the researchers and the participants in a memory study are ignorant about which participants have actually received a potentially memory-enhancing drug and which have received a placebo.This investigation involves the use of
A) naturalistic observation.
B) random sampling.
C) the double-blind procedure.
D) replication.

Accepted Answer

The use of a memory-enhancing drug and a placebo, along with the ignorance of both the researchers and participants about who received which, indicates the use of a double-blind procedure. This helps to eliminate any bias or influence in the study, making the results more reliable.

Question 5

To study the potential effects of social interaction on problem solving,some research participants were instructed to solve problems by working together;other participants were told to solve problems by working alone.Those who worked alone were assigned to the ________ group.
A) experimental
B) survey
C) control
D) correlational

Accepted Answer

The control group is a group in an experiment that serves as a baseline or comparison group and does not receive the treatment or intervention being tested. In this scenario, the participants who worked alone are assigned to the control group because they are being compared to the experimental group (those who worked together) to determine the potential effects of social interaction on problem-solving.

Question 6

The group exposed to a newly created drug that is being tested in an experiment is called the ________ group.
A) control
B) standardized
C) baseline
D) experimental

Accepted Answer

The group that is exposed to the newly created drug being tested is the experimental group.

Question 7

In a study of the effects of drinking alcohol,some participants drank a nonalcoholic beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol.This nonalcoholic drink was a
A) dependent variable.
B) replication.
C) placebo.
D) double blind.

Accepted Answer

The nonalcoholic beverage that smelled and tasted like alcohol was a placebo, which is a substance or treatment that has no therapeutic effect but is given to the participant to determine if there is a psychological effect. In this case, the placebo was used as a control to compare the effects of actual alcohol consumption with the effects of simply believing one had consumed alcohol.

Question 8

In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills,research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights.This research is an example of
A) naturalistic observation.
B) survey research.
C) a case study.
D) an experiment.

Accepted Answer

This is an experiment because the researchers are manipulating the independent variable (amount of sleep) and measuring the effect on the dependent variable (problem-solving skills) while controlling for other variables.

Question 9

To assess the effectiveness of flu vaccine for county residents,Mr.McCallum wants to administer vaccine injections to all county residents rather than give half of them a placebo injection.Mr.McCallum is most clearly underestimating the importance of
A) testing a large sample.
B) operationally defining his procedures.
C) replicating observations of other researchers.
D) creating a control group.

Accepted Answer

Mr. McCallum is underestimating the importance of creating a control group in his study design. Without a control group, it would be difficult to determine if any observed changes in vaccination rates were due to the vaccine or other factors. Testing a large sample, operationally defining procedures, and replicating observations of other researchers are all important considerations, but none of these directly address the issue of having a control group.

Question 10

Professor X is studying the effect of exposure to sexual content on sexual thoughts.She assigns students to one of two conditions.In the first condition,participants are exposed to explicit sexual content and then given a word-completion task,which involves filling in the letter missing from each word.Based on the letter added,the word could be of a sexual nature or not.For instance,b_d could be completed as "bed," indicating sexual thought,or as "bad," which has no sexual connotation.In the second condition,participants are not exposed to explicit sexual content but are assigned the same word-completion task.The experimental group consisted of the students who
A) were not exposed to explicit sexual content.
B) were exposed to explicit sexual content.
C) completed the word as "bad".
D) completed the word as "bed".

Accepted Answer

The experimental group consists of the students who were exposed to explicit sexual content, as they were the ones assigned to the first condition involving exposure to explicit sexual content and the word-completion task.

Question 11

Which of the following is true for those assigned to a control group?
A) The experimenter exerts the greatest influence on participants' behavior.
B) The research participants are exposed to all the different experimental treatments.
C) The research participants are exposed to the most favorable levels of experimental treatment.
D) The experimental treatment is absent.

Accepted Answer

The experimental treatment is absent in the control group, meaning there is no manipulation or intervention being done on this group. The purpose of having a control group is to provide a baseline measure to compare the effects of the experimental treatment, so it is important that this group does not receive any treatment.

Question 12

To assess the impact of test difficulty on persistence of effort,researchers plan to give one group of children relatively easy tests and another group more difficult tests.To reduce the chance that the children in one group are more intelligent than those in the other group,the researchers should make use of
A) random assignment.
B) the double-blind procedure.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) operational definitions.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment ensures that each group is made up of individuals that are similar in all relevant characteristics, including intelligence. This will reduce the chance that one group is more intelligent than the other, allowing for a more valid assessment of the impact of test difficulty on persistence of effort. The other options (B, C, and D) are not relevant to this concern.

Question 13

Participants in an experiment are said to be blind if they are uninformed about
A) what experimental hypothesis is being tested.
B) whether the experimental findings will be meaningful.
C) how the dependent variable is measured.
D) which experimental treatment,if any,they are receiving.

Accepted Answer

Participants are said to be blind if they are unaware of which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving. This is called a double-blind procedure, and it is important to minimize the potential for bias in the results of an experiment. Blinding participants to the experimental hypothesis, the meaningfulness of the findings, or how the dependent variable is measured is not necessary for a double-blind procedure.

Question 14

To accurately isolate cause and effect,experimenters should use
A) random assignment.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) case studies.
D) correlation coefficients.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment helps control for the influence of extraneous variables, allowing the experimenter to determine the causal relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Naturalistic observation and case studies are descriptive methods that do not allow for the manipulation of variables, and correlation coefficients only show the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, not causality.

Question 15

Dr.Branch would like to study the relationship between room lighting and college students' test performance.He randomly assigns students to one of two groups.The first group takes an exam in a dimly lit room;the second group takes the same exam in a regularly lit room.Which is the experimental group?
A) the group of students who were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions
B) the group of students who took the exam in the dimly lit room
C) the group of students who took the exam in the regularly lit room
D) There is no experimental group because this is a naturalistic observation research design.

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group that receives the treatment or manipulation of the independent variable, which in this case is the group of students who took the exam in a dimly lit room. The regularly lit room serves as the control group, which allows for comparison of the two groups' test performance.

Question 16

An inert substance that may be administered instead of a drug to see if it produces any of the same effects as the drug is called a
A) placebo.
B) scatterplot.
C) case study.
D) replication.

Accepted Answer

A placebo is an inert substance that is used in research to compare the effects of a drug. It is given to a control group while the experimental group receives the drug. This allows researchers to determine if any effects observed in the experimental group are due to the drug, or if they are simply due to the placebo effect.

Question 17

To minimize the extent to which outcome differences between experimental and control groups can be attributed to placebo effects,researchers make use of
A) random sampling.
B) the double-blind procedure.
C) random assignment.
D) operational definitions.

Accepted Answer

The double-blind procedure minimizes the extent to which outcome differences between experimental and control groups can be attributed to placebo effects by ensuring that neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment and who is receiving the placebo. This helps to prevent both participant and experimenter expectations from influencing the results.

Question 18

One research team randomly assigned hospitalized premature infants either to formula feedings or to breast-milk feedings.Which research method did they use?
A) case study
B) experimentation
C) naturalistic observation
D) correlational research

Accepted Answer

The research team used an experimental method by randomly assigning the premature infants to either formula feedings or breast-milk feedings. This allowed them to manipulate the independent variable (type of feeding) and observe any potential effects on the dependent variable (the health or growth of the infants).

Question 19

Research participants are randomly assigned to different groups in an experiment in order to
A) minimize chances that participants in any group know each other.
B) increase chances that participants are representative of people in general.
C) minimize any differences between groups of participants.
D) increase chances that the different groups have the same number of participants.

Accepted Answer

Minimizing any differences between groups of participants ensures that any observed effects can be attributed to the experimental manipulation rather than pre-existing differences among participants. Random assignment helps achieve equivalent groups at the start of the experiment.

Question 20

Being randomly assigned to the experimental group in a research project involves being assigned
A) to that group by chance.
B) to the group in which participants are representative of people in general.
C) in a way that ensures that the independent variable will affect the dependent variable.
D) to the group in which participants all have similar personalities.

Accepted Answer

Being randomly assigned to the experimental group means that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to either group, and therefore, it is purely based on chance. This helps to ensure that any differences observed between the groups are due to the experimental manipulation rather than pre-existing differences between the groups.

Quiz 2: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

Research participants drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages in a study of the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels.Those who received the caffeinated drinks were assigned to the ________ group.

In which type of research would an investigator manipulate at least one factor and observe its effect on some behavior or mental process?

The most reliable way of testing whether a newly introduced method of psychological therapy is truly effective is to use

Both the researchers and the participants in a memory study are ignorant about which participants have actually received a potentially memory-enhancing drug and which have received a placebo.This investigation involves the use of

To study the potential effects of social interaction on problem solving,some research participants were instructed to solve problems by working together;other participants were told to solve problems by working alone.Those who worked alone were assigned to the ________ group.

The group exposed to a newly created drug that is being tested in an experiment is called the ________ group.

In a study of the effects of drinking alcohol,some participants drank a nonalcoholic beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol.This nonalcoholic drink was a

In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills,research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights.This research is an example of

To assess the effectiveness of flu vaccine for county residents,Mr.McCallum wants to administer vaccine injections to all county residents rather than give half of them a placebo injection.Mr.McCallum is most clearly underestimating the importance of

Which of the following is true for those assigned to a control group?

Participants in an experiment are said to be blind if they are uninformed about

To accurately isolate cause and effect,experimenters should use

An inert substance that may be administered instead of a drug to see if it produces any of the same effects as the drug is called a

To minimize the extent to which outcome differences between experimental and control groups can be attributed to placebo effects,researchers make use of

One research team randomly assigned hospitalized premature infants either to formula feedings or to breast-milk feedings.Which research method did they use?

Research participants are randomly assigned to different groups in an experiment in order to

Being randomly assigned to the experimental group in a research project involves being assigned