Question 1

Which is a good technique to avoid demand characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves observing participants in their natural environment without them being aware that they are being observed. This technique avoids demand characteristics because the participants are not aware of the study, and therefore, their behavior is not influenced by any cues or clues that might be present in a laboratory setting. A case method involves analyzing a particular case in depth, which may not provide generalizable results. An uncontrolled experiment in a laboratory setting may also be subject to demand characteristics if the participants are aware of the study or the researcher's expectations. A take-home survey that includes the participant's personal contact information may lead to potential biases or subjectivity in responses.

Question 2

Which statement can NOT be concluded from the systematic observation that children who watch televised aggression act more aggressively?

Accepted Answer

The statement that a third-variable is definitely causing these results cannot be concluded from the systematic observation. It is possible that a third variable could be causing the correlation, but it cannot be definitively concluded without further research and evidence.

Question 3

Forming beliefs based on observations about the world is to _____ as forming beliefs based on authority is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Empiricism involves forming beliefs based on observations and experiences, while dogmatism involves forming beliefs based on authority or established doctrine.

Question 4

Men and women of different age groups who have cancer are randomly assigned to groups differing in the dose of a new cancer-fighting drug in order to examine the effects on the progression of the disease. The dependent variable is:

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured or tested in an experiment, and in this case, it is the progression of the disease. The dose, age, and gender are all independent variables that are being manipulated in order to determine their effects on the dependent variable.

Question 5

At a particular high school, there is a negative correlation between popularity and academic success. Which statement can be accurately inferred?

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation between popularity and academic success suggests that as academic success increases, popularity tends to decrease, and vice versa. Therefore, students who do extremely well academically are likely to be viewed as less popular.

Question 6

A second-grade teacher seeks help from a school psychologist because a child in the teacher's class in particularly unruly. The school psychologist visits the class one day to observe the child. Knowing that she is being watched, the child decides to be on her best behavior. This scenario BEST illustrates _____ as a reason for why human behavior is difficult to study.

Accepted Answer

Reactivity occurs when the presence of an observer or the knowledge of being studied affects the behavior being observed. In this scenario, the child's improved behavior may be a result of reactivity, making it difficult for the school psychologist to accurately assess the child's typical behavior.

Question 7

Which statement about ethical research in psychology is true?

Accepted Answer

Informed consent is a crucial aspect of ethical research in psychology. It ensures that research participants are fully aware of the study's purpose and potential risks and benefits and gives them the opportunity to decide whether to participate or not. While other options mentioned (no agency enforces the code of conduct, deception should not be used in psychological research, and animal subjects should not be exposed to anesthesia) are also important ethical considerations in psychological research, they do not accurately describe the field's ethical standards.

Question 8

A reliable measure is one that:

Accepted Answer

A reliable measure consistently produces the same result under the same conditions, indicating stability and dependability in measurement.

Question 9

In an experimental design, volunteers are placed into the experimental group or the control group based on a flip of a coin. This method illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Random assignment refers to the process of randomly assigning participants to either the experimental or control group. This is often done to ensure that the two groups are similar in terms of their characteristics and eliminate the potential for selection bias. The use of a coin flip is a common way to achieve random assignment in experimental designs. Statistical significance refers to the likelihood that the results of an experiment are unlikely to have occurred by chance, and is not directly related to participant assignment. Random sampling refers to the process of randomly selecting participants from a population, while matched samples involve selecting two groups that are matched on specific characteristics (e.g. age, gender, etc.).

Question 10

Which correlation coefficient represents the weakest degree of relationship between two variables?

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient of .1 represents a weak degree of relationship between two variables. The closer the correlation coefficient is to 0, the weaker the relationship between the variables. A correlation coefficient of .99 represents a strong positive relationship between two variables, while a correlation coefficient of -.4 represents a moderate negative relationship between two variables. A correlation coefficient of -.2 represents a weak negative relationship between two variables. Therefore, the best choice is B, as it represents the weakest degree of relationship between two variables.

Question 11

You decide to use a person's eye color as a measure of intelligence. Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

Eye color is a consistent trait, so it can be reliably measured, but it has no scientific basis for measuring intelligence, thus it lacks validity.

Question 12

One way to counteract a possible third-variable problem is to use:

Accepted Answer

Matched samples involve pairing participants with similar characteristics and assigning them to different conditions, which can control for the effects of third variables. This is particularly useful in experimental research where random assignment is not possible or ethical concerns restrict the sample selection.

Question 13

Which statement is NOT true of a normal distribution?

Accepted Answer

In a normal distribution, the mean and the mode are equal, so statement C is not true.

Question 14

Testing a hypothesis might result in _____ a theory.

Accepted Answer

Testing a hypothesis can result in falsifying a theory if the results contradict the predictions made by the theory.

Question 15

Dr. Spelke thinks language is highly involved with spatial ability. She enlists one group of college students to do a verbal task while they navigate around a room, while another group of students does a nonverbal tapping task while also doing the same navigation task. What is the purpose of the tapping group?

Accepted Answer

The tapping group serves as a control group, allowing Dr. Spelke to compare the performance of the verbal group to a group that is doing a nonverbal task, but otherwise undergoing the same navigation challenge. This helps her determine if any differences in performance between the groups are due to the verbal aspect of the task or other factors such as spatial ability.

Question 16

Random sampling is most closely associated with:

Accepted Answer

Random sampling is a method of selecting a sample from a population in such a way that each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample. This helps to ensure that the sample is representative of the population and increases the likelihood of generalizing the findings to the larger population. Therefore, random sampling is most closely associated with external validity, which refers to the generalizability of research findings to other populations or settings.

Quiz 2: Section 6: Methods in Psychology