Question 1

Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to isolate
A) facts from theories.
B) causes from effects.
C) case studies from surveys.
D) random samples from representative samples.

Accepted Answer

Experiments are specifically designed to manipulate independent variables in order to observe their effects on dependent variables. By manipulating the independent variable and observing the resulting changes in the dependent variable, researchers can isolate causes and effects, which is not possible through other research methods such as surveys or case studies.

Question 2

An experiment enables researchers to isolate the effects of one or more factors by manipulating the factors of interest and also by
A) obtaining participants' informed consent prior to beginning the experiment.
B) summarizing participants' responses with a correlation coefficient.
C) holding other factors constant across experimental and control groups.
D) fully debriefing participants after completing the experiment.

Accepted Answer

By holding other factors constant across experimental and control groups, the researchers are able to isolate the effects of the factors being manipulated. This allows them to determine causality and make more confident conclusions about the relationship between the factors and the outcome. Obtaining informed consent, using correlation coefficients, and debriefing participants are all important aspects of ethical research, but they do not directly address the issue of isolating factors in an experiment.

Question 3

Which of the following methods is most helpful for clarifying cause-effect relationships?
A) the survey
B) the experiment
C) correlational research
D) naturalistic observation

Accepted Answer

The experiment is the most helpful method for clarifying cause-effect relationships because it allows the researcher to manipulate one variable (the independent variable) and measure its effect on another variable (the dependent variable), while controlling for other possible factors. This helps to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the two variables being studied.

Question 4

Participants who are exposed to the treatment being tested in an experiment are said to be assigned to the
A) random sample.
B) experimental group.
C) standardized treatment.
D) control group.

Accepted Answer

Participants in an experiment are divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group is exposed to the treatment being tested, while the control group is not exposed to the treatment but is used as a comparison group to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. Therefore, participants exposed to the treatment being tested in an experiment are assigned to the experimental group.

Question 5

An extensive survey revealed that children with relatively high self-esteem tend to picture God as kind and loving,whereas those with lower self-esteem tend to perceive God as angry.The researchers concluded that the children's self-esteem had apparently influenced their views of God.This conclusion best illustrates the danger of
A) failing to use operational definitions.
B) generalizing from extreme examples.
C) being influenced by a confounding variable.
D) assuming that association proves causation.

Accepted Answer

The conclusion that the children's self-esteem influenced their views of God implies causation, which may not be true since correlation does not necessarily indicate causation. This illustrates the danger of assuming that association proves causation.

Question 6

Which research method assesses how well one variable predicts another without demonstrating a cause-effect relationship between the variables?
A) naturalistic observation
B) correlational research
C) the case study
D) the experimental method

Accepted Answer

Correlational research examines the relationship between two variables, but does not establish causation. It allows researchers to test the strength and direction of a relationship between variables by measuring how well one variable predicts another.

Question 7

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

Only in experimentation can an investigator manipulate a factor and observe its effect on behavior or mental processes. In a survey, the investigator simply asks questions and does not manipulate anything. In a case study, the investigator observes an individual or group without manipulating any factors. In naturalistic observation, the investigator simply observes behavior without manipulating anything.

Question 8

Dr.Cast has found that children who watch more television are more likely to be overweight.Which conclusion can he reach?
A) Watching television causes obesity.
B) Children who are obese like to watch television.
C) Watching increased amounts of television is correlated with obesity.
D) Normal-weight children do not watch television.

Accepted Answer

The statement only shows a correlation, meaning that children who watch more TV are more likely to be overweight. It does not prove causation that watching TV directly causes obesity. Additionally, it does not suggest that normal-weight children never watch television. Therefore, the best conclusion is that there is a correlation between increased TV watching and obesity.

Question 9

Suppose that people who watch a lot of violence on TV are also particularly likely to behave aggressively.This relationship would NOT necessarily indicate that watching violence influences aggressive behavior because
A) we most readily notice associations that confirm our beliefs.
B) association does not prove causation.
C) sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations.
D) the sample may have been randomly selected.

Accepted Answer

The fact that people who watch a lot of violence on TV are more likely to behave aggressively is only an association, and does not necessarily indicate that one causes the other. Other factors could be responsible for both the watching of violence and the aggressive behavior.

Question 10

Citing a recent report stating that "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" to support the idea that corporal punishment during childhood leads to criminal behavior in adulthood is problematic because
A) it was derived from a survey study.
B) correlation does not prove causation.
C) the experiment that reached this conclusion cannot be replicated.
D) This finding is not problematic.

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not prove causation, therefore simply because 80% of prisoners were spanked as children does not mean that spanking caused them to become criminals. Other factors could have contributed to their criminal behavior.

Question 11

Which research method provides the best way of assessing whether cigarette smoking boosts mental alertness?
A) the case study
B) the survey
C) naturalistic observation
D) the experiment

Accepted Answer

The experiment is the best method to assess whether cigarette smoking boosts mental alertness because it allows for the manipulation of the independent variable (cigarette smoking) and control of extraneous variables, which allows for a cause-and-effect relationship to be established. Other methods such as case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation do not allow for the same level of control and manipulation of variables.

Question 12

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

Experimental research involves randomly assigning participants to either an experimental group (which receives the new therapy) or a control group (which does not), and then comparing their outcomes to determine the effectiveness of the therapy. This is considered the most reliable method for testing whether a new therapy is truly effective, as it allows researchers to control for other factors that could be influencing the results.

Question 13

Dr.Aubrey has researched media effects for the past three years and has repeatedly found that college students who report exposure to increased sexual content in the media are also more likely to report engaging in unprotected sex,having intercourse with multiple partners,and consuming alcohol or drugs prior to intercourse.What does this mean?
A) Exposure to sexual content in the media causes risky sexual behaviors.
B) College students who engage in risky sexual behaviors are drawn to sexually explicit media.
C) Exposure to sexual content in the media is correlated with risky sexual behaviors.
D) Exposure to sexual content in the media is correlated with higher rates of pregnancy.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Aubrey's research shows a correlation between exposure to sexual content in the media and engaging in risky sexual behaviors, meaning that the two variables are related but it does not necessarily mean that one causes the other. Further research would be needed to determine causality.

Question 14

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 experiment involves the manipulation of the independent variable (amount of sleep) to measure its effect on the dependent variable (problem-solving skills). The other options do not involve experimental manipulation.

Question 15

If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are,this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are
A) causally related.
B) negatively correlated.
C) independent variables.
D) positively correlated.

Accepted Answer

If wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people, it suggests a negative correlation between wealth and marital satisfaction. However, it does not necessarily imply a causal relationship or independence between the variables.

Question 16

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 exposed to the newly created drug being tested is referred to as the experimental group. They are the group that receives the treatment or intervention being studied to determine its effects. The other answer choices are not applicable in this context. The control group is a group that does not receive the treatment and is used as a comparison to the experimental group. The standardized group and baseline group are not commonly referenced in experimental design.

Question 17

If psychologists discovered that more intelligent parents have smarter children than less intelligent parents,this would demonstrate that
A) intelligence is inherited.
B) more intelligent parents provide their children with greater educational opportunities than do less intelligent parents.
C) the intelligence of parents and children is positively correlated.
D) all of these statements are correct.

Accepted Answer

The fact that more intelligent parents have smarter children than less intelligent parents suggests that the intelligence of parents and children is positively correlated. It does not necessarily mean that intelligence is solely inherited or that more intelligent parents provide their children with greater educational opportunities.

Question 18

The conclusion that "playing violent video games leads to violent crime" has been refuted by the American Psychological Association (APA).Why did the APA refute the statement?
A) It was derived from a survey study.
B) Correlation does not prove causation.
C) The experiment that reached this conclusion cannot be replicated.
D) This finding is not problematic.

Accepted Answer

The APA refuted the statement because correlation does not prove causation.

Question 19

If the correlation between children's body weight and their reading ability is -1.00,this would indicate that
A) there is very little statistical relationship between children's body weight and reading ability.
B) low body weight has a negative effect on children's reading ability.
C) among children,better reading ability is associated with lower body weight.
D) body weight has no causal influence on the reading ability of children.

Accepted Answer

A correlation coefficient of -1.00 indicates a perfect negative correlation, which means that as one variable (body weight) increases, the other variable (reading ability) decreases. Therefore, among children, better reading ability is associated with lower body weight. It does not necessarily imply a causal relationship, but rather a statistical association.

Question 20

What do the parallel research findings of "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" and "Seventy-five percent of college students in the United States were spanked as children" demonstrate?
A) The survey method leads to causal results.
B) Correlation does not prove causation.
C) Experimental designs cannot be replicated.
D) These statements do not demonstrate any problem.

Accepted Answer

The parallel research findings of "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" and "Seventy-five percent of college students in the United States were spanked as children" demonstrate a correlation between spanking as a form of discipline and negative outcomes in adulthood. However, it does not prove that spanking causes individuals to become prisoners or have negative outcomes in life. This highlights the concept that correlation does not always equal causation.

Quiz 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to isolate

An experiment enables researchers to isolate the effects of one or more factors by manipulating the factors of interest and also by

Which of the following methods is most helpful for clarifying cause-effect relationships?

Participants who are exposed to the treatment being tested in an experiment are said to be assigned to the

Which research method assesses how well one variable predicts another without demonstrating a cause-effect relationship between the variables?

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

Dr.Cast has found that children who watch more television are more likely to be overweight.Which conclusion can he reach?

Suppose that people who watch a lot of violence on TV are also particularly likely to behave aggressively.This relationship would NOT necessarily indicate that watching violence influences aggressive behavior because

Citing a recent report stating that "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" to support the idea that corporal punishment during childhood leads to criminal behavior in adulthood is problematic because

Which research method provides the best way of assessing whether cigarette smoking boosts mental alertness?

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

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

If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are,this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are

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

If psychologists discovered that more intelligent parents have smarter children than less intelligent parents,this would demonstrate that

The conclusion that "playing violent video games leads to violent crime" has been refuted by the American Psychological Association (APA) .Why did the APA refute the statement?

If the correlation between children's body weight and their reading ability is -1.00,this would indicate that

What do the parallel research findings of "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" and "Seventy-five percent of college students in the United States were spanked as children" demonstrate?