ch 4 psych

An extraneous variable is most similar to a(n) ________ variable. a. dependent b. independent c. reliable d. valid

b. independent

Daniel would like to study a new way of teaching research methods. There are two sections of research methods being taught at 2PM on Mondays and Wednesdays, so Daniel has one teacher use the new way and the other teacher use the old way. At the end of the semester, he finds that students who were taught the new way had higher grades than students taught the old way. What is the extraneous variable? a. grades at the end of the semester b. method of instruction (new versus old) c. the two teachers d. There is no extraneous variable in this study.

c. the two teachers

A dependent variable is _____ when it measures what it is supposed to measure. a. reliable b. confounded c. valid d. extraneous

c. valid

Which of the following is true about the relationship between a study framework and the hypotheses? A.The framework and hypotheses must be congruent with each other. B.The hypotheses are not meant to be testable, but the framework is. C.If the hypotheses are stated, the researcher does not need to have a framework. D.Hypotheses are inductively identified within the stated framework.

A.The framework and hypotheses must be congruent with each other.

Which of the following represents the most concrete term? A.Variable B.Concept C.Framework D.Construct

A.Variable

What refers to the degree to which a study allows the investigator to conclude that variability of the DV is due to the effects of the IV rather than other factors? a) internal validity b) external validity c) reliability

a) internal validity

The pre-post designs are similar to within-subjects designs, however in a pre-post design it is impossible to a. randomly assign participants b. counterbalance order of treatments c. control for differential effects d. generalize the results

b. counterbalance order of treatments

Boice and Gargano (2001) conducted a study in which some participants received zero cues and others received eight cues when trying to remember items in a list. What kind of independent variable is being used? a. participant b. experience c. stimulus d. physiological

b. experience

An approach to qualitative research that focuses on building theories is known as a. the correlational approach. b. grounded theory. c. archival research. d. situation sampling.

b. grounded theory.

Defining variables in terms of the operations needed to produce them is called using _______ definitions. a. dictionary b. operational c. independent d. confounded

b. operational

After measuring two individuals, a researcher can say that Tom's score is greater than Bill's, but cannot specify how much greater. The measurements must come from a(n) __________ scale. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

b. ordinal

Abby is conducting an observational study of walking speed by college students between classes. She observes behavior at two time periods in the morning, two in the afternoon, and two in the evening. Abby has engaged in ___________ sampling. a. situation b. time c. qualitative d. participant

b. time

Which scale of measurement would be used to measure temperature? a) nominal b) ordinal c) interval d) ratio

c) interval

All of these are threats to external validity except: a) demand characteristics b) Hawthorn effect c) multiple treatment interference d) maturation

d) maturation

Which scale of measurement would be used to measure reaction time in seconds? a) nominal b) ordinal c) interval d) ratio

d) ratio

Which of the following is NOT a reason why interobserver reliability might be low? a. Observers were not given clear, precise definitions. b. The behavior in question can be interpreted by observers in different ways. c. The observers are fatigued or bored. d. All of the above are reasons why interobserver reliability might be low.

d. All of the above are reasons why interobserver reliability might be low.

An event or behavior that can assume two or more values is known as a a. constant. b. confound. c. carryover effect. d. variable.

d. variable.

Which scale of measurement is dichotomous/categorical and does not have a sp order, equal intervals or an absolute zero? a) nominal b) ordinal c) interval d) ratio

a) nominal

In what type of research can the researcher not randomly assign participants to different levels of the IV? a) true exptl research b) quasi-exptl research c) clinical study

b) quasi-exptl research

Two observers record similar measurements of behavior for group of children hat are watching. the researchers have established what kind reliability? a. split-half reliability b. internal reliability c. test-retest reliability d. inter-rater reliability

d. inter-rater reliability

After measuring a set of individuals, a researcher finds that Bob's score is three times greater than Jane's score. These measurements must come from a(n) __________ scale. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

d. ratio

A difference between an interval scale and a ratio scale is: A) An interval scale has equal intervals; a ratio scale does not B) A ratio scale has equal intervals; an interval scale does not C) An interval scale has an absolute zero point; a ratio scale does not D) A ratio scale has an absolute zero point; an interval scale does not

D) A ratio scale has an absolute zero point; an interval scale does not

A placebo group (a) receives an inert substance. (b) controls for certain alternative explanations. (c) Both A and B (d) Neither A nor B

(c) Both A and B

If a researcher is developing a narrative description of behavior, then he/she is engaging in a. quantitative research . b. qualitative research. c. situation sampling. d. time sampling.

. b. qualitative research.

Which of the following factors do not influence saturation of data and therefore sample size in a qualitative study? a. Quality of the data b. Randomization of the sample c. Scope of the study d. Study design

ANS: B Randomization of the data is a concern for quantitative research designs. All other choices are concerns for saturation of data in qualitative research.

When a confounding variable is present in an experiment, one cannot tell whether the results were due to the: A) IV or the DV B) IV or the confounding variable C) DV or the internal variable D) DV or the participant variable

B) IV or the confounding variable

The grounded theory method is concerned with: A. testing theories and hypotheses. B. developing theories. C. establishing an emic perspective of research. D. providing validity checks for constructs.

B. developing theories.

A research problem is defined as a(n): A. statement that specifically indicates the study focus. B. general area of concern requiring study. C. intended or desired result of a specific action. D. topic of personal interest.

B. general area of concern requiring study.

The initial and one of the most significant steps in conducting the research process is: A.defining the research variables. B.identifying the research problem. C.stating the research purpose. D.determining the feasibility of the study.

B.identifying the research problem.

Statements that are taken for granted or are considered true, even though they have not been scientifically tested, are called: A. hypotheses. B. variables. C. limitations. D. assumptions.

D. assumptions.

All of these are threats to internal validity except: a) history b) Hawthorn effect c) maturation

b) Hawthorn effect

Which scale of measurement would be used to measure the places achieved in a horse race? a) nominal b) ordinal c) interval d) ratio

b) ordinal

One advantage of situation sampling is that a. it allows the researcher to be both an observer and a participant. b. researchers can get in-depth information on one individual. c. there is increased generalizability. d. it eliminates the need for independent variables.

c. there is increased generalizability.

The purpose of counterbalancing is a. to prevent subject variables from becoming confounding variables b. to prevent subject variables from adding to the error variance c. to prevent order effect from becoming a confounding variable d. to prevent effects from adding to the error variance

c. to prevent order effect from becoming a confounding variable

Which of the following study types would require the largest sample size? a. Correlational b. Experimental c. Grounded theory d. Phenomenology

a. Correlational

Which of the following is NOT one of the guidelines for within-group counterbalancing? a. Each participant must experience each condition more than once. b. Each treatment must be presented to each participant an equal number of times. c. Each treatment must occur an equal number of times at each testing or practice session. d. Each treatment must precede and follow each of the other treatments an equal number of times.

a. Each participant must experience each condition more than once.

____________ sampling refers to observing the same behavior in different situations. a. Situation b. Time c. Event d. Participant

a. Situation

McKibban and Nelson (2001) assessed satisfaction with life in college students by using their scores on the Satisfaction with Life scale. What kind of dependent variable is this? a. degree or amount b. correctness c. rate or frequency d. latency or duration

a. degree or amount

The ________ variable changes as a function of the ________ variable. a. dependent; independent b. nuisance; dependent c. independent; dependent d. extraneous; independent

a. dependent; independent

Which type of validity requires multiple research studies, usually conducted over a long period of time? a. face b. concurrent d. construct

a. face

Quantitative research is more concerned with __________ and qualitative research is more concerned with _________. a. generalities; details and emotions b. details and emotions; generalities c. grounded theory; logic d. generalities; interobserver reliability

a. generalities; details and emotions

When an outside event occurs during a within-subject study and influences some of the treatment conditions but not others, the results are said to be confounded by ____. a. history effects b. instrumentation c. maturation d. regression toward the mean

a. history effects

Which of the following is true about theoretical sampling? a. All studies use theoretical sampling as a background for creating the sample. b. Grounded theory research frequently uses theoretical sampling to develop a selected theory. c. Subjects are selected to participate in a research study to match certain theory characteristics. d. Theoretical sampling is a little-used, but powerful method of creating a sample for quantitative research.

b. Grounded theory research frequently uses theoretical sampling to develop a selected theory

Which of the following is true about sample size in a qualitative study? a. "Adequate sample size" is of no concern to a qualitative researcher because there is no statistical analysis involved. b. Sample size is deemed to be adequate when the researcher is detecting no new knowledge from additional subjects. c. Subjects who have knowledge of a situation assist the researcher in determining whether the sample size is adequate. d. There is a test similar to the power analysis in a quantitative study that can be used to determine an adequate sample size for qualitative research.

b. Sample size is deemed to be adequate when the researcher is detecting no new knowledge from additional subjects.

What is the main drawback of randomization? a. Randomization increases the risk of differential carryover. b. The researcher cannot be sure that all extraneous variables have been equally distributed across the groups. c. It is very difficult to implement this technique. d. Randomization increases the risk of carryover effects.

b. The researcher cannot be sure that all extraneous variables have been equally distributed across the groups.

In _________ counterbalancing, only a portion of all possible sequences are presented. a. complete b. incomplete c. within-subjects d. elimination

b. incomplete

Jeremy would like to do a study in which each participant is exposed to four different treatment conditions. In order to do complete counterbalancing, Jeremy will need a minimum of ________ participants. a. 4 b. 16 c. 24 d. 48

c. 24

________ is a procedure for controlling order effects by presenting different treatment sequences. a. Elimination b. Randomization c. Counterbalancing d. Constancy

c. Counterbalancing

___________ is a control technique in which extraneous variables are completely removed from an experiment. a. Constancy b. Randomization c. Elimination d. Balancing

c. Elimination

How does randomization work to control extraneous variables? a. The researcher uses different treatment sequences in order to control order effects. b. The researcher ensures that all groups receive the extraneous variables to the same extent. c. The researcher creates a constant or uniform condition to control an extraneous variable. d. Because all participants have an equal likelihood of being in any group, any individual differences associated with the participants should be equally distributed across the groups.

d. Because all participants have an equal likelihood of being in any group, any individual differences associated with the participants should be equally distributed across the groups.

Harry decides to use incomplete counterbalancing for his study in which each participant is exposed to six different treatments over the course of the study. He decides to randomly select the sequences he will use. Which requirement of counterbalancing is he likely to violate? a. Each treatment must be presented to each participant an equal number of times. b. Each treatment must occur an equal number of times at each testing or practice session. c. Each treatment must precede and follow each of the other treatments an equal number of times. d. Both b and c.

d. Both b and c.

_________ is a control technique in which an extraneous variable is reduced to a single value that is experienced by all participants. a. Balancing b. Counterbalancing c. Elimination d. Constancy

d. Constancy

__________ is a control technique that ensures that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in an experiment. a. Balancing b. Counterbalancing c. Elimination d. Randomization

d. Randomization

Why are extraneous variables problematic? a. The operational definitions of extraneous variables are poor. b. The extraneous variables are purposely manipulated by the researcher. c. Extraneous variables are usually measured on a Likert scale. d. The researcher does not know if the results are due to the independent variable or to the extraneous variables.

d. The researcher does not know if the results are due to the independent variable or to the extraneous variables.

Age is considered a(n) _________ independent variable. a. participant b. physiological c. stimulus d. experience

a. participant

Jasper is conducting an observational study of children's aggressive behavior on playgrounds, and he decides to observe aggressive behavior at five different playgrounds. Jasper has engaged in __________ sampling. a. situation b. time c. qualitative d. participant

a. situation

Qualitative research is more likely than quantitative research to focus on a. deductive logic. b. problems about which little information already exists. c. extensive statistical analyses. d. specific, narrow hypotheses.

b. problems about which little information already exists.

When researchers manipulate some aspect of the environment, they are using a(n) ________ independent variable. a. physiological b. stimulus c. experience d. participant

b. stimulus

Why are participant characteristics not true independent variables? a. Participant characteristics are extraneous variables, not independent variables. b. Participant characteristics are confounded with stimulus independent variables. c. Participant characteristics are not manipulated by the researcher. d. Participant characteristics are not operationally defined.

c. Participant characteristics are not manipulated by the researcher.

Tara compared first-graders and second-graders in the number of words they remembered correctly. What kind of dependent variable is this? a. degree or amount b. rate or frequency c. correctness d. latency or duration

c. correctness

When the effects of amount or type of previous training or learning are manipulated, the researcher is using a(n) __________ independent variable. a. physiological b. stimulus c. experience d. participant

c. experience

The variable that the researcher directly manipulates is known as the ________ variable. a. dependent b. confounded c. independent d. nuisance

c. independent

The extent to which observers in an observational study agree is referred to as a. interobserver validity. b. grounded theory. c. interobserver reliability. d. open coding.

c. interobserver reliability.

Josh compares men versus women on memory performance. Josh is using a(n) __________ independent variable. a. stimulus b. experience c. participant d. physiological

c. participant

Natalie conducts an experiment in which she randomly assigns half the individuals to drink alcohol and half to drink tonic water that they think is alcohol. What kind of independent variable is being used? a. experience b. participant c. physiological d. stimulus

c. physiological

A researcher calculates how many times a rat presses a lever after having been either reinforced or punished. What kind of dependent variable is this? a. latency or duration b. degree or amount c. rate or frequency d. correctness

c. rate or frequency

Uncontrolled variables that can cause unintended changes between groups are known as a. independent variables. b. dependent variables. c. physiological variables. d. extraneous variables.

d. extraneous variables.

Joe and Sam are coders in an observational study on sex stereotyping in television commercials. When they have finished collecting their data, they should calculate a. open coding. b. interobserver validity. c. grounded theory. d. interobserver reliability.

d. interobserver reliability.

When the participants in an experiment are subjected to conditions that alter or change their normal biological state, a(n) _________ independent variable is being used. a. stimulus b. participant c. experience d. physiological

d. physiological

Clara has written a research report that contains little scientific jargon but several emotional words. Clara has most likely engaged in a. a reliability analysis. b. correlational research. c. quantitative research. d. qualitative research.

d. qualitative research.

Which of the following is a good operational definition of anxiety? a. a feeling of apprehension b. a feeling of worry c. a feeling of unease d. score on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale

d. score on the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale

The question "Is there a relationship between caffeine intake and intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma?" would be best explored using what type of research? A. correlational research. B. historical research. C. basic research. D. phenomenological research.

A. correlational research.

An interaction occurs whenever: A) The manipulation check indicates a manipulation failure B) The effect of one independent variable changes across levels of a second independent variable C) Both IVs have an effect D) The DV is effectively manipulated in a factorial design

B) The effect of one independent variable changes across levels of a second independent variable

Research subjects in a study of quality of life (QOL) in liver transplant recipients were asked to complete a questionnaire about their experiences following transplantation. Which of the following would be a likely assumption the researcher made in relation to this study? A.Subjects will complete every item on the questionnaire. B.Subjects are able to identify a personal awareness of QOL. C.All liver transplant recipients invited to participate in the study will complete a questionnaire D.QOL is an important issue to liver transplant recipients.

B.Subjects are able to identify a personal awareness of QOL.

Which of the following accurately describes a disadvantage of using a pretest posttest design? A) A pretest maximizes participant mortality. B) If participants drop out, you no longer have equal groups. C) A pretest can sensitize the participants to the manipulation. D) This design does not allow you to rule out regression effects.

C) A pretest can sensitize the participants to the manipulation.

A researcher is studying the relationship between age and involvement in social activities. This is what type of research? A. Descriptive B. Quasiexperimental C. Correlational D. Experimental

C. Correlational

Which level of measurement is indicated when referring to a temperature of 70° F? A. Ordinal B. Nominal C. Interval D. Ratio

C. Interval

Qualitative research is based on which of the following? A. A logical positivist paradigm B. A philosophy that researchers and participants should never meet. C. The belief that multiple "truths" and "realities" exist D. A philosophy that all data are concrete and objective

C. The belief that multiple "truths" and "realities" exist

Which of the following definitions best describes rigor in quantitative research? A.Time frame in which the research takes place B.Degree of aggressiveness used in acquiring the data C.Amount of control and precision exerted by the methodology D.Process used to synthesize findings to form conclusions from a study

C.Amount of control and precision exerted by the methodology

Which of the following types of information is consistently covered in a quantitative literature review? A.Descriptions of effective clinical outcomes B.Anecdotal opinions of expert researchers C.Approaches used to investigate similar problems D.Clinical impressions of related phenomena

C.Approaches used to investigate similar problems

Which of the following types of research involve at least some control by the researcher to implement the study treatment? A.Correlational B.Descriptive C.Quasi-experimental D.Experimental

C.Quasi-experimental

Scales that measure physical dimensions such as number of items correct, amount of alcohol consumed, and time to respond would be an example of a(n) ___ scale. A) Nominal B) Ordinal C) Interval D) Ratio

D) Ratio

The statement below is an example of which of the following? "In this study, pain is reflected as a score between 0 and 10 on the Post-operative Pain Rating Scale." A.Problem statement B.Conceptual definition C.Associative hypothesis D.Operational definition

D.Operational definition

A study framework reflects the: A.blueprint for the study B.specific plan for data collection C.data analysis strategy D.researcher's "theory" or idea about the study

D.researcher's "theory" or idea about the study

The dependent variable is: A.a stimulus or activity that is varied by the researcher. B.the quality, property, or characteristic identified in the problem C.a characteristic or element of the human subjects involved in the study D.the response or outcome that the researcher wants to understand

D.the response or outcome that the researcher wants to understand

Researchers typically try to a. increase the difference between treatments and decrease the variance within treatments b. decrease the difference between treatments and increase the variance nothing treatments c. increase the difference between treatments and increase the variance within treatments d. decrease the difference between treatments and decrease the variance with treatment

a. increase the difference between treatments and decrease the variance within treatments

Classifying people according to gender (male/female) would involve measurement on a(n) __________ scale of measurement. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

a. nominal

Determining a person's occupation would involve measurement on a(n) __________ scale of measurement. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

a. nominal

When the position of a treatment in a series determines, in part, the participants' responses, the researcher is dealing with a. order effects. b. incomplete counterbalancing. c. constancy. d. nuisance variables.

a. order effects.

A condederate is a person who a. poses as a participant b. assists the experiment in collecting data c. decides to stop his/her participation in a study

a. poses as a participant

Within-_______ counterbalancing refers to the presentation of different treatment sequences to the same participant, and within-_________ counterbalancing refers to the presentation of different treatment sequences to different participants. a. subject; group b. group; subject c. treatment; subject d. treatment; group

a. subject; group

The concept of nonequivalent groups means a. the researcher cannot control which people go into each group and cannot ensure that the groups are equivalent b. the two groups will always have completely different characteristics c. the researcher has randomly assigned people to groups so there is no guarantee that the groups are equal d. the number of participants is different from one group to another

a. the researcher cannot control which people go into each group and cannot ensure that the groups are equivalent

In _________ counterbalancing, each participant must experience each condition more than once. a. within-subject b. within-group c. complete d. incomplete

a. within-subject

A researcher observed that preschool children playing in a red room showed more aggression than children playing in a blue room. For this study, what is the independent variable? a. preschool children b. color of the room c. amount of aggression d. the children's play

b. color of the room

Strong manipulations are used to _____ the effect of the ____varibable. A. minimize, IV b. maximize, IV c. minimize, DV

b. maximize, IV

Why do qualitative researchers need to be as concerned with sample size as quantitative researchers do? Qualitative researchers: a. are reaching the objectives of their study in a similar way. b. need subjects who are able and willing to share their knowledge, oftentimes in repeated and more in-depth interviews than subjects in quantitative studies. c. need to gain a narrow focus rather than a broad perspective as their research purpose. d. will be analyzing the data with statistical techniques that require certain numbers of subjects.

b. need subjects who are able and willing to share their knowledge, oftentimes in repeated and more in-depth interviews than subjects in quantitative studies.

The textbook describes a study in which the need-for-achievement test was administered to a group of children and then the children were observed while they played a ring-toss game. The purpose of this study was to establish ______ validity for the test. a. face b. concurrent c. predictive

c. predictive

Susan conducts a study to determine which method is most effective in treating depression. Each participant receives two months of behavioral therapy, two months of cognitive therapy, and two months of humanistic therapy using a completely counterbalanced design. Susan finds that whatever type of therapy is last produces the most benefits. Susan has encountered a problem known as a. experimenter bias. b. order effects. c. demand characteristics. d. social desirability.

b. order effects.

Using letter grades (A, B, C, D, and E) to classify student performance on an exam is an example of measurement on a(n) __________ scale of measurement. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

b. ordinal

Derek conducts a study in which half of the participants read a job application from a male candidate, and the other half read a job application from a female candidate. He wants to make sure that each participant has an equal chance of reading the male job application as the female job application, so he uses the control technique known as a. counterbalancing. b. randomization. c. constancy. d. elimination.

b. randomization.

George creates a new happiness scale and gives it to a sample of college students twice. Scores were consistent over time, which means that George's scale is a. valid. b. reliable. c. negatively correlated. d. confounded.

b. reliable.

ose would like to do a study in which each participant is exposed to 12 different treatments. Which kind of counterbalancing would be easiest for him to implement? a. Within-subject counterbalancing b. Complete counterbalancing c. Incomplete counterbalancing d. Differential counterbalancing

c. Incomplete counterbalancing

In a study evaluating the effectiveness of a new medication designed to control high blood pressure, one sample of individuals is given the medicine and a second sample is given an inactive placebo. Blood pressure is measured for each individual. For this study, what is the dependent variable? a. the medication b. the placebo c. blood pressure d. the individuals given the medication

c. blood pressure

When the effects of one treatment persist and influence responses to the next treatment, the researcher has the problem of a. social desirability. b. experimenter bias. c. carryover effects. d. elimination.

c. carryover effects.

Larey (2001) decided to restrict her study on body dissatisfaction to only females because males and females vary greatly on this variable. Larey used the control technique of a. counterbalancing. b. elimination. c. constancy. d. randomization.

c. constancy.

Which of the following control techniques is most applicable to studies in which the participants are in all the conditions of the experiment? a. elimination b. randomization c. counterbalancing d. constancy

c. counterbalancing

A variable that consists of indivisible categories with no other scores existing between neighboring categories is called a(n) __________ variable. a. independent b. dependent c. discrete d. continuous

c. discrete

An advantage of the between-sujects design versus the within-subjects design is that between-subjects _____. a. generally requires fewer participants b. usually is a more sensitive test (more likely to detect a treatment effect) c. eliminates risk of order effect d. eliminates potential problems that may be caused by individual differences

c. eliminates risk of order effect

You develop a new measure of love and you decide it looks like it measures love. You have demonstrated.. a. concurrent validity b. discriminant validity c. face validity

c. face validity

In an experiment, the researcher manipulates the __________ variable and measures changes in the __________ variable. a. population, sample b. sample, population c. independent, dependent d. dependent, independent

c. independent, dependent

To determine the size of the difference between two measurements, a researcher must use a(n) __________ scale of measurement. a. nominal b. ordinal or interval c. interval or ratio d. ratio

c. interval or ratio

An operational definition is used to __________ a hypothetical construct. a. define b. measure c. measure and define d. None of the other choices is correct.

c. measure and define

You develop a new measure of love and you find that people who score higher on your measure show more loving behavior than people who score low, you have demonstrated... a. concurrent validity b. divergent validity c. predictive validity

c. predictive validity

A researcher is interested in creating equivalent groups in her experiment. If potential extraneous variables are unknown, she should use _________ and if the extraneous variables are known, she should use __________. a. balancing; elimination b. balancing; randomization c. randomization; balancing d. elimination; balancing

c. randomization; balancing

A researcher introduces a new mathematics program in one school district and uses a neighboring district as a no-treatment control group. After the program is in place for 6 months, theresearcher intends to give the students in both districts a standardized mathematics text and them compare their scores. This research cannot be classified as a true experiment because a. the treatment is administered to only one group. b. there is no pretest to determine mathematics ability before the program. c. the researcher does not control the assignment of the participants to groups and therefore has a nonequivalent group design. d. it is not conducted in a laboratory.

c. the researcher does not control the assignment of the participants to groups and therefore has a nonequivalent group design.

In a between-subjects design, individual differences (participant variables) are a problem because a. they can become confounding variables b. they can increase variability of the scores c. they can become confounding variables and they can increase variability of the scores. d. they can produce fatigue effects

c. they can become confounding variables and they can increase variability of the scores.

___________ is a control technique that achieves group equality by distributing extraneous variables equally to all groups. a. Constancy b. Elimination c. Randomization d. Balancing

d. Balancing

A researcher wanting to explore the lives of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer obtains a random sample of the population. What part of the study will be strengthened because of the random sample? a. Feasibility b. Reliability c. Statistical power d. Validity

d. Validity

Some threats to internal validity are related to time and other threats are related to differences between groups. Which of the following is a threat related to group differences? a. history effects b. instrumentation c. regression toward the mean d. assignment bias

d. assignment bias

Which of the following is NOT a time-related threat to internal validity for a within-subjects experiment? a. history b. instrumentation c. maturation d. assignment bias

d. assignment bias

Joy is conducting her experiment in the same room, with the same temperature, and the same lighting. Joy is using the control technique of a. randomization. b. elimination. c. balancing. d. constancy.

d. constancy.

A variable that has an infinite number of possible values between any two specific measurements is called a(n) __________ variable. a. independent b. dependent c. discrete d. continuous

d. continuous

Dennis would like to conduct a study in which participants taste five different brands of jam and decide which one they like best. To control for order effects, Dennis should use a. constancy. b. randomization. c. elimination. d. counterbalancing.

d. counterbalancing.

Sagles et al. (2002) conducted a cross-cultural study of the identification of facial expressions. They were careful to use photographs of faces only so that variables like attire and body type could not influence responses. Sagles et al. used the control technique of a. randomization. b. balancing. c. constancy. d. elimination.

d. elimination.

A researcher measures how quickly participants notice a dot that is presented in various places on a computer screen. What kind of dependent variable is this? a. rate or frequency b. correctness c. degree or amount d. latency or duration

d. latency or duration

Which of the following is not a continuous variable? a. time to solve a problem b. temperature c. height d. number of children in a family

d. number of children in a family

Determining a person's age (in years) would involve measurement on a(n) __________ scale of measurement. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

d. ratio

Determining a person's reaction time would involve measurement on a(n) __________ scale of measurement. a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio

d. ratio

In a within-subjects experiment, individuals may have extreme (high or low) in the first treatment condition and have less extreme scores in the second treatment even then there is no real difference between the two treatments. In this case the change in scores is due to _____. a. history effects b. instrumentation c. maturation d. regression toward the mean

d. regression toward the mean

The degree to which a dependent variable produces consistent measurements is known as a. validity. b. constancy. c. latency. d. reliability.

d. reliability.

Which of the following procedures can be used to minimize assignment bias as a threat to the internal validity of a between-subjects design? a. random assignment b. matched assignment c. holding variables constant d. the other three choices are all procedures that can be used

d. the other three choices are all procedures that can be used

Janie creates a new scale to measure self-esteem, but it turns out that it really measures extraversion. Janie's scale has low a. latency. b. reliability. c. constancy. d. validity.

d. validity.