Chapter 1 Study Guide Quiz Questions

Which of the following best represents psychology's basic goals? A) investigate and treat mental illness B) describe, explain, predict, and influence behavior C) listen to, counsel, and console people with problems D) apply the findings of animal research to abnormal behavior

B

*A correlation coefficient is a(n): A) numerical indicator of the strength and direction of a relationship between two factors. B) independent variable that is used in a correlational study. C) numerical indicator of the statistical significance of the findings in a particular research study. D) index of the practical rather than the statistical significance of research findings.

A

A case study is a(n): A) in-depth investigation of a single individual or a small group of individuals, often involving information from a wide variety of sources. B) method of determining whether an experiment reflects natural conditions. C) survey involving only people who are likely to confirm the experimenter's hypothesis. D) study involving multiple participants who all suffer from the same psychological problems and are given the same experimental treatment.

A

A correlational study: A) examines how strongly two variables are related to one another. B) can be used to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. C) is no longer allowed under today's ethical guidelines. D) has little utility, since it is merely descriptive.

A

A limitation to the case study method is that: A) generalizing results from a case study must be done very cautiously. B) it involves elaborate and expensive equipment if it is to be done correctly. C) it focuses too much on ordinary problems and thus provides little information about unusual situations D) results from such a study are viewed as meaningful only if they can be scientifically replicated.

A

A placebo is: A) a fake substance, treatment, or procedure with no known direct effects. B) the dependent variable in an experiment testing drug effects. C) a statistical technique used to eliminate errors in measurement. D) a drug that is supplied to experimental groups.

A

A representative sample is a: A) group of participants that closely parallels the larger group to be studied on all relevant characteristics, such as age, sex, and race. B) sample questionnaire that represents the most likely set of survey responses. C) small group of volunteers who try to predict the survey results. D) list of all the possible questions that might be represented on the final survey.

A

Behaviorism was characterized by: A) the rejection of consciousness as a topic in psychology and a focus on observable behavior. B) a narrow focus upon consciousness and conscious experience. C) a focus on the importance of free will, self-determination, and psychological growth. D) an emphasis upon the unconscious determinants of personality.

A

Case studies: A) are commonly used by clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals to develop a complete profile of a psychotherapy client. B) were popular when psychology was first founded but are almost never used today. C) are not considered to be a legitimate form of scientific evidence. D) are the main scientific tool used to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

A

Descriptive research methods: A) typically answer the "who, what, where, when, and how often" questions about behavior. B) are no longer used in contemporary psychology. C) have been replaced by sophisticated brain imaging techniques. D) provide the most compelling evidence of cause-and-effect relationships.

A

Dr. O'Connor was interested in whether men and women differ in sexual attitudes. She found that more than 170 studies had already been published on this issue. Using _____, she combined the results of these studies and analyzed the data for overall trends. A) meta-analysis B) naturalistic observation C) pseudoscientific analysis D) a natural experiment

A

Empirical evidence refers to evidence that is the result of: A) observation, measurement, and experimentation. B) intuition, logic, and critical thinking. C) experience, philosophy, and opinion. D) experience, logic, and statistics.

A

In Dr. Foster's study, one group is given a new medication that is believed to reduce anxiety. Another group is given a medication that looks like the real medication, but that contains none of the active ingredients that would affect anxiety. In this experiment, the experimental group is the: A) group that receives the new medication. B) group that receives the medication without the active ingredients. C) anxiety group. D) group without anxiety.

A

Meta-analysis is: A) a statistical technique that combines and analyzes the findings from many different studies on a particular topic in order to determine overall findings. B) the final step in the scientific method. C) a type of computer program used to collect and analyze the results of case study research. D) a pseudoscience.

A

Onepotentialproblemwithsurveysandquestionnairesisthat: A) people may misrepresent their personal characteristics or lie in their responses. B) random selection procedures are not possible with these forms of data collection. C) expectancy effects usually invalidate the findings. D) these techniques produce illusory correlations rather than true correlations.

A

Psychoanalysis emphasized: A) the role of unconscious factors in behavior. B) overt behavior and principles of learning. C) the role of conscious thoughts in psychological growth D) the perception of whole figures.

A

Researchers are conducting a study to determine how quickly symptoms of ADHD are reduced by different doses of the medication Ritalin. What is the independent variable in this study? A) change in the symptoms of ADHD B) the method used to recruit participants for the study C) the dose of Ritalin used to treat ADHD symptoms D) the cost of the study

A

The basic goal of the experimental method is to: A) demonstrate that one variable causes change in a second variable. B) describe and predict naturally occurring phenomena. C) investigate a single subject in depth. D) discover new operational definitions.

A

The first psychology laboratory was established by ________ in Germany in the year________. This event is considered to be the start of scientific psychology. A) Wundt; 1879 B) James; 1890 C) Freud; 1900 D) Watson; 1913

A

Using statistics, Dr. Hazlett determined that the result of her experiment was statistically significant. Dr. Hazlett then concluded that the: A) results of the experiment were not likely to have occurred by chance. B) results of the experiment have practical importance in everyday life. C) hypothesis for the experiment was not supported. D) correlation coefficient was zero.

A

When studying "jealousy" and "violence" psychologists use the________________, a set of assumptions, attitudes, and procedures that is used to minimize error and bias. A) scientific method B) Gestalt principle C) general answers and principles (GAP) model D) primary variable

A

Which of the following people played a key role in establishing psychology as a scientific discipline in the United States and founded the school of psychology known as functionalism? A) William James B) SigmundFreud C) B.F.Skinner D) AbrahamMaslow

A

*An operational definition is: A) are search design in which the participants act or operate as their own control group. B) a precise description of how each variable in a particular study will be manipulated or measured. C) one that has been approved by the American Psychological Association. D) a statistical method used in psychological research to correct for bias that may be operating in the experimental situation.

B

*Professor Williams is investigating loneliness. Participants in her study complete the UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure their levels of loneliness. They also answer questions on a survey about many aspects of their personal lives. In analyzing the results of her study, Professor Williams finds that as the number of friends increases, the level of loneliness tends to decrease. This represents a _____ correlation. A) positive B) negative C) spurious D) cause-and-effect

B

*Which of the following statements regarding correlational research is TRUE? A) Correlational research indicates causality in either a positive or a negative direction. B) You cannot use correlational research to draw conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships. C) Correlations can tell you about relations between two variables, but it is not possible to make predictions based upon correlational research. D) Correlations are able to predict the cause-and-effect relationship between two or more variables.

B

After many media reports of aggressive behavior by parents and other adult spectators in the stands at Canadian youth hockey games, psychologists systematically recorded the comments of adult spectators at youth hockey games in a large Canadian city. They found that almost two- thirds of the comments were directed at the players rather than the referees, and that most comments were positive and encouraging rather than negative or critical. The psychologists used a descriptive research method called _____. A) a case study B) naturalistic observation C) survey research D) case-based research

B

Correlational research is most useful for purposes of A) explanation. B) prediction. C) control. D) replication.

B

In the ginkgo biloba experiment, some participants took the manufacturer's recommended daily dosage of the supplement while others were given an identical dosage of a substance called the _____, which had no known direct effects. A) treatment drug B) placebo C) double-blind substance D) extraneous substance

B

Professor Lyon decided to study food preferences of U.S. college students, so he asked his students to volunteer to participate in a lengthy survey. Professor Lyon's survey results are probably invalid because he did not use: A) an operational definition. B) random selection. C) a valid hypothesis. D) independent and dependent variables.

B

Proponents of magnet therapy, like those of almost all pseudo scientific claims, use certain strategies to create the illusion of scientific validity. Which of the following is NOT one of those strategies or ploys? A) using testimonials rather than scientific evidence B) using the scientific method to test hypotheses and claims C) combining established scientific knowledge with unfounded claims D) seeking out evidence that confirms the claims while ignoring evidence that contradicts or undermines them (the confirmation bias)

B

To identify which brain areas are most active when a person suffering from schizophrenia has hallucinations, researchers could use a(n) _____ scan to track the use of radioactively tagged glucose throughout the brain. A) MRI B) PET C) fMRI D) ECT

B

Which of the following statements is an important advantage of surveys? A) Surveys can be developed by people with no scientific training. B) Researchers are able to gather information about a very large group of people based on a representative sample of that group. C) The dependent variable is more easily manipulated in surveys than informal experiments. D) If there are more than 3,000 participants, the results are likely to be valid no matter how the participants were chosen.

B

Why do researchers try to avoid being detected by their participants when engaged in naturalistic observations? A) The researchers themselves could be considered a dependent variable that affects the results of the study. B) Participants might behave differently (unnaturally) if the they become aware that they are being observed. C) It is unethical to engage in any kind of research, even naturalistic observation, unless participants give their prior permission. D) Participants may continue to act naturally with the researchers, but the researchers may not act like researchers once they begin to interact with the participants.

B

*Columbia University researcher Elizabeth Gershoff (2002) conducted a wide-ranging analysis of research on parental use of corporal punishment (Spanking). One finding that emerged was a relationship between parental socioeconomic status and use of corporal punishment. Put simply, as socioeconomic status declines, rates of parents' use of corporal punishment rise. This finding represents: A) a cause-and-effect relationship. B) a positive correlation. C) a negative correlation. D) a classic example of an expectancy effect.

C

*The purpose of using a placebo control group in an experiment is often to: A) measure the effects of the dependent variable. B) dupe the subject in to accepting the experiment's results. C) control for expectancy effects. D) persuade other researchers that the experiment is valid.

C

A pseudoscience is a: A) specific branch of science focused on a single issue and based on compelling empirical evidence. B) group of different sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, that focus on the same general issue. C) fake or false science that is based on little or no scientific evidence. D) form of science that emphasizes findings that have practical value (applied science) rather than new knowledge just for the sake of new knowledge (pure science).

C

A researcher sets out to test the following statement: "Adolescents are more likely to start smoking if one or both of their parents smokes." This statement is an example of: A) a theory. B) an operational definition. C) a hypothesis. D) experimenter bias.

C

A useful theory is one that does all of the following EXCEPT: A) furthering the understanding of behavior. B) allowing predictions to be made. C) ensuring statistical significance in an experiment. D) stimulating new research.

C

After analyzing her data, Professor Nelson discovers that a correlation coefficient of +.75 exists between the amount of coffee a person drinks and the degree of stress experienced. Professor Nelson can safely conclude that: A) there is no relationship between stress and coffee consumption. B) stress causes people to drink coffee. C) as coffee consumption increases, stress also increases. D) drinking coffee produces stress.

C

In general, critical thinking in psychology refers to the practice of: A) criticizing people. B) assuming that new ideas are wrong until proven otherwise. C) actively questioning claims rather than blindly accepting them. D) using personal opinions to reach particular conclusions.

C

In order to increase confidence in the findings of a particular study, it is important that the study and its results: A) have practical significance. B) be widely reported. C) be repeated or replicated. D) be tested by meta-analysis.

C

Researchers are conducting a study to determine how quickly symptoms of ADHD are reduced by different doses of the medication Ritalin. What is the independent variable in this study? A) change in the symptoms of ADHD B) the method used to recruit participants for the study C) the dose of Ritalin used to treat ADHD symptoms D) the cost of the study

C

Researchers were interested in the effects of alcohol consumption on the perceived attractiveness of members of the opposite sex. One group of participants was given four drinks containing alcohol, and another group was given no drinks at all. Next, both groups of participants rated the attractiveness of members of the opposite sex by viewing pictures and rating attractiveness on a 1- to-10 scale. Which group was the control group? A) There was no control group. B) the group given four alcoholic drinks C) the group that was given no drinks D) both groups were control groups

C

Scientific research into the effects of magnet therapy has demonstrated that: A) magnets of various types can relieve pain and other ailments. B) magnets applied to the head enlarge the hippocampus and improve memory and learning abilities. C) magnets, regardless of the type used, do not relieve pain and other ailments. D) static magnets are more effective in relieving pain and other ailments than transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

C

Several correlational studies all point to the conclusion that the more time students spend playing violent video games, the lower their grade point average tends to be. This means that: A) playing violent video games causes low grades. B) low grades cause students to play violent video games. C) the researchers have discovered a negative correlation between playing violent video game sand grade point average. D) the researchers have discovered a positive correlation between playing violent video games and grade point average.

C

The Magnet Therapy Center uses sincere and compelling testimonials and personal anecdotes to promote its products on TV infomercials. These testimonials: A) are acceptable scientific evidence. B) should be believed because they appear to be genuine and the products really did help these people as they claim. C) lack the basic controls used in research and are not acceptable scientific evidence. D) area type of descriptive research method called naturalistic observation.

C

The founder of the school of behaviorism was: A) G. Stanley Hall. B) William James. C) John Watson. D) Carl Rogers.

C

The practice of applying magnets to the body to supposedly treat various conditions and ailments is called: A) transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS). B) magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). C) magnet therapy. D) positron emission tomography(PET).

C

What process do researchers use to make sure that survey participants are a representative sample of the population that is being studied? A) double-blind selection B) single-blind selection C) random selection D) using only those participants who volunteer to be part of the study

C

When comparing fMRIs to PET scans, you can see that: A) PET scans provide a much sharper picture than fMRIs. B) PET scans use less radio active glucose than fMRIs. C) fMRIs provide a picture of brain activity averaged over seconds rather than the several minutes that PET scans require. D) PET scans can be used to study the details of much smaller brain structures than fMRIs.

C

When psychologists systematically observe and record behaviors as they occur in their natural settings, they are using a descriptive method called: A) case study survey research. B) meta-analysis C) naturalistic observation. D) the experimental method.

C

Which of the following phrases would be an acceptable operational definition for anxiety? A) unpleasant emotional state B) feelings of worry, tension, dread, or fear C) asking people to rate their current level of anxiety on a 1-to-10 scale D) None of the other alternatives is correct because anxiety is a subjective emotional state that cannot be operationally defined.

C

Which school of psychology would agree with the statement that "psychology should stress the study of how behavior and mental processes function to allow people and animals to adapt to their environments"? A) structuralism B) behaviorism C) functionalism D) psychoanalysis

C

Who would have been MOST likely to say: "You behave the way you do because of unconscious reasons, not reasons in your consciousness"? A) William James B) John B. Watson C) Sigmund Freud D) G. Stanley Hall

C

*Which type of research would allow you to determine whether students' grades accurately predict later income? A) case study B) naturalistic observation C) experimentation D) correlation

D

Dr. Gomez wanted to investigate the effects of nicotine on the activity of the brain. Because she did not want to expose people to radioactivity or use any invasive procedures to measure brain activity, Dr. Gomez chose to use _____ for her measures of brain activity. A) the double-blind technique (DBT) B) PET scans C) transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) D) functional MRI (fMRI) scans

D

Hypotheses are best described as: A) assumptions. B) replications. C) explanations. D) predictions.

D

In an experimental study on the effects of caffeine on memory, participants drank a bottle of tasteless water containing 100, 50, or 0 milligrams of caffeine. Neither the researcher who handed out each bottle of water nor the study participants knew whether a bottle of water contained caffeine or not. This is an example of a _____ study. A) correlational B) case C) single-blind D) double-blind

D

In case-based research ,information from multiple _____ studies is systematically combined and analyzed. A) survey B) correlational C) experimental D) case

D

In contrast to the experimental method, the basic goal of the descriptive method is to: A) investigate and refute "commonsense" notions about human behavior. B) manipulate variables in a meaningful way. C) deduce valid operational definitions and generate new experiments. D) observe and describe behavior.

D

Six-year-old Gary couldn't stop throwing up after being hit on his head. To help detect possible damage or brain swelling, doctors took a detailed image of the boy's brain structures using a powerful, non-invasive technique that involves harmless magnetic fields. What instrument was used? A) PET scanner B) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) instrument C) transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) D) MRI scanner

D

The founder of psychoanalysis was: A) American psychologist B.F.Skinner. B) American psychologist Carl Rogers. C) German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt. D) Austrian physician Sigmund Freud.

D

The word replicate refers to: A) a second statistical analysis of the study's results by an independent researcher. B) confirming a researcher's results with meta-analysis. C) a statistical technique. D) repeating a study using the same research methods but different research participants.

D

Today, psychology is defined as the: A) science of mental phenomena. B) science of conscious and unconscious activity. C) science of behavior. D) science of behavior and mental processes.

D

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest relationship between two factors? A) -.15 B) +.03 C) +.38 D) -.80

D

Why do researchers use a control group when conducting experiments? A) to examine demand characteristics B) to encourage practice effects C) to eliminate random assignment D) to serve as a baseline for comparison against the experimental group

D