Chapter 2 psychology
Compared to the other scientific research methods, the experimental method's principal advantage is that it a. can easily be used to study all research questions. b. permits conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships. c. observes behavior in its natural setting. d. allows for a description of behavior.
b
Conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships are only possible when the _____ method is used. a. correlational b. experimental c. survey d. descriptive
b
Deception is used in some research in order to a. prevent socially desirable responding. b. help control for placebo effects. c. encourage socially desirable responding. d. aid in double-blind procedures.
b
Hypotheses are typically expressed as a. variables. b. predictions. c. theories. d. statistics.
b
If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-and-effect relationship, the _____ variable would be the cause, and the _____ variable would be the effect. a. independent; confounded b. independent; dependent c. control; experimental d. dependent; independent
b
In experimental research, the variable that is free to be varied by the experimenter is the _____ variable. a. controlled b. independent c. dependent d. extraneous
b
Research has revealed that subjects who participated in research involving deception a. were psychologically distressed at being deceived. b. didn't mind being misled and generally enjoyed taking part in research. c. suffered extreme embarrassment at being "fooled." d. lost the ability to trust others.
b
Sampling bias is a problem because it a. makes it difficult to avoid a confounding of variables. b. limits the generality of the findings. c. makes it impossible to use inferential statistics. d. makes the effect of the independent variable appear to be bigger than it really is.
b
The _____ approach assumes that events are governed by some lawful order. a. philosophical b. scientific c. mechanical d. cognitive
b
The experimental procedure in which both the experimenter and subject are unaware of who is in the experimental group and who is in the control group is referred to as the _____ procedure. a. single-blind b. double-blind c. stereotaxic d. placebo control
b
The final step in a scientific investigation is to a. analyze the data. b. report the findings. c. decide whether or not the hypothesis was supported. d. conduct the study.
b
The primary reason descriptive/correlational research does not prove causality is because in conducting the research, a. the researcher observes behavior under artificial situations. b. the researcher cannot control events or manipulate variables. c. the data collected frequently come from direct observations or statements made by subjects. d. only an experimental group is used.
b
The research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result is the _____ method. a. descriptive b. experimental c. scientific d. correlational
b
The two main types of research methods used in psychology are the a. descriptive and correlational research methods. b. experimental and descriptive/correlational research methods. c. experimental and case study research methods. d. descriptive/correlational and case study research methods.
b
A correlation between two variables exists when scores on one variable a. cause or determine the scores on the second variable. b. are unrelated to scores on the second variable. c. are related to scores on the second variable. d. are different from the scores on the second variable.
c
A high correlation coefficient (either positive or negative) indicates that a. the scores on the two variables are nearly identical. b. a change in one variable causes a change in the second variable. c. there is a high level of consistency between the two variables. d. a third factor or variable is always responsible for the relationship between the two variables.
c
A sample is representative if a. all subjects are chosen from a single, unusual segment of the population. b. it is as different from the population as possible. c. its composition is similar to the composition of the population. d. only volunteer subjects are used.
c
A scientific journal is a a. personal diary kept by a scientist. b. detailed record of the daily procedures followed in conducting a study. c. periodical that publishes technical and scholarly articles. d. collection of biographies of famous scientists.
c
A theory is a. the application of research to practical problems. b. a statement about the relationship between two or more variables. c. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations. d. an objective description of behavior.
c
Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study are called a. hypotheses. b. confounds. c. variables. d. correlations.
c
As correlation coefficients _____, the ability to predict one variable based on knowledge of the second variable increases. a. become positive b. become negative c. increase in strength d. decrease in strength
c
Experimenter bias occurs when a. experimenters desire to make a favorable impression on their subjects. b. experimenters explicitly instruct subjects to behave in a way that will be consistent with their hypothesis. c. experimenters' beliefs in their own hypotheses affect either the subjects' behavior or their observations of the subjects. d. experimenters conduct their studies in a completely objective manner.
c
In experimental research, subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the independent variable are in the _____ group. a. control b. correlational c. experimental d. observational
c
In experimental research, the researcher manipulates the _____ variable in order to measures its effect on the _____ variable. a. independent; extraneous b. dependent; independent c. independent; dependent d. dependent; extraneous
c
The scientific approach assumes that a.there are few general laws or principles that apply to human behavior. b. each event is completely unique. c. events are governed by some lawful order. d. the search for absolute truth is the ultimate goal.
c
When two variables are linked and their individual effects cannot be isolated, we speak of the variables as being a. dependent. b. independent. c. confounded. d. codependent.
c
Which of the following research methods involves a researcher engaging in careful observation of behavior without intervening directly with the subjects? a. Surveys b. Case studies c. Naturalistic observation d. Criterion-based induction
c
Which of the following research methods involves an in-depth investigation of an individual subject? a. Naturalistic observation b. Experiment c. Case study d. Survey
c
A scientific theory has to be a. accepted by others. b. true. c. testable. d. well established and not disputed.
c
A standardized measure used to obtain a sample of a person's behavior is called a(n) a. psychological test. b. case study. c. survey. d. experiment.
a
A variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study is referred to as a(n) a. extraneous variable. b. inverse bias. c. redundant variable. d. covariate.
a
An independent variable in an experiment refers to a. the variable that affects the subjects' behavior. b. the variable that is held constant across experimental conditions. c. the variable that the experimenter believes will change in value because of systematic correlations that exist in the experiment. d. the variable that provides an alternative explanation for the results of the experiment.
a
In a study, IQ score, age, weight, grade point average, and income would all be considered a. variables. b. statistics. c. constants. d. correlations.
a
In an experiment, the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher is called the _____ variable. a. independent b. control c. dependent d. stimulus
a
In experimental research, subjects in the _____ group receive some special treatment with regard to the independent variable while subjects in the _____ group do not. a. experimental; control b. primary; secondary c. secondary; primary d. control; experimental
a
One advantage of naturalistic observation is that it a. allows behavior to be studied in realistic settings. b. involves random assignment. c. approximates the experimental method. d. allows for cause-and-effect conclusions to be drawn.
a
One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is a. the fact that experiments often can't be done for practical or ethical reasons. b. the fact that only one variable can be studied at a time. c. the inability to generate cause-and-effect conclusions. d. the length of time necessary to complete the study.
a
Placebos are used in research to control for a. the subjects' expectations about treatment. b. random fluctuations in the independent variable. c. secondary drug effects. d. nontreatment effects.
a
Placing subjects in experimental groups such that each subject has an equal probability of ending up in any group is referred to as a. random assignment. b. random sampling. c. random forecasting. d. random selection.
a
The principal disadvantage of descriptive/correlational research methods is a. since researchers cannot control variables of interest, conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships are not appropriate. b. they do not allow the researcher to describe behavior. c. they frequently observe behavior in artificial situations. d. because of practical or ethical reasons, they cannot be used to study some research questions.
a
The tendency for survey subjects to provide answers that place them in a favorable light is referred to as a. socially desirable responding. b. response stereotyping. c. sampling bias. d. a placebo effect.
a
Which of the following is NOT among the goals of scientific psychology? a. Searching for absolute truths about behavior b. Applications of research findings to solve everyday problems c. Understanding why certain behaviors occur d. The development of measurement techniques for describing behavior precisely and accurately
a
A correlation coefficient will always have a value between a. -10 and +10. b. -1 and +1. c. 0% and 100%. d. 0 and +1.
b
One method to control for experimenter bias effects in research is to use a. reverse control groups. b. a socially desirable procedure. c. a non-representative sample. d. a double-blind procedure.
d
Subjects in the control group should be _____ subjects in the experimental groups in all respects except for the treatment they receive with regard to the _____. a. very similar to; dependent variable b. very different from; dependent variable c. very different from; independent variable d. very similar to; independent variable
d
The abstract of a journal article provides a(n) a. overview of the research problem, relevant theories, and previous research. b. description of the research methods used in the study. c. concise summary of the raw data and statistical analyses. d. concise summary of the entire article.
d
The experimental group a. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the dependent variable. b. must be chosen so as to be as different from the control group as possible. c. consists of the subjects who do not receive the special treatment. d. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the independent variable.
d
Which of the following is NOT included in the ethical guidelines for human participants in psychological research? a. Participants' right to privacy should not be compromised. b. Participants should not be subjected to harmful or dangerous treatments. c. Participation should be voluntary. d. Participants should be paid for their participation.
d
