PSYC 200: Lessons 5-8
What is a researcher doing when he or she randomly assigns certain groups in a repeated measures design to receive certain treatments in one order and others to receive treatments in another order? A) random assignment B) counterbalancing C) reordering the treatments D) eliminating selection bias
counterbalancing
To ensure participants randomly assigned to different levels of the independent variable are equivalent you should have a minimum of _______ participants per condition. A) 20 to 30 B) 10 to 20 C) 40 to 50 D) 30 to 40
20 to 30
Any feature of an experiment that might inform a participant of the purpose of the study is called a __________ characteristic. A) none of these B) defined C) demand D) filter
demand
A) It can sensitize participants to what is being studied and enable them to figure out the hypothesis B) All of these are potential disadvantages C) It may be time-consuming and awkward to administer in the context of the experimental procedures being used D) Participants may react to the manipulation differently than those that did not experience the pretest
All of these are potential disadvantages
Informing participants of the purpose of a study may introduce _____. A) floor effects B) ceiling effects C) expectancy effects D) demand characteristics
demand characteristics
__________ research involves using previously compiled information to answer research questions. A) Experimental B) Archival C) Case study D) Laboratory
Archival
The dropout factor in experiments is referred to as __________. A) mortality B) subject reduction C) loss rate D) subject confounding
mortality
Which of the following is essential for making comparisons across an experimental and control group? A) The participants within the groups were assigned via random assignment B) The intervention is the same for the different groups C) The measurement tools used to assess the dependent variable are the same for both groups D) The participants within the groups were assigned via random assignment and the measurement tools used to assess the dependent are the same for both groups
The participants within the groups were assigned via random assignment and the measurement tools used to assess the dependent are the same for both groups
Dr. Jones is conducting a study in which he is observing how parents play with their children. When training his research assistants, he tells them to document how many times the parents smile at their children, frown at their children, encourage their children, and correct their children. This is most clearly an example of __________. A) naturalistic observation B) a coding system C) archival research D) a case study
a coding system
If a task is too difficult, the researcher will find _____ on the dependent measure. A) sensitivity B) a ceiling effect C) a floor effect D) no effects
a floor effect
Which of the following will reduce the size of your confidence interval? A) a smaller sample size B) a larger sample size C) both a smaller and larger sample size D) none of these influence confidence intervals
a larger sample size
Which of the following best describes a confounding variable? A) a variable that varies along with the independent variable B) a variable that varies along with the dependent variable C) a variable that supports the independent variable D) a variable that is not kept constant across conditions
a variable that varies along with the independent variable
Which of the following is a type of observational method? A) archival research B) case studies C) naturalistic observation D) both (B) and (C) E) all of the above
all of the above
Case studies are used to describe _______. A) businesses B) people C) neighborhoods D) all of these
all of these
When sampling a population, once can only be so confident about the true (population) values of the results obtained. The reason researchers cannot be 100% certain of the true value of a result from a sample is because of _____. A) measurement error B) margin of error C) sampling error D) all of these
all of these
In which type of design would a researcher randomly assign different participants to each condition? A) between-subjects design B) between-subjects design AND independent groups design C) within-subjects design D) independent groups design
between-subjects design AND independent groups design
Independent group designs is to _____ designs as repeated measures designs is to _____ designs. A) within-subjects;between-subjects B) pretest-posttest; pretest C) between-subjects; within-subjects D) pretest; pretest-posttest
between-subjects; within-subjects
Stan is participating in a research project on campus. The experimenter asked him to first answer some personal questions about his relationship history. Having just gone through an awful breakup, Stan is pretty bummed after completing that survey. The researcher comes in with a second survey assessing Stan's self-esteem. Having just suffered through the relationship survey, Stan is likely to respond indicate lower self-esteem than he would have if he weren't accidentally reminded of his recent breakup. This is most likely an example of a ______effect. A) learning B) practice C) carryover D) fatigue
carryover
A researcher conducts interviews with 15 female marathon first-time finishers to understand the psychological impact of the event on self-esteem. What type of design did this researcher most likely use? A) systematic observation B) case study C) naturalistic observation D) archival research
case study
Dr. Quinn is interested in hybristophilia; a rare paraphilia in which people are attracted to those who have committed crimes. Dr. Jones is most likely to conduct a(n) __________. A) case study B) naturalistic observation C) systematic observation D) archival research study
case study
Researchers conducted a memory experiment in which participants were randomly assigned to review a short list of simple words in one of three conditions: running in place, skipping in place, or hopping in place. Results revealed participants in all three conditions recalled all the words on the list. Most likely a __________ effect can explain these results. A) performance B) floor C) base D) ceiling
ceiling
Which of the following is NOT a form of nonprobability sampling? A) haphazard B) all of these are not forms of nonprobability sampling C) quota D) cluster
cluster
If the independent variable has the same effect on several measures of the same dependent variable, __________. A) flawed findings are suspected B) confidence in the results is increased C) a poor research design is suspected D) the operational definition is assumed to be very weak
confidence in the results is increased
_____ is the methodical analysis of existing documents. A) mass communication analysis B) content analysis C) systematic observation D) psychobiography
content analysis
When constructing questions for a survey, what is the first thing the researcher must do? A) list any questions that come to mind about a topic B) determine the research objectives C) establish the desirable outcome D) evaluate the potential participants
determine the research objectives
"Do you like dogs and cats?" is an example of a ______ question. A) trivial B) factual C) open-ended D) double-barreled
double-barreled
Which of the following can help enhance reliability? A) employing multiple raters to code behaviors B) gathering a representative sample of participants C) providing participants with informed consent about the research study D) using software program to analyze your results
employing multiple raters to code behaviors
Dr. Finkelstein is conducting a study on depression and he is convinced that his new therapy will make great strides in the treatment of mental illness. When he meets with patients in his experimental group, he tries to temper his excitement and enthusiasm because he knows deep down that his treatment will change lives. One of his research assistants noted that his mood is very different in the treatment sessions than it is in the control sessions (where participants are delivered a standard treatment for depression that is only marginally effective). It is likely that Dr. Finkelstein is introducing _____. A) a placebo effect B) participant bias C) expectancy effects D) demand characteristics
expectancy effects
Jared agreed to participate in a market research study in his neighborhood. When he arrived at the research site, he was asked to sit in a room with eight other people and to discuss his ideas about a new bottled beverage for sale. Jared was participating in a(n) ____. A) panel study B) focus group C) telephone interview D) experiment
focus group
A(n) _____ requires a mark along a continuous line that is anchored with descriptions at each end. A) graphic rating scale B) open-ended question C) rating scale D) semantic differential scale
graphic rating scale
Confederates are ______. A) members of the research team B) individuals who know the underlying purpose of the study and therefore have no role in the delivery of the manipulation C) individuals playing the role of a research participant D) members of the IRB investigating the research protocol
individuals playing the role of a research participant
Which of the following is TRUE about naturalistic observation studies? A) the data analysis is planned in advanced B) the procedures are well defined C) informed consent can be given verbally D) the procedures are the same for all participants
informed consent can be given verbally
A confounding variable threatens which of the following? A) internal validity B) measurement error C) external validity D) test-retest reliability
internal validity
Alexis, a Caucasian college student, is being interviewed by a Latino researcher on her campus. The researcher asks her several questions about her attitudes regarding racial and ethnic minorities and her thoughts about a controversial immigration debate. A potential threat to the validity of the data in this study could involve _____. A) face validity B) participation bias C) interviewer bias D) Reliability
interviewer bias
Which of the following best describes a quantitative approach? A) it involves numerical data and relies on statistical analyses to draw conclusions B) it requires few research participants C) individuals are observed in a natural setting and the researcher records observations D) researchers collect data via in-depth interviews
it involves numerical data and relies on statistical analyses to draw conclusions
When using the experimental method, a researcher ________. A) keeps all variables except the independent variable constant B) manipulates the dependent variable C) keeps the independent variable constant D) manipulates the confounding variable
keeps all variables except the independent variable constant
Research on the semantic differential shows that concepts are rated along three basic dimensions. Which of the following is NOT one of those dimensions? A) evaluation B) latency C) activity D) potency
latency
Claudio is conducting a study on mindfulness meditation. One group in his study is instructed to practice meditating for 30 minutes per day and the other group is asked to take a 30-minute walk each day while listening to their favorite music. He decides to give a mindfulness inventory questionnaire to his participants to check if the meditation group actually demonstrated mindfulness. This practice is known as a _____. A) validity check B) variable check C) debriefing D) manipulation check
manipulation check
Books, magazine articles, movies, television programs, and newspapers are examples of ______ records. A) written B) cultural communication C) mass communication D) ethnographical
mass communication
Sally and her twin sister Susie participate in a sleep study. Sally is given an over-the-counter sleep aid, while Susie is given no medications. The researchers study the quality or REM cycle sleep each sister endures over the course of the night. This would most likely be an example of which type of study design? A) counterbalanced B) pretest-posttest C) independent groups D) matched pairs
matched pairs
Veronica is working on her dissertation and her data collection involves giving participants a detailed questionnaire about their attitudes and emotions. She also asks participants to undergo an fMRI brain scan. Veronica is using _____ in her dissertation study. A) behavioral measures B) physiological measures C) multiple measures D) self-report measures
multiple measures
What is a unique feature of a Solomon four-group design? A) it does not require a control group B) not all participants receive both the pretest and posttest C) it establishes equivalence across the treatment groups D) it requires fewer participants
not all participants receive both the pretest and posttest
"What are your feelings about the future?" is an example of a(n) ______ question. A) open-ended B) behavioral C) close-ended D) factual
open-ended
To ______ a variable is to describe the variable in terms of any instructions, events, and stimuli to be presented to participants. A) manipulate B) control C) operationalize D) balance
operationalize
One way to study changes over time is to conduct a _______ study in which the same people are surveyed at two or more points in time. A) focus group B) panel C) time-sensitive D) respondent
panel
In a single-blind drug trial, the _____ is unaware of the treatment condition (i.e., whether the drug is being given or not). A) experimenter and participant B) confederate C) participant D) experimenter
participant
A placebo group is added to an experiment to control for __________. A) selection bias B) experimenter bias C) participants' expectations D) floor effects
participants' expectations
Which of the following is NOT a quantitative approach to describing behavior? A) the average age of children entering school B) the number of drivers that are stopped by police officers each day C) personal explanations for not wearing seat belts D) the percentage of students enrolled in four or more courses
personal explanations for not wearing seat belts
A measure of brain activity or the electrical conductance of the skin are both _____ measures. A) self-report B) physiological C) behavioral D) multiple measures
physiological
Dr. Riley decided to run his experiment with a small number of participants to test the research protocol before releasing the study to the general public. This smaller study is known as a _____. A) pilot study B) test run study C) single-blind study D) double-blind study
pilot study
In a drug study, this group often is referred to as the "sugar pill" group because participants receive an inert substance rather than the drug being tested. A) treatment group B) experimental group C) placebo group D) wait-list control group
placebo group
Using which type of design would you assign participants either an experimental or control group and measures effects on the dependent variable? A) posttest design B) pretest-posttest design C) confounding groups design D) Solomon design
posttest design
Joe's term paper for his psychology class this semester analyzed Abraham Lincoln from three different theoretical positions. Joe most clearly conducted a(n) _________ A) archival research study B) naturalistic observation C) systematic observation D) psychobiography
psychobiography
Dr. Smith wants to distribute a survey to 300 people so he decides to administer the survey during his 300-person general psychology course that day. This is an example of _____ sampling. A) quota B) cluster C) purposive D) haphazard
purposive
Imagine that you are interested in learning about graduate school dropout rates among female engineering students. You obtain a small sample of eight women who left their Ph.D. programs and you decide that you will interview them to explore similar themes in their experiences. What type of research approach would you be utilizing? A) quantitative method B) qualitative method C) field experiment D) observational method
qualitative method
___________ is used to achieve equivalence between groups of participants. A) Probability sampling B) Simple random sampling C) Random selection D) Random assignment
random assignment
Which of the following describes a basic experimental design? A) random assignment, an experimental group, and a control group B) random assignment and a dependent variable C) an independent variable with two levels and a dependent variable D) random assignment, independent variable with two levels, and a dependent variable
random assignment, independent variable with two levels, and a dependent variable
Frank is designing a survey on emotions and would like to be able to quantify participants' responses rather than asking them to describe their feelings. His lab partner Cassandra suggested that he use _____ to get the most detail possible from participants while being able to quantify their responses. A) a case study B) open-ended questions C) rating scales D) yes and no questions
rating scales
Of the potential methodological issues, which one refers to concern that an observer's presence will influence participant behaviors? A) equipment B) sampling C) reliability D) reactivity
reactivity
In an experiment examining the impact of noise on memory, participants were asked to recall a list of words in a noisy room and then were asked to recall a list of words in a quiet room. This is an example of a(n) _______ design. A) repeated measures B) counterbalanced square C) Solomon four-group D) independent groups
repeated measures
When response rates are low, there is a greater chance of __________. A) randomized researcher bias B) response sets by the sampling frame C) respondents and nonrespondents being different D) interviewer bias that distorts the findings
respondents and nonrespondents being different
Of the potential methodological issues, which one refers to the procedures employed when recruiting participants? A) reactivity B) sampling C) equipment D) reliability
sampling
Sandy is conducting a study at her workplace and had decided to sample all of the employees by sending a mass email through the company email directory. Sandy later discovers that there are some employees (e.g., custodians, temporary employees) who do not have company email accounts. The employees with email accounts make up Sandy's actual population, or ____. A) convenience sample B) response rate C) sampling frame D) stratified sample
sampling frame
Chris wants to study participants' attitudes about corporal punishment. His dependent variable is most likely going to involve ______. A) behavioral measures B) self-report measures C) physiological measures D) multiple measures
self-report measures
What are the three general types of a dependent variable used in most experiments? A) psychological, self-report, behavioral B) observational, physiological, behavioral C) self-report, behavioral, physiological D) biological, psychological, behavioral
self-report, behavioral, physiological
When every member of the population has an equal probability of being selected for a sample, we are using which of the following sampling techniques? A) simple random sampling B) nonprobability sampling C) stratified random sampling D) probability sampling
simple random sampling
Despite being a chain smoker, in order to look better, Will tells his doctor that he is a non-smoker. This is an example of A) social desirability B) demand characteristics C) social equity D) yea-saying
social desirability
In Milgram's studies of obedience participants were led to believe that they were administering electric shocks to a fellow participant. This is an example of a(n) __________. A) behavioral manipulation B) repeated measures design C) staged manipulation D) straightforward manipulation
staged manipulation
An educational psychologist wanted to know if second grade students were more accurate at solving math problems when the teacher presented the problem in a nonverbal picture form compared to a verbal story form. Students were randomly assigned to conditions and the results revealed more correct answers in the nonverbal condition. What type of manipulation did the researcher use? A) conditional B) event C) staged D) straightforward
straightforward
Which sampling technique has the advantage of a built-in assurance that the sample will accurately reflect the numerical composition of the various subgroups?Which sampling technique has the advantage of a built-in assurance that the sample will accurately reflect the numerical composition of the various subgroups? A) probability B) stratified random C) random cluster D) simple random
stratified random
Which of the following is NOT a type of archival research? A) survey responses from undergraduate psychology students collected this semester B) school records of standardized test performance for the past decade C) Census data from 2012 D) data obtained from the General Social Survey (GSS)
survey responses from undergraduate psychology students collected this semester
Which of the following is NOT a component of systematic observation? A) only a few behaviors are of interest B) the researcher develops a hypothesis a priori (ahead of time) C) the observations are quantifiable D) the researcher allows the observations to drive the hypotheses and findings
the researcher allows the observations to drive the hypotheses and findings
What is the purpose of conducting naturalistic observation research? A) to generate a list of field notes to chronicle what occurred B) to measure a phenomenon concretely using well-validated questionnaires C) to act as informants of hidden phenomena D) to provide an accurate description of what occurred in a particular setting
to provide an accurate description of what occurred in a particular setting
The simplest experimental design has _____ level(s) of the independent variable. A) two B) four or more C) one D) three
two
When are matched pairs designs most likely to be used? A) when random assignment is not possible B) when research has limited funding C) when using haphazard sampling D) when only a few participants are available
when only a few participants are available
What is participant observation? A) when the observer remains attune only to the participants' behaviors B) when the observer remains attune only to the participants' behaviors and the observer is an outsider who is not active in the setting C) when the observer is actively engaged with the participants D) when the observer is an outsider who is not active in the setting
when the observer is actively engaged with the participants
A researcher is interested in evaluating the effectiveness of a 6-week mindfulness-training program in alleviating anxiety. Which of the following designs would allow the researcher to examine the participants' changes in anxiety across time? A) within-subjects design B) independent groups design C) between-subjects design D) confounding squares design
within-subjects design
Manny is filling out a survey about a recent dining experience. After reading the first two questions, he just answers "strongly agree" to the remaining eight items. This is an example of ____. A) a double-barreled response set B) a social desirability response set C) yea-saying D) nay-saying
yea-saying
You and your classmates survey a random sample of your school to determine how anxious the students are. Based on your calculations, you find that the average anxiety score of the school sample is 58. Your 95% confidence interval is +/- 4. This means that you are 95% confident that _____. A) your school's actual average anxiety score is somewhere between 54 and 62 B) the average anxiety score of the students sampled is somewhere between 54 and 62. C) your school's actual average anxiety score is somewhere between 58 and 62. D) the U.S. population's average anxiety score is somewhere 54 and 62.
your school's actual average anxiety score is somewhere between 54 and 62