Psych 310 Quizzes Chapters 1-5

What is the difference between a ratio scale of measurement and an interval scale of measurement? A. A ratio scale of measurement has a zero value that actually means "nothing" or "the absence of something," B. An interval scale of measurement is a type of measurement used for categorical measurements, but a ratio scale is used for quantitative measurements C. An interval scale has equal intervals, but a ratio scale does not. D. A ratio scale of measurement cannot be used to compare people's scores, but interval scales can (e.g., Phillip is twice as fast).

A. A ratio scale of measurement has a zero value that actually means "nothing" or "the absence of something,"

In which of the following ways are content and face validity similar? A. Both involve subjective judgments. B. Both involve asking participants for their opinions about the measurement. C. Both are preferred by psychologists as ideal measures of validity. D. Both are very difficult to establish.

A. Both involve subjective judgments.

How can you ensure that a popular media article accurately reflects the original research of a scientific study? A. Find and read the original scientific article B. Determine whether the results fit within the theories you learned in your psychology classes C. Check that the popular media article includes the statistical significance of the results D. Research the credentials of the author of the popular media article

A. Find and read the original scientific article

Which of the following is true of the relationship between hypotheses and theories? A. Hypotheses are used to determine if a theory is accurate. B. Theories are used to determine if a hypothesis is accurate. C. Multiple theories are needed to test whether a hypothesis is accurate. D. Hypotheses and theories are synonymous terms.

A. Hypotheses are used to determine if a theory is accurate.

Which of the following is NOT an example of coercion? A. A researcher hinting to participants that their employer will be told if they do not participate B. A researcher offering three points of extra credit to college students to participate in a study C. A researcher offering homeless participants $1,000 to participate in a study D. A researcher telling participants that he will be fired if he is unable to recruit at least 50 participants

B. A researcher offering three points of extra credit to college students to participate in a study

In looking at a scatterplot of interrater reliability, why would a researcher want to see all the dots close to the line of agreement? A. Because it indicates a positive relationship B. Because it indicates that the researcher's two research assistants/raters are making similar measurements C. Because it indicates that the researcher's measurement is valid D. Because it indicates that the researcher's measurement will also have high test-retest reliability

B. Because it indicates that the researcher's two research assistants/raters are making similar measurements

If you are interested in reading an overview of peer-reviewed scientific research within a specific area, which of the following reading sources would you choose? A. Popular magazines B. Edited books C. Scientific journals D. An expert's dissertation

B. Edited books

Matthew is reading an empirical journal article and wants to know whether the authors used the Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) or the NEO-PI to measure extraversion. In which section would he find this information? A. Introduction B. Method C. Results D. Discussion

B. Method

Benjamin is a social psychologist who studies marriage. He believes that marital satisfaction has two components: the ability to trust one's partner and a belief that one can be a good spouse. He conducts a study to test his ideas. Assuming that his data match his theory, which of the following statements should he make? A. "The data prove my theory." B. "My theory is generalizable." C. "The data provide support for my theory." D. "The data complicate my theory."

C. "The data provide support for my theory."

Which of the following studies would probably require written informed consent? A. An observational study that measures walking speed of people entering and exiting buildings B. An anonymous study that measures the relationship between time spent grocery shopping and money spent on groceries C. A confidential study examining income level and voting behavior D. An anonymous survey asking whether students want a snack stand opened in the library

C. A confidential study examining income level and voting behavior

Which of the following phrases would NOT indicate that a researcher is making a causal claim? A. "curbs" B. "seems to decrease" C. "suggests a change" D. "is at higher risk of"

D. "is at higher risk of"

Which of the following is NOT a reason that psychologists might fabricate or falsify their data? A. They feel pressure to publish findings. B. They are convinced of the correctness of their own hypotheses. C. Research success has implications for promotion within their department. D. A journal might require it.

D. A journal might require it.

Which of the following is NOT possible? A. A measure is neither reliable nor valid. B. A measure is both valid and reliable. C. A measure is reliable but not valid. D. A measure is valid but not reliable.

D. A measure is valid but not reliable.

In the theory-data cycle, theories first lead to ______. a. questions B. answers C. data D. research

a. questions

Your friend Alanna says that when examining validity, you always want to see positive correlations. Why is she wrong? A. Both the strength and the direction of a correlation matter when examining validity B. The strength of a correlation matters, but the direction of a correlation does not matter. C. Negative correlations are desirable when examining validity D. Correlations are not used to examine validity.

A. Both the strength and the direction of a correlation matter when examining validity

You submit a study for approval by the institutional review board (IRB), and they tell you that written informed consent is required. Which of the following can be excluded from your informed consent document? A. A statement of benefits B. A statement of risks C. A description of the study's hypotheses D. A list of procedures

C. A description of the study's hypotheses

Establishing construct validity would probably be most important for which of the following? A. A measure of heart rate B. A measure of the number of times a person eats alone during a month C. A measure of spirituality D. A measure of income

C. A measure of spirituality

Tim tells you that the best way to make friends is by opening the conversation with a joke. He can easily recall all the friends he met by telling a joke and also the times he opened with chitchat and didn't befriend the person. If you were concerned that Tim was making the present/present bias, what would you ask him? A. How many people have you met and befriended? B. Do you think the times you made friends by telling jokes might come more easily to mind? C. Did you go into conversations where you opened with jokes thinking that you would make friends? D. What about the times you opened with a joke and didn't become friends with the person?

D. What about the times you opened with a joke and didn't become friends with the person?

Which of the following could be an independent variable in a causal claim? A. one that is manipulated B. one that is measured C. one that is kept constant D. one that has one level

A. one that is manipulated

According to the Belmont Report, which of the following groups of people is entitled to special protection? A. Women B. People with developmental disabilities C. Members of minority religious groups D. Refugees

B. People with developmental disabilities

How would you adopt the mindset of a scientific reasoner? A. Using common sense to understand scientific data B. Remaining objective as you interpret scientific data C. Finding evidence that confirms your hypotheses D. Reminding yourself that because you know about potential biases, you cannot fall prey to them

B. Remaining objective as you interpret scientific data

Javier wants his lab partner to tell him if he thinks the article he found for their project is appropriate. Rather than have him read the article, which two parts of the paper could Javier have his lab partner read to get a summary of the article? A. The abstract and the first paragraph of the introduction B. The abstract and the first paragraph of the discussion C. The abstract and the method section D. The last paragraph of the introduction and the results section

B. The abstract and the first paragraph of the discussion

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?"Why should Anton NOT interrogate the internal validity of the study? A. because he is a student, not a researcher B. because the author of the study already did C. because the study's claim is an association claim D. because he has not taken statistics yet

C. because the study's claim is an association claim

When researchers conduct an experiment comparing two different treatment conditions, they are likely to be more concerned with _____ validity than _______ validity. A. construct; internal B. statistical; construct C. internal; external D. external; statistical

C. internal; external

Sasha believes that she is a nice person. To confirm this, she asks all her friends whether she is a nice person; they all agree that she is. Sasha concludes that she is a nice person and says she has evidence of it. However, she does not ask any of her enemies whether they think she is a nice person. This is an example of which of the following? A. Confirmation bias B. Availability heuristic C. Fourth cell reasoning D. Overconfidence

A. Confirmation bias

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. What should Dr. White do next? A. Evaluate the ways in which her study differed from previous studies that supported this theory B. Work with a journalist to write a magazine article claiming they have disproved the previous theory C. Develop a new theory of what causes depression D. Start altering treatments for depression based on her findings

A. Evaluate the ways in which her study differed from previous studies that supported this theory

Which of the following is a reasonable causal claim? A. No one should text and drive. B. Experts say a majority of drivers text while driving. C. Texting while driving reduces impulse control. D. Teens spend too much time texting and driving.

C. Texting while driving reduces impulse control.

When is it acceptable for a researcher to study only participants from a specific group, such as a researcher studying depression in a sample of Native American women? A. If the specific group being studied is especially prone to the problem being studied (e.g., if depression rates are higher in Native American women) B. If the specific group being studied has participated in similar research previously (e.g., earlier studies of intelligence in Native American women) C. If the researcher has special access to the specific group (e.g., the researcher works on a Native American reservation) D. It is never acceptable for such a specific group to be studied.

A. If the specific group being studied is especially prone to the problem being studied (e.g., if depression rates are higher in Native American women)

Two researchers tell you they study the same thing. However, when you look at their research papers, they do not use similar methodologies or measurements. How is this possible? A. The researchers have the same conceptual definitions. B. The researchers have the same operational definitions C. The researchers have the same conceptual definitions and operational definitions D. The researchers do not have the same conceptual definitions nor the same operational definitions.

A. The researchers have the same conceptual definitions.

Hosea is studying the relationship between caffeine consumption and problem-solving ability. Which of the following is a quantitative way to operationalize problem-solving ability? A. The time spent solving a math problem B. The type of puzzle solved (Sudoku puzzle or a crossword puzzle) C. Whether participants used insight or trial-and-error techniques to solve the problem D. The report of a teacher about whether a student is a good or bad problem solver

A. The time spent solving a math problem

You read research that found that first-born children tend to have higher IQs than their siblings. However, you typically earn higher grades than your older brother. Scientists might explain this discrepancy by saying that: A. research is probabilistic. B. you have cherry-picked information to support your conclusion. C. you have fallen prey to your blind spot bias. D. your intuition is better than research.

A. research is probabilistic.

Which aspect of the peer-review cycle allows for the greatest amount of honesty in reviews? A. The number of peer reviewers B. The anonymity of the peer reviewers C. The possibility of rejection D. The frequency of publication

B. The anonymity of the peer reviewers

Why might a researcher debrief his participants even if his study didn't include any deceptive elements? A. Because APA guidelines require debriefing in all studies regardless of deception B. To ensure that his participants had a good research experience C. To prevent participants from having negative experiences during the study D. To decrease the likelihood of data falsification

B. To ensure that his participants had a good research experience

Research that is done specifically to solve a practical problem, like increasing memory ability or decreasing symptoms of depression, is known as: A. basic research B. applied research C. empirical research D. translational research

B. applied research

When examining the statistical validity of a frequency claim, one should look for the: A. strength of the association. B. margin of error estimate. C. statistical significance. D. length of the measurement.

B. margin of error estimate.

Dr. Ellison finds a relation between amount of sleep and problem solving. Specifically, having a higher amount of sleep the night before an exam is associated with higher scores on two measures of problem solving. This is an example of which type of association? A. negative association B. positive association C. zero association D. causal association

B. positive association

You read a news article titled, "New Drug Reduces OCD Symptoms in Mice" about a recent scientific study. To evaluate whether the title's claim is supported, you should do which of the following? A. Ensure that the authors attempted to maximize Type II error. B. Research the frequency of OCD in mice. C. Check whether the authors established covariance, temporal precedence, and internal validity D. Ask yourself whether the implication makes intuitive sense.

C. Check whether the authors established covariance, temporal precedence, and internal validity

In which of the following ways is an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) different from an institutional review board (IRB)? A. IACUCs are optional at universities conducting animal research; IRBs are mandatory at universities conducting human research. B. Seeking permission from an IACUC is recommended but not required for animal research; IRB approval is required for human research. C. IACUCs monitor the care and treatment of animals throughout the study; IRBs do not monitor the care of human participants throughout the study. D. IRBs must follow federal guidelines, but IACUCs do not have federal guidelines to follow.

C. IACUCs monitor the care and treatment of animals throughout the study; IRBs do not monitor the care of human participants throughout the study.

All of the following are true of institutional review boards (IRBs) in the United States EXCEPT: A. IRBs can be found in settings other than colleges and universities. B. IRBs are mandated by federal law. C. IRBs must have a psychologist as a member. D. IRBs must have at least five members.

C. IRBs must have a psychologist as a member.

The need to balance the potential costs and benefits to participants taking part in a research study is done to address which principle of the Belmont Report? A. The principle of respect for persons B. The principle of justice C. The principle of beneficence D. The principle of integrity

C. The principle of beneficence

In which of the following scenarios should you be skeptical of an authority? A. When they present all the evidence on a topic B. When they have a scientific degree C. When they based their opinions on their intuition D. When they have conducted scientific research on the topic

C. When they based their opinions on their intuition

Which of the following is a limitation of Google Scholar compared to PsycINFO? A. Google Scholar does not provide PDF versions of articles. B. Google Scholar is not free to use. C. Google Scholar can only be accessed from certain computers. D. Google Scholar is not limited to just psychology and related fields.

D. Google Scholar is not limited to just psychology and related fields.

Stefan wants to make a causal claim in his dissertation. Which of the following is necessary? A. He must make a frequency claim first. B. He must manipulate all of his variables. C. He must measure all of his variables. D. He must conduct an experiment.

D. He must conduct an experiment.

Which types of reliability can be analyzed with scatterplots? A. All types of reliability B. Internal reliability and test-retest reliability C. Internal reliability and interrater reliability D. Interrater reliability and test-retest reliability

D. Interrater reliability and test-retest reliability

Which of the following is a reason why it is important to be a knowledgeable consumer of research? A. It is important to know how to write in APA style. B. It is important to understand how to design an effective study. C. It is important to know why researchers protect the anonymity of participants. D. It is important to understand whether the information you read is accurate.

D. It is important to understand whether the information you read is accurate

How does research overcome the problem of confounds? A. Research uses intuition to detect potential confounds. B. Research combines data across diverse individuals. C. Research focuses on one possible explanation for the results. D. Research systematically compares multiple conditions.

D. Research systematically compares multiple conditions.

Your friend Dominic is complaining about having to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a test that is required to go to graduate school and is similar to the ACT and SAT. He complains, "Tests like the GRE don't really measure how well people actually do in graduate school." Dominic is questioning the ______ of the test. A. discriminant validity B. content validity C. convergent validity D. criterion validity

D. criterion validity

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid.In this study, estrogen levels in participants were the . A. theory B. research question C. hypothesis D. data

D. data

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?" Clarissa's concern is addressing which of the following? A. the study's statistical validity B. the study's internal validity C. the study's external validity D. the study's construct validity

D. the study's construct validity

Vinai learns that people with schizophrenia have a problem labeling their emotions. Using this information, he designs a research study to examine whether teaching patients with schizophrenia to label the emotions of people they see in movie clips helps them to better label their own emotions. Vinai hopes that the findings of this research could then be used to create an intervention to treat schizophrenia. Vinai's study is an example of: A. basic research B. applied research C. empirical research D. translational research

D. translational research