Psychology Chapter 2 Practice Quiz

A dependent variable in an experiment refers to the variable

that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in the experiment

The correlation coefficient is a measure of

the degree of relationship between two variables

Manipulating a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable defines

the experimental approach

In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease, half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half were given a placebo (sugar pill). In this study, the experimental group is

the group that received the actual drug.

When the scores for a recent chemistry exam were calculated, the mean was 60 and the median was 65. Later, the professor discovered that one score had been recorded incorrectly; it had been entered into the computer as a 5, instead of as a 50. When this correction is made,

the mean for the exam will change, but the median will stay the same

Carla earned 78 points on her statistics exam. Ten of the students in her class earned higher scores than she did, and ten students earned lower scores than she did. Based on this information, you can conclude that Carla's score of 78 points is

the median for her class

The primary reason descriptive/correlational research cannot determine conclusively that variables have a cause-and-effect relationship is because in conducting the research,

the researcher cannot control events or manipulate variables.

Estavan received a questionnaire in the mail asking about his general buying habits. He was asked to identify the specific products that he typically buys and the amount of each product that he typically uses. If Estavan completes the questionnaire and returns it, he will have taken part in research that incorporates

the survey method

An independent variable in an experiment refers to

the variable deliberately manipulated by the experimenter.

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that

they do not manipulate the variables under study

How much the scores in a data set vary from each other and from the mean refers to the concept of

variability

Subjects in the control group should be ____ subjects in the experimental groups in all respects except for the treatment they receive in regards to the ____.

very similar to; independent variable

A group of researchers wanted to determine whether children would behave more aggressively after watching violent television programming. Half the children in the study watched a violent television show; the other children watched a non-violent program. In this study, the control group is the children who

watch the non-violent program

Of the following, the correlation coefficient that indicates the weakest relationship between the two variables being measured is

+0.01

Of the following correlation coefficients, the one that would allow the most accurate predictions of one variable based on the other variable would be

-0.79

Which of the following statements about correlations is incorrect?

A and B correlate +1.00; therefore, they are causally related.

Which research method involves an in-depth investigation of an individual subject?

A case study

Theory construction is

A gradual iterative process that is always subject to revision

As interest rate increase, house sales decline, indicating

A negative correlation between the two variables

The research method that is often used to obtain information concerning individuals' behaviors, attitudes, and/or opinions is the

survey method

Reinhold is filling out the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and as he reads each question, he thinks about the way most other people would probably respond. When he answers, he selects the alternative that he thinks will present the most favorable impression. Reinhold's answers reflect

A social desirability bias

A researcher interested in studying individuals' attitudes toward "animal rights issues" would MOST likely conduct

A survey

Which of the following reasons for conducting psychological research with animals is MOST controversial?

Animals can be exposed to treatments that would be unacceptable for human exposure

If a psychologist hopes that his research will help to solve some practical problem, his hope reflects which goal of science?

Application and control

The subjects who participate in an experiment should

Be carefully chosen so that they represent a sample of the population

Which of the following techniques is MOST likely to prove useful in determining why one particular child is afraid to go to school?

Case study

Inferential statistics help us determine whether ____ played a role in an experiment.

Chance

A researcher is investigating the effects of caffeine consumption on student writing performance. Because the researcher will evaluate both the speed of assignment completion and the number of grammatical errors, she will need to include more than one ____________ variable in her study

Dependent

More Chapter 2 Questions

Derrick designed an experiment in which participants listened to a persuasive speech delivered either by a person who was very tall or a person who was average in height. In addition, the speeches were delivered either by individuals wearing business clothes or by people wearing casual clothes. In this example, Derrick does not have a control group, which should reduce the impact of self-reporting bias in his study. You Answered is using a double-blind procedure, which should reduce experimenter bias. Correct Answer has two independent variables and will be able to determine if height and style of clothing interact. has two dependent variables and will be able to determine if persuasion interacts with any other factors. Question 2 0.5 / 0.5 pts Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have medium-sized toes. either very large or very small toes. large toes. Correct! small toes. Question 3 0.5 / 0.5 pts If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that ____ scores on one variable are generally associated with ____ scores on the second variable. middle; a wide variety of Correct! low; low low; high high; low Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts If a psychologist hopes that his research will help to solve some practical problem, his hope reflects which goal of science? Correct Answer Application and control Construction and revision You Answered Measurement and description Understanding and prediction Question 5 0.5 / 0.5 pts Reinhold is filling out the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and as he reads each question, he thinks about the way most other people would probably respond. When he answers, he selects the alternative that he thinks will present the most favorable impression. Reinhold's answers reflect Correct! a social desirability bias. non-representative sampling. the placebo effect. a negative response set. Question 6 0 / 0.5 pts Theory construction is Correct Answer a gradual iterative process that is always subject to revision. You Answered a circular process that typically leads nowhere. a process that results in concrete findings that are accepted by other scientists. a standard step-like process that quickly moves toward the truth. Question 7 0.5 / 0.5 pts A variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study is referred to as an inverse bias. a redundant variable. Correct! an extraneous variable. a covariate. Question 8 0 / 0.5 pts The ____ is a research strategy that minimizes the potential methodological problems associated with the placebo effect and experimenter bias. neutral sample procedure You Answered single-blind procedure blind sample procedure Correct Answer double-blind procedure Question 9 0 / 0.5 pts Which physiological data collection method listed below involves placing electrodes on the scalp to read electrical activity in the brain? MRI PET Correct Answer EEG You Answered TMS Question 10 0 / 0.5 pts Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation and evaluation of the data? You Answered Conclusion References Results Correct Answer Discussion Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts While a(n) ____ is the group of individuals actually observed in a research study, the ____ is the group of individuals that researchers want to generalize or extend their findings to describe. control group; experimental group You Answered experimental group; control group population; sample Correct Answer sample; population Question 12 0 / 0.5 pts Scientific theories are most directly associated with which goal of science? You Answered Measurement and description Construction and revision Correct Answer Understanding and prediction Application and control Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts The mode in a group of scores describes the ____ for that group of scores. variability Correct Answer central tendency You Answered halfway point association with another group of scores Question 14 0 / 0.5 pts A group of researchers wanted to determine if people will eat more food in a room with red paint and red decorations than in a room that is decorated blue. Half the participants in this study ate in a red room and half ate in a blue room. The researchers then measured how much food was consumed in each of the two rooms. In this study, the independent variable was the amount of food that was consumed. You Answered the type of food that was available during the study. Correct Answer the color of the decorations in the room. how hungry the participants were at the end of the study. Question 15 0.5 / 0.5 pts Scientists discover a new life form on Mars. They take a tissue sample from it to test to see if it is composed of cells. The first test indicates that no cells were found in the creature's tissue. What is the next step in the investigation? We conclude that cell theory is incorrect and throw it out. We conclude that cell theory doesn't apply to Martian life forms, and revise it. None of these responses are the correct next step. Correct! We need to replicate the results before we draw any serious conclusions. Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts Inferential statistics help us determine whether ____ played a role in an experiment. a dependent variable You Answered a normal distribution genetics Correct Answer chance Question 17 0 / 0.5 pts In an investigation of the effects of caffeine on concentration, half the participants were given regular colas that contained caffeine and half were given decaffeinated colas. In this study, the decaffeinated colas are being used as You Answered the dependent variable. Correct Answer a placebo. a random factor. a confounding variable. Question 18 0 / 0.5 pts A researcher is investigating the effects of caffeine consumption on student writing performance. Because the researcher will evaluate both the speed of assignment completion and the number of grammatical errors, she will need to include more than one ____________ variable in her study Correct Answer dependent independent extraneous You Answered confounding Question 19 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of an argument based in reason? Your friend has had good results using Sparkle toothpaste, so you decide that you will have good results too, and switch to it. Correct Answer None of these are examples of an argument based in reason. You Answered Your dentist tells you to use Sparkle toothpaste, so you do. You buy Sparkle toothpaste because you keep seeing commercials for it that tell you it is the best toothpaste on the market. Question 20 0 / 0.5 pts Trevor plans to study the relationship between people's responses to highly stressful situations and their overall health. He decides he must use correlational research, rather than experimental research, to investigate this problem. Trevor most likely chose a correlational method because correlational studies You Answered can be used to study either positive or negative relationships, whereas experiments can only be used to study positive relationships. tend to be more accurate than experiments. Correct Answer can be used to investigate factors that would be unethical to manipulate in an experimental study. have higher internal validity than experiments when there are two dependent variables. If a researcher varies the loudness of music in a factory to observe its effect on the rate of productivity of the employees, the dependent variable is the Correct! rate of productivity. style of music being used. loudness of music being used. factory setting. Question 2 0 / 0.5 pts Which physiological data collection method listed below involves using a large magnetic field to trace which part of the brain is using the most oxygen? EEG You Answered MRI TMS Correct Answer fMRI Question 3 0 / 0.5 pts To determine whether students would like more courses scheduled in the late afternoon and evening hours, the student services department sends questionnaires to 50 students selected at random from the 5,000 who are registered at the campus. In this instance, the 5,000 students who are registered at the campus would be a biased sample. You Answered a representative sample. Correct Answer a population. the independent variable. Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation and evaluation of the data? Correct Answer Discussion You Answered Results References Conclusion Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts Sometimes a subject's expectations may lead to behavior change in the absence of any effective treatment. This is referred to as an example of sampling bias. socially desirable responding. Correct Answer the placebo effect. You Answered experimenter bias. Question 6 0 / 0.5 pts Which physiological data collection method listed below involves placing electrodes on the scalp to read electrical activity in the brain? You Answered TMS Correct Answer EEG PET MRI Question 7 0 / 0.5 pts Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study are called Correct Answer variables. confounds. hypotheses. You Answered correlations. Question 8 0 / 0.5 pts A researcher found that clients who were randomly assigned to same-sex groups participated more in group therapy sessions than clients who were randomly assigned to coed groups. In this experiment, the dependent variable was whether or not the group was coed. Correct Answer the amount of participation in the group therapy sessions. You Answered the clients' attitudes toward group therapy. how much the clients' mental health improved. Question 9 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of a longitudinal study? You Answered You are interested in studying changes of IQ over time. You take a sample of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 year old participants all at once, and give them all an IQ test, then compare differences between the groups. Neither of these are longitudinal designs. Correct Answer You want to know more about how happiness changes over time, so you take a sample of 10 year olds and give them a happiness questionaire every year for the next 20 years. Both of these are longitudinal designs. Question 10 0.5 / 0.5 pts Statistical procedures are used during which step in conducting a scientific investigation? Report the findings Correct! Analyze the data and draw conclusions Collect the data Select a research method and design the study Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts IQ score, age, weight, grade point average, and income are all examples of Correct Answer variables. constants. statistics. You Answered correlations. Question 12 0.5 / 0.5 pts An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the extraneous (confounding) variable? The mood (degree of happiness) Correct! The day of the week The exercise The hypothesis Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Redding has found a correlation of +0.65 between snoring and weight. This indicates that Correct Answer overweight individuals tend to snore more than underweight individuals. You Answered individuals who go on a diet will most likely begin to snore. overweight individuals tend to snore less than underweight individuals. there is no relationship between weight and snoring. Question 14 0.5 / 0.5 pts One is most likely to encounter problems with the social desirability bias when using case studies. Correct! self-reports. naturalistic observations. the experimental method. Question 15 0 / 0.5 pts Scientific theories are most directly associated with which goal of science? Application and control Correct Answer Understanding and prediction Measurement and description You Answered Construction and revision Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts The tendency for participants to participate in survey research appears to have Correct Answer declined noticeably in recent decades. You Answered remained relatively constant since the early 1950s. increased for mail surveys but decreased for phone surveys. increased noticeably in recent decades. Question 17 0 / 0.5 pts Estavan received a questionnaire in the mail asking about his general buying habits. He was asked to identify the specific products that he typically buys and the amount of each product that he typically uses. If Estavan completes the questionnaire and returns it, he will have taken part in research that incorporates a cross-sectional design. Correct Answer the survey method. a case study approach. You Answered naturalistic observation. Question 18 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of common sense? None of these examples are instances of common sense. You Answered You always put your fork to the left of your dinner plate because that is what your parents taught you to do. Correct Answer You know that Sparkle toothpaste is a good toothpaste because you haven't had any cavities since you've been using it. A lawyer pokes holes in a defendant's alibi by showing how his statements contradict themselves. Question 19 0 / 0.5 pts Conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships are only possible when the ____ method is used. survey Correct Answer experimental correlational You Answered descriptive Question 20 0.5 / 0.5 pts A dependent variable in an experiment refers to the variable Correct! that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in the experiment. deliberately manipulated by the experimenter. that the experimenter is depending on to cause something to happen in the experiment. held constant across the experimental conditions. Question 1 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of common sense? You always put your fork to the left of your dinner plate because that is what your parents taught you to do. A lawyer pokes holes in a defendant's alibi by showing how his statements contradict themselves. You Answered None of these examples are instances of common sense. Correct Answer You know that Sparkle toothpaste is a good toothpaste because you haven't had any cavities since you've been using it. Question 2 0 / 0.5 pts Individuals who think critically do NOT rely on anecdotal evidence because this type of evidence is based on inferential statistical analysis, which is generally unreliable. is too general and can be applied to too many unrelated situations. You Answered involves only negative instances, and cannot be used to make an unbiased decision. Correct Answer can be distorted by reporting biases. Question 3 0 / 0.5 pts Theory construction is a circular process that typically leads nowhere. You Answered a standard step-like process that quickly moves toward the truth. a process that results in concrete findings that are accepted by other scientists. Correct Answer a gradual iterative process that is always subject to revision. Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts In experimental research, the variable that the researcher measures because it is thought to be affected by the manipulation of another variable is the You Answered independent variable. Correct Answer dependent variable. controlled variable. extraneous variable. Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts Which research method involves an in-depth investigation of an individual subject? A survey Correct Answer A case study An experiment You Answered A naturalistic observation Question 6 0 / 0.5 pts A scientific theory has to be accepted by others. true. You Answered well established and not disputed. Correct Answer testable. Question 7 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Dickinson is investigating the link between social support networks and grades in school. Students in his classes are required to complete survey forms related to this research. If a survey form is not completed by the end of the semester, a student's grade is reduced by 10 points. In this case, some researchers might argue that Dr. Dickinson's research violates the ethical principle of You Answered protection from harm. Correct Answer voluntary participation. right to privacy. full disclosure. Question 8 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which of the following reasons for conducting psychological research with animals is MOST controversial? Animals can live in research labs 24 hours a day, which would not be practical for human subjects Psychologists believe that the results of animal research can help identify general principles of behavior that are relevant to humans Correct! Animals can be exposed to treatments that would be unacceptable for human exposure Psychologists desire to understand and explain the behavior of certain species of animals Question 9 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation and evaluation of the data? Results Correct! Discussion References Conclusion Question 10 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Dobbins wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families. The first step in her scientific investigation would be to collect the data. design the study and select the research method. Correct Answer formulate a testable hypothesis. You Answered analyze the data. Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts Estavan received a questionnaire in the mail asking about his general buying habits. He was asked to identify the specific products that he typically buys and the amount of each product that he typically uses. If Estavan completes the questionnaire and returns it, he will have taken part in research that incorporates You Answered a case study approach. a cross-sectional design. Correct Answer the survey method. naturalistic observation. Question 12 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is NOT true regarding commonsense analyses of behavior? They often tolerate contradictory generalizations They usually involve little effort to verify ideas or detect errors You Answered They tend to be vague and ambiguous Correct Answer They are typically based on precise definitions and hypotheses Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts Compared to the other scientific research methods, the principal advantage of the experimental method is that it can easily be used to study all research questions. You Answered allows for a description of behavior. observes behavior in its natural setting. Correct Answer permits conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships. Question 14 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of an argument from authority? You buy Sparkle toothpaste because you keep seeing commercials for it that tell you it is the best toothpaste on the market. You Answered None of these are examples of authority. Your friend shows you all the research about how effective Sparkle toothpaste is at fighting cavities, so you switch to it. Correct Answer Your dentist tells you to use Sparkle toothpaste, so you do. Question 15 0 / 0.5 pts In which of the scientific research methods are distortions in self-reports MOST likely to be of concern to the researcher? Correlational method Correct Answer Survey method You Answered Naturalistic observation method Experimental method Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts The use of reinforcement principles to modify a child's unruly behavior reflects the goal of science that deals with measurement and description. understanding and prediction. Correct Answer application and control. You Answered deterministic and teleological. Question 17 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Webb designs a research study in which neither the subjects nor the individuals who interact directly with the subjects know which is the control group and which is the experimental group in the study. Dr. Webb probably chose this type of research design in order to You Answered ensure that her sample is not biased. Correct Answer reduce the impact of experimenter bias. avoid the need to obtain ethics approval for the study. minimize the possibility of self-report bias. Question 18 0 / 0.5 pts 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 correlational method. Correct Answer experimental method. You Answered descriptive method. scientific method. Question 19 0.5 / 0.5 pts One method to control for experimenter bias effects in research is to use Correct! a double-blind procedure. a non-representative sample. reverse control groups. a socially desirable procedure. Question 20 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is NOT a characteristics of a good theory? It should generate testable hypotheses Correct! It should never need to be revised It should be parsimonious It should be testable Question 2 0 / 0.5 pts If a researcher varies the loudness of music in a factory to observe its effect on the rate of productivity of the employees, the dependent variable is the Correct Answer rate of productivity. You Answered loudness of music being used. factory setting. style of music being used. Question 3 0.5 / 0.5 pts The research method that is often used to obtain information concerning individuals' behaviors, attitudes, and/or opinions is the naturalistic observation method. correlation method. case study method. Correct! survey method. Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts If a psychologist hopes that his research will help to solve some practical problem, his hope reflects which goal of science? You Answered Measurement and description Correct Answer Application and control Construction and revision Understanding and prediction Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts One method to control for experimenter bias effects in research is to use Correct Answer a double-blind procedure. a socially desirable procedure. reverse control groups. You Answered a non-representative sample. Question 6 0.5 / 0.5 pts The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores, such that half the scores fall below that score and half the scores fall above it, is the Correct! median. range. standard deviation. mean. Question 7 0 / 0.5 pts The two main types of research methods used in psychology are the experimental and case study research methods. descriptive and correlational research methods. Correct Answer experimental and descriptive/correlational research methods. You Answered descriptive/correlational and case study research methods. Question 8 0 / 0.5 pts As an adult ages, his/her physical strength declines. The relationship between age and physical strength is a(n) positive correlation. nonexistent correlation. Correct Answer negative correlation. You Answered equal correlation. Question 9 0 / 0.5 pts Theories permit researchers to move from You Answered concept to description. Correct Answer description to understanding/explanation. understanding to application. application to control. Question 10 0.5 / 0.5 pts Hypotheses are typically expressed as statistics. variables. Correct! predictions. theories. Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts In experimental research, subjects who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable are the observational group. Correct Answer experimental group. correlational group. You Answered control group. Question 12 0 / 0.5 pts A scientific theory has to be Correct Answer testable. You Answered well established and not disputed. accepted by others. true. Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts Scarlett is a graduate student who is observing children playing together after watching a film. She knows that some children saw a film that contained graphic scenes of violence and some children saw a non-violent film, but she doesn't know which film each child she is observing watched. In this case, Scarlett is recording data for a study with two independent variables. You Answered an unethical research study. Correct Answer a double-blind research study. a correlational study with confounded variables. Question 14 0 / 0.5 pts A researcher is conducting an experiment on the effect of alcohol consumption on reaction time; half of the subjects drink alcoholic drinks, and half drink nonalcoholic versions of the same drinks. The subjects receiving the nonalcoholic drinks are the ____ group and are used in the study to minimize the influence of ____. experimental; sampling bias control; sampling bias You Answered experimental; the placebo effect Correct Answer control; the placebo effect Question 15 0 / 0.5 pts An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the dependent variable? You Answered The hypothesis The day of the week The exercise Correct Answer The mood (degree of happiness) Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts Derrick designed an experiment in which participants listened to a persuasive speech delivered either by a person who was very tall or a person who was average in height. In addition, the speeches were delivered either by individuals wearing business clothes or by people wearing casual clothes. In this example, Derrick has two dependent variables and will be able to determine if persuasion interacts with any other factors. You Answered is using a double-blind procedure, which should reduce experimenter bias. Correct Answer has two independent variables and will be able to determine if height and style of clothing interact. does not have a control group, which should reduce the impact of self-reporting bias in his study. Question 17 0 / 0.5 pts Statistical procedures are used during which step in conducting a scientific investigation? Collect the data You Answered Select a research method and design the study Report the findings Correct Answer Analyze the data and draw conclusions Question 18 0.5 / 0.5 pts A group of researchers wanted to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on a company's assembly line. To make their observations, the researchers took jobs working on the assembly line and pretended to be new employees. In this example, the researchers were using survey research. correlational research. the case study method of research. Correct! naturalistic observation. Question 19 0.5 / 0.5 pts One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is the inability to generate cause-and-effect conclusions. Correct! the artificial, contrived situations in which experiments are often conducted. the fact that only one variable can be studied at a time. the length of time necessary to complete the study. Question 20 0.5 / 0.5 pts An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the independent variable? The day of the week Correct! The exercise The mood (degree of happiness) The hypothesis Question 1 0 / 0.5 pts Most typically, researchers report their findings by holding a press conference. Correct Answer in a journal. You Answered in a scientific magazine. in a book. Question 2 0.5 / 0.5 pts Zigfried Rosenblat, Jr. took part in a study on sexual deviance last year. He was somewhat dismayed when he read an article in a weekly journal discussing sexual deviance in which one patient was referred to as ZRJ. Although the article claimed all names had been disguised to protect personal identities, Zigfried is convinced he is the individual described in the article. In this case, it is possible that the researchers who conducted the study violated the ethical principle of adequate debriefing. Correct! right to privacy. full disclosure. informed consent. Question 3 0 / 0.5 pts When a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained, it is referred to as the placebo effect. Correct Answer experimenter bias. subject bias. You Answered the sampling effect. Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts Scientists discover a new life form on Mars. They take a tissue sample from it to test to see if it is composed of cells. The first test indicates that no cells were found in the creature's tissue. What is the next step in the investigation? You Answered We conclude that cell theory doesn't apply to Martian life forms, and revise it. We conclude that cell theory is incorrect and throw it out. Correct Answer We need to replicate the results before we draw any serious conclusions. None of these responses are the correct next step. Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency? Median You Answered Mode Correct Answer Variability Mean Question 6 0 / 0.5 pts A sample is representative if all subjects are chosen from a single, unusual segment of the population. only volunteer subjects are used. Correct Answer its composition is similar to the composition of the population. You Answered it is as different from the population as possible. Question 7 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is NOT a characteristics of a good theory? Correct! It should never need to be revised It should be parsimonious It should be testable It should generate testable hypotheses Question 8 0.5 / 0.5 pts When the scores for a recent chemistry exam were calculated, the mean was 60 and the median was 65. Later, the professor discovered that one score had been recorded incorrectly; it had been entered into the computer as a 5, instead of as a 50. When this correction is made, Correct! the mean for the exam will change, but the median will stay the same. neither the mean nor the median for the exam will be affected. the median for the exam will change, but the mean will stay the same. both the mean and the median for the exam will change. Question 9 0.5 / 0.5 pts Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions are called descriptive statistics. numerical statistics. Correct! inferential statistics. significant statistics. Question 10 0 / 0.5 pts Suppose researchers find a negative relationship between alcohol consumption and the number of correct responses on a skills test: the more alcohol consumed, the lower the score. Which of the following fictitious statistics could possibly represent that correlation? -4.57 You Answered +0.91 +0.00 Correct Answer -0.87 Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts Which physiological data collection method listed below involves using a large magnetic field to map out the internal structures of a person's body? TMS Correct Answer MRI You Answered EEG PET Question 12 0 / 0.5 pts In psychology, MOST journal articles are criticisms of previously published research. Correct Answer reports that describe original empirical studies. You Answered descriptions of newly developed theories. reviews that summarize and reconcile the findings from a large number of studies. Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Zelke surveys 50 university students to discover the relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. Dr. Zelke finds that for these two variables the correlation coefficient is -0.70. This indicates that You Answered more expensive books tend to receive higher readability ratings than less expensive books. there is no relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. increasing a textbook's price will cause a decrease in its readability rating. Correct Answer more expensive books tend to receive lower readability ratings than less expensive books. Question 14 0.5 / 0.5 pts If we were to measure the height and weight of 100 adult women, we would find that these two measures are negatively correlated. increasingly correlated. Correct! positively correlated. uncorrelated. Question 15 0.5 / 0.5 pts Statistics can be used to do all of the following EXCEPT summarize observations. Correct! prove observations. interpret observations. organize observations. Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Jacobsen is investigating the link between social support networks and grades in school. Students in his classes are required to complete survey forms related to this research; however, they were never told about the purpose of the survey. In this case, some researchers might argue that Dr. Jacobsen's research violates the ethical principle of Correct Answer informed consent. You Answered protection for harm. right to privacy. full disclosure. Question 17 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which of the following techniques is MOST likely to prove useful in determining why one particular child is afraid to go to school? Naturalistic observation Correct! Case study Descriptive study Experiment Question 18 0 / 0.5 pts Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation and evaluation of the data? References Correct Answer Discussion Conclusion You Answered Results Question 19 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of tenacity? Your friend shows you all the research about how effective Sparkle toothpaste is at fighting cavities, so you switch to it. Correct Answer You buy Sparkle toothpaste because you keep seeing commercials for it that tell you it is the best toothpaste on the market. None of these are examples of tenacity. You Answered Your dentist tells you to use Sparkle toothpaste, so you do. Question 20 0.5 / 0.5 pts The mode in a group of scores describes the ____ for that group of scores. halfway point Correct! central tendency association with another group of scores variability Question 1 0 / 0.5 pts In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease, half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half were given a placebo (sugar pill). In this study, the experimental group is the group that received the placebo. You Answered the patients who were not included in the study. Correct Answer the group that received the actual drug. the patients who show evidence of an improvement in their memory. Question 2 0.5 / 0.5 pts Scientists discover a new life form on Mars. They take a tissue sample from it to test to see if it is composed of cells. The first test indicates that no cells were found in the creature's tissue. What is the next step in the investigation? Correct! We need to replicate the results before we draw any serious conclusions. We conclude that cell theory is incorrect and throw it out. None of these responses are the correct next step. We conclude that cell theory doesn't apply to Martian life forms, and revise it. Question 3 0.5 / 0.5 pts According to the ethical guidelines for conducting psychological research with animals, exposing animals to harmful or painful procedures is justified for lower animals but not for primates. is never justified. Correct! cannot be justified unless the potential benefits of the research are substantial. is justified if the research design requires the harmful or painful procedures. Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts David and Alexandra both take part in a research study that is investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on reaction time. David is kept awake for 24 hours straight, while Alexandra follows her normal sleep routine. In this study, David is part of the Correct Answer experimental group. You Answered dependent variable group. control group. hypothesis group. Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts The principal disadvantage of the descriptive/correlational research method is they frequently observe behavior in artificial situations. Correct Answer since researchers cannot control variables of interest, conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships are not appropriate. because of practical or ethical reasons, they cannot be used to study some research questions. You Answered they do not allow the researcher to describe behavior. Question 6 0 / 0.5 pts A researcher wants to see if a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats. One group of rats is fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to receive ordinary rat chow. In this experiment, the rats' maze-running performance is the correlated variable. Correct Answer dependent variable. You Answered control variable. independent variable. Question 7 0 / 0.5 pts The final step in a scientific investigation is to decide whether or not the hypothesis was supported. conduct the study. You Answered analyze the data. Correct Answer report the findings. Question 8 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is NOT a characteristics of a good theory? You Answered It should be testable It should be parsimonious It should generate testable hypotheses Correct Answer It should never need to be revised Question 9 0 / 0.5 pts Charley tells you that 17 out of the 30 students enrolled in his English class scored exactly 62 points on the last exam. Conceptually, this is the same as saying the median for that particular English exam was 62 points. You Answered the standard deviation for that particular English exam was 62 points. Correct Answer the mode for that particular English exam was 62 points. the mean for that particular English exam was 62 points. Question 10 0 / 0.5 pts Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that Correct Answer they do not manipulate the variables under study. the results obtained cannot be analyzed statistically. they can show causal relationships. You Answered they do not directly observe behavior. Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts In Margaritte's sociology discussion group, 4 of the 5 students are between the ages of 19 and 23; the fifth student is 54 years old. If Margaritte wants to report the statistic that BEST represents the "average" age for her discussion group, she should report either the mean or the mode, because these number are not affected by extreme scores. Correct Answer the median or the mode, because these numbers will be more representative. You Answered the mean or the standard deviation, so additional statistics can be calculated. the mean or the median, because these numbers are typically the same. Question 12 0 / 0.5 pts The data obtained in a research study, along with the statistical analyses, are reported in the method section of a journal article. discussion section of a journal article. Correct Answer results section of a journal article. You Answered introduction section of a journal article. Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts To discover whether residents of a city are in favor of building a new sports stadium, the team's owner randomly selected and interviewed 500 of the city's 500,000 residents. In this instance, the 500 people that the owner interviewed would be You Answered the dependent variable. Correct Answer a representative sample. a population. a biased sample. Question 14 0.5 / 0.5 pts One is most likely to encounter problems with the social desirability bias when using the experimental method. naturalistic observations. case studies. Correct! self-reports. Question 15 0.5 / 0.5 pts The research method that is often used to obtain information concerning individuals' behaviors, attitudes, and/or opinions is the naturalistic observation method. Correct! survey method. case study method. correlation method. Question 16 0.5 / 0.5 pts A researcher is interested in examining whether relaxation techniques help decrease the perception of anxiety in subjects. According to the textbook, the third step in this scientific investigation would be... to collect the data. to formulate a testable hypothesis. to analyze the data. Correct! to design the study and select the research method. Question 17 0.5 / 0.5 pts Class attendance and grade average in the class would be... Correct! positively correlated. uncorrelated. negatively correlated. increasingly correlated. Question 18 0 / 0.5 pts To determine whether students would like more courses scheduled in the late afternoon and evening hours, the student services department sends questionnaires to 50 students selected at random from the 5,000 who are registered at the campus. In this instance, the 5,000 students who are registered at the campus would be Correct Answer a population. a biased sample. the independent variable. You Answered a representative sample. Question 19 0.5 / 0.5 pts A correlation coefficient of zero describes a negative relationship between two variables. Correct! the lack of a relationship between two variables. a positive relationship between two variables. a perfect relationship between two variables. Question 20 0 / 0.5 pts In experiments, placing subjects in experimental groups such that each subject has an equal probability of ending up in any experimental group is referred to as random forecasting. You Answered random sampling. Correct Answer random assignment. random selection. Question 2 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of a longitudinal study? Both of these are longitudinal designs. Correct Answer You want to know more about how happiness changes over time, so you take a sample of 10 year olds and give them a happiness questionaire every year for the next 20 years. Neither of these are longitudinal designs. You Answered You are interested in studying changes of IQ over time. You take a sample of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 year old participants all at once, and give them all an IQ test, then compare differences between the groups. Question 3 0 / 0.5 pts The FDA found that people who used a particular diet drug combination had more heart valve defects than people who had not taken the diet drug combination. This suggests that the use of the diet drug combination and heart valve defects are independent variables. You Answered interactive variables. negatively correlated. Correct Answer positively correlated. Question 4 0.5 / 0.5 pts Scarlett is a graduate student who is observing children playing together after watching a film. She knows that some children saw a film that contained graphic scenes of violence and some children saw a non-violent film, but she doesn't know which film each child she is observing watched. In this case, Scarlett is recording data for a study with two independent variables. an unethical research study. a correlational study with confounded variables. Correct! a double-blind research study. Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts A researcher is interested in examining whether relaxation techniques help decrease the perception of anxiety in subjects. According to the textbook, the third step in this scientific investigation would be... to collect the data. You Answered to formulate a testable hypothesis. to analyze the data. Correct Answer to design the study and select the research method. Question 6 0.5 / 0.5 pts Melvin and Leigh are interviewing students at their campus to determine if the students agree or disagree with a proposed policy change. Melvin believes the proposed policy change is a good idea, but Leigh believes the change will be bad for students. Nearly all the students who Melvin interviewed supported the policy change, but nearly all the students who Leigh interviewed disapproved of the change. The differences in the results illustrate the potential impact of confounded dependent variables. double-blind research studies. the placebo effect. Correct! experimenter bias. Question 7 0 / 0.5 pts Reinhold is filling out the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and as he reads each question, he thinks about the way most other people would probably respond. When he answers, he selects the alternative that he thinks will present the most favorable impression. Reinhold's answers reflect You Answered non-representative sampling. the placebo effect. a negative response set. Correct Answer a social desirability bias. Question 8 0 / 0.5 pts A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is a(n) variable. Correct Answer hypothesis. operational definition. You Answered theory. Question 9 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which is NOT among the goals of scientific psychology? Applications of research findings to solve everyday problems Correct! Searching for absolute truths about behavior The development of measurement techniques for describing behavior precisely and accurately Understanding why certain behaviors occur Question 10 0 / 0.5 pts In experimental research, subjects who receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable are the control group. Correct Answer experimental group. correlational group. You Answered observational group. Question 11 0 / 0.5 pts Carla earned 78 points on her statistics exam. Ten of the students in her class earned higher scores than she did, and ten students earned lower scores than she did. Based on this information, you can conclude that Carla's score of 78 points is Correct Answer the median for her class. You Answered the mean for her class. the mode for her class. the standardized score for her class. Question 12 0.5 / 0.5 pts If a researcher varies the loudness of music in a factory to observe its effect on the rate of productivity of the employees, the dependent variable is the factory setting. style of music being used. loudness of music being used. Correct! rate of productivity. Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts One is most likely to encounter problems with the social desirability bias when using Correct Answer self-reports. the experimental method. You Answered naturalistic observations. case studies. Question 14 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Redding has found a correlation of +0.65 between snoring and weight. This indicates that Correct Answer overweight individuals tend to snore more than underweight individuals. You Answered individuals who go on a diet will most likely begin to snore. there is no relationship between weight and snoring. overweight individuals tend to snore less than underweight individuals. Question 15 0 / 0.5 pts Scientists recently discovered the remains of an ancient giant octopus in an ocean cave. The stones on the floor of the cave look like they have been arranged in unusual patterns that resemble basic shapes. Some of the scientists begin to suspect that the placement of the rocks is not accidental, and begin to suspect that the octopus may have intentionally placed them there. Others argue that it was accidental, but admit that the placement of the rocks is unusual. Which of the following would be an explanation of the above scenario that uses Occam's Razor? The ancient octopus put the rocks there as a form of artistic expression. Both of these pass the test of Occam's Razor Correct Answer The placement of the rocks was most likely just accidental, even if it appears that it isn't. You Answered Neither of these pass the test of Occam's Razor Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts The tendency for participants to participate in survey research appears to have Correct Answer declined noticeably in recent decades. remained relatively constant since the early 1950s. You Answered increased for mail surveys but decreased for phone surveys. increased noticeably in recent decades. Question 17 0 / 0.5 pts Class attendance and grade average in the class would be... Correct Answer positively correlated. uncorrelated. negatively correlated. You Answered increasingly correlated. Question 18 0.5 / 0.5 pts Mackenzie took part in an experiment where she was told she would be required to sit alone in a darkened room for 30 minutes, after which she would be asked to complete a brief questionnaire about her future goals and plans. When she finished the questionnaire, she was told the experiment was over. Mackenzie never really understood the purpose of the study, and she wasn't sure why she had to wait in the darkened room before filling out the short questionnaire. In this case, it would appear that the researchers who conducted the experiment did not provide adequate protection from harm. Correct! did not use an adequate debriefing procedure. failed to obtain informed consent. violated Mackenzie's right to privacy. Question 19 0 / 0.5 pts While a(n) ____ is the group of individuals actually observed in a research study, the ____ is the group of individuals that researchers want to generalize or extend their findings to describe. population; sample control group; experimental group Correct Answer sample; population You Answered experimental group; control group Question 20 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is NOT a descriptive/correlational research method? Survey Correct! Experiment Naturalistic observation Case study Question 1 0 / 0.5 pts Conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships are only possible when the ____ method is used. descriptive correlational You Answered survey Correct Answer experimental Question 2 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Zelke surveys 50 university students to discover the relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. Dr. Zelke finds that for these two variables the correlation coefficient is -0.70. This indicates that there is no relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. Correct Answer more expensive books tend to receive lower readability ratings than less expensive books. more expensive books tend to receive higher readability ratings than less expensive books. You Answered increasing a textbook's price will cause a decrease in its readability rating. Question 3 0 / 0.5 pts How much the scores in a data set vary from each other and from the mean refers to the concept of You Answered standard deviation. Correct Answer variability. correlation. central tendency. Question 4 0 / 0.5 pts According to the ethical guidelines for psychological research with humans, if you agree to be a participant in a research study, you would understand that you will not be exposed to deception. do not have the right to privacy. You Answered have to commit to participating in the entire research study. Correct Answer will not be exposed to harmful or dangerous treatments. Question 5 0 / 0.5 pts The different general strategies for conducting scientific investigation are referred to as data collection techniques. operational definitions. You Answered hypotheses. Correct Answer research methods. Question 6 0.5 / 0.5 pts Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions are called Correct! inferential statistics. significant statistics. numerical statistics. descriptive statistics. Question 7 0 / 0.5 pts Researchers use ____ to determine whether the observed difference between the two groups in the study was large enough to support the hypothesis. mathematical statistics Correct Answer inferential statistics correlational statistics You Answered descriptive statistics Question 8 0 / 0.5 pts Which physiological data collection method listed below involves using a large magnetic field to map out the internal structures of a person's body? TMS You Answered PET EEG Correct Answer MRI Question 9 0 / 0.5 pts Dr. Licciardi predicts that if people are observed while they perform a complex task, they will make more errors. Dr. Licciardi's prediction is an example of Correct Answer a hypothesis. a theory. an operational definition. You Answered inferential statistics. Question 10 0 / 0.5 pts Which of the following is an example of tenacity? None of these are examples of tenacity. Correct Answer You buy Sparkle toothpaste because you keep seeing commercials for it that tell you it is the best toothpaste on the market. Your friend shows you all the research about how effective Sparkle toothpaste is at fighting cavities, so you switch to it. You Answered Your dentist tells you to use Sparkle toothpaste, so you do. Question 11 0.5 / 0.5 pts Dr. Dobbins wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families. The first step in her scientific investigation would be to design the study and select the research method. collect the data. analyze the data. Correct! formulate a testable hypothesis. Question 12 0.5 / 0.5 pts Psychologists use a variety of data collection techniques; which of the following is best suited for studying attitudes? Psychological tests Physiological recordings Correct! Questionnaires Direct observations Question 13 0 / 0.5 pts The ____ is a research strategy that minimizes the potential methodological problems associated with the placebo effect and experimenter bias. You Answered blind sample procedure Correct Answer double-blind procedure neutral sample procedure single-blind procedure Question 14 0 / 0.5 pts The experimental procedure in which both the experimenter and subject are unaware of who is in the experimental and who is in the control group is referred to as the single-blind procedure. You Answered stereotaxic procedure. Correct Answer double-blind procedure. placebo control procedure. Question 15 0 / 0.5 pts Recording all instances of an event for a particular time period (such as how many times an older brother strikes his younger brother) without the subjects' awareness is an example of Correct Answer naturalistic observation. You Answered correlational research. compiling a case study. conducting an experiment. Question 16 0 / 0.5 pts To determine whether students would like more courses scheduled in the late afternoon and evening hours, the student services department sends questionnaires to 50 students selected at random from the 5,000 who are registered at the campus. In this instance, the 5,000 students who are registered at the campus would be a biased sample. Correct Answer a population. You Answered a representative sample. the independent variable. Question 17 0.5 / 0.5 pts Which of the following techniques is MOST likely to prove useful in determining why one particular child is afraid to go to school? Naturalistic observation Correct! Case study Experiment Descriptive study Question 18 0 / 0.5 pts Manipulating a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable defines the testing approach. naturalistic observation. You Answered the survey approach. Correct Answer the experimental approach. Question 19 0 / 0.5 pts A group of researchers wanted to determine whether children would behave more aggressively after watching violent television programming. Half the children in the study watched a violent television show; the other children watched a non-violent program. In this study, the control group is the children who watch the violent show. You Answered behave the most aggressively at the end of the study. behave the least aggressively at the end of the study. Correct Answer watch the non-violent program. Question 20 0 / 0.5 pts Scarlett is a graduate student who is observing children playing together after watching a film. She knows that some children saw a film that contained graphic scenes of violence and some children saw a non-violent film, but she doesn't know which film each child she is observing watched. In this case, Scarlett is recording data for Correct Answer a double-blind research study.

Which physiological data collection method listed below involves placing electrodes on the scalp to read electrical activity in the brain?

EEG

Which of the following is a major assumption of science?

Events occur in a relatively orderly or predictable manner

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

Experimental method

variables

IQ score, age, weight, grade point average, and income are all examples of

Which of the following is NOT a characteristics of a good theory?

It should NEVER NEED to be revised

Which of the following is an example of an argument based in reason? -Your friend has had good results using Sparkle toothpaste, so you decide that you will have good results too, and switch to it. -Your dentist tells you to use Sparkle toothpaste, so you do. -You buy Sparkle toothpaste because you keep seeing commercials for it that tell you it is the best toothpaste on the market.

None of these are examples of an argument based in reason

If a researcher varies the loudness of music in a factory to observe its effect on the rate of productivity of the employees, the dependent variable is the

Rate of productivity

While a(n) ____ is the group of individuals actually observed in a research study, the ____ is the group of individuals that researchers want to generalize or extend their findings to describe.

Sample; population

Darla has sent out a survey in which she is asking people to provide information about their attitudes on a number of sensitive subjects. When the surveys are returned, Darla needs to be aware that the responses may be distorted due to

Self-report biases

Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have

Small toes

In which of the scientific research methods are distortions in self-reports MOST likely to be of concern to the researcher?

Survey method

Which physiological data collection method listed below involves using a targeted magnetic pulse to disrupt the function of the brain and effectively create a temporary state of brain damage?

TMS

Which of the following statements is MOST accurate?

The American Psychological Association has developed strict ethical guidelines for research involving animals.

A group of researchers wanted to determine if people will eat more food in a room with red paint and red decorations than in a room that is decorated blue. Half the participants in this study ate in a red room and half ate in a blue room. The researchers then measured how much food was consumed in each of the two rooms. In this study, the independent variable was

The color of the decorations in the room

An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the dependent variable?

The mood (degree of happiness)

If A and B are highly correlated, which statement MOST accurately describes the relationship between A and B?

The score on A can be used to predict the score on B

Which of the following is not a step in the scientific method as described in lecture? Derive a testable hypothesis Test the hypothesis Formulate a theory

These are all steps in the scientific method

Answering the question of "why" something happens is most closely associated with which goal of science?

Understanding and prediction

Scientific theories are most directly associated with which goal of science?

Understanding and prediction

Which of the following is an example of participant observation?

You ask the group of students what they are doing directly

In an investigation of the effects of caffeine on concentration, half the participants were given regular colas that contained caffeine and half were given decaffeinated colas. In this study, the decaffeinated colas are being used as

a placebo.

To determine whether students would like more courses scheduled in the late afternoon and evening hours, the student services department sends questionnaires to 50 students selected at random from the 5,000 who are registered at the campus. In this instance, the 5,000 students who are registered at the campus would be

a population

To discover whether residents of a city are in favor of building a new sports stadium, the team's owner randomly selected and interviewed 500 of the city's 500,000 residents. In this instance, the 500 people that the owner interviewed would be

a representative sample

A variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study is referred to as

an extraneous variable

According to the ethical guidelines for conducting psychological research with animals, exposing animals to harmful or painful procedures

cannot be justified unless the potential benefits of the research are substantial.

When two variables are linked and their individual effects cannot be separated out, we speak of the variables as being

confounded variables

A researcher is conducting an experiment on the effect of alcohol consumption on reaction time; half of the subjects drink alcoholic drinks, and half drink nonalcoholic versions of the same drinks. The subjects receiving the nonalcoholic drinks are the ____ group and are used in the study to minimize the influence of ____.

control; the placebo effect

The tendency for participants to participate in survey research appears to have

declined noticeably in recent decades

A researcher wants to see if a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats. One group of rats is fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to receive ordinary rat chow. In this experiment, the rats' maze-running performance is the

dependent variable

The ____ is a research strategy that minimizes the potential methodological problems associated with the placebo effect and experimenter bias.

double-blind procedure

Melvin and Leigh are interviewing students at their campus to determine if the students agree or disagree with a proposed policy change. Melvin believes the proposed policy change is a good idea, but Leigh believes the change will be bad for students. Nearly all the students who Melvin interviewed supported the policy change, but nearly all the students who Leigh interviewed disapproved of the change. The differences in the results illustrate the potential impact of

experimenter bias

A researcher tries to make sure that subjects in the experimental and control groups are very similar to each other in order to reduce the effects of

extraneous variables

Derrick designed an experiment in which participants listened to a persuasive speech delivered either by a person who was very tall or a person who was average in height. In addition, the speeches were delivered either by individuals wearing business clothes or by people wearing casual clothes. In this example, Derrick

has two independent variables and will be able to determine if height and style of clothing interact.

Deception is used in some research in order to

help control for placebo effects

If a college professor surveyed his students about their attitudes concerning the Social Security system and concluded that young adults doubt that they will ever receive Social Security benefits, his conclusion would be flawed because

his students were not a representative sample of young adults.

A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is a(n)

hypothesis

As correlation coefficients ____, the ability to predict one variable based on knowledge of the second variable increases.

increase in strength

In experimental research, the researcher manipulates the ____ variable in order to measures its effect on the ____ variable.

independent; dependent

Researchers use ____ to determine whether the observed difference between the two groups in the study was large enough to support the hypothesis.

inferential statistics

Publication of research findings is extremely important to the scientific method because

it allows for critique and self correction

Publication of research findings is extremely important to the scientific method because

it allows for critique and self-correction

If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that ____ scores on one variable are generally associated with ____ scores on the second variable.

low; low

The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores, such that half the scores fall below that score and half the scores fall above it, is the

median

A psychologist monitors changes in the subject's heart rate as the subject watches a violent movie. The data collection technique being used is

physiological recording

class attendance and grade average in the class would be...

positively correlated

Hypotheses are typically expressed as

predictions

Statistics can be used to do all of the following EXCEPT

prove observations

The data obtained in a research study, along with the statistical analyses, are reported in the

results section of a journal article

The tendency for survey subjects to provide answers that place them in a favorable light is referred to as

socially desirable responding

The ____ is an index of the amount of variability in a set of data.

standard deviation

The difference between a science and a pseudoscience is that science will...

start with a claim and try to falsify it

The use of mathematics to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical information is referred to as

statistics