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