Psychology 335: Research Methods; American River College; Professor DeSouza; Test 1

The question of whether marijuana should be legalized in the United States is an example of

An "ought" question

A prediction that researchers make before collecting data is called

An a priori hypothesis

A confound provides

An alternative explanation for a study's results

If a study is reliable, it must also be valid.

False

The doctrine of falsification reflects the tendency of pseudoscientific studies to falsify results.

False

The scientific method tells us that a research question is fully answered once an empirical study has documented its results.

False

A highly representative sample is important because it allows researchers to

Generalize to a wider population

Pseudoscientific "findings" are often believed because humans have difficulty thinking in probabilities so they instead rely on mental shortcuts or

Heuristics

Danny measures couples' feelings of closeness in a dark or a brightly lit room. In this study, the room's brightness is the

Independent variable

A sample statistic is an estimate of

Population statistic

Transparency of a study's methods and procedures enhances the study's

Replicability

If a study is reliable this means that the study produces

Replicable results

By using the scientific method, researchers work to produce reliable and valid results while avoiding

Selective observation

Denise plans to systematically investigate a research question through careful observation and experimentation. The toolbox of rules she will follow is called

The scientific method

Focusing primarily on evidence that supports a hypothesis and not addressing evidence that refutes a hypothesis is an example of confirmatory bias.

True

If a study is valid, it must be reliable.

True

Researchers try to maximize generalizability and minimize sample bias.

True

The study of a specific construct using the scientific method requires that it can be objectively measured.

True

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that explores

Ways of knowing

A statistical term that means "to come before" is

a priori

A heuristic is

a simplifying mental shortcut

Serendipity effect is

accidentally discovering something fortunate

The larger the sample size, the more reliable and valid the sample statistics that are used to estimate population parameters is called

law of large numbers

All statistics are based on the logic

probability

Statistics provide a set of quantitative tools that allow us to rule out as an explanation for the phenomenon under study the

randomness