Ch2. Research Methods Review

"Statistically significant" means that the results of an experiment most likely a. resulted from chance variations b. were not due to chance c. had practical significance d. were important

b. were not due to chance

One method to control for experimenter bias effects in research is to use a. a socially desirable procedure b. reverse control groups c. a double-blind procedure d. a non-representative sample

c. a double-blind procedure

A standardized measure used to obtain a sample of a person's behavior is called a. a psychological test b. a case study c. an experiment d. a survey

a. a psychological test

Dr. Kincaid was interested in the topic of autistic savants (individuals w/ limited abilities in many areas, but w/ an exceptional talent in on specific area). In the initial part of the investigation, Dr. Kincaid carefully observed and compiled detailed files on 3 individuals who were autistic savants. Dr. Kincaid is conducting a. case study research b. survey research c. correlational research d. experimental research

a. case study research

The mode in a group of scores describes the ___for the group of scores. a. central tendency b. association w/ another group of scores c. halfway point d. variability

a. central tendency

The experimental group a. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment w/ regard to the independent variable b. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment w/ regards to the dependent variable c. consists of the subjects who do not receive the special treatment d. must be chose so as to be as different from the control group as possible

a. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment w/ regard to the independent variable

The 2 basic types of statistics are a. descriptive and inferential b. central tendency and variability c. sampling and correlative d. parametric and nonparametric

a. descriptive and inferential

When subjects are administered a series of written questions designed to assess their attitudes, opinions, or behaviors, this is called a. direct observation b. a questionnaire c. an interview d. a psychological test

b. a questionnaire

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 tat the researchers who conducted the experiment a. did not use an adequate debriefing procedure b. failed to obtain informed consent c. violated Mackenzie's right to privacy d. did not provide adequate protection from harm

a. did not use an adequate debriefing procedure

2 of the data collection techniques that are MOST likely to involve direct contact btw the researcher and the research participant are a. direct observation and interviews b. archival research and psychological testing c. questionnaires and interviews d. archival research and questionnaires

a. direct observation and interviews

Sampling bias is a problem b/c it a. limits the generality of the findings b. makes it impossible to use inferential statistics c. makes it difficult to avoid a confounding of variables d. makes the effect of the independent variable appear to be bigger than it really is

a. limits the generality of the findings

In descriptive/correlation research, the investigator a. systematically observes 2 variables to see whether there is an association btw them b. manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether there are changes in a second variable as a result c. exposes subjects to 2 closely related treatment conditions d. simultaneously manipulates 2 or more independent variable

a. systematically observes 2 variables to see whether there is an association btw them

B/c our experience of the world is highly subjective, researchers use a. the double-blind procedure as a safe guard b. case studies as a safeguard c. extraneous variables as a safeguard d. psychoanalytic methods as a safeguard

a. the double-blind procedure as a safe guard

Researchers who were studying memory had participants learn a list of words after consuming a soft drink w/ caffeine or a decaffeinated version of the same soft drink. The researchers then counted the nu,ber of words that were recalled from the list. In this study, the type of beverage(caffeinated or decaffeinated) would be a. the independent variable b. an extraneous variable c. the dependent variable d. a placebo

a. the independent variable

The median is a. the score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution b. the arithmetic average of the scores in a distribution c. the score that occurs most frequently in a distribution d. the difference btw the largest and smallest scores in a distribution

a. the score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution

Dr. Barton has found that students who score higher than 85% on the first midterm tend to ear scores of 75% or better on the final exam, while students who score less than 60% on the first midterm often end up w/ a failing grade on the final exam. This suggests that a. the scores on the first midterm and final exam are positively correlated b. the scores on the first midterm and final exams are negatively correlated c. students who do poorly on the first midterm give up and study less for the final d. Dr Barton should change the final so it is more fair to students who are not doing well in the course

a. the scores on the first midterm and final exam are positively correlated

Georgeanne calculated descriptive statistics for the age of residents in a nursing home. She reported the mean age as 75 yrs, w/ a standard deviation of 10 yrs. Later she found that she had made an error in her calculations. One resident's age was entered as 27 when it should have been 72. When this correction is made a. the standard deviation will decrease b. the standard deviation will not change c. the standard deviation will increase d. the correlation coeffiecient will become negative

a. the standard deviation will decrease

Estavan received a questionnaire in the mail asking 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 park in research that incorporates a. the survey method b. naturalistic observation c. a case study approach d. archival research

a. the survey method

Of the following, the correlation coefficient that indicates the strongest relationship btw the 2 variables being measured is a. +0.65 b. -0.89 c. 0.00 d. +3.45

b. -0.89

A scientific journal refers to a. a personal diary kept by a scientist b. a periodical that publishes technical and scholarly articles c. a detailed record of the daily procedures followed in conducting a study d. a collection of biographies of famous scientists

b. a periodical that publishes technical and scholarly articles

A theory is a. a tentative statement about the relationship btw 2 or more variable b. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations c. a statement of research results that have been proven to be correct d. a preliminary proposal that has yet to be tested

b. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations

A hypothesis is a. random guess as to what might happen in an experiment b. a tentative statement about the relationship btw 2 or more variables c. a conclusion drawn from an experiment d. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observation

b. a tentative statement about the relationship btw 2 or more variables

A variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study is referred to as a. a covariate b. an extraneous variable c. a redundant variable d. an inverse bias

b. an extraneous variable

Jackson is working with a company to help them develop more effective training programs for their employees. He has spent a great deal of time reviewing all the documentation the company has about previous training opportunities they have provided for their employees. Up to this point in time, Jackson has been engaged in a. psychological testing b. archival research c. direct observation d. meta-analysis

b. archival research

The statistic that indexes the degree to which we may predict the value of 1 variable from a second variable is the a. mean b. correlation coefficient c. standard deviation d. mode

b. correlation coefficient

In an experiment, the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher is called the a. dependent variable b. independent variable c. control variable d.. stimulus variable

b. independent variable

If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship, the ___ variable would be the cause, and the ___ variable would be the effect. a. dependent; independent b. independent; dependent c. control; experimental d. independent; confounded

b. independent; dependent

Statistics that are used to interpret data and draw conclusions are called a. descriptive statistics b. inferential statistics c. numerical statistic d. significant statistics

b. inferential statistics

The purpose of the control group is to a. make the experiment more complex b. isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable c. make statistical significance more likely d. isolate the effect of the dependent variable on the independent variable

b. isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable

Your grade point average is an example of which measure of central tendency? a. median b. mean c. mode d. midpoint

b. mean

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 research who conducted the study violated the ethical principle of a. informed consent b. right to privacy c. full disclosure d. adequate debriefing

b. right to privacy

An industrial designer wants to determine if the new design for a piece of office equipment will result in fewer errors. The designer sets up a machine w/ the old design in one room, and a machine w/ the new design in a second room. He counts how many errors are made using each of the two machines. In this study, the number of errors that are made would be a. a control variable b. the dependent variable c. the independent variable d. an extraneous variable

b. the dependent variable

Experimenter bias typically results in a. the effects of the bias disconfirming the experimenter's expectations b. the effects of the bias confirming the experimenter's expectation c. results that are not statistically significant d. the placebo effect

b. the effects of the bias confirming the experimenter's expectation

Researchers studying the effects of sleep deprivation tested the physical coordination skills of 25-yr. old males who had been sleep deprived for either 24, 36, or 48 hours. In this study, the dependent variable would be a. the age of the participants b. the physical coordination skills of the men c. the length of time the participants had been sleep deprived d. the type of physical coordination task the researchers use

b. the physical coordination skills of the men

A group of researchers is investigating the effects of gingko biloba on memory. During the first part of the study, the animals learn to run a maze while they are not receiving the supplement; in the second part of the study the animals learn to run a different maze while they are receiving the supplement. In each case the researcher count how many trials it takes before the animals can run the maze patter w/o making any errors. In this study, the independent variable is a. the type of animal that the researchers selected b. the presence or absence of the food supplement in the animal's diet c. the number of trails it takes to run the maze w/o errors d. the age of the animals

b. the presence or absence of the food supplement in the animal's diet

Imagine that a group of researchers designed a study to test the effectiveness of subliminal-message weight-loss tapes. Half the participants receive real tapes, and half receive similar tapes w/ the subliminal messages removed. All the participants are told that their tapes contain subliminal messages. This study would be an example of a. the case study research b. the single-blind research method c. anecdotal research d. experimenter bias in selecting a random sample

b. the single-blind research method

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that a. they do not directly observe behaviors b. they do not manipulate the variable under study c. they can show causal relationships d. the results obtained cannot be analyzed statistically

b. they do not manipulate the variable under study

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 show; the other half watched a non-violent show. In this study the control group is the children who a. behave the most aggressively at the end of they study b. watch the non-violent show c. watch the violent show d. behave the least aggressively at the end of the study

b. watch the non-violent show

Dr. Hugo designs an experiment to test the effectiveness of a new antidepressant drug. Half the participants will receive the actual drug and half will receive a sugar pill, but neither the participants nor the researcher who administer the drug will know who is receiving the actual drug and who is receiving the placebo. In this case, Dr. Hugo has designed a. a study that will minimize self-report bias b. an unethical research procedure c. a double-blind research study d. a correlational study w/ 2 confounded factors

c. a double-blind research study

Going to a playgroud for an hour each day for 2 weeks and recording girl-boy exchanges would be an example of a. a case study b. a survey c. a naturalistic observation d. an experiment

c. a naturalistic observation

One advantage of naturalistic observation is that it a. approximates the experimental method b. allows for cause-and-effect conclusions to be drawn c. allows behaviors to be studied in a realistic setting d. involved random assignment

c. allows behaviors to be studied in a realistic setting

A researcher is measuring the heart rate of subjects as an index of anxiety. In this study, heart rate is a. a confounded variable b. negatively correlated w/ anxiety c. an independent variable d. an operational definition of anxiety

c. an independent variable

The ability to infer a cause-and-effect relationship is associated only w/ a. correlation research method b. case history research method c. experimental research method d. empirical research method

c. experimental research method

Experimenter bias occurs when a. experimentersexplicitly instruct the subjects to behave in a way that will consistent w/ the hypothesis b. experimenters desire to make a favoriable impression on their subjects c. experimenters' beliefs in their own hypotheses affect either the subjects' behavior or their observations of the subjects d. experimenters conduct their studies in a completely objective manner

c. experimenters' beliefs in their own hypotheses affect either the subjects' behavior or their observations of the subjects

The FDA found that ppl who used a particular diet drug combination had more heart valve defects than ppl who had not taken the diet drug combinations. This suggests that the use of the diet drug combination and heart valve defects are a. negatively correlated b. independent variables c. positively correlated d. interactive variables

c. positively correlated

A psychologist monitors changes in the subject's heart rate as the subject watches a violent movie. The data collection technique being used is a. direct observation b. psychological testing c. psychological recording d. archival records

c. psychological recording

Dr. Critelli is studying aggression in children and plans to define aggression as the number of times one child pushes or strikes another child. Defining aggression in this way would be a. be an example of a hypothesis b. violate ethical guidelines for psychological research c. represent an operational definition d. require a double-blind research design

c. represent an operational definition

The use of mathematics to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical information is referred to as a. calculus b. functional analysis c. statistics d. algebra

c. statistics

A scientific theory has to be a. true b. accepted by others c. testable d. well established and not disputed

c. testable

A dependent variable is an experiment refers to the variable a. held constant across the experimental conditions b. deliberately manipulated by the experimenter c. that changes value b/c of the systematic manipulation in the experiment d. that the experimenter is depending on to cause something in the experiment to happen

c. that changes value b/c of the systematic manipulation in the experiment

Manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable defines a. the testing approach b. the survey approach c. the experimental approach d. naturalistic observation

c. the experimental approach

In an experiment designed to test memory processes, one group was given special instructions and asked to group the items on a list into categories while they tried to memorize them. A second group of participants was given the same list, but they did not receive any special instructions. In this study, the experimental group is a. the group which the participants remember the least items from the list b. the group who did not receive any special instructions c. the group who received special instructions d. the group which the participants remember the most items from the list

c. the group who received special instructions

When the scores for a recent Chemistry exam were calculated, the mean was 60 and 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 a. the median for the exam will change, but the mean will not b. both the mean and median will change c. the mean will change, the median will not d. neither the mean nor median will be affected

c. the mean will change, the median will not

In Margaritte's sociology discussion group 4 of the 5 students are btw ages of 19 and 23; the fifth student is 54 yrs. old. If Margaritte wants to report the statistic that best represents the "average" age for her dicussion group, she should report either a. the mean or median, b/c these numbers are typically the same b. the mean or mode, b/c these numbers are not affected by extreme scores c. the median or the mode, b/c these numbers will be more representative d. the mean or standard deviation, so additional statistics can be calculated

c. the median or the mode, b/c these numbers will be more representative

Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study are called a. hypotheses b. correlation c. variables d. confounds

c. variables

Dr. Malm predicts that if teachers ignore students who act up in class, few students will act up in class. Dr. Malm's prediction is an example of a. an operational definition b. a theory c. inferential statistics d. a hypothesis

d. a hypothesis

Subjects' self-reports often indicate that they are healthier, happier, and less prejudiced than other types of evidence would suggest. This MOST likely explanation is a. experimenter bias b. faulty memory c. the social desirability bias d. a tendency to agree w/ almost every statement

d. a tendency to agree w/ almost every statement

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 group of rats that is fed the high-protein diet is___group; the group that receives ordinary rat chow is ____group. a. a control; a control b. a control; an experimental c. an experimental; and experimental d. an experimental; a control

d. an experimental; a control

Trevor plans to study the relationship btw ppl'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 b/c correlation studies a. tend to be more accurate than experimental b. have higher internal validity than experiments when there are 2 dependent variable c. can be used to study either positive or negative relationships, whereas experiments can only be used to study positive relationships d. can be used to investigate factors that would be unethical to manipulate in an experimental study

d. can be used to investigate factors that would be unethical to manipulate in an experimental study

Theories permit researchers to move from a. understanding to application b. concept to description c. application to control d. description to understanding

d. description to understanding

The experimental procedure in which both the experimenter and subjects are unaware of who is in the experimental and who is in the control group is referred to as the a. placebo control procedure b. sterotaxic procedure c. single-blind procedure d. double-blind procedure

d. double-blind procedure

Placebo effects occur when a. the sample is not representative of the population b. 2 variables are confounded c. subjects are influenced by social desirability bias d. due to their expectations, subjects experience some change from a nonexistent or ineffective treatment

d. due to their expectations, subjects experience some change from a nonexistent or ineffective treatment

The experiment is a research method in which the investigator a. systematically observes 2 variables to see whether there is an association btw them b. observes behavior as it occurs in its natural environment c. conducts an in=depth investigation of an individual subject d. manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether there are changes in a second variable as a result

d. manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether there are changes in a second variable as a result

The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores, such as half the scores fall below that and half fall above, is the a. mean b. standard deviation c. range d. median

d. median

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 a. random selection b. random sampling c. random forecasting d. random assignment

d. random assignment

Dr. Webb designs a research study in which neither the subjects nor the individuals who interact directly w/ the subjects know which is the control group and which is the experimental group. Dr. Webb probably chose this type of research design in order to a. avoid the need to obtain ethics approval for the study b. minimize the possibility of self-report bias c. ensure that her sample is not bias d. reduce the impact of experimenter bias

d. reduce the impact of experimenter bias

The FINAL step in a scientific investigation is to a. conduct the study b. analyze the data c. decide whether or not the hypothesis was supported d. report the findings

d. report the findings

Bill received a poor performance evaluation in his job last year. Since then Bill has started working through his lunch hours, he has taken on four special projects, and enrolled in night classes to upgrade his computer skills. If Bill receives a better evaluation at his next performance it will be hard for him to figure out why b/c a. he failed to use a double-blind procedure to test his hypothesis b. he didn't formulate a research hypothesis before implementing the changes c. none of the actions he took are likely to be related to his overall job performance d. the 3 actions he took are confounded w/ each other

d. the 3 actions he took are confounded w/ each other

A group of researchers conducts a study to determine if children's performance is affected by the presence of other children. First, the children are taken to a room w/ no other children and timed while they complete a puzzle. Later the same children are taken to a room w/ 4 other children and timed while they complete a similar puzzle. IN this study, the length of time it takes to complete the puzzle would be a. the independent variable b. an extraneous variable c. a control variable d. the dependent variable

d. the dependent variable

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 a. the mean for that particular English exam was 62 points b. the median for that particular English exam was 62 points c. the standard deviation for that particular English exam was 62 points d. the mode for that particular English exam was 62 points

d. the mode for that particular English exam was 62 points