Chapter 2 Psych Quiz

c. experiment.

A researcher was interested in determining whether or not test performance of students could be improved by providing them with individual tutoring. The researcher randomly divided fifty first-year college students into two groups. In Group A the instructor lectured to them for three hours per week. Group B received an equal amount of lecturing, but their instructor also met with each student for thirty minutes every wee. Each group took the same final exam. The test performance of students in Group B was about the same as that of students in Group A. This study is an example of a(n) Select one: a. correlational study. b. case study. c. experiment. d. survey.

c. correlational research

A psychologist looks for a link between aggressive behavior and television violence by measuring the frequency of fighting and television-viewing habits of many twelve-year-old children. The psychologist concludes that children who watch more violent programming also get into fights more often. This is an example of Select one: a. a case study b. a survey c. correlational research d. experimental research

a. Deception is allowable only if it is revealed afterward and if the emotional distress that is caused is short-lived.

A psychologist proposed an experiment in which he would tell subjects that their performance on an intelligence test was extremely low (regardless of actual performance), and then measure their self-esteem. What might an Institutional Review Board ethics committee say about such a proposal? Select one: a. Deception is allowable only if it is revealed afterward and if the emotional distress that is caused is short-lived. b. Deception is allowable only if subjects give informed consent prior to the experiment. c. Deception is never allowable. d. Deception such as this would cause emotional discomfort, so it should not be done.

c. Naturalistic observation method

A researcher studied how foreign students adapt to college by living in a foreign students' dorm and going to classes with a small group of foreign students. Which research method was used? Select one: a. Controlled experiment method b. Survey method c. Naturalistic observation method d. International method

Variables

the specific factors or characteristics that are manipulated and/or measured in research

behavioral genetics

the study of how genes and heredity affect behavior

experimenter bias

the unintentional effect that researchers may exert on their results

dependent variable

the variable in an experiment that is being measured, which is impacted by the treatment

independent variable

the variable manipulated by the researcher in an experiment

inferential stats

use conventional rules to evaluate the likelihood that a difference between groups or a correlation reflects an important relationship, rather than by chance (mathematical procedures used to draw conclusions from data)

a. reliability

After the magician pulled a rabbit from her hat, Dora exclaimed, "I'd like to see her do that again!" In other words, Dora is challenging the _________ of the magician. a. reliability b. hypothesis c. validity d. data

explanation

after collecting data, discuss variable relations

prediction

after describing, forecasting relations of variables

control

after making prediction, governing variables

standard deviation (SD)

average distance of each score from mean

mean

average of the data set

a. Mode

When Harry met Sally they had a debate about whether or not men and women can be friends. Harry decided to ask random people, "On a scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (definitely), how strongly do you believe that men and women can be friends?" Their responses were as followed: 1,1,1,1,7,8,9,9,10. Which measure of central tendency should Harry use if he wants to convince Sally that most people do not believe that men and women can be friends? Select one: a. Mode b. Mean c. Median d. Range

correlational study method

Which method deals with examining relationships between research variables

case study method

Which method deals with intensive examination of the behavior and mental processes associated with a specific person or situation

naturalistic observation method

Which method deals with observations of human or animal behavior in the environment in which it typically occurs

experiment method

Which method deals with situations in which the researcher manipulates on variable and then observes the effect of that manipulation on another variable, while holding all other variables constant

survey method

Which method deals with standard set of questions asked of a large number of participants

d. Use a double-bind design

Which of the following the most effective way to eliminate experimenter bias? Select one: a. Use placebos b. Hire ethical research assistants c. Use random variables d. Use a double-bind design

Random variables

Which variable is uncontrolled, sometimes uncontrollable, factors such as the time of year when research takes place and differences in the participants' backgrounds, personalities, life experiences, and vulnerability to stress

c. the samples being biased.

While conducting an experiment on alcohol tolerance, Dr. Guff solicits his subjects at the door to Skam's (a local drinking and social establishment). When he publishes his findings (that people are extremely tolerant to the effects of alcohol), Dr. Guff's research is criticized because of Select one: a. too many dependent variables. b. his use of a double-blind design. c. the samples being biased. d. his use of a double-blind design and the samples being biased

c. survey

Yasou calls people and asks them a specified list of questions concerning their opinions of how irritating telemarketers can be. What kind of research is Yasou conducting? Select one: a. Naturalistic observation b. case study c. survey d. experiment

random sample

a group of research participants selected from a population whose members all had an equal chance of being chosen

representative sample

a group of research participants whose characteristics fairly reflect the characteristics of the population from which they were selected

statistical significance

a mathematical judgement of the probability that a difference in numbers or correlation is a real effect, no due to chance

Hypothesis

a prediction stated as a specific, testable proposition about something they want to study (educated guess)

Operational Definitions

a statement that defines the exact operations or methods used in research (allows us to manipulate and measure variables in research)

range

difference between high and low in set

nurture

environmental, after birth

nature

genetics, biological predisposition

biased sample

group of research participants selected from a population whose members did not have an equal chance of being chosen

experimental group

receives experimental treatment

control group

receives no treatment or some other treatment

double-blind design

research design in which neither the experimenter nor the participants know who is in the experimental group and who is in the control group

descriptive stats

summary of data

Participant expectations

the act of participants behaving according to what they think is required of them by the experiment or researchers

Validity

the degree to which the data accurately represents the topic being studied

Reliability

the degree to which the data are stable and consistent

description

the first step in the critical process, it involves paying close attention, taking notes, and researching the cultural product to be studied

Census

the most inclusive way to establish representation of a given population

mode

the number that occurs most often in a data set (most insensitive measurement)

naturalistic observation, case studies, surveys, correlational studies, and experiments

What are 5 research methods in psych?

nonresponse error

What error is when not everyone who is randomly selected for a research project will agree to participate

b. there is no sure way to know what is causing the behavior being studied.

A major limitation of naturalist observation in the study of human behavior is that Select one: a. accurate observations usually cannot be made. b. there is no sure way to know what is causing the behavior being studied. c. studying people in their natural environment tells nothing about the influence os context on behavior. d. it always requires two observers and is therefore very expensive.

placebo

A physical or psychological treatment that contains no active ingredient but produces an effect because the person receiving it believes it will

d. unacceptable because the risks and discomfort to the subjects outweigh the potential benefits of the knowledge gained.

An experimenter is studying the facial expression of the emotion terror. He plans to point a loaded gun at subjects as they enter the room and photograph them at the same instant. Such an experiment would be ethically Select one: a. acceptable if the experimenter explained the experiment afterward. b. acceptable if the experimenter explained the experiment afterward and if the subjects were paid. c. acceptable if the subjects were paid. d. unacceptable because the risks and discomfort to the subjects outweigh the potential benefits of the knowledge gained.

a. The dependent variable

An experimenter wants to determine if taking a specific amount of the drug Prozac relieves depression. Which of the following will be most in need of an operational definition in this study? a. The dependent variable b. The independent variable c. The inferential statistic d. The experimental confound

Theory

An integrated set of statements designed to account for, predict, and event suggest ways of controlling certain phenomena

b. a negative correlation

As you go south from Maine to Florida, your latitude decreases, but the average daily temperature goes up. This illustrates Select one: a. a positive correlation b. a negative correlation c. a small standard deviation d. a large standard deviation

convenience error

What error is when the scientists select who is closest or most convenient so they limit their results

1. What am I being asked to believe or accept? 2. What evidence is available to support the assertion? 3. Are there alternative ways of interpreting the evidence? 4. What additional evidence would help evaluate the alternatives? 5. What conclusions are most reasonable?

What are the 5 questions one should ask when thinking critically?

b. experimenter bias

Laura conducted a study to determine whether her new "puppet" therapy works better than the traditional "talking" therapy. After randomly assigning her own patients to either the "puppet" or "talking" group, Laura herself administered the therapy. This study is most obviously flawed due to Select one: a. random variables b. experimenter bias c. the placebo effect d. participant expectations

d. predictive

Chiu-yuen has unobtrusively observed the behavior of elderly nursing home residents. Based on this data is appears that less sociable residents may engage in hobby activity more often that the more sociable residents. Chiu-yuen now wishes to gather data to determine if sociability is negatively related to the amount of time spend in hobby activities. This research is at the _________ stage. a. descriptive b. controlled c. explanatory d. predictive

Correlation

What does not equate to causation

a. cast studies

Dr. Panchal is a neuropsychologist studying behavioral deficits experienced by people with brain damage. Her research probably involves Select one: a. cast studies b. experimental designs c. random sampling. d. all of the above

b. experimental

Dr. V wanted to test her theory that sugar improves memory, so she gave one group of participants candy sweetened with sugar and another group candy sweetened with NutraSweet. Then she compared the performance of the two groups on a test of recognition memory. Dr. V's research method is Select one: a. predictive b. experimental c. descriptive d. natrualistic

b. blood cortisol

Dr. Wisgoski asked fifty drug addicts a series of questions about their childhoods and then collected blood samples from them. He found a correlation between levels of the stress hormone cortisol and amount of reported childhood trauma. Dr. Wisgoski concluded that childhood trauma causes high levels of stress during adulthood, which, in turn, causes drug addiction. Dr. Wisgoski's operational definition of adult stress level is a. childhood trama. b. blood cortisol. c. drug addiction. d. self-report.

a. experimenter bias

In an experiment, Dr. Fatka watches 40 subjects play basketball and gives each subject a rating from 1 to 10 to assess each subject's basketball ability. Dr. Fatka randomly divides the 40 subjects in to group and personally teaches on group how to play basketball and the other group how to play football. Finally, Dr. Fatka watches all 40 subjects play basketball again and gives each subject a new rating. After looking at the data, Dr. Fatka concludes that teaching basketball was more effective that teaching football in raising the basketball ratings. This experiment is flawed because of Select one: a. experimenter bias b. random sampling c. double-blind design d. correlations

b. biased

Marney is studying the relationship between the rate of teen pregnancies in U.S. high school students and the availability of contraceptives. She selects a sample composed of equal numbers of first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior women from a local high school. Marney's sample is Select one: a. random b. biased c. representative d. generalizable

a. hypothesis; placebo

Megan believes she has found a medication that will greatly reduce the symptoms of depression, so she decides to conduct an experiment to test her ______________. She randomly assigns depressed people to one of two groups. One group of subjects takes the medication, while the other group gets only sugar pills. The latter group is receiving a __________. Select one: a. hypothesis; placebo b. theory; random variable c. bias; treatment d. intervening variable; placebo

a. a survey

Nina wants to know whether there is a market for a brand new product, the Arctic Blast, which freezes all types of foods within seconds. To find out what percentage of people and what types of people might be interested in such a product, Nina needs to use __________ as her method of research. Select one: a. a survey b. naturalistic observation c. a case study d. an experiment

d. -0.75

Paul is asked to find the correlation coefficient representing the highest degree of association between two variables Which should he choose? Select one: a. +0.70 b. -0.20 c. +1.35 d. -0.75

b. describing the phenomenon of interest.

Psychology is based on research questions about many phenomena. The first step in assembling information about a phenomenon is usually a. devising a theory that will predict future phenomena. b. describing the phenomenon of interest. c. finding the correlation between the variables that compose the phenomenon. d. devise an experiment that will explain the causal relationships involved.

b. Mean

Sidney has six quiz scores and one exam score in her linguistic anthropology class. The quiz scores are 85, 85,87,87,87, and 90, and the exam score is 86. If she is able to replace her lowest quiz score with her exam score, which of the following will change? Select one: a. Median b. Mean c. Range d. Mode

a. dependent

Sima believes that wearing black clothing causes people to behave more aggressively. In her experiment, she randomly assigns people into two groups. In group one, participants are given a black shirt to wear, while participants in group two are given in a white shirt to wear. Each participant is then asked to play a violent video game for 15 minutes and their score is computed. In this experiment, the participants' video game score is the _________ variable. Select one: a. dependent b. random c. independent d. confounding

d. standard deviation

The football team's punter want to determine how consistent his kicking distances were last season. Which of the following will give him the most information? Select one: a. mean b. median c. mode d. standard deviation

c. description, prediction, control, and explanation

The goals of the scientific study of behavior are a. description and prediction. b. control and explanation. c. description, prediction, control, and explanation d. description and explanation

a. hypothesis

The prediction that "bright colors will make people happier" is called a(n a. hypothesis b. law c. theory d. explanation

sampling error

What error is it when the people selected might not have the same answers as the whole

Random assignment

The procedure by which random variables are evenly distributed in an experiment by putting participants into various groups through a random process

Critical Thinking

The process of assessing claims and making judgments on the basis of well-supported evidence

b. A punter who averages 31 yards per punt and has never had a punt lower than 28 or higher than 34

The standard deviation uses the mean to establish how much each score differs on average from the mean. Which scenario would most likely have a lower standard deviation.? a. A punter who averages 42 yards per punt, but dramatically differs from punt to punt b. A punter who averages 31 yards per punt and has never had a punt lower than 28 or higher than 34

d. the ratings

Twenty volunteers are shown a movie about a party. After viewing, participants were asked to rate their reactions to the movie using a scale that went for 1 to 7. In this example, what would be the data? a. the participants b. the movie c. the party d. the ratings

describe, predict, control, and explain

What are 4 goals of scientific method

b. randomly.

To avoid bias and confounding variables in a controlled experiment, subjects should be assigned to either the experimental or control group a. on the basis of careful thought. b. randomly. c. on the basis of individual tests. d. according to age variables.

a. independent

To investigate the effects of exercise on mathematical problem-solving ability, a research assigned subjects to one of two groups. One group did 50 jumping jacks, the other group did 200 jumping jacks. After exercising, both groups did a set of math problems and their performances were compared. In this experiment the number jumping jacks is the _________ variable. Select one: a. independent b. dependent c. control d. intervening

b. random assignment.

To minimize the impact of random variables on an experiments results, researchers commonly use Select one: a. a double-blind experiment. b. random assignment. c. a placebo. d. a control group.

median

midpoint of the data set

c. explanation

nadine is studying the effects of alcohol consumption on college students. She carried out a series of experiments and has begun developing a theory. Nadine's research goal is a. control. b. description. c. explanation. d. prediction.

Data

numbers that represent research findings and provide more attention to numbers or scores that confirm their hypothesis, especially if they expect or hope that those hypothesis are true

"Pop" psychologists

over simplifies; ignored negative evidence

correlation coefficient

positive cor. = +1.0 to above 0, Negative cor. = below 0 to -.1.0, greater than 0 = positive, less than 0 = negative, 0 = no cor.

sampling

process of selecting participants