Chapter 2: Psychological Research

You find that there is no correlation between time spent studying and time spent taking a shower. Which of the following values is probably closest to the one you obtained?

0.00

List the steps in the scientific method in the correct order, with the first at the top.

1. identify a question 2. develop a hypothesis 3. test the hypothesis 4. communicate findings

Which of the following is an example of archival research?

A study examining ethnic differences in neighborhoods using census data.

Which of the following is an example of survey research?

A study in which people complete a questionnaire about how they feel about people of different ethnic groups.

How do theories relate to hypotheses?

A theory leads to the development of hypotheses.

Which of the following is an example of a theory?

All people have an innate tendency toward positive growth in their life.

What type of research methodology utilizes census data or previous collections of data?

Archival research

Dr. Agarwal is conducting an in-depth study of a patient who has exhibited some very unusual neurological symptoms. What kind of research is this?

Case study

What term describes an in-depth intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people?

Case study

Which of the following are disadvantages of using college students in psychological research?

College students are a relatively homogeneous sample; results may not apply to a more general population.

In an experiment, which variable is measured by the experimenter?

Dependent

A psychologist has identified a question of interest for a scientific research study. Which of the following would be part of the process of formulating an explanation?

Develop a hypothesis

When assessing whether the results of psychological studies are valid, which of the following need to be considered?

Do the results reflect subject or experimenter bias? Are the results due to how the independent variable was manipulated?

Which of these research methods allows the researcher to determine cause and effect? (Select all that apply.)

Experiment

Which type of research involves manipulating one variable in order to see how it affects another variable?

Experiment

True or false: When considering an operational definition for a construct, there is usually only one definition that psychologists would agree on.

False

Which of these are potential pitfalls to survey research? Choose all that apply:

If the sample doesn't represent the larger population, then the data won't be accurate. People may not want to admit to behaviors or attitudes that are socially unacceptable.

_____ minimizes the risk of harm by telling research participants what to expect before they participate in research.

Informed consent

Why is random so important for determining cause and effect?

It allows the researcher to be more confident that the outcomes are due to the independent variable, not other participant characteristics.

Why does deception pose a risk to ethical research?

It makes it harder to get informed consent from participants.

What type of research methodology involves watching and documenting people's behavior, without changing the situation?

Naturalistic observation

There are four key safeguards outlined by the American Psychological Association to protect human subjects. Which of the following is NOT one of the guidelines?

Participants must be financially compensated for their time

Which of the following is an example of correlational research?

SAT scores are related to GPA.

When researchers say that the results of a study are "significant," what does this mean?

Statistical analysis shows that the results were not likely due to sheer chance.

A researcher is conducting an experiment on the effectiveness of full-spectrum light box treatment for seasonal affective disorder. Which of the following would NOT be considered a variable?

Study participant who has seasonal affective disorderc

_____ research involves having people answer questions about their thoughts, feelings and/or behavior.

Survey

Which of the following are steps in the scientific method? (Select all that apply.)

Test hypotheses through research Communicate findings Develop hypotheses Identify a question

What does it mean that hours spent watching TV and total number of discipline problems in school are correlated +.45?

The more hours a child spends watching TV, the more likely that child will get into trouble at school.

What are some things you would need to know when assessing the validity of research you read about in a magazine?

The specific hypotheses of the research Who the participants were

Which of these are major reasons why researchers might want to study animals instead of humans? (Select all that apply.)

They can have greater control over the lives of animals They can learn more about aging due to the shorter lifespans of many species

What is the purpose of using deception in psychological research?

To prevent participants from being influenced by what they think the purpose of the study is

What does it mean if hours spent watching TV and total number of discipline problems in school are correlated 0.0?

Watching TV and disciplinary problems are not related.

Scores in bowling go up as ability goes up. This is an example of _____.

a positive correlation

Scores on an exam go down as the time spent studying goes down. This is an example of _____.

a positive correlation

Before it can be conducted, all psychological research is subject to review by

an independent panel.

Mary decided to measure intelligence in a group of children. She chose to do this using a specific IQ test. She was choosing ______.

an operational definition for intelligence

Researchers test hypotheses because theories _____.

are too general to be tested adequately

Bias is least likely when conducting drug studies that involve _____.

both a double-blind procedure and a placebo

When using naturalistic observation, we can sample typical behavior in a situation

but lose control of other factors.

Hypotheses

can be tested.

The results of a ____________ study may be based on studying one individual and cannot be easily generalizable to the general population.

case

A _______________ participates in a study but also, unbeknown to the other participants, works for the experimenter.

confederate

In an experiment, the group that receives no treatment is the ___________ group.

control

Research that involves determining the association between two variables or two sets of variables is called _________________ research.

correlational

Research that involves determining the association between two variables or two sets of variables is called research.

correlational

When neither the experimenter nor the participant knows what condition the participant is in, the study is referred to as being ______.

double-blind

Unlike experimental research, correlational research cannot ______.

establish cause and effect

Experimenter and participant expectations are two types of ______________ bias.

experimental

In an experiment, the _____ group is manipulated, while the ____ group is not.

experimental; control

When an experimenter inadvertently transmits cues to participants about the way they are expected to behave in a given experimental condition, we would have to say that _______________ bias is involved.

experimenter

A theory is a ______.

framework to explain relationships between different facts or principles

College students often participate in psychological research, limiting the ____ of such work.

generalization

A psychologist designed an experiment to determine the effect of positive and negative emotion on health. In this experiment, emotion is a(n) ____________ variable, and health is a(n) ______________ variable.

independent, dependent

In an experiment, the independent variable is ____, whereas the dependent variable is _____.

manipulated, measured

The change that an experimenter deliberately produces in an experiment is the experimental

manipulation

A case study is an in-depth investigation of _____.

one person or a small group of people

There are many different ways to define alcoholism, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Thus, it is not surprising that there may be many _________ this concept.

operational definitions of

A participant behaves in ways that she thinks will help the experimenter. This ____ will tend to invalidate the results.

participant bias

Random assignment is a procedure in which ____ are assigned to either the treatment or control group on the basis of chance.

participants

The control group in a study looking at the effects of a drug on behavior would probably be administered a _____________ to make them think they were getting the drug.

placebo

A procedure in which participants are assigned to different experimental groups on the basis of chance is called ____________ assignment.

random

You are surprised at the outcome of an experiment that comes out very differently than you had anticipated. You should probably _____ the study to see if you get the same result the second time.

replicate

Statistical analysis is used to determine if the results of a study are

significant.

Participant bias occurs when _____.

subjects respond as they think they are supposed to

A researcher has some participants listen to quiet classical music, while others listen to loud rock. He then has each group take a math test, and compares their scores. In this experiment, the independent variable is ______ and the dependent variable is ______.

the type of music, math scores

Based on a series of observations, you think that the planets might be orbiting the sun. You have developed a(n) ______.

theory

Recent research has found a relationship between body fat and colon cancer in women. This means that _____.

there is a correlation between these variables

Psychological experimental research compares the responses of one group that receives a _______________ (the manipulation implemented by an experimenter) to the responses of another group that does not receive it.

treatment

Scores on an IQ test exemplify a(n)

variable.

Behaviors, events or other characteristics that can change or vary in a study are called _____________.

variables