PSYC Chapter 2

What setting would a researcher choose if they needed to remove of the complex factors of the real world to conduct their research?

Laboratory

Which is not a measure of central tendency? -Mode -Median -Maximum -Mean

Maximum

What measure of central tendency is used most often

Mean

When you add up all of the scores in a data set, then divide by the number of scores, you have calculated the arithmetic average, which is also called the

Mean

Which of the following are measures of central tendency? Mean Standard deviation Median Range Mode

Mean, Median, Mode

A researcher places a set of scores in numerical order and then calculates the exact middle score. That score is called the

Median

The ______ is the score that falls exactly in the middle of the distribution of scores after they have been arranged (or ranked) from highest to lowest.

Median

A researcher identifies the most commonly occurring score in a set of data. The researcher has found the

Mode

One benefit of the ______, a statistical measure of central tendency, is that it is particularly useful in cases in which information is desired about preference or popularity.

Mode

The score that occurs most often in a dataset is called the

Mode

A University of Michigan research study found that the more a person uses Facebook, the worse they feel. The study found that Facebook use led to declines in happiness and overall life satisfaction. Researchers tested the variables of happiness and satisfaction on 82 college students. Should you stop using Facebook? Yes - The research was conducted by a University and it is published. No - The study was only conducted on 82 college students. That is a pretty small sample. No - This is only one study. I doubt all people feel worse the more they use Facebook. Yes - I finally understand why I feel worse after checking Facebook.

No - The study was only conducted on 82 college students. That is a pretty small sample. No - This is only one study. I doubt all people feel worse the more they use Facebook.

The media reported that college students are not as happy as those who are not in college. You are happy. You are in college. Is there something wrong with you?

No - the results of a group study are not always relevant to an individual No - the media may not have reported all the pertinent details of the research findings

Laboratory research

Or experimental research provides researchers a way to control many aspects of the situation

The entire group about which researcher wants to draw conclusions is called the _____

Population

The distance between the highest and the lowest scores in any data set is considered the

Range

Population

Refers to the entire group that a research is interested in

Results are considered reliable if they can be

Replicated

What is a benefit of the mean?

The mean is a good indicator of the central tendency for a group of scores.

What is a drawback of using the mean as a measure of central tendency?

The mean is easily affected if the data contains a few extreme scores.

Which one of the following statements is true? a. Most psychological questions need many research studies to provide answers b. Most psychological questions can be answered with a single research study c. A single research study will provide answers that applies to all of us d. A single research study is likely to provide conclusive answers

a. Most psychological questions need many research studies to provide answers

The mean is calculated by adding all the scores in a set of scores and then __________ by the number of scores.

dividing

Which of the following are steps in the scientific method? -Drawing conclusions -Preparing meta-analysis -Observing some phenomenon -Thinking critically -Formulating hypothesis and predictions

-Drawing conclusions -Observing some phenomenon -Formulating hypothesis and predictions

A set of data contains the scores 1, 1, 2, 5, and 6. What is the mode?

1

order of scientific method

1. Observation of some interesting situation or experience 2. Create a hypothesis and make predictions 3. Conduct the research 4. Formulate conclusions from the research 5. Evaluate the theory

Descriptive research serves the purpose of observing and recording _______ that can be used as data

Behavior

Researchers use experiments to determine whether _____ relationships exist between variables

Causal

The __________________ group in an experiment doesn't end up receiving any manipulation

Control

Which of the following are the three basic types of research used in psychology?

Correlational, Descriptive, Experimental

True or false: Descriptive statistics reveal the specific characteristics of data and the similarities between them. fmani

False; Descriptive statistics reveal the "big picture" not specific characteristics

True or false: The range is calculated by adding the highest and lowest scores in a data set and then dividing by the number of scores in the dataset.

False; The range is the measure of distance between the highest and lowest scores and is calculated by subtracting the lowest score from the highest score.

In a study of drug efficacy for depression management, Group 1 received a placebo, Group 2 received 2mg of the drug, and Group 3 received 5 mg of the drug, Which group(s) were the experimental group(s)?

Groups 2 and 3

What is the term for an educated guess based on a theory that can be tested?

Hypothesis

Generalizing research results of a group study to a(n) _________ may encourage a person to falsely apply the results to their own situation.

Individual

Media reported that a research study found that most of us can not react when threatened by an attacker. What specific information might be important to know about the details of this study?

Information about the characteristics and size of the sample

An experiment

Involves manipulating one or more variables in order to determine their effect on other variables

A hypothesis is

An educated guess or prediction that can be tested

A dataset contains the numbers 1, 1, 2, 5, 6. What is the median?

2

A dataset contains the scores 1, 1, 2, 5, and 6. What is the mean of those numbers?

3

Swedish researchers found that women who had experienced divorce or a family member's illness in their 50s to 60s were more likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease in their 70s or 80s. What conclusion can we draw from this study?

70-year old women might develop Alzheimer's disease.

In order to test a hypothesis and conduct valid empirical research, a psychologist first needs

A concrete way to measure the variable of interest

A single number that tells you the overall characteristics of a set of data is called

A measure of central tendency

A broad set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations is known as

A theory

The mean is calculated by

Adding all the scores in a set of scores and then dividing by the number of scores

What reveals the "big picture" of data and variation among them?

Descriptive statistics

Descriptive research serves the purpose of

Determining the basic dimensions of a phenomenon and defining what it is or how often it occurs; but cannot provide causal information

The third step in the scientific method is the need to collect and analyze data, that is , the testing of hypotheses by conducting _______ research by collecting and analyzing data.

Empirical

The third step in the scientific method is the need to collect and analyze data, that is, the testing of hypotheses by conducting _______ research by collecting and analyzing data

Empirical

Molly noticed that within her dataset the scores are pretty different from each other. Which of the following statistic would be the best to capture the variability in scores?

Standard deviation

The average amount of variability, or difference, in scores relative to the mean in a dataset is considered the

Standard deviation

After formulating hypotheses and prediction, what step must a psychologist take next?

Test the hypotheses and predictions through empirical research

The key feature of a correlational is

That the factors of interest are measured or observed to see how they are related

A study presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Boston and published in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility, suggests that processed meat intake is linked to poorer semen quality, and fish is linked to better semen quality. What elements of this story support the possibility that this research is credible? The research was published by a credible journal The research suggests that there is a link between food intake and sperm count The research states that eating processed meat will make you infertile The research was presented to a credible professional group

The research was published by a credible journal The research suggests that there is a link between food intake and sperm count The research was presented to a credible professional group

In an odd number of scores, the median is

The score with the same number of scores above it as below it.

A test of intelligence is given to a . subject, The subject scores a 110 on the first administration. Six months later, the same subject is given the same test again and receives a score of 75. After another six months has passed, the subject is given the test one last time and receives a score of 138. What conclusions can be drawn from these scores?

The scores are not reliable

The media reports that a research study found that students learn better if they eat chocolate while reading. If your teacher insists that you eat chocolate, based on this report, what errors is he making?

The teacher is not thinking critically about this media report The teacher is overgeneralizing the results of this report to all students The teacher is assuming that the class is similar to the participants in the study

What is the purpose of descriptive statistics?

To show the overall characteristics of the data and any significant variations

A measure of central tendency is a single number that indicated overall characteristics of a set of data (true/false)

True

True or False: The media often has trouble accurately informing us about the findings of psychological research study and its implications for our lives.

True; Each of us must take responsibility for evaluating media reports on psychological research.

True or false: In a situation where extreme scores exist within a data set, the mean is not as helpful as other measures of central tendency are.

True; The Mode or median would offer better information

Correlational research involves studies that are concerned with identifying the relationships between two or more ______ in order to describe how they change together

Variables

Correlational research is about establishing relationships between two

Variables

When would it be particularly useful to use the mode, as opposed to either the mean or median?

When the goal is to determine which of a set of options is most popular

The headline is: "Study says sniffing rosemary improves memory by 75%." The story reports that researchers presented evidence that sniffing the essential oil from the herb rosemary improved long-term memory and performance in mental arithmetic. To determine the credibility of this research what other information do you need to consider?

Who conducted the research study? How many participants were in the research study? Was the study reviewed by an expert panel?

What is a theory?

a broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain certain observations

New research suggests the size of your car affects how you drive. If you have a big car, studies show you may be more likely to break the law. It has to do with posture and how powerful you feel. Researcher Andy Yap from MIT says if you're in a car that allows you to sprawl out, it can that make you feel more powerful and that in turn, can lead to unethical behavior. What conclusion can we draw from this study? a. Driving big cars will keep us from getting a speeding ticket b. Driving big cars may make us feel powerful and we might speed c. Driving small cars will keep us from getting a speeding ticket d. Driving big cars make us feel powerful and we will speed

b. Driving big cars may make us feel powerful and we might speed

Which statements are true regarding popular media reports of psychological research? a. Media always accurately and fully informs the public of the research findings b. Media personnel are always trained in interpreting psychological research c. Media often only present sensationalistic and dramatic research findings

c. Media often only present sensationalistic and dramatic research findings

Descriptive statistics are the mathematical procedures

that researchers have developed to describe and summarize sets of data in a meaningful way.