PSYC Unit 1 & 2 MCQ
A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group watched a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children were then observed during a period of free play, and the incidence of aggressive behavior was recorded for each group. This research method is best characterized as
experimental
10, 3, 5, 7, 10, 3, 10, 5, 2 The numbers above represent the quiz results for a psychology class. What is the median score for the class?
5
Exam Scores 8 6 5 10 5 7 1 5 10 A student who scored at the mode would have how many points?
5
A researcher surveyed social adjustment in the same group of 20 people from early childhood through adulthood. In this example, the group of 20 people surveyed was the study's A Sample B Population C Operational definition D Control group E Randomization
A
All of the following are American Psychological Association ethical guidelines for researchers EXCEPT: A Research may not involve deception. B Participation must be voluntary. C Participants must be informed of potential risks. D Participants must be offered alternative activities if research participation is a course requirement. E Participants' right to privacy must be protected.
A
Cognitive psychologists are most likely to study A the acquisition of knowledge, planning, and problem solving B how infants move from basic trust to autonomy C the conflicts of the conscious and the unconscious D the relationship of cephalocaudal and proximodistal development E how attribution processes vary across cultures
A
Drawing a random sample of people from a town for an interview study of social attitudes ensures that A each person in the town has the same probability of being chosen for the study B an equal number of males and females are selected for interviews C the study includes at least some respondents from every social class in town D the study will uncover widely differing social attitudes among the respondents E the sample will be large enough even though some people may refuse to be interviewed
A
Introspection as practiced by early structuralists is best illustrated by which of the following behaviors? A Describing one's immediate sensations while looking at a rose B Determining the best way for children to learn in school C Conditioning an infant to fear rabbits D Recalling one's unconscious desires E Creating intelligence tests for use in the military
A
Operational definitions are used for which of the following reasons? A They enable researchers to replicate studies by precisely describing the variables and how they are used. B They exclude mental processes from being studied, as they are no longer considered part of the scientific study of psychology. C They determine which test of statistical significance will be used to analyze the results of the experiment. D They keep the participants in the control group from knowing they have received the placebo. E They determine whether the experiment is better suited for a laboratory or a field setting.
A
Which of the following is the strongest correlation? A -.90 B -.23 C .40 D .67 E .72
A
Which of the following research approaches would be best for testing the hypothesis that the presence of certain odors causes people to gamble more? A Experimental B Observational C Correlational D Survey E Case study
A
Which of the following studies has had the most profound impact on ethical issues in psychological research? A Stanley Milgram's study of obedience B Solomon Asch's study of conformity C Daryl Bern's study of self-perception D William McGuire's study of self-concept E Leon Festinger's study of cognitive dissonance
A
Which procedure can reduce problems associated with the use of deception by a researcher? A Debriefing B Random sampling C Random assignment D Using only single-blind studies E Using only double-blind studies
A
Experimental research differs from correlational research in that experimental research A allows for prediction B may reveal a causal relation C establishes a mathematical relation D defines the strength of the relation E uses a dependent variable
B
A teacher finds the distribution of scores on a final exam to be positively skewed with low variability. On the basis of this information, the teacher would be most justified in concluding that A a small number of students in the class did poorly on the exam B the students in her classroom have a very wide range of intellectual abilities C the exam was too difficult D the exam is not a reliable assessment tool E most of her students are of above average ability
C
According to the ethical guidelines set by the American Psychological Association (APA), which of the following is true of psychological research in which animals are used as subjects? A It must not involve the use of surgical procedures. B It is no longer permitted by the APA without special authorization. C It should conform to all APA ethical guidelines for animal research. D It must be limited to investigations that use correlational procedures. E It may not be conducted by psychologists who do not have a license.
C
Ethical principles developed by the American Psychological Association help ensure that human participants in psychological research A get paid for their time and trouble B have not participated in similar research in the past C are protected from physical and psychological harm D understand the hypotheses of the researcher before they take part E keep the purposes of the research project confidential
C
Of the following, an evolutionary psychologist will most likely investigate the A age of children when they speak their first words B speed of an action potential C reason why many people have an innate fear of the dark D factors that make a person feel accepted by others E features of a car that make it easier for a person to operate
C
Researchers find that there is a significant, positive correlation between the number of hours students sleep and their grades. The researchers would be justified in concluding that A earning good grades causes people to sleep more B sleeping more causes students to perform better in school C students who earn good grades tend to sleep more than those who do not D more sleep has a beneficial impact on students' grades E sleep deprivation has no impact on school performance
C
Which of the following studies demonstrates a cross-sectional research design? A Testing the first graders, and testing them again when they are in third grade B Testing first graders at the end of the school year C Testing first, third, and fifth graders at the beginning of the school year D Observing first graders as they test in two different subject areas E Observing first graders as they interact with either third graders or fifth graders
C
Which theoretical perspective in psychology attempts to characterize the way in which humans store and process sensory information?
Cognitive
In an experiment to test the effects of hunger on aggressive behavior, aggressive behavior would be the A placebo B control C hypothesis D dependent variable E independent variable
D
In order to yield information that is generalizable to the population from which it was drawn, a sample must be A made up of at least 30 members of the population B as large as possible C normally distributed D representative of the population E made up of at least 50 percent of the members of the population
D
Synesthesia is a phenomenon that has been estimated to occur in only a few people in a million. Because of its rarity, researchers are likely to choose which research method to study it? A Naturalistic observation B Correlational research C Survey research D Case study E Experimental research
D
Which of the following statements is true of behaviorism? A It was formulated to account for cognitive development. B It is rooted in Sigmund Freud's view of the importance of early experiences. C It focuses on the development of thought processes and knowledge. D It holds that development is largely a product of learning. E It emphasizes the dominance of heredity over environment.
D
A survey shows that children who have encyclopedias in their homes earn better grades in school than children whose homes lack encyclopedias. The researcher concludes that having encyclopedias at home improves grades. This conclusion is erroneous primarily because the researcher has incorrectly A failed to allow for experimenter bias B identified the independent variable C identified the dependent variable D inferred correlation from causation E inferred causation from correlation
E
An instructor conducted an experiment to determine the effects of two different methods of study on the amount students learned in introductory physics. The results showed that the average amount learned by the group using one method was greater than the average amount learned by the group using the other. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion to be drawn? A The group of students attaining the higher mean score had studied more than the other group. B The better study method will have different effects for students of varying levels of ability. C Neither group learned a significant amount. D There is a positive correlation between the results of the two methods. E There is a possibility that the difference between the two groups occurred by chance.
E
Researchers have found a negative correlation between income and dental problems. What conclusion can correctly be drawn from this statement? A Having a higher income causes fewer dental problems. B As income increases, the likelihood of requiring dental care increases. C As income increases, dental procedures become more affordable. D A rise in the incidence of dental problems causes income to be lower. E As income increases, the likelihood of dental problems decreases.
E
Research on human mating preferences suggests that men place greater value on physical attractiveness and youthfulness, whereas women place greater value on social status and financial resources. Which of the following psychological points of view best explains this behavior?
Evolutionary
A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group watched a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children were then observed during a period of free play, and the incidence of aggressive behavior was recorded for each group. What is the dependent variable in this study?
Incidence of aggressive behavior
Martha is an undergraduate student who is interested in pursuing a career in psychology. She wants to use her knowledge of psychology to help employees become more productive in the workplace. Which field of psychology should Martha select in graduate school?
Industrial-organization
A researcher randomly assigned boys and girls to each of two groups. One group watched a violent television program while the other group watched a nonviolent program. The children were then observed during a period of free play, and the incidence of aggressive behavior was recorded for each group. What is the independent variable in this study?
Type of television program viewed
The correlation between two measures obtained on a group of individuals is graphically represented as a
scatterplot
