Psychology 335: Research Methods; American River College; Professor DeSouza; Test 1
The question of whether marijuana should be legalized in the United States is an example of
An "ought" question
A prediction that researchers make before collecting data is called
An a priori hypothesis
A confound provides
An alternative explanation for a study's results
If a study is reliable, it must also be valid.
False
The doctrine of falsification reflects the tendency of pseudoscientific studies to falsify results.
False
The scientific method tells us that a research question is fully answered once an empirical study has documented its results.
False
A highly representative sample is important because it allows researchers to
Generalize to a wider population
Pseudoscientific "findings" are often believed because humans have difficulty thinking in probabilities so they instead rely on mental shortcuts or
Heuristics
Danny measures couples' feelings of closeness in a dark or a brightly lit room. In this study, the room's brightness is the
Independent variable
A sample statistic is an estimate of
Population statistic
Transparency of a study's methods and procedures enhances the study's
Replicability
If a study is reliable this means that the study produces
Replicable results
By using the scientific method, researchers work to produce reliable and valid results while avoiding
Selective observation
Denise plans to systematically investigate a research question through careful observation and experimentation. The toolbox of rules she will follow is called
The scientific method
Focusing primarily on evidence that supports a hypothesis and not addressing evidence that refutes a hypothesis is an example of confirmatory bias.
True
If a study is valid, it must be reliable.
True
Researchers try to maximize generalizability and minimize sample bias.
True
The study of a specific construct using the scientific method requires that it can be objectively measured.
True
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that explores
Ways of knowing
A statistical term that means "to come before" is
a priori
A heuristic is
a simplifying mental shortcut
Serendipity effect is
accidentally discovering something fortunate
The larger the sample size, the more reliable and valid the sample statistics that are used to estimate population parameters is called
law of large numbers
All statistics are based on the logic
probability
Statistics provide a set of quantitative tools that allow us to rule out as an explanation for the phenomenon under study the
randomness