RDSA exam mult choice Q's

Your friend Gaby loves reading articles about psychology studies in her monthly women's magazine. Which of the following would you tell her? a. "Stop reading those articles because they are never accurate." b. "Peer-reviewed journals are much easier to read than magazines." c. "Be careful about reading those articles because they may not present findings accurately." d. "Reading those magazines is just as good as reading the peer-reviewed journals."

"Be careful about reading those articles because they may not present findings accurately."

Salma conducts a study and finds that her data do not completely support her theory. Which of the following statements should she avoid saying? a. "My data are inconsistent with my theory." b. "My data disprove my theory." c. "My theory needs amending." d. "I may need to collect more data."

"My data disprove my theory."

Which of the following is an association claim?

"Owning a dog is related to higher life satisfaction."

Benjamin is a social psychologist who studies marriage. He believes that marital satisfaction has two components: the ability to trust one's partner and a belief that one can be a good spouse. He conducts a study to test his ideas. Assuming that his data match his theory, which of the following statements should he make? a. "The data prove my theory." b. "My theory is generalizable." c. "The data provide support for my theory." d. "The data complicate my theory."

"The data provide support for my theory."

Which of the following phrases would NOT indicate that a researcher is making a causal claim

"is at higher risk of"

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?" Clarissa's concern is addressing which of the following?

??????

When reading an empirical journal article "with a purpose," which section should you read first? a. Abstract b. Introduction c. Method d. Discussion

Abstract

Which of the following is the correct ordering of the sections of an empirical journal article? a. Introduction, Results, Discussion, Method, References b. Introduction, Discussion, Method, Results, Abstract c. Abstract, References, Introduction, Results, Discussion d. Abstract, Method, Results, Discussion, References

Abstract, Method, Results, Discussion, References

Which of the following is an example of being a producer of research? a. Administering an anxiety questionnaire b. Applying a new therapy technique c. Writing an opinion article about a psychological study d. Undergoing a brain scan

Administering an anxiety questionnaire

Which of the following is an example of applied research? a. A social psychologist who is interested in the components of self-concept b. An educational psychologist who looks for a way to increase math skills in 8-year-olds c. A personality psychologist who studies the difference between introverts and extroverts d. A cognitive psychologist who looks at the difference in problem-solving abilities of men and women

An educational psychologist who looks for a way to increase math skills in 8-year-olds

Which of the following is the difference between claims based on personal experience (anecdotal claims) and frequency claims?

Anecdotal claims are not based on scientific studies but frequency claims are.

Which of the following is an example of being a consumer of research? a. Administering a questionnaire of PTSD symptoms b. Consenting to participate in a research study c. Attending a psychological conference d. Measuring dopamine levels in patients with schizophrenia

Attending a psychological conference

Which of the following is true of the difference between basic and applied research? a. Basic and applied research have different goals. b. Applied research is more important than basic research. c. Basic research is more difficult to conduct than applied research. d. Applied research is done by consumers of research.

Basic and applied research have different goals

When reading an empirical journal article "with a purpose," why should you read the abstract first? a. Because it is the shortest section b. Because it provides an overview of the article c. Because it is written by the journal's editor d. Because it appears in PsycINFO

Because it provides an overview of the article

After reading the chapter, Cyril says to himself, "I am sure other people might engage in faulty thinking, but I never would." What is Cyril experiencing? a. Bias blind spot b. Confirmation bias c. Faulty intuition d. Motivated thinking

Bias blind spot

Scientific journals and magazines are similar in which of the following ways? a. Both are written for the general public. b. Both tend to be written by scientists. c. Both tend to publish peer-reviewed articles. d. Both are trying to inform their readers.

Both are trying to inform their readers.

You read a news article titled, "New Drug Reduces OCD Symptoms in Mice" about a recent scientific study. To evaluate whether the title's claim is supported, you should do which of the following?

Check whether the authors established covariance, temporal precedence, and internal validity

To evaluate how well a study supports a frequency claim, you need to focus most on evaluating which of the following validities?

Construct validity and external validity

Which of the following questions assesses internal validity when evaluating causal claims?

Does the study establish temporal precedence?

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. Which of the following makes Dr. Kang's study an experiment?

Dr. Kang manipulated one variable and measured another

Dr. Ramon makes the following claim: "Watching television leads people to spend less time communicating with their spouses, study says." Dr. LaSalle makes the claim: "Research shows that making more money correlates with spending less time talking with your spouse." Which of the following statements is true of Dr. Ramon's and Dr. LaSalle's claims?

Dr. Ramon's claim goes further than Dr. LaSalle's claim

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. What should Dr. White do next? a. Evaluate the ways in which her study differed from previous studies that supported this theory b. Work with a journalist to write a magazine article claiming they have disproved the previous theory c. Develop a new theory of what causes depression d. Start altering treatments for depression based on her findings

Evaluate the ways in which her study differed from previous studies that supported this theory

Stefan wants to make a causal claim in his dissertation. Which of the following is necessary?

He must conduct an experiment.

Jenny reads the following headline on an online article: "If You're Sexist, People Will Think You're Racist, and Vice Versa." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Sanchez and colleagues, 2017.) This study found that members of stigmatized groups are threatened by prejudice directed at other stigmatized groups. Their results showed that White women can be threatened by racism, and men of color threatened by sexism, and that these perceptions made participants expect unfair treatment. Which of the following questions assesses the construct validity of this study?

How did the researchers measure expectations of unfair treatment?

Which of the following is true of the relationship between hypotheses and theories? a. Hypotheses are used to determine if a theory is accurate. b. Theories are used to determine if a hypothesis is accurate. c. Multiple theories are needed to test whether a hypothesis is accurate. d. Hypotheses and theories are synonymous terms.

Hypotheses are used to determine if a theory is accurate

What does it mean that behavioral research is probabilistic? a. Conclusions drawn from behavioral research are probably true. b. Behavioral research involves probability sampling. c. Inferences drawn from behavioral research are not expected to explain all cases. d. Behavioral research requires the calculation of probability estimates.

Inferences drawn from behavioral research are not expected to explain all cases

How does research overcome the problem of confounds? a. Research uses intuition to detect potential confounds. b. Research combines data across diverse individuals. c. Research focuses on one possible explanation for the results. d. Research systematically compares multiple conditions.

Research systematically compares multiple conditions

Which of the following sources is most likely to contain only information that has been rigorously peer-reviewed? a. Chapters in edited books b. Full-length books c. Review journal articles d. Wikis

Review journal articles

What makes certain constructs harder to operationalize?

Some constructs are difficult to observe

Which of the following is true of operational definitions?

Some psychological concepts are more difficult to operationally define than others.

Which of the following is true of variables?

Some variables can be either manipulated or measured

Which of the following is NOT a research claim?

Teens spend too much time texting and driving

Which of the following is a reasonable causal claim?

Texting while driving reduces impulse control.

Which of the following indicates that an article's claims are based on research?

The article describes how a scientific study measured a variable.

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?" Anton is concerned that the researcher made a Type I error. What does that mean?

The researcher concluded there was a relationship, but there isn't really one.

Vanessa claims that she sleeps better when she falls asleep to music. She has a comparison group because she has noticed that she does not listen to music every night, only when she remembers to charge her iPod. She typically remembers to charge her iPod on nights when she is able to finish studying earlier. What problem do you see in Vanessa's reasoning about sleeping better to music? a. Vanessa may be sleeping better because she is less distracted by studying/going to bed sooner. b. Vanessa's belief that she sleeps better with music is not falsifiable. c. Vanessa is biased because she sleeps in the same bed every night. d. There is no problem with Vanessa's reasoning.

Vanessa may be sleeping better because she is less distracted by studying/going to bed sooner.

Translational research is best thought of as __________________ basic research and applied research. a. superior to both b. inferior to both c. a bridge between d. another word for

a bridge between

A psychiatrist is testing a drug that treats depression. He has given the drug to all his patients, and all of them have experienced a decrease in depressive symptoms. Although this is interesting, his experience is limited because he does not have: a. a reliable way to measure depressive symptoms. b. a comparison group that did not receive the drug. c. a hypothesis. d. psychotherapy to supplement the drug.

a comparison group that did not receive the drug

A Type I error is known as which of the following?

a false positive

Deci and Ryan (1985, 2001) have proposed that there are three fundamental needs that are required for human growth and fulfillment: relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Susan predicts that students who have these needs met in their psychology class feel happier and more satisfied with the class. She collects data and finds that students who feel more related and competent do feel happier but that feeling more autonomous does not seem to matter. Susan thinks that maybe autonomy is only necessary when people are in situations in which they are not being evaluated. Susan's prediction that students who have all three needs met will experience greater satisfaction with their psychology class is an example of which of the following? a. A theory b. A hypothesis c. Data d. Research

a hypothesis

Anderson is reading his morning paper and sees the following headline: "Men Should Avoid Rock Music When Playing Board Games." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Fancourt, Burton, & Williamon, 2016.) In the study, men and women played the game "Operation" when listening to different types of music. Male participants performed worse when listening to AC/DC than when listening to Mozart, but female participants' performance did not differ based on music. In this study, the researchers recorded how many errors participants committed. This is an example of which of the following?

a measured variable

Deci and Ryan (1985, 2001) have proposed that there are three fundamental needs that are required for human growth and fulfillment: relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Susan predicts that students who have these needs met in their psychology class feel happier and more satisfied with the class. She collects data and finds that students who feel more related and competent do feel happier but that feeling more autonomous does not seem to matter. Susan thinks that maybe autonomy is only necessary when people are in situations in which they are not being evaluated. Deci and Ryan's general statement of how the three needs are related to growth and fulfillment is an example of which of the following? a. A theory b. A hypothesis c. Data d. Research

a theory

Jenny reads the following headline on an online article: "If You're Sexist, People Will Think You're Racist, and Vice Versa." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Sanchez and colleagues, 2017.) This study found that members of stigmatized groups are threatened by prejudice directed at other stigmatized groups. Their results showed that White women can be threatened by racism, and men of color threatened by sexism, and that these perceptions made participants expect unfair treatment. The results of this study can be generalized to which of the following groups?

all minority groups (?)

Which of the following statements is an operational definition of "fear of snakes" that could be assessed as a structured question?

asking, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how afraid of snakes are you?"

Dr. Ramon makes the following claim: "Watching television leads people to spend less time communicating with their spouses, study says." Dr. LaSalle makes the claim: "Research shows that making more money correlates with spending less time talking with your spouse." Which type of claim is Dr. LaSalle making?

association claim

Research that is done specifically to add to our general understanding of psychology, like distinguishing the components of extraversion or predicting the time it takes a person to determine whether an object is a face or another object, is known as: a. basic research. b. applied research. c. empirical research. d. translational research.

basic research

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?" Why should Anton NOT interrogate the internal validity of the study?

because the study's claim is an association claim

Which of the following allow us to make strong predictions using association claims?

both strong positive associations and strong negative associations

Dr. Ramon makes the following claim: "Watching television leads people to spend less time communicating with their spouses, study says." Dr. LaSalle makes the claim: "Research shows that making more money correlates with spending less time talking with your spouse." Which type of claim is Dr. Ramon making?

casual claim

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. Dr. White publishes her findings in a scientific journal. Who is most likely to read her article? a. Depressed patients b. Clinical researchers c. Journalists d. Social workers

clinical researchers

Asking questions to get the answers we want is known as: a. availability heuristic. b. cherry-picking of evidence. c. confirmation bias. d. overconfidence.

confirmation bias

Different factors that could account for significant results are called ______. a. hypotheses b. biases c. predictions d. confounds

confounds

Jenny reads the following headline on an online article: "If You're Sexist, People Will Think You're Racist, and Vice Versa." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Sanchez and colleagues, 2017.) This study found that members of stigmatized groups are threatened by prejudice directed at other stigmatized groups. Their results showed that White women can be threatened by racism, and men of color threatened by sexism, and that these perceptions made participants expect unfair treatment. Because of the design of this study, Sanchez and colleagues are likely more interested in ____________ than _____________. a. construct validity; generalizing to all minority

construct validity; generalizing to all minority groups

If you are interested in reading an overview of peer-reviewed scientific research within a specific area, which of the following reading sources would you choose? a. Edited books b. Popular magazines c. Scientific journals d. An expert's dissertation

edited books

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. Based on this study, Dr. Kang can make which of the following claims?

emotion enhances memory

How can you ensure that a popular media article accurately reflects the original research of a scientific study? a. Find and read the original scientific article b. Determine whether the results fit within the theories you learned in your psychology classes c. Check that the popular media article includes the statistical significance of the results d. Research the credentials of the author of the popular media article

find and read the original scientific article

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. In this study, "depressed individuals will have higher estrogen levels" was the _____. a. theory b. research question c. hypothesis d. data

hypothesis

When researchers conduct an experiment comparing two different treatment conditions, they are likely to be more concerned with ______________ validity than ______ validity.

internal; external

When examining the statistical validity of a frequency claim, one should look for the:

margin of error estimate

Matthew is reading an empirical journal article and wants to know whether the authors used the Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) or the NEO-PI to measure extraversion. In which section would he find this information? a. Introduction b. Method c. Results d. Discussion

method

Another word for data is a(n) _________________. a. theory b. observation c. prediction d. outcome

observation

Which of the following could be an independent variable in a causal claim?

one that is manipulated

Which of the following is a dependent variable?

one that is measured

Which of the following is NOT a section or subsection commonly found in an empirical journal article? a. Abstract b. Outcomes c. Participants d. Procedure

outcomes

Occam's razor states that the simplest solution is the best, all things being equal. This speaks to a theory's: a. parsimony. b. falsifiability. c. theorizing. d. empiricism.

parsimony

Jenny reads the following headline on an online article: "If You're Sexist, People Will Think You're Racist, and Vice Versa." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Sanchez and colleagues, 2017.) This study found that members of stigmatized groups are threatened by prejudice directed at other stigmatized groups. Their results showed that White women can be threatened by racism, and men of color threatened by sexism, and that these perceptions made participants expect unfair treatment. In this study, ________ is a conceptual definition of one of their primary variables.

perceived prejudiced attitudes

Dr. Ellison finds a relation between amount of sleep and problem solving. Specifically, having a higher amount of sleep the night before an exam is associated with higher scores on two measures of problem solving. This is an example of which type of association?

positive association

Another word for hypothesis is a(n) _________________. a. theory b. observation c. prediction d. outcome

prediction

James is asked about the best way to study for an exam. He responds that the best way to study is by making flash cards. He easily thinks of all the times he used flash cards and he made As. However, he fails to take into consideration all the times he made As and did not use flash cards and the times he used flash cards and did not do well. His faulty thinking is an example of: a. cherry-picking evidence. b. availability heuristic. c. present/present bias. d. asking biased questions.

present/present bias.

In the theory-data cycle, theories first lead to _________________. a. questions b. answers c. data d. research

questions

A research consumer ____________ scientific results. a. analyzes b. produces c. reads d. graphs

reads

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. Another depression researcher reads Dr. White's findings. This new researcher is LEAST likely to: a. conduct a similar study with improved research design. b. design a new study to ask a slightly different research question. c. reject the theory of what causes depression. d. conduct the same study in a different sample of depressed patients.

reject the theory of what causes depression

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. Dr. Kang sends his study to a journal to be published. One of the peer reviewers questions the way Dr. Kang manipulated emotion, arguing that being exposed to emotional words does not make one emotional. The reviewer is questioning which of the following?

the construct validity of the study

A common finding in the study of aggression is that exposure to television is associated with increased aggressive behavior in children. You know this relationship may not be causal because you are not sure which occurred first: watching television or being aggressive. You are questioning which of the following rules of causation?

the criterion of temporal precedence

Dr. Hadden wants to conduct a study that will allow him to make claims that apply to all college students. Which of the following validities is he prioritizing?

the external validity of the study

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. Dr. Kang's decision to assign participants randomly to Group A and Group B increases which of the following?

the internal validity of the study

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. If Dr. Kang decided against using random assignment, which of the following would be threatened?

the internal validity of the study

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. Which of the following is the independent variable in Dr. Kang's study?

the number of words on the list

Dr. Kang, a cognitive psychologist, conducts an experiment examining the effect of emotion on memory. He provides lists of 15 words to two groups of participants at his university. He puts the names of all the participants in a hat. The first 20 names he assigns to Group A and the last 20 he assigns to Group B. Group A is given a list of words that are very emotional in content (e.g., passion, murder). Group B is given a list of words that are neutral in content (e.g., houseplant, desk). He then measures how many words each group is able to remember after being distracted for 5 minutes by watching a video about the history of the university. He finds that Group A remembers 15% more words than Group B. Which of the following is the dependent variable in Dr. Kang's study?

the number of words remembered

Who is responsible for deciding which validity is prioritized in a study?

the researcher

Anderson is reading his morning paper and sees the following headline: "Men Should Avoid Rock Music When Playing Board Games." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Fancourt, Burton, & Williamon, 2016.) In the study, men and women played the game "Operation" when listening to different types of music. Male participants performed worse when listening to AC/DC than when listening to Mozart, but female participants' performance did not differ based on music. Which of the following is a variable in this study?

the sex of the participant

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?" Manish's concern is addressing which of the following?

the study's construct validity

Anton and his friends are discussing a study he read about in his developmental psychology class. In the study, the researcher made the claim that most middle school students who are bullied have low self-esteem. Clarissa questions the study, saying, "I am not sure that I am convinced. I am not sure you can really measure being bullied." Quinn also questions the study, saying, "Which middle school students did they study? I am curious if they included both private and public school students." Manish also is curious about the study, asking, "I wonder how strong the relationship is between bullying and self-esteem. Could you predict one from the other?" Quinn's concern is addressing which of the following?

the study's external validity

RESEARCH STUDY 1.1: Deci and Ryan (1985, 2001) have proposed that there are three fundamental needs that are required for human growth and fulfillment: relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Susan predicts that students who have these needs met in their psychology class feel happier and more satisfied with the class. She collects data and finds that students who feel more related and competent do feel happier but that feeling more autonomous does not seem to matter. Susan thinks that maybe autonomy is only necessary when people are in situations in which they are not being evaluated. Susan's hypothesis was not completely supported by her data. What does this mean? a. Susan must have collected the data incorrectly. b. Susan must have analyzed the data incorrectly. c. The theory may need to be amended. d. The theory is completely wrong.

the theory may need to be amended

A common finding in the study of aggression is that exposure to television is associated with increased aggressive behavior in children. You are curious as to whether peer pressure is really to blame (peer pressure encourages you to watch television and peer pressure encourages you to be aggressive). You are questioning which of the following criteria of causation?

the third-variable criterion

Anderson is reading his morning paper and sees the following headline: "Men Should Avoid Rock Music When Playing Board Games." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Fancourt, Burton, & Williamon, 2016.) In the study, men and women played the game "Operation" when listening to different types of music. Male participants performed worse when listening to AC/DC than when listening to Mozart, but female participants' performance did not differ based on music. Which of the following is a constant in this study?

the type of game

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. Based on these results, Dr. White should conclude that: a. she has disproved the previous theory. b. her study was probably flawed in some way. c. previous studies that support the theory are probably flawed. d. there may be factors influencing the results that haven't yet been examined that contributed to the results of studies on this topic.

there may be factors influencing the results that haven't yet been examined that contributed to the results of studies on this topic

Research studies are superior to personal experience because: a. they include at least one comparison group. b. they avoid constants. c. they use confederates. d. an authority is involved.

they include at least one comparison group

Anderson is reading his morning paper and sees the following headline: "Men Should Avoid Rock Music When Playing Board Games." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Fancourt, Burton, & Williamon, 2016.) In the study, men and women played the game "Operation" when listening to different types of music. Male participants performed worse when listening to AC/DC than when listening to Mozart, but female participants' performance did not differ based on music. How many variables are included in this study?

two

Jenny reads the following headline on an online article: "If You're Sexist, People Will Think You're Racist, and Vice Versa." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Sanchez and colleagues, 2017.) This study found that members of stigmatized groups are threatened by prejudice directed at other stigmatized groups. Their results showed that White women can be threatened by racism, and men of color threatened by sexism, and that these perceptions made participants expect unfair treatment. In this study, the article's headline is ________ because ________

unjustified; the researcher did not study all groups of individuals who are sexist or racist

Anderson is reading his morning paper and sees the following headline: "Men Should Avoid Rock Music When Playing Board Games." (This headline is based on a study conducted by Fancourt, Burton, & Williamon, 2016.) In the study, men and women played the game "Operation" when listening to different types of music. Male participants performed worse when listening to AC/DC than when listening to Mozart, but female participants' performance did not differ based on music. In this study, the authors were interested in participants' board game performance. Which of the following would be a reasonable operational definition of performance?

whether participants won against a partner

Dr. Hoda measures job satisfaction and number of years of education. In examining her scatterplot, she sees the cloud of points has no slope. This indicates which type of relationship?

zero association

Which of the following is a problem presented by the availability heuristic? a. We do not examine all of the evidence, only what we can quickly think of. b. We rely on the opinions of others rather than on our own opinions. c. It keeps us from examining our own experience. d. We will never be right in our conclusions.

We do not examine all of the evidence, only what we can quickly think of

Which of the following is a reason why it is important to be a knowledgeable consumer of research? a. It is important to know how to write in APA style. b. It is important to understand how to design an effective study. c. It is important to know why researchers protect the anonymity of participants. d. It is important to understand whether the information you read is accurate.

It is important to understand whether the information you read is accurate

According to the text, the bridge between basic and applied research is known as: a. empirical research. b. practical research. c. translational research. d. compound research.

translational research

Vinai learns that people with schizophrenia have a problem labeling their emotions. Using this information, he designs a research study to examine whether teaching patients with schizophrenia to label the emotions of people they see in movie clips helps them to better label their own emotions. Vinai hopes that the findings of this research could then be used to create an intervention to treat schizophrenia. Vinai's study is an example of: a. basic research. b. applied research. c. empirical research. d. translational research.

translational research

Marcella is conducting a PsycINFO search for treatments for autism spectrum disorder by searching "autism treatment." However, her search is returning too many results. If she is interested in getting more specific results, Marcella could search: a. using the "or" function for all thesaurus synonyms for autism. b. "autism treatment" and "behavioral" and enter an age range of interest. c. "autism spectrum disorder" or "treatment" or "symptom improvement." d. "autis*treatment."

"autism treatment" and "behavioral" and enter an age range of interest

Ellie is looking for a summary of research on the effect size of childhood abuse on adult depression. Which of the following scientific sources would be an ideal source? a. A meta-analysis b. A review journal article c. A trade book d. A chapter in an edited book

A meta-analysis

Which of the following is a limitation of Google Scholar compared to PsycINFO? a. Google Scholar does not provide PDF versions of articles. b. Google Scholar is not free to use. c. Google Scholar is not limited to just psychology and related fields. d. Google Scholar can only be accessed from certain computers.

Google Scholar is not limited to just psychology and related fields

Which of the following is the reason that scientific journals use peer review? a. It is cost effective. b. It is more efficient/faster. c. It encourages collaboration among researchers. d. It ensures that the studies published are of the highest quality.

It ensures that the studies published are of the highest quality

How would you adopt the mindset of a scientific reasoner? a. Using common sense to understand scientific data b. Remaining objective as you interpret scientific data c. Finding evidence that confirms your hypotheses d. Reminding yourself that because you know about potential biases, you cannot fall prey to them

Remaining objective as you interpret scientific data

Javier wants his lab partner to tell him if he thinks the article he found for their project is appropriate. Rather than have him read the article, which two parts of the paper could Javier have his lab partner read to get a summary of the article? a. The abstract and the first paragraph of the introduction b. The abstract and the first paragraph of the discussion c. The abstract and the method section d. The last paragraph of the introduction and the results section

The abstract and the first paragraph of the discussion

Which aspect of the peer-review cycle allows for the greatest amount of honesty in reviews? a. The number of peer reviewers b. The anonymity of the peer reviewers c. The possibility of rejection d. The frequency of publication

The anonymity of the peer reviewers

Hannah just finished reading an empirical journal article for a class project. What information might she get out of reading the references section of her article? a. A list of the measures used in the study b. The name of an article that researched a similar topic c. An idea for a future study d. An explanation of the statistical tests used

The name of an article that researched a similar topic

Tim tells you that the best way to make friends is by opening the conversation with a joke. He can easily recall all the friends he met by telling a joke and also the times he opened with chitchat and didn't befriend the person. If you were concerned that Tim was making the present/present bias, what would you ask him? a. How many people have you met and befriended? b. Do you think the times you made friends by telling jokes might come more easily to mind? c. Did you go into conversations where you opened with jokes thinking that you would make friends? d. What about the times you opened with a joke and didn't become friends with the person?

What about the times you opened with a joke and didn't become friends with the person?

In which of the following scenarios should you be skeptical of an authority? a. When they present all the evidence on a topic b. When they have a scientific degree c. When they based their opinions on their intuition d. When they have conducted scientific research on the topic

When they based their opinions on their intuition

Which of the following is the last section of an empirical journal article? a. Method b. Results c. Discussion d. Introduction

discussion

Advice that is based on _____________ is most likely to be correct. a. personal experience b. research c. intuition d. authority's conclusions

research

Nadia submits her article to a scientific journal for publication. Who makes the final decision on whether her article is published in that scientific journal? a. The editor of the journal b. Nadia, the author of the article c. A panel of experts d. The publisher of the journal

The editor of the journal

Charlotte is studying subliminal messages and weight loss. She is curious whether people will lose more weight if they hear subliminal messages that encourage weight loss ("don't eat that food," "you want to be thin," etc.) in the music on their iPods compared to people who do not have subliminal messages in their music. She studies 40 people and finds the following results: To understand whether the subliminal messages have an effect, Charlotte needs to consider which of the following cells in the chart? a. Only Cell A b. Only Cell B c. Only Cell C d. she must consider all the cells

she must consider all the cells

When reading an empirical journal article "with a purpose," which two questions should you ask yourself as you read? a. "What is the argument?" and "What is the evidence to support the argument?" b. "What were the methods?" and "What are the results?" c. "What is the hypothesis?" and "What are the explanations?" d. "What research exists on this topic?" and "What research needs to be conducted to answer the question?"

"What is the argument?" and "What is the evidence to support the argument?"

Which of the following is a limitation of PsycINFO compared to Google Scholar? a. PsycINFO does not provide PDF versions of articles. b. PsycINFO is not free to use. c. PsycINFO is not limited to just psychology and related fields. d. PsycINFO does not allow you to search particular fields.

???? PsycINFO does not provide PDF versions of articles ????

You read research that found that first-born children tend to have higher IQs than their siblings. However, you typically earn higher grades than your older brother. Scientists might explain this discrepancy by saying that: a. research is probabilistic. b. you have cherry-picked information to support your conclusion. c. you have fallen prey to your blind spot bias. d. your intuition is better than research.

?????

Charlotte is studying subliminal messages and weight loss. She is curious whether people will lose more weight if they hear subliminal messages that encourage weight loss ("don't eat that food," "you want to be thin," etc.) in the music on their iPods compared to people who do not have subliminal messages in their music. She studies 40 people and finds the following results: A change to which of the following cells will result in a different interpretation of the results of subliminal messages? a. A change in any cell will result in a different interpretation. b. A change in Cell B only will result in a different interpretation. c. A change in Cell C only will result in a different interpretation. d. A change in Cell D only will result in a different interpretation.

A change in any cell will result in a different interpretation.

What is the problem with being swayed by a good story? a. A good story is never the true explanation for a scientific finding. b. Scientific findings never have commonsense explanations. c. A good story may not be supported by data. d. Good stories are not falsifiable.

A good story may not be supported by data

Which of the following is an example of translational research? a. An industrial-organizational psychologist who is interested in the components of job satisfaction b. A clinical psychologist who examines the effectiveness of art therapy in decreasing symptoms of ADHD c. A sports psychologist who uses information on how we emotionally process victory to design an intervention for improving mental stamina during athletic performance d. A cognitive psychologist who examines people's ability to distinguish between colors based on light exposure

A sports psychologist who uses information on how we emotionally process victory to design an intervention for improving mental stamina during athletic performance

Which of the following is an example of basic research? a. An industrial-organizational psychologist who is interested in the components of job commitment b. A clinical psychologist who examines the effectiveness of drama therapy in helping children who have been abused c. An educational psychologist who examines how mindset ("intelligence is innate" or "intelligence can be achieved") affects academic performance d. An experimental psychologist who examines people's ability to perceive a "sweet" taste

An experimental psychologist who examines people's ability to perceive a "sweet" taste

Tim tells you that the best way to make friends is by opening the conversation with a joke. He can easily recall all the friends he met by telling a joke and also the times he opened with chitchat and didn't befriend the person. If you were concerned that Tim was making the blind spot bias, what would you ask him? a. What about the times you opened with a joke and didn't become friends with the person? b. Do you think the times you made friends by telling jokes might come more easily to mind? c. Have you tested this conclusion systematically? d. Did you go into conversations where you opened with jokes thinking that you would make friends?

Have you tested this conclusion systematically?

Dr. Smitherman insists that all his research assistants know how to be producers of research. All of the following relate to this requirement EXCEPT: a. He wants to make sure they understand how to write in APA style. b. He wants to make sure they understand why anonymity is important. c. He wants to make sure they understand how to interpret study results and graphs. d. He wants to make sure they have previously been participants in research studies.

He wants to make sure they have previously been participants in research studies

You and your friends go to see a speaker on campus. The speaker, Dr. Darian, is an "expert" on getting into graduate school. Which of the following should make you less skeptical about his advice? a. His recommendations are based on techniques that have worked for his students. b. His recommendations are based on the techniques that helped him get into graduate school. c. His recommendations are based on research he conducted for his dissertation. d. His recommendations are similar to what you knew before you came to the talk.

His recommendations are based on research he conducted for his dissertation

Dr. Gonzalez is a peer reviewer for a manuscript submitted to a journal. He is likely to provide comments on which of the following? a. How well the general public will understand the study b. How well the research was conducted c. The prestige/reputation of the author d. Previous studies from the same research group

How well the research was conducted

Which of the following is a reason why it is important to be an effective producer of research? a. It is important to be able to synthesize previous research findings. b. It is important to know how to interpret the results and graphs of your study. c. It is important to understand whether the information you read is accurate. d. It is important to know how to write in APA style.

It is important to be able to synthesize previous research findings.

Compared with doing a generic Internet search, why is PsycINFO a superior way to find scientific sources? a. It is free. b. It searches only sources in psychology and related fields. c. It can be done on any computer. d. It searches research scientists' websites.

It searches only sources in psychology and related fields

Both James and Thomas have theories that explain why listening to classical music while reading is associated with increased recall of the material. James' theory is much simpler than Thomas'. Thomas created his theory a few months before James did. Which of the following is true? a. James' theory would be considered better because it is more parsimonious. b. James' theory would be considered better because it was thought of more recently. c. Thomas' theory would be considered better because he thought of it first. d. Thomas' theory would be considered better because it is more complex.

James' theory would be considered better because it is more parsimonious.

Angela reads about a study in which cell phone use is associated with migraine headaches. She says, "Well, that study is not valid because I use a cell phone more than anyone I know and I never get migraines." Based on her comment, Angela may be forgetting which of the following? a. Science is based on empiricism. b. The study has been replicated. c. The study did not properly define cell phone use. d. Science is probabilistic.

Science is probabilistic

Edward believes that there are a lot of differences between men and women on a variety of different dimensions. He believes this because when he thinks about books that have been written on men and women, he can quickly recall only books that say men and women are different (e.g., Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus) and cannot recall any that say men and women are the same. His reliance on what comes to mind is an example of which of the following? a. The availability heuristic b. Cherry-picking of evidence c. Confirmation bias d. Overconfidence

The availability heuristic

Which of the following is a benefit of using a wiki to review psychological research? a. The wiki's coverage of a topic is usually comprehensive. b. The wiki page includes a comprehensive list of references. c. The wiki page has been peer-reviewed. d. The wiki page can be corrected quickly.

The wiki page can be corrected quickly

Why is it important to adopt the mindset of a scientific reasoner? a. To avoid falling into the pitfalls of personal biases b. To identify the most intuitive explanations c. To be able to sway people with a good story d. To know what evidence people like best

To avoid falling into the pitfalls of personal biases

Which of the following is a reason psychological scientists publish their research in scientific journals? a. To get money from the journals where their work appears b. To share their findings with the general public c. To have their results reviewed by other psychologists d. To gain attention by journalists

To have their results reviewed by other psychologists

Diego is interested in examining the relationship between a person's attachment style and his or her relationship satisfaction. He finds 65 studies that have examined this topic. He combines the results of all these studies and calculates an effect size. His research is most accurately described as: a. a meta-analysis. b. a review journal article. c. a chapter in an edited book. d. a PsycWiki.

a meta-analysis

Benjamin is a social psychologist who studies marriage. He believes that marital satisfaction has two components: the ability to trust one's partner and a belief that one can be a good spouse. This is known as: a. a theory. b. a hypothesis. c. data. d. research.

a theory

Which of the following is the first section of an empirical journal article? a. Abstract b. Introduction c. Results d. References

abstract

Students who are interested in being consumers of, but not producers of, research might choose which of the following professions? a. A clinical psychologist b. An intervention program evaluator c. A political pollster d. An advertising executive

an advertising executive

Research that is done specifically to solve a practical problem, like increasing memory ability or decreasing symptoms of depression, is known as: a. basic research. b. applied research. c. empirical research. d. translational research.

applied research

Two biases of intuition discussed in the text are: a. being swayed by a good story and being persuaded by what comes easily to mind. b. the present/present bias and the confederate bias. c. probabilistic thinking and nonintuitive thinking. d. overconfidence bias and oversimplification bias.

being swayed by a good story and being persuaded by what comes easily to mind

Sasha believes that she is a nice person. To confirm this, she asks all her friends whether she is a nice person; they all agree that she is. Sasha concludes that she is a nice person and says she has evidence of it. However, she does not ask any of her enemies whether they think she is a nice person. This is an example of which of the following? a. Confirmation bias b. Availability heuristic c. Fourth cell reasoning d. Overconfidence

confirmation bias

Dr. White reads about a new theory that states that depression is caused by increased levels of estrogen in the womb. To test this theory, she conducted a study comparing the level of estrogen in amniotic fluid in individuals who were later diagnosed with depression with the level of those who did not develop depression. Dr. White found no differences between the groups in estrogen levels in the amniotic fluid. In this study, estrogen levels in participants were the ____________. a. theory b. research question c. hypothesis d. data

data

Lana is writing her first empirical journal article. Although she thinks she knows why she found the results she did, she also wants to mention some alternative explanations for her findings. In which section will she mention these alternative explanations? a. Method b. Results c. Discussion d. References

discussion

Articles that could be considered journalism: a. are typically written by scientists. b. are typically written for scientists. c. are hard to access. d. do not require specialized education to read.

do not require specialized education to read

___________ is the approach of collecting data and using it to develop, support, and/or challenge a theory. a. Falsifiability b. Theorizing c. Empiricism d. Application

empiricism

Deci and Ryan (1985, 2001) have proposed that there are three fundamental needs that are required for human growth and fulfillment: relatedness, autonomy, and competence. Susan predicts that students who have these needs met in their psychology class feel happier and more satisfied with the class. She collects data and finds that students who feel more related and competent do feel happier but that feeling more autonomous does not seem to matter. Susan thinks that maybe autonomy is only necessary when people are in situations in which they are not being evaluated. After Susan collects and analyzes her data, which of the following is the next logical step? a. Susan writes a paper challenging Self-Determination Theory because only some of her data supported it. b. Susan ignores the data that did not fit the theory. c. Susan recalculates her data to fit the theory. d. Susan alters or amends the theory to fit her data.

susan alters or amends the theory to fit her data

The quality of journalists' coverage of a science story will be determined by two factors: a. the importance and accuracy of the story. b. the length and source of the story. c. the education and experience of the journalist. d. the education and experience of the scientist.

the importance and accuracy of the story.

Looking for which of the following in a trade book will give you a hint as to its scientific rigor? a. The cost of the book b. The number of pages c. The number of references d. The number of authors

the number of references

Sasha believes that she is a nice person. To confirm this, she asks all her friends whether she is a nice person; they all agree that she is. Sasha concludes that she is a nice person and says she has evidence of it. Sasha would likely draw a different conclusion if she did which of the following? a. Asked her enemies if she was a nice person b. Counted up all the times she was nice in the past c. Asked all her friends the same question again in another six months d. Considered all the times she was nice to her enemies

Asked her enemies if she was a nice person

What is the difference between advice from an authority and that from a researcher? a. Authorities weigh all possible opinions, while researchers rely on their own theories. b. Authorities interpret the results for you when providing advice, while researchers only present statistics. c. Authorities often base their advice on intuition, while researchers rely on facts. d. Authorities always provide advice based on their own research, while researchers base their advice on results from multiple studies.

Authorities often base their advice on intuition, while researchers rely on facts

Elliott is double majoring in English and psychology. He plans on being a high school English teacher and is only majoring in psychology because he finds the classes interesting. Which of the following is an important reason for him to be a good consumer of research? a. His psychology advisor may ask for his help in copy-editing a research article. b. He will likely need to be a participant in research studies as part of his psychology major. c. He will probably want to read research related to enhancing his teaching. d. He will have to produce research before he can consume it.

He will probably want to read research related to enhancing his teaching.

Which of the following is a reason that a journalist may misrepresent a psychology study in a magazine? a. The peer-review process for journalists sometimes makes them miss important facts. b. Journalists may count on their readers to check the original scientific journal. c. Journalists may not personally have the scientific background to understand the study. d. Journalists are unethical.

Journalists may not personally have the scientific background to understand the study.

Hannah just finished reading an empirical journal article for a class project. Where should she go if she wants to look for a list of the study's hypotheses or research questions? a. First page of the article b. First page of the method section c. Last paragraph of the results section d. Last paragraph of the introduction

Last paragraph of the introduction

Dr. Stewart is an editor of a psychology journal. She wants to ensure that reviewers give honest reviews of the papers they are asked to read. Which of the following could she do to increase the likelihood of honest feedback? a. Increase the number of peer reviewers b. Use reviewers from fields other than psychology c. Make sure the peer reviewers are anonymous d. Give reviewers a longer amount of time to read papers

Make sure the peer reviewers are anonymous

Which of the following is a benefit of the peer-review process? a. Reviewers' names are made public so they can defend their critiques of an article. b. The journal editor provides input on study design to ensure rigorous scientific methods. c. Reviewers' names are kept anonymous so they can be open in their critiques of an article. d. Non-significant results are not considered for publication to ensure interesting research.

Reviewers' names are kept anonymous so they can be open in their critiques of an article.

Which of the following is true of the distinction between scientific journals and popular magazines? a. Scientific journals are published quarterly; popular magazines are published monthly. b. Scientific journals are published on specific topics; popular magazines are not published on specific topics like psychology. c. Scientific journal articles are peer-reviewed; popular magazine articles are not. d. Scientific journal article findings explain all cases all of the time; popular magazine articles only explain certain cases.

Scientific journal articles are peer-reviewed; popular magazine articles are not