AP Psy Methods practice test

Professor Delano suggests that because people are especially attracted to those who are good-looking, handsome men will be more successful than average-looking men in getting a job. The professor's prediction regarding employment success is an example of what? A) The hindsight bias B) The placebo effect C) a hypothesis D) A confounding variable.

C) A hypothesis

To study the potential effects of social interaction on problem solving, some research participants were instructed to solve problems by working together; other participants were told to solve problems by working alone. Those who worked alone were assigned to the _________ group. A) Experimental B) survey C) control D) Correlational

C) Control

Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as what? A) the survey B) experimentation C) Naturalistic observation D) The case study

C) Naturalistic observation

In a written report of their research, psychologists specify exactly how anxiety is assessed, thus providing their readers with a(n) A) Hypothesis B) Independent variable C) Operational definition D) Standard Deviation.

C) Operational Definition

In a study of the effects of drinking alcohol, some participatns drank a nonalcoholic beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol. This nonalcoholic drink was a A) dependent variable B) replication C) placebo D) double-blind

C) Placebo

The placebo effect best illustrates the impact __________ on feelings and behaviors A) The double-blind procedure B) random sampling C) positive expectations D) statistical significance

C) Positive expectations.

When every individual in a large population has a small but equal chance of being included in a survey, researchers are using a procedure known as what? A) the case study B) the double-blind procedure C) random sampling D) Naturalistic observation

C) random sampling

Three key attitudes of scientific inquiry are what? A) Pride, enthusiasm, and ingenuity B) ingenuity, practicality, and certainty C)Certainty, creativity, and curiosity D) Curiosity, skepticism, and humility

D) Curiosity, Skepticism, and humility

In an experimental study, men with heart problems received either aspirin or a placebo. In this study, the drug dosage (non vs. peak dosage) was the A) Confounding variable B) dependent variable C) standard deviation D) independent variable.

D) Independent variable

The group exposed to a newly created drug that is being tested in an experiment is called the ________ group. A) Control B) standardized C) baseline D) experimental

D) experimental

A statement describing the exact procedures for measuring an ancticipated experimental outcome is known as a(n) A) hypothesis B) Control condition C) Replication D) Operational Definition

D) operational definition

Which research method provides the best way of assessing whether cigarette smoking boosts mental alertness? A) The case study B) the survey C) naturalistic observation D) The experiment

D) the experiment

Which of the following is true for those assigned to a control group? A) The experimenter exerts the greatest influence on participants' behaviors B) The research participants are exposed to all the different experimental treatments C) The research participants are exposed to the most favorable levels of experimental treatment D) The experimental treatment is absent

D) the experimental treatment is absent.

The case study is a research method in which A) a single individual is studied in great depth B) a representative sample of people are questioned regarding their opinions or behaviors. C) Organisms are carefully observed in a laboratory environment D) An investigator manipulates one or more variables that might affect behavior.

A) A single individual is studied in great depth.

University of Texas students were fitted with belt-worn tape recorders for up to four days so that researchers could sample their daily activities. The researchers employed a scientific method known as: A) Naturalistic observation B) The double-blind procedure C) The standard deviation D) The case study

A) Naturalistic observation

Which technique involves repeating the essence of an earlier research study with different participants and in different circumstances? A) replication B) random sampling C) Naturalistic observation D) the double-blind procedure

A) Replication

In a survey, psychologists select a random sample of research participants in order to ensure that... A) the participants are representative of the population they are interested in studying B) there will be a large number of participants in the research study C) the study will not be influenced by the researcher's personal values D) the same number of particpants will be assigned to each of the experimental conditions.

A) The participants are representative of the population they are interested in studying

Professor Shalet contends that parents and children have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n) A) Theory B) Replication C) Naturalistic Observation D) operational definition

A) Theory

To accurately isolate cause and effect, experimenters should use A) random assignment B) Naturalistic observation C) Case studies D) correlation coefficients

A) random assignment

Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes towards abortion? A) the survey B) naturalistic observation C) the case study D) experimentation

A) the survey

Being randomly assigned to the experimental group in a research project involves being assigned A) to that group by chance B) To the group in which participants are representative of people in general. C) In a way that ensures that the independent variable will affect the dependent variable D) To the group in which participants have all similar personalities.

A) to that group by chance

In a psychological experiment, the experimental factor that is manipulated by the investigator is called the __________ variable. A) dependent B) independent C) control D) experimental

B) Independent

To determine whether the strength of people's self-esteem is related to their income levels, researchers would most likely make use of A) case studies B) correlational research C) experimentation D) Naturalistic observation

B) Correlational research

The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it A) is based on naturalistic observation B) may be unrepresentative of what is generally true C) Overestimates the importance of operational definitions D) Leads us to underestimate the causal relationships between events.

B) May be unrepresentative of what is generally true.

If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are A) causually related B) negatively correlated C) independent variables D) Positively correlated

B) Negatively correlated

Professor Ambra was skeptical about the accuracy of recently reported research on sleep deprivation. Which process would best enable her to assess the reliability of these findings? A) naturalistic observation B) Replication C) random sampling D) the case study

B) Replication

To represent the correlation between two variables graphically, researchers often construct a A) Skewed distribution B) Scatterplot C) Standard deviation D) Bar graph

B) Scatterplot

In which type of research is a representative, random sample of people asked to answer questions about their behaviors or attitudes? A) Experimentation B) The survey C) The case study D) Naturalistic observation

B) The Survey

Which of the following methods is most helpful for clarifying cause-effect relationships? A) the survey B) The experiment C) Correlational research D) naturalistic observation

B) The experiment

People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by __________ cases. A) randomly selected B) vivid C) representative D) Operationally defined

B) Vivid

Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to isolate A) facts from theories B) causes from effects C) case studies from surveys D) random samples from representative samples.

B) causes and effects

To assess the influence of attraction, researchers either insulted or complimented students about their physical appearance just before they went on a blind date. In this research, the dependent variable was what? A) insults or compliments B) Interpersonal attraction C) Feelings of self-esteem D) The success of the blind date

B) interpersonal attraction

Correlational research is most useful for purposes of A) explanation B) prediction C) control D) replication

B) prediction

A hypothesis is a(n) A) Observable relationship between specific independent and dependent variables. B) testable prediction that gives direction to research. C) Set of principles that organizes observations and explains newly discovered facts D) unprovable assumption about the unobservable processes that underlie psychological functioning

B) testable prediction that gives direction to research