rm 5

1) In study described in the previous item, confidence in program effectiveness would be highest if a control group, which also started with a pretest score of 80, had a posttest score of a) 80 b) 70 c) 90 d) 75

80

1) For any experiment investigating the effect of X on Y, a) X is the independent variable b) Y is the dependent variable c) both alternatives a. and b. none of the above

Y is the dependent variable

1) In study in which some participants are made anxious and others are not, and anxious subjects then do more poorly on a difficult problem, anxiety is a) a subject variable b) the dependent variable c) an extraneous variable being controlled d) a manipulated independent variable

a manipulated independent variable

1) Self-esteem would be considered a manipulated independent variable if a) two groups in a study were composed of those with high self-esteem and low self-esteem b) a procedure was designed so that some people succeeded and others failed in a task c) only moderate self-esteem participants were picked for the study d) none of the above — as a personality variable, self-esteem is by definition a subject variable

a procedure was designed so that some people succeeded and others failed in a task

1) In a study assessing the effects of crowding on problem solving, participants solve anagrams in large or small rooms. In this case, the independent variable is a) a situational variable b) a task variable c) an instructional variable d) a subject variable

a situational variable

1) A researcher finds that in a study of direction finding, men are less likely to acknowledge being lost than women. In this study, the independent variable is a) whether or not participants get lost b) a willingness to admit being lost c) a subject variable d) a manipulated variable

a subject variable

1) A researcher is interested in whether memory is better for concrete rather than abstract nouns and designs a study to answer the question. In this study, the independent variable is a) a situational variable b) a task variable c) an instructional variable d) a subject variable

a task variable

1) Conclusions about cause and effect can be drawn in studies involving a) instructional variables b) task variables c) situational variables d) all of the above

all of the above

1) When a confound exists, a) some uncontrolled factor covaries with the independent variable b) it cannot be determined whether the confounding variable or the independent (1) variable is causing the results to occur c) there will be at least two different ways of interpreting the results d) all of the above

all of the above

1) In an experiment on creative problem solving in groups, some groups of participants are told to produce the best solutions, while other groups are told to produce ideas without regard to their merit (i.e., to brainstorm). The independent variable in this study is a) the different levels of creativity b) a task variable c) an instructional variable d) how quickly the solutions will be produced for the two groups

an instruction variable

1) For an experimental group in a program to reduce anxiety, the mean pretest score is 80 (max = 100). The posttest score is 70. This change was the result of a) regression b) program effectiveness c) maturation d) any of the above are possible

any of the above are possible

1) The major threat to internal validity that occurs in studies that last for a significant period of time (e.g., five years) is a) regression b) maturation c) attrition d) selection

attrition

1) In the Bobo doll study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross, a) children saw different degrees of aggression; there was no control group used b) both a manipulated and a subject variable were included c) the size of the Bobo doll was kept the same for both adult models and child participants d) the dependent variable was sex

both a manipulated and a subject variable were included

1) Woodworth's 1938 text, Experimental Psychology, a) showed a preference for experimental over correlational research b) distinguished between independent and dependent variables c) both alternatives a. and b. d) none of the above

both alternatives a and b

1) In a study of the effects of X on Y, variable Z is confounded with X. Which of the following is true? a) X could be causing Y b) Z could be causing Y c) both alternatives a. and b. are equally possible d) none of the above

both alternatives a and b are equally possible

1) Which of the following is true about external validity? a) researchers consider it less important, in the long run, than internal validity b) it can only accumulate over time, with lots of research c) both alternatives a. and b. are true d) none of the above

both alternatives a and b are true

1) A researcher wants to know if children prefer cereal that has colors in it. Preschoolers compare plain-colored Wheatios with multicolored Rice Chrunchios. The children preferred the latter. What can be concluded? a) children prefer colored cereal b) whether the cereal is composed of wheat or rice is the independent variable c) cereal type is confounded with cereal color cereal color is the dependent variable

cereal type is confounded with cereal color

1) Another term for "uncontrolled extraneous variable" is a) confounding variable b) independent variable c) dependent variable d) subject variable

confounding variable

1) Decisions made about how to define the dependent variable most clearly affect the ________ validity of a study. a) internal b) construct c) external d) statistical conclusion

construct

1) Studies of aggression have sometimes been criticized for developing questionable operational definitions of aggression (e.g., horn honking). This is primarily a criticism of _________ validity. a) internal b) construct c) external d) statistical conclusion

construct

1) In a study about self-esteem, self-esteem is a) a subject variable b) a manipulated variable c) the dependent variable d) could be any of the above

could be any of the above

1) In his famous 1938 text, the so-called "Columbia bible," R. S. Woodworth a) argued that experimental and correlational studies were not fundamentally different b) distinguished between independent and dependent variables in experiments c) dismissed correlational research as not scientific d) showed a preference for correlational over experimental research

distinguished between independent variables and dependent variables in experiments

1) Research that attempts to study psychological phenomena in settings that reflect daily living (e.g., a memory study about forgetting where we put our keys) is said to have _________ validity. a) construct b) ecological c) internal d) no statistical conclusion

ecological

1) Compared with research in which people learn lists of words and recall them, studies on such topics as eyewitness memory and the recall of high school Spanish have greater a) ecological validity b) construct validity c) internal validity d) statistical validity

ecological validity

1) Woodworth's so-called "Columbia bible" was the first experimental psychology text to argue for a clear distinction between a) experimental and control groups b) manipulated and subject variables c) experimental and correlational research strategies d) nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales of measurement

experimental and correlational research strategies

1) Social psychologists might be concerned that conformity experiments using participants from individualist cultures might not be relevant for understanding behavior in collectivist cultures. This concern is about _______ validity. a) internal b) external c) construct d) statistical conclusion

external

1) Those who argue that psychologists know a great deal about college sophomores but very little about other groups are criticizing the ______ validity of psychological research. a) internal b) construct c) external d) statistical conclusion

external

1) When B. F. Skinner was ranked as the top psychologist by psychology department heads, some might argue that the ranking occurred because the study was done shortly after Skinner died. This is a criticism of ________ validity. a) internal b) construct c) external d) statistical conclusion

external

1) Rats learning a maze are tested after varying degrees of food deprivation. Some run the maze after 4 hours without food, others after 8 hours, and others after 12 hours deprivation. In this study, a) food deprivation is the manipulated independent variable b) the rats are a subject variable c) the independent variable is a task variable d) food deprivation is the dependent variable

food deprivation is the manipulated independent variable

1) External validity concerns the extent that research findings a) result from methodologically sound procedures b) result from studies that carefully define the variables c) generalize beyond the specific group tested in the study d) reflect properly completed statistical analyses

generalize beyond the specific group tested in the study

1) Between the administration of a pretest and a posttest, an event may occur that can affect the results of the study independent of the treatment program being evaluated. This threat to internal validity is called a) history b) regression c) testing d) maturation

history

1) Worker productivity is assessed before and after a program for flextime is instituted. Just after the pretest, workers receive an unexpected bonus check based on unusually high product sales. Productivity is higher on the posttest than on the pretest, but the researcher suspects ______ as a threat to internal validity. a) history b) regression c) instrumentation d) selection

history

1) For which of these empirical questions would a control group most clearly be needed? a) If institutionalized elderly are given responsibility for meal planning, will it improve their psychological health? b) Do laboratory-bred rats learn mazes faster than wild rats? c) If participants are trying to solve problems, will they perform better in the morning or the evening? d) Will an attractive female defendant be treated more leniently by a jury than an attractive male defendant?

in institutionalized elderly are3 given responsibility for meal planning, will it improve their psychological health?

1) The simplest way to evaluate threats to internal validity due to history, maturation, and regression is to a) include a control group b) include a pretest as well as a postest c) use only subject variables d) use a subject pool

include a control group

1) Sometimes, pretest and posttest measures are records taken by observers who improve their skills with practice. In this case, pretest-posttest changes could be due to program effectiveness or to the threat to internal validity called a) instrumentation b) testing c) attrition d) maturation

instrumentation

1) Most researchers would agree that a) every experiment that lasts more than an hour should include a pretest and a posttest b) external validity is more important than internal validity c) internal validity is more important than external validity d) research results have no significant value unless they have ecological validity

internal validity is more important than external validity

1) After taking the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, those scoring in the top 25% are assigned to group A and those scoring in the bottom 25% are assigned to group B. Participants in both groups are then given a series of problems to solve in a small (8x8) windowless room. Which of the following is true about anxiety in this study? a) it is a task variable b) it is an instructional variable c) it is a subject variable

it is a subject variable

1) A "freshman year" program finds that first year students are more relaxed at the end of their first semester than they were at the beginning. The Dean is excited, but the researcher suspects the change may be due to a) history b) regression c) maturation d) selection

maturation

1) During the course of an experimental that lasts over a period of time, normal developmental changes may occur that can affect the results of the study independent of the treatment program being evaluated. This threat to internal validity is called a) history b) regression c) testing d) maturation

maturation

1) In the study described in the previous item, what is the dependent variable? a) a measure of room size b) the type of maze being used c) maze performance d) the degree of natural light

maze performance

1) After taking a personality test that differentiates introverts from extraverts, two groups are formed. Tested individually, introverted participants are given a series of problems to solve in a small (36 square feet) room, while extroverts are given the same problems in a larger room (81 square feet). Which of the following is true? a) the independent variable is shyness b) introversion/extraversion is a manipulated independent variable c) room size is the dependent variable d) personality (introvert/extravert) is confounded with room size

personality (introvert/extrovert) is confounded with room size

1) The internal validity of a study is high when a) the results generalize to other situations b) the results apply to other groups of people c) potential confounds are properly controlled d) external validity is also high (they go together)

potential confounds are properly controlled

1) In a study of the effectiveness of a program to reduce test anxiety, pretest scores (N=40) average 80 (max = 100) and posttest scores average 65. Which of the following pretest-posttest scores in a control group would make you most confident about program effectiveness? a) pre 80 post 65 b) pre 70 post 70 c) pre 70 post 55 d) pre 80 post 72

pre 70 --> post 70

1) In order to determine if some experience brought about a change in an individual from one time to another, researchers often use designs that include a) pretests and posttests b) control groups c) statistics

pretests and posttests

1) Because of the _______ phenomenon, any extreme score on a pretest is almost certain to be followed by a less extreme score on the posttest. a) regression to the mean b) history c) maturation d) testing

regression to the mean

1) After averaging 20 points per game for her college basketball team over the first 15 games, Amanda scores 37 points one night. Because of _______, she will almost certainly score _______ points in the next game. a) a fatigue effect; fewer b) a history effect; more c) regression to the mean; more d) regression to the mean; fewer

regression to the mean; fewer

1) Brady's "ulcers in executive monkeys" study was flawed by which of the following threats to internal validity? a) selection b) maturation c) attrition d) testing

selection

1) Sometimes performance differences could be attributed to an independent variable or to some basic difference in the composition of the two groups involved. When this occurs, there is said to be a threat due to a) regression b) maturation c) attrition d) selection

selection

1) In a study comparing productivity in two factories, one in an urban setting and one in a rural setting, a city wide strike may affect life for subjects in the first group but not those in the second. This is an example of a) selection interacting with history b) attrition c) a simple selection effect d) selection interacting with instrumentation

selection interacting with history

1) In any experiment, the dependent variable is a) some behavior being measured b) the factor that is being controlled c) the factor being manipulated by the experimenter d) usually selected randomly

some behavior being measured

36) In a study comparing two sets of rankings, a researcher erroneously uses a statistical analysis designed for use with interval or ratio data. This study will have questionable a) internal validity b) construct validity c) statistical conclusion validity d) reliability

statistical conclusion validity

1) Which of the following is true about subject (participant) pools? a) because of the new APA ethics code, they are no longer used b) students must be given a reasonable alternative to research participation c) to insure participation in research, and therefore a continuation of progress, the APA encourages schools to demand full participation from psychology students d) an hour of participation is considered to be the equivalent of a 10-page paper

students must be given a reasonable alternative to research participation

1) Concerning subject (participant) pools, the APA recommends all of the following except a) alternative activities must equal research participation in terms of time and effort b) students should be aware of the requirement before signing up for the course c) students should be encouraged to participate, and be told about alternatives if they ask about them d) there must be a clear and simple method for students to complain about any perceived mistreatment

students should be encouraged to participate, and be told about alternatives if they ask about them

1) Conclusions about cause and effect cannot be drawn in studies involving a) manipulated variables b) task variables c) situational variables d) subject

subject

1) People are given a personality test and then separated into those who tend to be introverted and those who tend to be extroverted. In this study the independent variable is a _______ variable. a) subject b) manipulated c) task d) controlled

subject

1) With ___________ participants complete different tasks, whereas with ___________ participants are told how to do certain tasks. a) instructional variables; task variables b) task variables; instructional variables c) task variables; situational variables d) situational variables; task variables

task variables; instructional variables

1) The presence of a control group enables researchers to evaluate threats to internal validity. However, one threat that is most likely to still influence results to an unknown degree, even when a control group is used, is a) history b) maturation c) instrumentation d) testing

tessting

1) After taking a special computerized introductory sociology course, students do twice as well on the posttest as they did on the pretest. The researcher suspects the pretest alerted students to what was to come, however. This threat to internal validity is called a) instrumentation b) testing c) regression to the mean d) selection

testing

1) What was the main methodological flaw in Brady's "ulcers in executive monkeys" study? a) because the animals were in restraining chairs for so long, a maturation effect occurred b) the executive monkeys were more ulcer-prone than the control group monkeys c) because the study was completed in another historical era, there is no external validity d) because most of the monkeys died, attrition was a problem

the executive monkeys wer emore ulcer-prone than the control group monkeys

1) A researcher tests four different groups of participants. Each group is given a different dosage of caffeine, and reaction time is measured for each subject. Which of the following is true? a) dosage level is the dependent variable b) reaction time is an independent variable c) the independent variable has four levels d) the independent variable is a subject variable

the independent variable has four levels

1) When a subject variable is used as an independent variable and differences occur between groups on the dependent measure, what can be concluded? a) the independent variable caused the differences to occur, assuming there are no confounds b) the two groups performed differently c) in this case, the subject variable must be a dependent variable, not an independent variable because a subject variable is being used, nothing at all can be concluded

the two groups performed differently

1) In the Bobo study by Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1963), the manipulated independent variable was a) the type of modeling experience given to children b) whether the children exposed to the models were male or female c) the frustration experienced by the children when told the attractive toys were being reserved for others d) whether the Bobo doll was adult-sized or child-sized

the type of modeling experience given to children

1) What do all experiments have in common? a) there are at least two different ways in which participants are treated b) at least one independent variable will be an instructional variable c) there must be at least two dependent measures d) there must be a control group

there are at least two different ways in which participants are treated

1) When a confound exists, a) it means that the researcher failed to include a control group in the study b) it is the confounding factor, not the independent variable, which causes the behavior to occur c) there will be at least two different ways of interpreting the results d) it simply means that the dependent variable hasn't been defined precisely enough

there will be at least two different ways of interpreting the results

1) To see if the time of day has an effect on helping behavior, experimenters ask passersby for directions in New York's Central Park, either at 8:00 am or 8:00 pm. Which of the following is true? a) this is an example of field research that lacks an independent variable b) this is a study with two independent variables (the times) c) this is an example of a field experiment d) the independent variable is an instructional variable

this is an example of a field experiment

1) Experimental group is to control group as ________ is to _______. a) independent variable; dependent variable b) dependent variable; independent variable c) untreated; treated d) treated; untreated

treated; untreated

1) The Ji, Peng, and Nisbett (2000) study tested subjects on a "field dependence test" called the rod and frame test (RFT). As independent variables, this study used a) a task variable (RFT) and a situational variable (culture) b) a manipulated (RFT) and a nonmanipulated variable (sex) c) a manipulated (sex) and a subject variable (culture) d) two subject variables (sex and culture)

two subject variables (sex and culture)

1) Some subjects try to solve a difficult maze while sitting in a 2x3 ft room. Others try to solve the same maze while sitting in a 10x12 ft room. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of crowding on maze performance The larger room has natural light because of its two windows. The 2x3 ft room has no windows, so natural light is simulated with a special type of fluorescent light. Which of the following is true? a) the independent variable is the type of maze being used b) whether or not windows are present is an uncontrolled extraneous variable c) assuming random assignment is used, this study clearly has internal validity d) the main variable is a subject variable

whether or not windows are present is an uncontrolled extraneous variable