AP Psych midterm help
placebo group
A control group of participants who believe they are receiving treatment, but who are only receiving a placebo.
double-blind procedure
A control measure in an experiment in which neither the experimenters nor the participants know which participants are in the experimental and control groups.
random assignment
A control measure in which participants are randomly assigned to groups in order to equalize participant characteristics across the various groups in an experiment.
frequency distribution
A depiction, in a table or figure, of the number of participants (frequency) receiving each score for a variable.
survey research
A descriptive research method in which the researcher uses questionnaires and interviews to collect information about the behavior, beliefs, and attitudes of particular groups of people.
positive correlation
A direct relationship between two variables.
normal distribution
A frequency distribution that is shaped like a bell. About 68 percent of the scores fall within 1 standard deviation of the mean, about 95 percent within 2 standard deviations of the mean, and over 99 percent within 3 standard deviations of the mean.
experiment
A research method in which the researcher manipulates one or more independent variables and measures their effect on one or more dependent variables while controlling other potentially relevant variables.
sociocultural perspective
A research perspective whose major explanatory focus is how other people and the cultural context impact behavior and mental processes.
correlational study
A research study in which two variables are measured to determine if they are related (how well either one predicts the other).
random sampling
A sampling technique that obtains a representative sample of a population by ensuring that each individual in a population has an equal opportunity to be in the sample.
_____ is a technique in which a representative sample of participants is obtained, and _____ is a control measure in which the researcher assigns participants to the conditions in an experiment.
Random sampling, random assignment
inferential statistical analyses
Statistical analyses that allow researchers to draw conclusions about the results of a study by determining the probability that the results are due to random variation (chance). The results are statistically significant if this probability is .05 or less.
standard deviation
The average extent that the scores vary from the mean for a distribution of scores.
placebo effect
Improvement due to the expectation of improving because of receiving treatment.
dependent variable
In an experiment, a variable that is hypothesized to be affected by the independent variable and thus is measured by the experimenter.
experimental group
In an experiment, the group exposed to the independent variable.
control group
In an experiment, the group not exposed to the independent variable.
independent variable
In an experiment, the variable that is a hypothesized cause and thus is manipulated by the experimenter.
_____ is to average as _____ is to variability.
Mean; standard deviation
A researcher creates a table that lists all possible scores and the number of participants who received each score. The researcher created a:
frequency distribution.
Manipulate is to measure as ______ is to ______.
independent variable; dependent variable
An instructor creates a frequency distribution for the most recent exam. The instructor finds that many students got 80 percent or more of the questions correct, fewer students got 60 to 79 percent of the questions correct, and only a few students got fewer than 59 percent correct. This frequency distribution is a:
left-skewed distribution.
An instructor adds up all the scores on an exam and divides that value by the number of the students in the class. The resulting answer is the:
mean
An instructor collects all the scores on an exam, sorts them in ascending order, and then selects the score in the middle. The resulting answer is the:
median.
An instructor reports that half the students in her class scored above a B- and half scored below a B-. In this example, B- represents the:
median.
An instructor reports that the majority of students in the instructor's class received a B-. The instructor has MOST likely reported the:
mode.
The most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores is the ______, and the average score is the ______.
mode; mean
To examine food foraging behaviors of squirrels, a researcher sets up a camera overlooking a small section of a forest. The researcher describes all of the behaviors that she observes. The method he is using is BEST described as:
naturalistic observation.
On an exam, an instructor asks the students how many hours they studied for the exam and how many hours of television they watched in the week preceding the exam. The instructor finds that as the number of hours studied increased, the number of hours of television watched decreased. This is an example of a:
negative correlation.
A large factory creates a frequency distribution of the employees' income. There are many low incomes, slightly fewer middle incomes, and only a few very high incomes. This frequency distribution is a:
right-skewed distribution.
Which of the following would be the best procedure for obtaining a representative sample of the students at your school?
sampling randomly from a list of all the students enrolled at your school
A correlation between variables can be detected by visual inspection of a:
scatterplot.
A researcher examines personality differences between North Americans and Europeans. The researcher is using a _____ perspective.
sociocultural
A researcher examines the role of education in the likelihood that people will endorse stereotypes about other people. This research is based on a _____ perspective.
sociocultural
Dr. Bates observed how an individual's body language changed when she was by herself compared to when she was in the company of a group of people. Dr. Bates is investigating from a _____ perspective.
sociocultural
Hindsight bias occurs in both children and adults, and in various countries. These findings across age groups and countries are based primarily on the _____ perspective.
sociocultural
Which could NOT be a variable of a study that tests the effects of an antidepressant on rats?
species
Professor Jones noticed that the distribution of students' scores on his last biology exam had an extremely small standard deviation. This indicates that:
students' scores tended to be very similar to one another
The standard deviation represents:
the average difference between the scores and the mean.
While standing on the corner of a busy street, Tom saw a serious car accident. He decided not to call for help because there were many other bystanders and he assumed one of the others would call for help. Which BEST explains Tom's decision?
the bystander effect
To test the effects of exercise on depression, a researcher had some participants exercise one hour per day for three weeks, while another group performed no exercise for three weeks. The group that exercised is BEST described as:
the experimental group.
A researcher utilizing the sociocultural perspective is most likely to study:
the influence of the number of bystanders on the likelihood that a bystander will help out in a perceived emergency.
The sign of a correlation coefficient indicates:
whether the correlation is positive or negative.
negative correlation
An inverse relationship between two variables.
variable
Any factor that can take on more than one value.
right-skewed distribution
An asymmetric frequency distribution in which there are some unusually high scores that distort the mean to be greater than the median.
left-skewed distribution
An asymmetric frequency distribution in which there are some unusually low scores that distort the mean to be less than the median.
third-variable problem
An explanation of a correlation between two variables in terms of another (third) variable that could possibly be responsible for the observed relationship between the two variables.
placebo
An inactive pill or a treatment that has no known effects.
In a left-skewed distribution, what is the relationship between the mode and the mean?
The mode is greater than the mean.
mode
The most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores.
mean
The numerical average of a distribution of scores.
To create a sample of participants, a researcher selected the first 30 students on a list of psychology majors at the researcher's institution. What aspect of research methods did the researcher MOST likely violate?
The researcher did not use random sampling.
median
The score positioned in the middle of a distribution of scores when all of the scores are arranged from lowest to highest.
sample
The subset of a population that actually participates in a research study.
To examine how depression affects an individual's life, a clinician recorded a detailed account of a patient across a 10-year period. The type of research method used was:
a case study.
A researcher wants to determine if there is any relationship between students' academic performance and the amount of television they watch. He collects academic data for 100 students, and records the average number of hours each of those students watch television. The researcher's method is:
a correlational study.
An instructor compares the grades on the first exam in her class to the grades on the final exam in the class. A scatterplot indicates that students who earned high grades on the first exam tended to earn high grades on the second exam. This is an example of:
a correlational study.
The third-variable problem refers to:
an explanation of a correlation between two variables in terms of another variable.
If there is no correlation between two variables, the points in a scatterplot will:
be randomly scattered throughout the scatter plot.
A researcher examines the effects of rewards and punishments on work performance. In one condition, workers are rewarded for good performance, and good performance increases. In the other condition, workers are punished for poor performance, and this results in less poor performance. The researcher is using a _____ perspective.
behavioral
A researcher observes interactions between mothers and their children, and examines how reinforcements and punishments shape the children's behavior. The researcher is using a _____ perspective.
behavioral
Dr. Reed gave pigeons a food pellet if they pecked a button at the same time that a red light flashed. She wanted to see if the red light created a conditioned response. Dr. Reed is investigating from a _____ perspective.
behavioral
One who believes that environmental events condition observable behavior is taking the _____ perspective.
behavioral
Which of the following major research perspectives focuses on conditioning by external environmental events as the major cause of our behavior?
behavioral
A researcher proposes an evolutionary explanation for common gender differences in the observed personality traits of men and women. This researcher's proposal is based on the _____ perspective.
biological
A researcher proposes that physical attraction between two people is a product of an evolutionary process. This researcher is using a _____ perspective.
biological
Dr. Rangel injected rats with an antidepressant drug to test the effects of the drug on anxiety. Dr. Rangel is investigating from a _____ perspective.
biological
A psychological researcher examines the mechanisms that allow people to solve problems, make decisions, and judge differences between choices. Her research is based on a _____ perspective.
cognitive
Dr. Fillmore gave participants a list of numbers and then tested the accuracy of the participants when they repeated the numbers. Dr. Fillmore is investigating from a _____ perspective.
cognitive
To examine the capacity of human memory, a researcher gives participants a list of words and has the participants create a mental image for each word. The researcher is using a _____ perspective.
cognitive
The methods used by all psychology researchers can be categorized as:
descriptive, correlational, and experimental.
To overcome the potential for the observer to influence the group being observed in a naturalist observation study, a _____ method should be used.
participant observation
To investigate how participants in psychology experiments behave while they are waiting to participate in an experiment, a researcher pretends to be a participant while recording the behaviors of the other participants. This researcher's method is BEST described as:
participant observation.
In an experiment, the ______ group participants receive an inactive treatment but are told that the treatment will help them.
placebo
As the population of a city increases, the total number of crimes also increases. This is described as a:
positive correlation.
On an exam, an instructor asks the students how many hours they studied for the exam. The instructor finds that as the number of hours studied increased, scores on the exam also increased. This is an example of a:
positive correlation.
A researcher examines whether a new drug designed to treat depression is effective. The researcher randomly assigns some participants to an experimental group that receives the pill, and other participants to a placebo group. The researcher gave the participants a measure of depression level before and after the treatments and found that both groups had lower levels of depression after the treatment. The researcher is frustrated and wants to use a new design to control for the effect of the placebo. The researcher should:
use a double-blind procedure.
