Myers AP Psychology Unit 2 Research Methods

Population(2)

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Correlation(2)

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

experiment(2)

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

survey(2)

A study, generally in the form of an interview or questionnaire, that provides researchers with information about how people think and act.

Hypothesis(2)

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

experimental group (2)

In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

control group(2)

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.

international review board(2)

Part of the APA reviewing research proposals for ethical violations and/or procedural errors

protect from harm(2)

Participants should be free from physical and psychological harm in research

American Psychological Association (APA) (2)

Responsible for setting the ethical guidelines for human and animal research.

independent variable(2)

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

dependent variable(2)

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

Histogram(2)

a bar graph depicting a frequency distribution

operational definition(2)

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

standard deviation(2)

a computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score

confounding variable(2)

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

sampling bias(2)

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

Scatterplot(2)

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables

skewed(2)

a representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value

random sample(2)

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

correlation coefficient(2)

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

statistical significance(2)

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

Mr. and Mrs. Klostreich have six children aged 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, and 16. The mean age of the Klostreich children is a. 8. b. 5. c. 4. d. 7. e. 6.

a. 8.

Which of the following statements is most correct about the relationship between correlation and causation? a. Correlation indicates the possibility of a causal relationship, but it does not prove causation. b. If one variable is strongly positively correlated with another variable, the relationship is causal. c. Both correlations and causations need to be proven with experimental data. d. if one variable is strongly negatively correlated with another variable, the relationship is not causal. e. Correlations are statistical relationships, causations are logical relationships.

a. Correlation indicates the possibility of a causal relationship, but it does not prove causation.

Following the scientific discovery that a specific brain structure is significantly larger in violent individuals than in those who are nonviolent, a news headline announced: "Enlarged Brain Structure Triggers Violent Acts." The headline writer should most clearly be warned about the dangers of a. confusing correlation with causation. b. discerning order in random events. c. perceiving illusory correlations. d. explaining events in hindsight. e. generalizing from unrepresentative samples.

a. confusing correlation with causation.

To provide a baseline against which they can evaluate the effects of a specific treatment, experimenters make use of a(n) a. control condition. b. dependent variable. c. experimental condition. d. random sample. e. independent variable.

a. control condition.

Researchers are interested in studying the relationship between poor prenatal nutrition and early cognitive development. Because of ethical concerns, which research method would be most appropriate for researchers to use? a. correlational b. survey c. naturalistic observation d. case study e. experimentation

a. correlational

Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as a. naturalistic observation. b. the survey. c. the case study. d. experimentation. e. random sampling.

a. naturalistic observation

In the hypothesis "Students who study a list of terms in the morning, just after waking up, will recall more terms than students who study the list just before falling asleep," what is the dependent variable? a. number of terms remembered b. list of terms c. students d. time of day e. memorization

a. number of terms remembered

Variation is to central tendency as ________ is to ________. a. range; median b. mode; mean c. scatterplot; bar graph d. median; mean e. correlation; scatterplot

a. range; median

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. illusory correlation. e. hindsight bias.

a. theory

A majority of respondents in a national survey agreed that "classroom prayer should not be allowed in public schools." Only 33 percent of respondents in a similar survey agreed that "classroom prayer in public schools should be banned." These divergent findings best illustrate the importance of a. wording effects. b. overconfidence. c. the hindsight bias. d. operational definition. e. random assignment.

a. wording effects

informed consent(2)

an ethical principle that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate

double-blind procedure(2)

an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies.

Theory(2)

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

case study(2)

an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

random assignment(2)

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups

Six different high school students spent $10, $13, $2, $12, $13, and $4, respectively, on entertainment. The mode of this group's entertainment expenditures is a. $12. b. $13. c. $10. d. $11. e. $9.

b. $13.

During the past month, Henri and Sylvia each ate 10 candy bars, while Jerry ate 8, Tricia ate 6, and Tahli ate only 1. The mean number of candy bars eaten by these individuals was a. 10. b. 7. c. 3. d. 8. e. 5.

b. 7.

Dr. DeVries is interested in measuring how practice in problem-solving affects this ability. The population of interest is high school seniors, and the sample consists of students who attend an exclusive college preparatory school. Half of the sample receives practice in solving particular types of problems, while the other half does not. Both groups take the same problem-solving test. Which of the following might best explain why Dr. DeVries may not be able to generalize his findings? a. He is not taking into account how the scores on the test might deviate from one another. b. His sample is not representative of the population. c. His data may be positively skewed. d. He did not receive approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before beginning his research. e. He should have conducted his experiment in a lab instead of a natural setting.

b. His sample is not representative of the population.

What is the primary limitation of the case study research method? a. Correlational findings from case studies cannot be interpreted as causal. b. Individual cases can be misleading and result in false generalizations. c. It is not an empirical method. d. The case study is not part of the scientific method. e. Random sampling must be used to ensure representative findings.

b. Individual cases can be misleading and result in false generalizations.

In 1953, H.M. underwent surgery to control his seizures. Doctors removed tissue from the hippocampus. As a result H.M.'s memory was severely impaired. Psychologists studied H.M.'s memory function until his death in 2008. Which research method did the psychologists utilize in this situation? a. naturalistic observation b. case study c. experimentation d. survey e. correlation

b. case study

A correlation coefficient is a measure of the a. statistical significance of a difference between two sample means. b. direction and strength of the relationship between two variables. c. average squared deviation of scores from a sample mean. d. difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution. e. frequency of scores at each level of some measure.

b. direction and strength of the relationship between two variables.

Thinking that she had outperformed most of her classmates, Glenda was surprised to receive just an average grade on her psychology test. Glenda's experience best illustrates a. negative correlation. b. overconfidence. c. the hindsight bias. d. illusory correlation. e. the placebo effect.

b. overconfidence

When provided with the unscrambled solution to anagrams, people underestimate the difficulty of solving the anagrams by themselves. This best illustrates a. illusory correlation. b. overconfidence. c. hindsight bias. d. wording effects. e. the placebo effect.

b. overconfidence

Which procedure helps to ensure that the participants in a survey are representative of a larger population? a. naturalistic observation b. random sampling c. replication d. correlation e. random assignment

b. random sampling

Abdul has volunteered to participate in an experiment evaluating the effectiveness of aspirin. Neither he nor the experimenters know whether the pills he takes during the experiment contain aspirin or are merely placebos. The investigators are apparently making use of a. the overconfidence effect. b. the double-blind procedure. c. illusory correlation. d. naturalistic observation. e. random sampling.

b. the double-blind procedure.

If psychologists discovered that more intelligent parents have smarter children than less intelligent parents, this would demonstrate that a. more intelligent parents provide their children with greater educational opportunities than do less intelligent parents. b. the intelligence of parents and children is positively correlated. c. intelligence of children and parents are negatively correlated. d. intelligence is inherited. e. experiments based on this relationship would indicate causation.

b. the intelligence of parents and children is positively correlated.

Why is replication important to science? a. It allows you to obtain a representative sample of cases to study. b. The natural setting eliminates the artificial environment of a lab. c. Repeated research with similar results increases confidence in the reliability of the original findings. d. Minimizing preexisting differences between groups increases confidence in findings of a specific theory. e. Researchers can test the impact of belief on behavior.

c. Repeated research with similar results increases confidence in the reliability of the original findings.

Why are researchers so careful about drawing conclusions regarding statistical significance? a. Statistical significance is primarily a subjective decision, so researchers need to be more careful. b. Statistical significance determines which research method should be used for a hypothesis. c. They want to make sure an observed difference isn't due to chance. d. Statistical significance is used in case studies, not experiments, so researchers do not have a control group to rely on. e. They need to make sure the results are important.

c. They want to make sure an observed difference isn't due to chance.

George was worried about his bakery's new cupcakes after two customers disliked them on the first day, but when he surveyed his customers over the next week, more than 90% of the customers said they loved them. By giving too much weight to those two customers before the survey, George almost committed an error known as a. confusing correlation with causation. b. not following ethical guidelines. c. a sampling bias. d. wording effects. e. a replication error.

c. a sampling bias

In 1848, Phineas Gage, a railroad construction foreman, survived when an explosion drove an iron rod through his head damaging the functioning of the frontal lobes. This instance provided evidence that the frontal lobe plays a role in personality and behavior. Researchers have continued to study Gage's brain to better understand this link. Which research method is being used? a. survey b. naturalistic observation c. case study d. experimentation e. correlation

c. case study

Dr. Roberts hypothesized that students in a classroom seating 30 would get higher course grades than students seated in an auditorium seating 300. In this example, a. the independent variable is the measurement of course grades. b. Dr. Roberts has demonstrated the importance of random sampling. c. classroom size has been operationally defined. d. Dr. Roberts has found a positive correlation between classroom size and course grades. e. Dr. Roberts has found a cause-effect relationship.

c. classroom size has been operationally defined

According to Emily's grandfather, Adolf Hitler's obvious emotional instability made it clear from the beginning days of his international conflicts that Germany would inevitably lose World War II. The grandfather's claim best illustrates a. illusory correlation. b. random sampling. c. the hindsight bias. d. overconfidence. e. an illusion of control.

c. hindsight bias

Because she had a serious traffic accident on Friday the 13th of last month, Felicia is convinced that all Friday the 13ths will bring bad luck. Felicia's belief best illustrates a. the hindsight bias. b. random sampling. c. illusory correlation. d. the illusion of control. e. overconfidence.

c. illusory correlation.

To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School, Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students. In this instance, all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n) a. independent variable. b. dependent variable. c. population. d. representative sample. e. control condition.

c. population

Correlational research is most useful for purposes of a. replication. b. control. c. prediction. d. experimentation. e. explanation.

c. prediction.

Critical thinkers can best be described as a. pessimistic. b. overconfident. c. questioning. d. cynical. e. impatient.

c. questioning

To graphically represent the correlation between two variables, researchers often construct a a. pie chart. b. standard deviation. c. scatterplot. d. skewed distribution. e. bar graph.

c. scatterplot.

A researcher interested in investigating the attitudes or opinions of a large sample of people is most likely to use which research method? a. experiment b. correlation c. survey d. case study e. naturalistic observation

c. survey

The healing power of positive expectations is best illustrated by a. replication. b. overconfidence. c. the placebo effect. d. illusory correlation. e. hindsight bias.

c. the placebo effect.

Which of the following correlations between annual income and education level would best enable you to predict annual income on the basis of level of education? a. -0.01 b. +0.10 c. +0.05 d. +0.50 e. -0.001

d. +0.50

Why are researchers careful to use large, representative samples in their studies? a. Policymakers demand larger, more representative sample sizes for political reasons. b. Statistical methods only work for larger sample sizes. c. The general public perceives these kinds of samples to be more scientific. d. Larger, representative sample sizes help ensure reliable and valid results. e. It is more profitable to work with larger samples.

d. Larger, representative sample sizes help ensure reliable and valid results.

According to Professor Fayad, we like people who like us because of their affection for us boosts our own self-esteem. His idea is an example of a. naturalistic observation. b. illusory correlation. c. hindsight bias. d. a theory. e. replication.

d. a theory

In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills, research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights. This research is an example of a. a case study. b. naturalistic observation. c. a correlational study. d. an experiment. e. survey research.

d. an experiment.

The belief that weather conditions signal the onset of arthritis pain best illustrates a. operational definition. b. overconfidence. c. random sampling. d. an illusory correlation. e. the hindsight bias.

d. an illusory correlation.

In a study of the effects of alcohol consumption, some participants drank a nonalcoholic beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol. This nonalcoholic drink was a a. random sample. b. replication. c. dependent variable. d. placebo. e. double-blind.

d. placebo.

What technique do researchers use to reduce the impact of confounding variables? a. scatterplots b. naturalistic observation c. hindsight bias d. random assignment e. measures of central tendency

d. random assignment

Which technique most clearly minimizes the likelihood that any outcome differences between the experimental and control conditions can be attributed to age or personality differences in research participants? a. replication b. operational definitions c. the double-blind procedure d. random assignment e. statistical measurement

d. random assignment

To study the effects of noise on worker productivity, researchers have one group of subjects work in a noisy room and a second group work in a quiet room. To ensure that any differences in the productivity of the two groups actually result from the different noise levels to which the groups are exposed, the researchers would use a. correlational measurement. b. replication. c. the case study. d. random assignment. e. naturalistic observation.

d. random assignment.

Professor Woo noticed that the distribution of students' scores on her last biology test had an extremely small standard deviation. This indicates that the a. test was a poor measure of the students' knowledge. b. mean test score was lower than the median score. c. students generally performed very well on the test. d. students' scores tended to be very similar to one another. e. test was given to a very small class of students.

d. students' scores tended to be very similar to one another.

Random sampling is to ________ as random assignment is to ________. a. description; prediction b. correlational studies; case studies c. replication; correlation d. surveys; experiments e. illusory correlation; control group

d. surveys; experiments

Which of the following correlation coefficients expresses the weakest degree of relationship between two variables? a. +1.00 b. -0.99 c. +0.25 d. -0.50 e. -0.12

e. -0.12

Which of the following correlation coefficients expresses the strongest degree of relationship between two variables? a. 0.00 b. +0.10 c. -0.10 d. +0.59 e. -0.67

e. -0.67

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 a. illusory correlation. b. the hindsight bias. c. the placebo effect. d. an operational definition. e. a hypothesis.

e. a hypothesis

Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to distinguish between a. random samples and representative samples. b. case studies and surveys. c. hypotheses and operational definitions. d. facts and theories. e. causes and effects.

e. causes and effects.

In an experiment, researchers manipulate one factor to see its effect on a target factor. What is this target factor called? a. operational definition. b. control group. c. placebo effect. d. confounding variable. e. dependent variable.

e. dependent variable.

To compare the pace of life in different countries, investigators measured the speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request. This best illustrates the use of a research method known as a. random assignment. b. the case study. c. the survey. d. the double-blind procedure. e. naturalistic observation.

e. naturalistic oberservation

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. causally related. b. independent variables. c. dependent variables. d. positively correlated. e. negatively correlated.

e. negatively correlated.

To assess reactions to a proposed tuition hike at her college, Ariana sent a questionnaire to every fifteenth person in the college registrar's alphabetical listing of all currently enrolled students. Ariana employed the technique of a. naturalistic observation. b. replication. c. random assignment. d. correlation. e. random sampling.

e. random sampling

In the hypothesis "Students who study a list of terms in the morning, just after waking up, will recall more terms than students who study the list just before falling asleep," what is the independent variable? a. list of terms b. students c. memorization d. number of terms remembered e. time of day

e. time of day

placebo effect(2)

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent.

Confidentiality(2)

information that an individual has disclosed in a relationship of trust with the healthcare providers with the expectations that data will not be shared with unauthorized entities

inferential statistics(2)

numerical data that allow one to generalize- to infer from sample data the probability of something being true of a population

descriptive statistics(2)

numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation.

naturalistic observation(2)

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

coercion(2)

participation must be voluntary

Replication(2)

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

Single-blind procedure(2)

research design in which participants don't know whether they are in the experimental or control group

mean(2)

the arithmetic average of a distribution, obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

range(2)

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

Culture(2)

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

Validity(2)

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to

Median(2)

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it

Mode(2)

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

illusory correlation(2)

the perception of a relationship where none exists

Debriefing(2)

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

normal curve(2)

the symmetrical bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes.

hindsight bias(2)

the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it

critical thinking(2)

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.