PSYCH 2301 Ch2

True or false: A scientific theory is essentially the same as a hypothesis and is best described as "just an idea."

false

True or false: Testing a commonsense idea is worthless because such notions always turn out to be correct.

fasle

The ideas that make up theories ______.

form a coherent and logically consistent structure

Theories help in generating new knowledge by ______.

generating hypotheses, which lead to further study

Catherine searches for articles on the PsycINFO database that talk about health. She enters the key term "health," and the search yields only 45 articles. She wants to expand the search because it is too narrow. Which of the following combinations of key terms and Boolean operators is most likely to yield a greater number of articles?

health OR fitness OR well-being

In research, a tentative answer to a research question is known as a(n) ______.

hypothesis

Once a ______ is proposed, data must be gathered and evaluated in terms of whether the evidence is consistent or inconsistent with it.

hypothesis

The Method section of a research article contains many subsections that ______.

inform the reader about exactly how the study was conducted

Julie conducts a qualitative research project on the significance of certain rituals performed by the people who reside in Japan. To get accurate and relevant information for her research, Julie speaks to people who have lived in Japan and understand the cultural dynamics of the country. In this scenario, these people best exemplify the ______ in her research.

informants

In the ______ section of a research report, the researcher outlines the problem that has been investigated.

introduction

Researchers can narrow their PsycINFO search by ______.

limiting their search to one field

A basic type of a research report that summarizes previous research in a particular area is known as a(n) ______.

literature review

Prior to conducting a study on the behavioral patterns of 10- to 15-year-old bullies, Jenna studies previously conducted research on bullying in schools. She then writes a summary of the research. In this scenario, the summary best exemplifies a(n) ______.

literature review

Annie searches for research articles that talk about marriage on PsycINFO. The search output includes many articles that talk about child marriage, but Annie is not interested in these articles. Which of the following combinations of search terms and Boolean operators should she use to get a desirable output?

marriage NOT child

A(n) __________ analysis is a quantitative type of review method that allows researchers to draw statistical conclusions from multiple studies of a single research question.

meta

Shirley wrote a research article about the various responses people have to horror films. One section of her article was divided into subsections. The first subsection presented an overview of the design, the next described the characteristics of the participants, and the last described the procedure used in the study. This section of the article is the ______ section.

method

The process of judging the scientific merit of research through review by other scientists with the expertise to evaluate the research is known as ____ review

peer

A group of psychologists in Sylvania conducted a study on the reasons behind the increase in obesity among its youngsters. In this case, the most probable source of the idea for research was a ______.

practical problem

Research that can have immediate applications is usually stimulated by ______.

practical problems

A deliberate guess at the outcome of a hypothesis is known as a(n) ______.

prediction

Alison conducted a survey to determine the impact of popular films on youngsters. She handed out questionnaires to college students between the ages of 18 and 20. In this scenario, the students who answered Alison's questionnaires are best referred to as the ______ of her survey.

respondents

In the ____ section of a research report, the findings of the study are presented.

results

When a research report is written and submitted to the editor of a psychology journal, the editor ______.

solicits reviews from other scientists in the same field

The most important task while conducting a PsycINFO search is to ______.

specify the search terms that one wants the database to use

When it comes to understanding a phenomenon, theory articles ______.

summarize and integrate research to provide a new framework

Researchers can use the body of past literature on a topic to continually refine and expand people's knowledge because ______.

the results of past studies are published and raise further questions for research

Which of the following summarizes and integrates research to provide a new framework for understanding a phenomenon?

theory article

Which of the following is a function of a theory?

to organize and explain a variety of specific facts or descriptions of behavior

True or false: Electronic search resources such as LexisNexis Academic and Factiva allow researchers to search general media resources such as newspapers.

true

True or false: Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the result of accident or sheer luck.

true

True or false: The curiosity sparked by people's observations and experiences can lead them to ask questions about all sorts of phenomena, and this type of curiosity usually drives many students to engage in their first research project.

true

True or false: When you do a search using Google Scholar, you find articles, theses, books, abstracts, and court opinions from a wide range of sources.

true

A group of scientists conducted a study to evaluate the physical fitness of children in various schools. The idea that stimulated their research was that studious children are not physically fit. The results of the research disproved the notion. In this scenario, the source of the idea for their research was ______.

common sense

While conducting a PsycINFO search for research articles on the influence of the Internet on children, the researcher, Jeffrey, must use ______ to generate an output that includes both the key terms.

children AND Internet

Rita enters the word "child" and an asterisk (*) to find research articles on PsycINFO. Which of the following topics are most likely to be included in her search results?

children, child, childhood

In the context of conducting a PsycINFO search, the default output includes ______.

citation information along with abstracts

Identify the accurate statements about Google Scholar. (Check all that apply.)

-If one's topic is broad, Google Scholar would generate many more hits than would PsycINFO. -The search output of Google Scholar is ranked by the contents of an article along with the article's overall prominence.

Which of the following are the sections of a research article? (Check all that apply.)

-Introduction -Abstract -Results -Discussion -Methods

Which of the following are true statements about PsycINFO? (Check all that apply.)

-It consists of a list of abstracts that are related to a topic of interest. -It is accessed via the Internet and is updated weekly.

Identify the Boolean operators that are enabled in most PsycINFO systems that have advanced search screens. (Check all that apply.)

-NOT -OR -AND

Identify the advantages of familiarization with the past research on a topic. (Check all that apply.)

-One may see inconsistencies in research results that need to be investigated. One may want to study alternative explanations for the results.

Which of the following databases allow researchers to research topics using the "key article" method? (Check all that apply.)

-Web of Science -Scopus

In which of the following ways can the quality of Internet searches be improved? (Check all that apply.)

-by learning advanced search rules -by learning the differences in the way each service finds and stores information -by learning ways to critically evaluate the quality of the information that is found

Which of the following are ways in which the results of a research article are usually presented? (Check all that apply.)

-in narrative form -using tables and graphs -in statistical language

In the context of the sections of empirical research articles, which of the following are included in the Abstract? (Check all that apply.)

-procedures used for research -information about the hypothesis -the broad pattern of results

Which of the following are efficient ways of processing information while reading a research report? (Check all that apply.)

-reading the results with the frameworks provided in the Introduction -skimming the article to decide if the information is useful

match

Introduction- explains the problem under investigation Method section- describes in detail the exact procedure used in the study Results section- presents the findings Discussion section- includes the broader implications of the results

In the context of Internet searches, which of the following information will be useful in providing documentation in research articles? (Check all that apply.)

-the dates of the search -the search service and the search terms that were used -the exact location of any website that will be used in the research

What happens after a research report is submitted to a psychology journal?

It becomes subject to the process of peer review.

Identify a true statement about exploring past research.

It helps researchers clarify ideas and design studies.

In the context of conducting a PsycINFO search, the output is organized into ______.

"fields" of information, such as the title and the author

The ______ is a helpful search tool in PsycINFO that stands for any set of letters in a word; it can expand a PsycINFO search.

"wildcard" asterisk

In a PsycINFO search, the Boolean operator ______ requires both the given conditions to be true for an article to be included in the search output.

AND

In a research article about colors affecting the moods of people, one section runs 200 words in length and includes information about the hypothesis, the procedure, and the broad pattern of results associated with the research. In this scenario, the section is most likely the ______.

Abstract

In a research article about teenage suicide patterns, one section includes suggestions for possible practical applications of the research and for future research on the topic. This section most likely exemplifies the ______ of a research article.

Discussion section

While conducting a PsycINFO search using Boolean operators, the ______ operation is used to expand a search that is too narrow.

OR

In a research article that explains the effects of stress on children, one section of the article outlines the problem that has been investigated, past research on similar topics, and the theories used to test the hypotheses. This is the ______ section in the research article.

Introduction

Which of the following best describes the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms?

It lists all the standard terms that are used to index abstracts.

Identify a true statement about a good research question.

It must be specific so that it can be answered with a research project.

Which of the following is an accurate statement about psychology journals?

Most journals specialize in one or two areas of human or animal behavior.

In the context of a PsycINFO search using Boolean operators, the ______ operation will exclude sources based on a criterion you specify.

NOT

Identify the database that consists of full-text scholarly articles and is maintained by the American Psychological Association (APA).

PsycARTICLES

Today, abstracts—brief summaries of articles in psychology and related disciplines indexed by topic—are maintained in a computer database called ______.

PsycINFO

Kelly has an article that is particularly relevant to her research subject. She would like to review articles that have cited this article. Which of the following databases would be most helpful to her?

Web of Science

Which of the following most likely happens as a theory develops with more and more evidence that supports the theory?

The theory becomes well established as it enables people to explain a great many observable facts.

Which of the following is the first and most general step in designing and conducting a research investigation?

a research question

Which of the following consists of a systematic body of ideas about a particular topic or phenomenon?

a theory

Before conducting any research project, it is most important for the investigator to have ______.

a thorough knowledge of previous research findings

When reading a research article, it is best to read the ______ first and then skim through the rest of the article to decide whether the information provided is useful.

abstract

In a meta-analysis, researchers ______.

analyze the results of a number of studies using statistical procedures

A feature of a prediction made in a research study is that it is ______.

directly testable

In the ______ of research articles, researchers review their research from various perspectives.

discussion section