Research Methods Midterm

The risk/benefit ratio that is used in ethical decision making represents A. a mathematical ratio with calculable components. B. an objective, rule-based evaluation of risks and benefits. C. a definitive basis for making ethical decisions. D. a subjective evaluation of risks and benefits.

a subjective evaluation of risks and benefits

One major purpose of conducting experiments is to decide whether a treatment or program effectively changes behavior. A second major purpose for doing experiments is to provide a. definitive answers to theoretical questions b. simple and relatively quick ways of testing and revising hypotheses c. methods to obtain results that confirm our hypothesis d. an empirical test of hypothesis derived from theories

an empirical test of hypothesis derived from theories

construct validity can be assessed by determining the degree to which similar measures of a construct a. demonstrate correlations near zero b. are correlated c. show consistency over time d. all of these

are correlated

The ethical standards of APA's ethics code A. are general ethical principles that researchers apply to their own research situation. B. include clear rules for how research should be conducted in specific situations. C. provide a set of specific rules for how to solve ethical dilemmas in psychological research. D. provide principles for conducting research that are never contradictory.

are ethical principles that researchers apply to their own research situation

Which of the following represents the basic question addressed by the risk/benefit ratio? A. Are the risks in a study greater than minimal risk? B. Will the researcher's reputation be enhanced or hurt by the study's findings? C. Are the benefits (to individual participants and society) of a study greater than the risks? D. Are the benefits gained by individuals greater than the risks posed to society?

are the benefits (to individual participants and society) of a study greater than the risks?

one way to minimize the likelihood that respondents might view questions as "loaded" for a survey on controversial topics is to a. use funnel questions to direct people to survey questions that are not controversial b. use leading questions first to make sure the respondents agree with the survey topic c. ask people with a range of perspectives on the topic to review and edit the questions for potentially offensive wording d. use emotional words that represent both sides of the controversial topic so that the survey is not biased

ask people with a range of perspectives on the topic to review and edit the questions for potentially offensive wording

Ethical issues associated with Internet (online) research A. are not subject to the APA Code of Ethics. B. are not as serious as those associated with in-person research because Internet research is more anonymous. C. include informed consent, debriefing, and confidentiality. D. all of these

include informed consent, debriefing, and confidentiality

The factors that researchers control or manipulate in order to determine their effect on behavior are called the A. intervention variables. B. dependent variables. C. independent variables. D. confounding variables.

independent variables

A researcher randomly assigns one classroom to a new teaching method and a second classroom to the control condition (the regular teaching method). This researcher faces the potential problem of confounding due to A. experimenter effects. B. selective subject loss. C. intact groups. D. extraneous variables.

intact groups

the ability to generalize the results from a survey sample to the population of interest depends most critically on the sample's A. stratification B. representativeness C. homogeneity vs. heterogeneity D. correlations

representativeness

In which of the following situations could individuals be vulnerable to excessive inducement or pressure to participate in research? A. requiring prisoners to participate in a psychology experiment B. asking college students to participate in research to fulfill a class requirement and giving them an alternative method to meet the requirement C. paying college students $2 an hour to be in a psychology experiment D. all of these

requiring prisoners to participate in a psychology experiment

the primary disadvantage of closed-response questions is that a. respondents may be forced to choose among response alternatives that don't describe their true opinion b. responses are very difficult to code and summarize c. they allow respondents too much flexibility in their responses d. all of these

respondents may be forced to choose among response alternatives that don't describe their true opinion

Participants in a study described as investigating "aspects of intelligence and social awareness" completed "intelligence problems" in small groups. Without their knowledge, half of the students were given easy problems, and half were given difficult problems. The students with easy problems finished easily in the allotted time, while the remaining students struggled. After the intelligence problems, the investigators asked students to complete social comparison measures (i.e., how they rate themselves compared to others). Participants in this study A. experienced minimal risk, because students take tests as part of their everyday life. B. were "at risk," because of the deception. C. did not face social risk because they were anonymous. D. did not require debriefing because the investigator described the purpose of the study.

were "at risk" because of deception

Researchers may not be required to obtain informed consent in which of the following situations? A. when doing research with children B. when doing research that involves more than minimal risk C. when observing behavior in public settings with no intervention D. when asking participants to complete questionnaires on the Internet

when observing behavior in public settings with no intervention

In a study that investigates the effects of two different doses of a drug on memory performance, memory performance represent the ____ variable and doses of the drug represent the ____ variable. A. correlational; confounding B. experimental; control C. dependent; independent D. independent; dependent

Dependent, independent

Ethical problems can best be avoided by careful planning and by consulting appropriate individuals A. prior to beginning the research. B. after testing several participants. C. after the research has been completed. D. after concerns about research are raised in the media.

Prior to beginning the research

Which of the following conditions would lead you to recommend against the use of a matched groups design and in favor of a random groups design? A. a small number of participants from a heterogeneous population is available B. a large number of participants from a homogeneous population is available C. a separate group is required for each level of the independent variable of interest D. a reliable and valid matching variable is available

a large number of participants from a homogeneous population is available

when a questionnaire item implies a preferred response within the wording of the question, it is called a. a loading question b. a leading question c. a double barreled question d. a filter question

a leading question

the reliability of a survey or test will likely be low when a. asking people to answer a small number of questions about the concept of interest b. asking people to respond to many questions about the concept of interest c. identifying a sample of individuals who are very different from each other in terms of the construct of interest none of these

asking people to answer a small number of questions about the concept of interest

unless all the respondents in the original sample complete all phases of a longitudinal design, there is a possible problem due to A. selection bias B. attrition C. extrapolated data D. social desirability

attrition

In addition to creating groups of equal size, an advantage of block randomization is that it A. decreases the number of participants needed in each condition. B. averages the effect of the dependent variable across the conditions of the experiment. C. holds constant the time in which an experiment is run. D. balances potential confoundings that occur during the time in which an experiment is run.

balances potential confounding that occur during the time in which an experiment is run

Individual differences among participants in a random groups design are controlled by A. eliminating the individual differences from the experiment. B. ignoring the individual differences because they cannot confound the experiment. C. balancing the individual differences across the conditions of the experiment. D. holding the individual differences constant in the experiment.

balancing the individual differences across the conditions of the experiment

The goal of a random groups design experiment is to establish the independent variable as the cause of any differences in the dependent variable. The logic of accomplishing this involves A. beginning with comparable groups, treating them differently, and ending with differences among groups. B. beginning with comparable groups, treating them the same, and ending with no differences among groups. C. beginning with noncomparable groups, treating them differently, and ending with differences among groups. D. beginning with noncomparable groups, treating them the same, and ending with no differences among groups.

beginning with comparable groups, treating them differently, and ending with differences among groups

When the distribution of characteristics in a sample is systematically different from that of the target population, the sample is called a A. biased sample B. stratified sample C. representative sample D. distorted sample

biased sample

Convergent validity in survey research, used to establish the construct validity of a measure, is similar to the use of ________ to establish the validity of findings from research employing unobtrusive measures. A. archival data B. spurious relationships C. natural treatments D. converging evidence

converging evidence

A student conducted a research project in which fake smoke entered the waiting area used by participants. This procedure was used to create a stressful situation and the student then tested participants' performance on complex reasoning tasks. One student waiting in a wheelchair experienced a panic attack when the smoke appeared. After this incident, the IRB stopped the research. This example demonstrates that A. IRBs can be unreasonable. B. characteristics of individuals must be considered when determining risk. C. the deception was described fully during the informed consent procedure. D. this research should have been conducted online.

characteristics of individuals must be considered when determining risk

Which of the following arises when the independent variable of interest and an unintended independent variable are allowed to covary? A. contamination effect B. decrease in external validity C. illusory correlation D. confounding

confounding

reliability refers to the _____ of a measure and validity refers to the ______ of a measure

consistency, truthfulness

A researcher's new measure of friendliness correlates strongly with a measure of agreeableness, and demonstrates a very low correlation with a measure of intelligence. This pattern of correlations indicates the researcher's measure demonstrates good A. reliability B. social desirability C. causal relationships D. construct validity

construct validity

A TV reporter interviewed several dozen people at the scene of a political demonstration about their opinions regarding the demonstration. The reporter searched for people on both sides of the issue. In the terminology of survey research, the reporter has gathered a A. convenience sample B. sampling frame of reference C. random sample D. stratified random sample

convenience sample

When researchers use the multi method approach they can reach comparable conclusions about a research question after using different methods to study it. Our confidence in these conclusions increases and the conclusions are said to have a. convergent validity b. concurrent validity c. multiple validity d. correlational validity

convergent validity

Surveys play an important role in a type of research that is intended to assess the covariation of naturally occurring variables with the goal of identifying predictive relationships. This general type of research is called A. experimental research B. analytic research C. correlational research D. qualitative research

correlation research

the natural groups design represents an illustration of the general research approach that is called a. correlational research b. descriptive research c. experimental research d. observational research

correlational research

In a nationwide study, samples of students were asked their opinions about the quality of their college education. The results of the survey were analyzed for differences among students at the various colleges and universities. What survey design was used in this study? A. correlated samples design B. cross sectional design C. successive independent samples design D. longitudinal design

cross sectional design

a survey question that asks, "Are you worried about global climate change and nuclear weapons?" is an example of a. funnel question b. loaded question c. leading question d. double barreled question

double barreled question

which of the following is the most critical problem in drawing causal inferences based on the natural groups design? A. establishing covariation B. correlating participants' characteristics and their performance C. eliminating plausible alternative causes for the obtained relationship D. using the natural groups variable to make predictions for the dependent variable

eliminating plausible alternative causes for the obtained relationship

When a survey has been created and administered by a sponsoring organization, such as a company or institution, we should A. conclude the survey results will always be biased in favor of the sponsoring organization B. examine whether the survey data have been selectively analyzed and reported C. assume the research will be poor quality D. automatically ignore the survey results

examine whether the survey data have been selectively analyzed and reported

In order to conduct an experiment more efficiently, a researcher tests groups of participants in several small groups. The number of participants in each group differs because of participants' availability at different times. The different number of participants in each group represents a potential A. intact group problem. B. selective subject loss problem. C. experimenter effect. D. extraneous variable problem.

extraneous variable problem

A survey on consumer products asks questions regarding automobile repair, home electronics, and travel destinations. Allowing respondents to skip the section on automobile repair if they don't own a car is an example of using a. leading question b. loaded question c. funnel question d. filter question

filter question

survey questions that are ordered from the most general to the most specific are a. funnel questions b. filter questions c. double barreled questions d. leading questions

funnel questions

Survey researchers are most interested in A. the responses of individuals in their sample B. obtaining a very large sample size C. generalizing responses from a sample to the population D. predicting the size of the sampling frame based on the sample

generalizing responses from a sample to the population

Random assignment to conditions works to balance participants' individual differences across conditions of the experiment by A. matching individuals on key variables. B. asking individuals to participate in each condition of the experiment. C. forming groups based on an individual differences variable the researcher selects. D. generating groups of participants that are equivalent, on average.

generating groups of participants that was equivalent on average

Two control techniques that allow researchers to rule out alternative explanations for an outcome are balancing and A. holding conditions constant. B. establishing a time-order relationship. C. validation. D. establishing a covariation.

holding conditions constant

A researcher examined participants' memory following emotionally shocking events by manipulating whether participants viewed a violent or a nonviolent version of a video. The video in the two conditions was identical except for two seconds in which the violence variable was manipulated. That the video was identical except for the manipulation represents the control technique of A. balancing the individual differences across the groups of the experiment. B. holding conditions constant in the experiment. C. a time-order relationship between the independent and dependent variables. D. confounding the independent variable.

holding conditions constant in the experiment

A researcher has manipulated only one independent variable at two levels, has held constant as many other variables as possible and has balanced individual differences by using random assignment. The researcher is likely to be able to claim that the independent variable caused the observed changes in the dependent variable because the experiment is A. externally valid. B. internally valid. C. a natural groups design. D. statistical.

internally valid

When the three requirements for causal inference are met, an experiment is said to be A. balanced. B. internally valid. C. an independent groups design. D. held constant.

internally valid

correlational research is potentially limited when it comes to a. applying the results of correlational studies to predict such issues as physical and psychological health related problems b. establishing quantitative relationships between two sets of responses obtained in a survey c. interpreting causal relationships based on correlational studies alone c. using sophisticated statistical procedures in analyzing correlational studies

interpreting causal relationships based on correlational studies alone

a researcher adjusted the wording of a question to guide a respondent's answer and recorded only selected portions of a respondent's answers. what survey problem does this represent? a. interviewer bias B. response bias C. selection bias D. respondent bias

interviewer bias

Final responsibility for conducting research in an ethical manner rests with the A. investigator. B. United States Department of Research. C. Institutional Review Board (IRB). D. department chairperson.

investigator

A sample is said to be representative when A. a sponsoring organization uses the sample to sell a product B. researchers are interested only in the opinions of people in the sample C. it exhibits the same distribution of characteristics as the population from which it was drawn D. all of these

it exhibits the same distribution of characteristics as the population from which it was drawn

which of the following factors is not likely to increase the reliability of a test or questionnaire? a. testing situation free of distractions b. clear instructions for completing the test c. little variability among individuals on the factor being tested d. more items on a test

little variability on the factor being tested

Mail surveys are particularly vulnerable to a problem that arises when not all respondents complete and return the survey. This problem is called A. selection bias B. reactivity C. low response rate D. social undesirability

low response rate

which of the following survey methods is best for dealing with highly personal or embarrassing topics, especially when the anonymity of respondents is preserved? A. mail survey B. personal interview C. telephone interview D. successive survey

mail survey

Stratified random sampling is especially useful when the researcher is interested in A. making specific statements about individual respondents B. making general statements about the population as a whole C. making comparisons with previous studies that have used random sampling D. making general statements about specific portions of the population that has been sampled

making general statements about specific portions of the population that has been sampled

a researcher identifies a potential mediating variable in the pattern of correlations among variables in a path analysis. If the researcher seeks to make a causal inference about the mediating variable, the suggested next step would be to a. manipulate the variable as an independent variable in an experiment b. conduct a successive independent samples survey to measure the variable c. observe different levels of the variable as part of naturalistic observation d. determine whether a representative sample was used

manipulate the variable as an independent variable in the experiment

using path analysis, the correlation between poverty and psychological distress can be partially explained by the level of chaos in the home. the chaos variable in this example represents a a. mediating variable b. moderator variable c. proxy variable d. spurious relationship

mediating variable

if the relationships between measures of poverty, chaos, and psychological distress differed depending on whether families lived in rural or urban areas, this variable of population density (rural vs urban) would be considered a. spurious relationship b. mediating variable c. causal variable d. moderator variable

moderator variable

Researchers must use special safeguards to protect human participants when A. more than minimal risk is present. B. informed consent is not required. C. behavior is observed in the public domain. D. anonymous questionnaires are used.

more than minimal risk is present

internet surveys are best characterized as A. nonprobability (convenience) samples B. simple random samples of the population C. stratified random samples of the population D. selected samples

non-probability (convenience) samples

A sampling frame in survey research could be considered a(n) ______ of the population A. operational definition B. biased sample C. representative sample D. probability sample

operational definition

an important initial step when developing a questionnaire is to a. avoid expert opinions about the topic because they may bias the survey b. test only one or two items and then add more for the final survey c. pretest the questionnaire using a sample similar to the planned survey d. all of these

pretest the questionnaire using a sample similar to the planned survey

The right of individuals to decide how information about them is to be communicated to others is referred to as A. confidentiality. B. anonymity. C. self-determination. D. privacy.

privacy

The most common solution to the problem of forming comparable groups in the random groups design is A. random-digit dialing. B. random assignment. C. random selection. D. matching participants on the dependent variable.

random assignment

A researcher interested in young girls' exposure to thin images of Barbie dolls compared to normal-weight images ("Emme" doll) wanted to make sure girls in the two conditions (Barbie, Emme) did not differ in the number of Barbie dolls they own at home. The best way to do this would be to A. hold conditions constant by making sure each girl in the experiment only had three Barbie dolls. B. randomly assign girls to the two conditions of the experiment. C. give each girl in the experiment a Barbie doll and an Emme doll. D. none of these

randomly assign girls to the two conditions of the experiment

Researchers manipulated exposure to body images by randomly assigning young girls to one of three conditions. They observed that young girls' body dissatisfaction was greatest after viewing very thin images of a Barbie doll compared to normal-weight images ("Emme" doll) or neutral images. The alternative explanation that girls in the Barbie condition might have weighed more prior to exposure to body images can be ruled out because the researchers A. held constant the amount of time girls looked at images. B. manipulated the type of exposure with three conditions. C. randomly assigned girls to the different exposure conditions. D. all of these

randomly assigned girls to the different exposure conditions

Which of the following is not required of researchers in an informed consent procedure? A. description of the nature of the research B. reasons for why deception is used in the research C. information that might influence participants' willingness to participate D. all of these are required

reasons for why deception is used in the research

a researcher develops a measure of the self esteem construct. one item on the questionnaire states, "I generally feel good about myself". another item states "i think i'm not a very good person". the researcher likely uses these two items to protect against possible problems associated with a. response bias b. leading questions c. selection bias d. the order of questions

response bias

a respondent completes items on a closed response survey by agreeing with each statement on the survey. this might represent the problem of a. loaded questions b. selection bias c. filter questions d. response bias

response bias

a researcher uses random digit dialing to conduct a survey using telephone interviews. Suppose that many people don't answer their phone for the survey because when they check the caller identification, they don't recognize the phone number. This represents the potential problem of A. interviewer bias B. selection bias C. response rate bias C. non probability bias

response rate bias

the best approach for obtaining a representative sample when using stratified random sampling is to A. sample so that there is an equal number of respondents in the different strata B. use random digit dialing C. Sample so that the proportion of respondents in the different strata represents the proportions in the population D. eliminate people from the sampling frame who are unlikely to return a completed survey

sample so that the proportion of respondents in the different strata represents the proportions in the population

An important goal of sampling is to identify a ______ that will be representative of the _______. A. population, sample B. sample, sampling frame C. sampling frame, sample D. sample, population

sample, population

Which of the following characteristics do most surveys have in common? A. direct observation and coding B. interviewing and the use of focus groups C. limited scope and pragmatic purpose D. sampling and a set of predetermined questions

sampling and a set of predetermined questions

In sampling, the specific list of the elements of the population is called A. sample B. Sampling frame C. survey set D. representative sample

sampling frame

To differentiate experiments involving individual differences (subject) variables and those involving manipulated independent variables, those experiments involving groups selected based on individual differences (subject) variables are called A. selected subjects designs. B. matched groups designs. C. random groups designs. D. natural groups designs.

selected group designs

A city used property tax records of homeowners to identify a sample of people to ask about recreational services at local parks. This survey would be criticized for A. population bias B. selection bias C. stratification bias D. response rate bias

selection bias

A survey researcher chose to administer a survey using the internet. This sample likely overrespresents people who own a computer and underrepresents people who don't own a computer. The problem in the researcher's survey is best described as A. low response rate B. a stratified sample C. selection bias D. a spurious relationship

selection bias

a researcher decides to conduct a survey using telephone interviews and has access to random digit dialing. Because some people have multiple phone numbers and therefore, a greater likelihood of being surveyed, the researcher should be aware of the potential problem of A. response rate bias B. interviewer bias C. telephone bias D. selection bias

selection bias

the problem of selection bias in survey research is similar to the problem of ______ in research using archival data A. selection threat to internal validity B. selective deposit C. selective survival D. spurious relationship

selective deposit

attrition in survey research corresponds most closely to which of the following problems in the use of unobtrusive measures (physical traces, archival records)? a. selective survival b. selective deposit c. spurious relationships d. natural treatments

selective survival

Which of the following is typically not one of the dimensions a researcher should consider when deciding what information is private and what safeguards should be employed? A. sensitivity of the information B. source of the information C. how the information will be disseminated D. setting in which behavior is observed

source of the information

A researcher wants to assess the construct validity of a measure of life satisfaction. Which of the following dimensions would likely be most useful to assess when determining the discriminant validity of the measure? A. happiness B. well-being C. spatial reasoning ability D. self esteem

spatial reasoning ability

there is a reliable correlation between being outgoing and being satisfied with one's life. one possible way to account for this relationship is that a third variable (number of friends) leads people to be more outgoing and more satisfied with their lives. A correlation that can be accounted for by a third variable of friends is called a a. spurious relationship b. chaotic relationship c. causal relationship d. co-dependent relationship

spurious relationship

researchers have studied changes in the values and goals of college freshman from 1966 to the present by drawing random samples from each year's incoming class. Which survey research design describes this research? A. stratified random sampling design B. cross sectional design C. successive independent samples design D. longitudinal design

successive independent samples design

An instructor randomly assigns two sections of his course to an experimental condition (new teaching method) or control condition (regular teaching method). Students in the 9:30 section receive the experimental treatment and students in the 1:30 section participate in the control condition. At the end of the semester the instructor's tests reveal that students in the 9:30 section had significantly higher test scores than students in the 1:30 section. Based on this summary, we can state that A. the results are uninterpretable because of intact groups. B. the findings have external validity across two times of day. C. the experiment has internal validity. D. all of these

the results are uninterpretable because of intact groups