AP Psychology Unit 2

placebo effect

(Latin for "i shall please") experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or coordination, which the recipient assumes is an active agent

(e) summarize data; determine if data can be generalized to other populations

Descriptive statistics ______ while, inferential statistics_____ a. indicate the significance of the data; summarise the data b. describe data from experiments; described data from surveys and case studies c. are measures of central tendency; are measures of variance d. determine if data can be generalized to other populations; summarize data e. summarize data; determine if data can be generalized to other populations

68 percent

In a normal distribution, what percentage of the score in the distribution falls within one standard deviation of either side of the mean? a. 34 percent b. 40 percent c. 50 percent d. 68 percent e, 95 percent

(b) allow participants to choose whether to take part

What must a researcher do to fulfill the ethical principle of informed consent? a. keep information about participants confidential b. allow participants to choose whether to take part c. protect participants from potential harm d. provide participants with a pre-experimental explanation of the study e. provide participants with a post-experimental explanation of the study

(d) debriefing

Which ethical principle requires that at the end of the study participants be told about the true purpose of the research? a. institutional review board approval b. informed consent c. confidentiality d. debriefing e. protection from physical harm

(b) children should be encouraged to develop harmonious relationships.

Which of the following beliefs would most likely be by an individual in a collectivist culture? a. children should be encouraged to focus on personal goals and aspirations b. children should be encouraged to develop harmonious relationships c. it is important to be competitive and assertive in order to get ahead in life d. if you want something done well, you should do it yourself e. it is important to satisfy personal needs before those of the larger community

(c) personal achievement

Which of the following is more likely to be emphasized in individualist cultures than in collectivist cultures? a. gender differences b. shared goals c. personal achievement d. cooperation with the group e. preservation of tradition

histogram

a bar graph depicting a frequency distribution

operational definition

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures

standard deviation

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

case study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

confounding variable

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

sampling bias

a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

scatterplot

a graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the pints suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggest the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation).

correlation

a measure of the extent to which two variables change together, and thus of how well either variable predicts the other

skewed distribution

a representation of scores that lack symmetry around their average value

experiment

a research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, the experimenter aims to control other relevant variables

(b) this is the minimum result typically considered statistically significant

a researcher calculates statistical significance for her study and finds a 5% chance that results are due to change. Which of the following is an accurate interpretation of this finding? a. this is well beyond the range of statistical significance b. this is the minimum result typically considered statistically significant c. this is not statistically significant d. this is no way to determine statistical significance without replication of the study e. chance or coincidence is unrelated to statistical significance

(a) case study

a researcher looking for gender differences in 3-year-olds observes a preschool class and records how many munites children of each gender play with dolls. She then compares the two sets of numbers. What type of descriptive research is she conducting? a. case study b. national study c. random sample method d. naturalistic observation e. survey

random sample

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

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two variables (from -1.0 to +1.0)

statistical significance

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

normal curve (normal distribution)

a symmetrical, bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many types of data; most scores fall near the man (about 68% fall within one standard deviation of it) and fewer and fewer near the extremes

survey

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

(b) hypothesis

a testable prediction that drives research is known as a(n) a. theory b. hypothesis c. operational definition d. guess e. random sample

hypothesis

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

(c) hindsight bias

after the student council election, a friend tell you he has known for weeks who would be elected president. What does this seem to illustrate? a. skepticism b. critical thinking c. hindsight bias d. overconfidence e. perceiving order in random events

population

all those in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn. (Note: Except for national studies, this does not refer to a country's whole population)

Humility

an awareness of our own vulnerability to error and an openness to surprises and new perspectives

informed consent

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

double-blind procedure

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

theory

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

(d) case study

an individual with an exceptional memory is identified. She is capable of recalling major events, the weather, and what she did on any given date. What research method is being used if a psychologist conducts an in-depth investigation of this individual including questionnaires, brain scans, and memory tests? a. naturalistic observation b. survey c. interview d. case study e. correlational method

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, this minimizing preexisting diffferences between the different groups

wallace stevens

called "rage for order" our natural eagerness to make sense of our world

hindsight bias

i-knew-it-all-along phenomenon

experimental group

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

control group

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

independent variable

manipulate

dependent variable

measure

inferential statistics

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

descriptive statistics

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

naturalistic observation

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

replication

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

(c) naturalistic observation

researchers are interested in finding out if winning congressional candidates display more positive facial expressions than losing candidates. The researchers attend political debates and record how frequently each candidate displays positive facial expressions. Which research method are the researchers using? a. random sample b. case study c. naturalistic observation d. survey e. interview

(a) income and sleep levels are positively correlated

researchers have discovered that individuals with lower income levels report having fewer hours of total sleep. Therefore, a. income and sleep levels are positively correlated b. income and sleep levels are negatively correlated c. income and sleep levels are inversely correlated d. income and sleep levels are not correlated e. lower income levels cause indiciduals to have fewer hours of sleep

mean

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

range

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

culture

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

independent variable

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

validity

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

median

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

mode

the most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution

dependent variable

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

illusory correlation

the perception of a relationship where non exists

debriefing

the pot experimental explanation of a duty, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

(b) ensure that every member of the population had an equal chance of being selected to participate in the research

the purpose of the random assignment is to a. allow participants in both the experimental and control groups to be exposed to the independent variable b. ensure that every member of the population had an equal chance of being selected to participate in the research c. eliminate the placebo effect d. reduce potential confounding variables e. generate operational definitions for the independent and dependent variables

overconfidence

the tendency to be more confident than correct to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judments

hindsight bias

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

critical thinking

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

negative correlation

two sets of scores relative inversely, one set poinf up as the ither goes down

positive correlation

when two sets of scores, such as height and weight, tend to rise or fall together

(d) -.85

which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest relationship between two variables a. +.30 b. +.75 c. +1.3 d. -.85 e. -1.2

(a) range

which of the following is a measure of variation? a. range b. mean c. mode d. frequency e. median

(d) Macy's cannot recognize a definition on a flashcard. After turning the card over and viewing the term, she tells herself she knew what the answer was all along

which of the following is an example of hindsight bias a. tom is certain that electric cars will represent 80 percent of vehicles in twenty years and only reads research studies that support his hypothesis b. liza underestimates how much time it will take her to finish writing her college application essays and as a result fails to meet an important deadline c. experts predicting world events with 80 percent confidence turned out o be correct less than 40 percent of the time d. Macy's cannot recognize a definition on a flashcard. After turning the card over and viewing the term, she tells herself she knew what the answer was all along e. Dr. Grace overestimates how effectively her new treatment method works because she fails to seek out any evidence refuting her theory

(a) people who spend more time exercising tent to weigh less

which of the following is an example of negative correlation? a. people who spend more time exercising tent to weigh less b. teenage females tend to have fewer speeding tickets than teenage males c. students with IQ scores tend to have lower grades d. as hours studying for a test decrease, so do grades on that test e. students' shoe sizes are not related to their grades

(a) choosing a representative sample

which of the following is mot important when conducting survey research? a. choosing a representative sample b. choosing a large sample c. choosing a biased sample d. choosing a sample that includes every member of the popluation e. choosing a sample whose answers will likely support your hypothesis

(d) scatterplot

which of the following is sued only in correlation studies? a. double-blind b. placebo c. random assignment d. scatterplot e. random sample

(d) what is the best study technique for AP tests?

which of the following questions is best investigated by means of a survey? a. is IQ related to grades? b. are violent criminals genetically different from nonviolent criminals? c. does extra sleep improve memory? d. what is the best study technique for AP tests? e. are students more likely to be politically liberal or conservative?

(a) mean

which statistical measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme scores? a. mean b. median c. mode d. skew e. correlation

(c) it is unaffected by previous answers. It is as likely to be "C" as any other answer

while taking a standardized test with randomly scrambled answers, you notice that your last four answers have been "c." Which of the following is true concerning the probability of the next answer being "c." a. it is higher. Once a streak begins, it is likely to last for a while b. it is lower. Since answers are distributed randomly, "c" answers become less common c. it is unaffected by previous answers. It is as likely to be "C" as any other answer d. you should check your previous answers. Four "c's" in a row is impossible. e. it is higher. Test constructors trick students by keeping the same answer many times in a row

(a) an operational definition allows others to replicate the procedure

why is an operational definition necessary when reporting research findings? a. an operational definition allows others to replicate the procedure b. an operational definition provides more context and includes many examples of the concept described c. an operational definition is easier to translate into multiple languages than a dictionary definition d. an operational definition uses more scientific language than an dictionary definition e. an operational definition is not necessary since a dictionary definition will work as well for replication