Ch2: Methods in Psychology

What conclusion did the text present in regards to the actual replication rate of experiments in psychology?

No one knows the actual replication rate of experiments in psychology

Which statement is an unfalsifiable psychological claim?

Part of the human unconscious is the id, an unobservable entity that governs basic human drives.

If a detector is used to measure the same property twice but produces different measurements, then it lacks

Reliability

What does the sign r (correlation coefficient) show?

The direction of a correlation

Xue does not believe that we have a nonphysical mind. Rather, he believes that the mind is what the brain does. His views are MOST similar to those of:

Hobbes

Which early philosopher believed that certain kinds of knowledge as being innate or inborn?

Kant

Today, most psychologists would agree with which statement concerning mental processes?

Mental processes arise from brain functioning.

A researcher administers a questionnaire concerning attitudes toward tax increases to people of all genders and of ages who live all across the country. The dependent variable in the study is the ____ of the participants.

attitude

One aspect of thinking critically about new information is to:

make sure it provides the whole truth, not just part of the truth.

Which of the following describes the average value of all the measurements in a particular distribution?

mean

If a measure is valid, it:

measures what it was intended to measure.

Dr. Gomez wants to see how children usually interact on the playground. She should probably use a(n):

naturalistic observation

The bell-shaped curve is also known as a _____, or Gaussian, distribution.

normal

When people find evidence that confirms their beliefs, they often

stop looking

In a research study, participants were asked if abortion was murder. After reporting their beliefs, they were asked to read an article that defended that abortion is murder. While all participants read the article, none of them changed their original view or belief. This is an example of how we:

tend to see only what we want to see

Deiondre believes that philosophical idealism drives perception. He is most likely to assert that:

the light bouncing from the page into your eye and other information your brain has about the world combine to create a full perception of this page.

_____ validity refers to whether variables have been operationally defined in a normal, typical, or realistic way.

External

Which statement is NOT falsifiable?

Angels can dance on the head of a pin

Which correlation coefficient represents the STRONGEST relation between two variables?

-0.45

On the most recent exam in Ben's history class, the highest score earned was an 89, and the lowest score was a 62. What is the range on this test?

27

Michael believes that our nonphysical minds are distinct from our brain and direct the actions of our brain and body. His beliefs are MOST similar to those of which philosopher?

Descartes

_____ involves relying on assumptions and beliefs about the world, whereas _____ involves making direct observations of the world.

Dogmatism; empiricism

Margot wonders if people behave more aggressively when there is a full moon. To attempt to find out, she categorizes arrest records and emergency room admissions by the cycle of the moon. Margot is taking a(n) _____ approach to the question.

Empirical

You decide to use a person's height as a measure of intelligence. Which statement is probably true?

The measure is reliable but lacks validity.

Aleskey's research yielded results that are consistent with a hypothesis derived from a cognitive account of language development. Which conclusion is CORRECT regarding the theory?

The theory is strengthened.

There is a correlation between increasing global warming and the decline of ninjas. Why might this be?

There is a third variable causing both effects.

What is the ideal replication rate of experiments in psychology?

There is no ideal replication rate.

In a study referenced in the text about antirefugee hate posts and hate crimes in Germany, what was found?

There was a positive correlation between hate posts and hate crimes against refugees

_____ is the idea that no two people ever do, say, think, or feel exactly the same thing under exactly the same circumstances.

Variability

Which of the following is the best definition of a hypothesis?

a falsifiable prediction

Which definition BEST defines the word "theory"?

a hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon

In his experiments, Rashid, a trained observer, is analyzing reactions to bitter tastes. He is using a technique known as:

behaviorism

Maximizing benefits and reducing research risks to the participant is associated with the principle of:

beneficence.

Aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think they should are called

demand characteristics

Innessa wants to determine whether students use their phones more in the library or in the cafeteria. She is undecided about whether she should observe their actions or ask questions to participants about this topic using a survey. Innessa is trying to decide on the best _____ to address her research question.

empirical method

The belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation is the definition of

empiricism

Eyes and ears is to _____ as knowledge from elders is to _____.

empiricism; dogmatism

An experiment that defines variables as they are defined in the real world is

externally valid

Type I errors are similar to _____, while Type II errors are similar to _____.

flukes; flunks

Mike wants to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of his all-day sucker. He tells his friends that "one full gyration of the tongue around the outer surface of the lollipop" is what constitutes a "lick." In an informal way, Mike is offering a(n):

operational definition for the behavior he wants to measure

A college recently banned the use of plastic water bottles on campus in an effort to be more eco-friendly. A psychologist at the college is interested in students' attitudes about this ban. She obtains a list of all of the students who are enrolled at the college. She randomly picks 100 students from this list and administers to these students a survey designed to assess their opinions on the plastic water bottle ban. The psychologist is using:

random sampling.

Hermann von Helmholtz is to _____ as Wilhelm Wundt is to _____.

reaction time; structuralism

Cruella would not describe herself as the type of person who cares about animal rights, but when filling out a survey for a psychologist, she says that she does. This illustrates that people can be highly _____ when studied.

reactive

Psychologists are on their honor to do all of these EXCEPT:

report only statistically significant findings.

In the famous Zimbardo prison study, Stanford students were assigned to be either a prisoner or a guard so the experimenters could examine prison life behaviors and interactions. What was the independent variable in this study?

the role of prisoner or guard

When two variables are correlated, what keeps us from concluding that one is the cause and the other is the effect?

the third-variable problem

Trinity has a(n) _____ that humans perceive some stimuli without conscious knowledge of doing so.

theory

When naturalistic observation is NOT an option, which technique is best to use to avoid demand characteristics?

using a double blind design