Psych Unit #1 Exam

When researchers conduct an experiment comparing two different treatment conditions, they are likely to be more concerned with _____ validity than _____ validity Statistical; construct Internal; external Construct; internal External; statistical

Internal; external

How does research overcome the problem of confounds?

Research systematically compares multiple conditions

Basic Research

Research whose goal is to enhance the general body of knowledge, without regard for direct application to practical problems

Applied Research

Research whose goal is to find a solution to a particular real-world problem

A common finding in the study of aggression is that exposure to television is associated with increased aggressive behavior in children. You know this relationship may not be casual because you were not sure which occurred first: watching television or being aggressive. You are questioning which of the following rules of causation? The criterion of external validity The criterion of covariance The third variable criterion The criterion of temporal precedence

The criterion of temporal precedence

informed consent

The right of research participants to learn about a research project, know its risks and benefits, and decide whether to participate (respect for persons principle)

operational definition

The specific way in which a concept of interest is measured or manipulated as a variable in a study

bias blind spot

The tendency for people to think that compared to others, they are less likely to engage in biased reasoning.

confirmatory hypothesis testing

The tendency to ask only the questions that will lead to the expected answer.

present/present bias

The tendency to rely only on evidence that is present and ignore evidence that is absent

availability heuristic

The tendency to rely predominantly on evidence that easily comes to mind

random assignment

The use of a random method (e.g., flipping a coin) to assign participants into different experimental groups

Empiricism

The use of verifiable evidence as the basis for conclusions; collecting data systematically and using it to develop, support, or challenge a theory

correlate

To occur or vary together

data falsification

a form of research misconduct in which a researcher influences a study's results, perhaps by deleting observations from a data set or by influencing participants to act in the hypothesized way

data fabrication

a form of research misconduct in which a researcher invents data that fit the hypothesis

zero association

a lack of systematic association between two variables

confound

a potential alternative explanation for a research finding

meta-analysis

a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies

conceptual definition

a researcher's definition of a variable at the theoretical level

Translational Research

a scientific approach that focuses on communication between basic science and applied clinical research

Which of the following headlines is a causal claim? a. Holding a gun may make you think others are too. b. Younger people can't read emotions on wrinkled faces c. Strange but true: Babies born in the autumn are more likely to live to 100 d. Check the baby! Many new moms show signs of OCD

a. Holding a gun may make you think others are too.

To be an empiricist, one should: a. base one's conclusions on direct observations b. strive for parsimony c. be sure that one's research can be applied in a real-world setting d. discuss one's ideas in a public setting, such as an online discussion board

a. base one's conclusions on direct observations

Three necessary criteria for causal claims are... a. covariance, temporal precedence, and internal validity b. association, construct validity, and generalizability c. operationalization, temporal precedence, and construct validity

a. covariance, temporal precedence, and internal validity

The test gives two major reasons that experience is a faulty source of evidence for our beliefs. Please select the correct TWO choices. a. experience has confounds b. experiences are from only one person c. experience has no comparison group d. experience has no hypotheses

a. experience has confounds c. experience has no comparison group

Which feature is most important in our acceptance of a theory, according to the text? a. it is supported by data b. is it falsifiable c. it is parsimonious d. it is proven

a. it is supported by data

According to the textbook, the conclusion that family meals prevent eating disorders cannot be supported because... a. the study does not establish temporal precedence or internal validity b. there is zero association between the variables c. they covary positively d. they manipulate too many variables

a. the study does not establish temporal precedence or internal validity

positive association

an association in which high levels of one variable go with high levels of the other variable, and low levels of one variable go with low levels of the other variable

negative association

an association in which high levels of one variable go with low levels of the other variable

principle of justice

an ethical principle from the Belmont Report calling for a fair balance between the kinds of people who participate in research and the kinds of people who benefit from it

principle of respect for persons

an ethical principle from the Belmont Report stating that research participants should be treated as autonomous agents and that certain groups deserve special protection (informed consent included)

Principle of beneficence

an ethical principle from the Belmont Report stating that researchers must take precautions to protect participants from harm and to promote their well-being

construct validity

an indication of how well a variable was measured or manipulated in a study

Which of the following has been used as a defense of animal research by animal researchers? a. Animal research requires less research funding than human research b. Animal research has resulted in many benefits to both animals and humans c. Animal research is less likely to result in physical harm to the subject compared to human research d. Animal research has not had the same types of scandals that human research has had

b. Animal research has resulted in many benefits to both animals and humans

To support an association claim, a study would have to have... a. one variable b. two manipulated variables c. two or more measured variables

c. two or more measured variables

temporal precedence

one of three criteria for establishing a causal claim, stating that the proposed causal variable comes first in time, before the proposed outcome variable

statistical validity

the extent to which statistical conclusions derived from a study are accurate and reasonable

generalizability

the extent to which we can claim our findings inform us about a group larger than the one we studied

dependent variable

the variable that is measured

deception

the withholding of some details of a study from participants (deception through omission) or the act of actively lying to them (deception through commission)

debrief

to inform participants afterward about a study's true nature, details, and hypotheses

independent variable

variable that is manipulated

Evidence-based Treatment

A psychotherapy technique whose effectiveness has been supported by empirical research.

scatterplot

A graphical representation of an association

Journal

A monthly or quarterly periodical containing peer-reviewed articles on a specific academic discipline or subdiscipline, written for a scholarly audience.

James is asked about the best way to study for an exam. He responds that the best way to study is by making flashcards. He easily thinks of all the times he used flashcards and got an A. However, he fails to take into consideration all the times he got an A and did not use flashcards and the times he used flashcards and did not do well. His faulty thinking is an example of The availability heuristic Asking biased questions A present/present bias Cherry picking evidence

A present/present bias

Hypothesis

A statement of the specific relationship between a study's variables that the researcher expects to observe if a theory is accurate

Theory

A statement or set of statements that describes general principles about how variables relate to one another.

constant

A value that does not change

You submit a study for approval by the institutional review board, and they tell you that written informed consent is required. Which of the following can be excluded from your informed consent document? A. A description of the study's hypothesis B. A list of procedures C. A statement of risks D. A statement of benefits

A. A description of the study's hypothesis

Dr. Kushner plans to use deception in his study and is thinking about a debriefing session which of the following is true of the debriefing? A. During the debriefing, Dr. Kushner needs to tell the participants only that there was deception. B. Participants must be told the reasons for the deception. C. Dr. Kushner needs to invite only participants who were trouble by the study to the debriefing session D. Because his study has potential medical applications, the use of a debriefing session is optional

B. Participants must be told the reasons for the deception.

external validity

An indication of how well the results of a study generalize to, or represent, individuals or contexts

What is the difference between advice from an authority and that from a researcher? Authorities always provide advice based on their own research, while researchers base their advice on results from multiple studies Authorities often base their advice on intuition, while researchers rely on facts Authorities way all possible opinions, while researchers rely on their own theories Authorities interpret the results for you when providing advice, while researchers present only statistics

Authorities often based their advice on intuition, while researchers rely on facts

From an ethical standpoint, in what way is researching prisoners With tuberculosis similar to researching children with ADHD?

Both groups of participants have less autonomy than other types of participants.

Dr. Smitherman conducted a study five years ago, and his graduate student now recommends that they conduct the study again to see if the effect still occurs. Dr. Smitherman says, " no, I cannot do that study now; I think it is unethical." Which of the following is NOTa reasonable explanation for Dr. Smitherman's response? A. New findings has made such research less beneficial B. He might have changed his thinking due to a bad experience with some of the participants from the original study C. There were no ethical guidelines five years ago, but there are now D. Public opinion about that type of research has changed

C

Falsifiability

Can the claim be disproved?

Which of the following is true of students' views of deception and harm in research studies? A. Students usually are tolerant of studies that use major deception B. Students find the negative effects of deception to be worsened by debriefing C. Students are not tolerant of any degree of deception D. Students typically find the negative effects of deception to be diminished during debriefing

D. Students typically find the negative effects of deception to be diminished during debriefing

probabilistic

Describing the empirical method, stating that science is intended to explain a certain proportion (but not necessarily all) of the possible cases.

Covariance

One of three criteria for establishing a causal claim, the extent to which 2 variables are observed to go together

internal validity

One of three criteria for establishing a causal claim. The ability to rule out alternative explanations for a causal relationship between two variables

Which of the following could be an independent variable in a casual claim? One that is kept constant One that has one level One that is manipulated When that is measured

One that is manipulated

Scientist often say that more data are needed to draw conclusions about the accuracy of new theories and are reluctant to accept new claims without empirical support. What scientific norm does this illustrate? Universality Disinterestedness Communality Organized skepticism

Organized skepticism

Which of the following is an association claim? Dog travel 500 miles to find its owner Being visited by dogs in the hospital causes decreases in recovery time A majority of Americans like dogs Owning a dog is related to higher life satisfaction

Owning a dog is related to higher life satisfaction

The use of debriefing in a study such as Milgram's obedience study appeals to which principle of the Belmont report? A. Principle of integrity B. Principle of beneficence C. Principle of respect for persons D. Principle of justice

Principle of beneficence

Angel reads about a study in which smartphone use is associated with migraine headaches. He says, "well that study is not valid because I use a smart phone more than anyone I know, and I never get migraines." Based on his comment, Angel may be forgetting which of the following? The study has been replicated Science is based on empiricism Science is probabilisitic The study did not properly defined smart phone use

Science is probabilistic

association claim

a claim about two variables. When one variable changes, the other variable tends to change also.

causal claim

a claim arguing that a specific change in one variable is responsible for influencing the value of another variable

frequency claim

a claim that describes a particular rate or degree of a single variable

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

a committee responsible for ensuring that research using human participants is conducted ethically

Which of the following is a difference between a debriefing Session following a study with deception compared to a debriefing session following a study without deception? a. A deception study debriefing must attempt to restore a sense of honesty and trustworthiness b. A deception study debriefing must last at least 30 minutes c. A deception study debriefing must be done with each participant individually d. A deception study debriefing must have a member of the institutional review board present

a. A deception study debriefing must attempt to restore a sense of honesty and trustworthiness

The Belmont Report includes all the following except the principle of... a. respect for persons b. friendship c. beneficence d. justice

b. friendship

"There are far more dogs than cats in this city. That's all you see in the parks - dogs, dogs, dogs!" This person appears to be basing belief on... a. a good story b. availability c. a present/present bias d. the confirmation bias e. a bias blind spot

b. availability

"I'm positive my cousin has an eating disorder! I hardly ever see her eat anything other than diet bars". This person appears to be basing a belief on... a. a good story b. availability c. a present/present bias d. the confirmation bias e. a bias blind spot

b. availability d. the confirmation bias

Which theory did Harlow's study of infant attachment support? a. the cupboard theory b. the contact-comfort theory c. the comfort-and-cupboard theory

b. the contact-comfort theory

Federally funded animal experimentation, a. sadly, does not have to comply to any ethical guidelines b. must apply with IACUC guidelines c. must be accompanied by a consent form

b.. must apply with IACUC guidelines

According to people who find the Milgram obedience studies unethical, the researchers did harm to the participants... a. because they did not inform them of a cure b. through the physical harm they received from shocks c. from mental stress, which outweighed the benefits of the research

c. from mental stress, which outweighed the benefits of the research

Deception in psychology studies... a. should never be done b. is unethical c. must be followed with a debriefing

c. must be followed with a debriefing

What does it mean to say that research is probabilistic? a. researchers refer to the probability that their theories are correct b. research predicts all possible truths c. research conclusions are meant to explain a certain proportion of possible cases, but not all. d. if there are exceptions to a research result, it means the theory is probably incorrect

c. research conclusions are meant to explain a certain proportion of possible cases, but not all.

If we use the availability heuristic, we are basing our beliefs on... a. what others think b. what we see popular people do c. what comes to mind easily

c. what comes to mind easily

The example of the "Mozart effect" illustrated how... a. music can affect our memories b. companies can commission research to support their products c. research on adults does not generalize to children d. journalists don't always tell the right story about research

d. journalists don't always tell the right story about research

According to the text, what are some questions you can ask when you encounter a news item or "fact" in the popular media? a. could this be an example of disinformation? b. can I cross-check this story on some other sites I know are legitimate? c. what is the context of this story? d. is the journalist politically biased? e. any of these are good questions

e. any of these are good questions

validity

the appropriateness of a conclusion or decision

Parsimony

the best explanation that requires making the fewest exceptions or qualifications.