Chapter 02 Quiz – Flashcards

question
The FDA found that people who used a particular diet drug combination had more heart valve defects than people who had not taken the diet drug combination. This suggests that the use of the diet drug combination and heart valve defects are: A. negatively correlated. B. interactive variables. C. positively correlated. D. independent variables.
answer
C
question
An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the extraneous (confounding) variable? A. The exercise B. The day of the week C. The hypothesis D. The mood (degree of happiness)
answer
B
question
A variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study is referred to as: A. an extraneous variable. B. an inverse bias. C. a covariate. D. a redundant variable.
answer
A
question
The subjects who participate in an experiment should: A. be carefully chosen so that they represent a sample of the population. B. be allowed to choose in which group they would like to be. C. all be chosen from the same geographical area and socioeconomic class. D. come from a wide range of different age groups.
answer
A
question
The Featured Study presented in the text on how motives can affect perception demonstrates which of the texts's unifying themes? A. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context. B. Behavior is shaped by cultural heritage. C. Heredity and environment jointly influence behavior. D. People's experience of the world is highly subjective.
answer
D
question
The ____ is a research strategy that minimizes the potential methodological problems associated with the placebo effect and experimenter bias. A. blind sample procedure B. neutral sample procedure C. single-blind procedure D. double-blind procedure
answer
D
question
If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that ____ scores on one variable are generally associated with ____ scores on the second variable. .A. high; low B. low; high C. low; low D. middle; a wide variety of
answer
C
question
In an investigation of the effects of caffeine on concentration, half the participants were given regular colas that contained caffeine and half were given decaffeinated colas. In this study, the decaffeinated colas are being used as A. a random factor. B. the dependent variable. C. a confounding variable. D. a placebo.
answer
D
question
If A and B are highly correlated, which statement MOST accurately describes the relationship between A and B? A. The score on B causes the score on A B. The score on A can be used to predict the score on B C. Both A and B are caused by a third variable D. The score on A causes the score on B
answer
B
question
What is the mode of the following data? 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 7, 12 A. 3 B. 4 C. 6 D. 5
answer
A
question
Of the following, the correlation coefficient that indicates the strongest relationship between the two variables being measured is A. 0.00. B. +0.65. C. +3.45. D. -0.89.
answer
D
question
The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores, such that half the scores fall below that score and half the scores fall above it, is the A. standard deviation. B. median. C. range. D. mean.
answer
B
question
The abstract of a journal article provides A. a concise summary of the entire article. B. a description of the research methods used in the study. C. a concise summary of the raw data and statistical analyses. D. an overview of the research problem, relevant theories, and previous research.
answer
A
question
A researcher interested in studying individuals' attitudes toward "animal rights issues" would MOST likely conduct A. a naturalistic observation. B. a survey. C. a correlation. D. a case study.
answer
B
question
A researcher is measuring the heart rate of subjects as an index of anxiety. In this study, heart rate is A. a confounded variable. B. an independent variable. C. an operational definition of anxiety. D. negatively correlated with anxiety.
answer
C
question
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate concerning the results of the research study by Rosenthal and Fode described in the text? A. The experimenters' expectations influenced the ratings given by the subjects. B. The experimenters were prevented from conversing with their subjects. C. Half of the experimenters were told that the ratings would average -5 and half were told to expect ratings of +5. D. A double-blind procedure was used in the study.
answer
A
question
Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency? A. Mode B. Median C. Mean D. Variability
answer
D
question
Broadening the scope of phenomena that psychologists are able to study is associated with A. descriptive research methods. B. hypothetical deductive research methods. C. introspective research methods. D. functional research methods.
answer
A
question
If your boss thinks very highly of you in general, she may tend to see even your mediocre projects as excellent work. This would be evidence for A. the discriminative effect. B. the placebo effect. C. the halo effect. D. the sampling effect.
answer
C
question
Following their first experiment, the authors of the Featured Study in the text conducted additional research to be sure that ____________ did not account for their initial findings. A. deception by participants B. placebo effects C. dependent variables D. experimenter bias
answer
A
question
A dependent variable in an experiment refers to the variable A. held constant across the experimental conditions. B. that the experimenter is depending on to cause something to happen in the experiment. C. deliberately manipulated by the experimenter. D. that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in the experiment.
answer
D
question
Which of the following is NOT a criticism of using animals in psychological research? A. The studies cost too much for the limited amount of information they provide. B. Many of the studies are trivial. C. The studies are a waste of time, as the results often do not apply to humans. D. It is unethical to subject an animal to pain.
answer
A
question
In experimental research, while subjects in the ____ group received some special treatment in regard to the independent variable, subjects in the ____ group did not. A. experimental; control B. control; experimental C. primary; secondary D. secondary; primary
answer
A
question
Statistical procedures are used during which step in conducting a scientific investigation? A. Report the findings B. Collect the data C. Analyze the data and draw conclusions D. Select a research method and design the study
answer
C
question
An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the independent variable? A. The exercise B. The day of the week C. The hypothesis D. The mood (degree of happiness)
answer
A
question
Dr. Redding has found a correlation of +0.65 between snoring and weight. This indicates that A. there is no relationship between weight and snoring. B. overweight individuals tend to snore less than underweight individuals. C. individuals who go on a diet will most likely begin to snore. D. overweight individuals tend to snore more than underweight .
answer
D
question
Dr. Stillingsworth is interested in people's reactions to a controversial jury verdict. Dr. Stillingsworth calls people at their home between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon. In this example, Dr. Stillingsworth has MOST likely selected A. a representative sample. B. a biased population. C. a statistically significant population. D. a biased sample.
answer
D
question
In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease, half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half were given a placebo (sugar pill). In this study, the experimental group is A. the group that received the placebo. B. the patients who were not included in the study. C. the patients who show evidence of an improvement in their memory. D. the group that received the actual drug.
answer
D
question
Which of the following statements about correlations is incorrect? A. A correlation of +.90 gives better predictability than a correlation of +.60. B. A and B correlate +1.00; therefore, they are causally related. C. A and B correlate +1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error. D. A and B correlate -1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error.
answer
B
question
According to the ethical guidelines for psychological research with humans, if you agree to be a participant in a research study, you would understand that you A. have to commit to participating in the entire research study. B. will not be exposed to deception. C. will not be exposed to harmful or dangerous treatments. D. do not have the right to privacy.
answer
C
question
Suppose researchers find a negative relationship between alcohol consumption and the number of correct responses on a skills test: the more alcohol consumed, the lower the score. Which of the following fictitious statistics could possibly represent that correlation? A. -4.57 B. +0.00 C. +0.91 D. -0.87
answer
D
question
The Featured Study presented in the text demonstrates that people's motives can affect their A. sense of taste. B. visual perception. C. attraction to others. D. choice of hobbies.
answer
B
question
Which is NOT among the goals of scientific psychology? A. Applications of research findings to solve everyday problems B. Understanding why certain behaviors occur C. The development of measurement techniques for describing behavior precisely and accurately D. Searching for absolute truths about behavior
answer
D
question
In an experiment, the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher is called the A. control variable. B. stimulus variable. C. independent variable. D. dependent variable.
answer
C
question
One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is A. the artificial, contrived situations in which experiments are often conducted. B. the inability to generate cause-and-effect conclusions. C. the fact that only one variable can be studied at a time. D. the length of time necessary to complete the study.
answer
A
question
The hypotheses for a research study are MOST likely to be found in the A. results section of a journal article. B. methodology section of a journal article. C. reference section of a journal article. D. introduction section of a journal article.
answer
D
question
Zigfried Rosenblat, Jr. took part in a study on sexual deviance last year. He was somewhat dismayed when he read an article in a weekly journal discussing sexual deviance in which one patient was referred to as ZRJ. Although the article claimed all names had been disguised to protect personal identities, Zigfried is convinced he is the individual described in the article. In this case, it is possible that the researchers who conducted the study violated the ethical principle of A. informed consent. B. full disclosure. C. adequate debriefing. D. right to privacy.
answer
D
question
Dr. Dobbins wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families. The first step in her scientific investigation would be to A. collect the data. B. analyze the data. C. design the study and select the research method. D. formulate a testable hypothesis.
answer
D
question
You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their gender. You are engaging in A. naturalistic observation. B. case study research. C. experimental research. D. casual observation.
answer
A(?)
question
A researcher plans to study the relationship between people's smoking behavior and their tendency to have minor physical illnesses (such as colds or the flu). Most likely, he will use correlational research for the study because A. correlational studies allow the researcher to draw strong cause-and-effect conclusions. B. the university does not allow smoking in the psychology building. C. correlational studies are always the "first choice" of researchers. D. it is not practical or ethical to manipulate people's smoking behavior.
answer
D(?)
question
Dr. Dickinson is investigating the link between social support networks and grades in school. Students in his classes are required to complete survey forms related to this research. If a survey form is not completed by the end of the semester, a student's grade is reduced by 10 points. In this case, some researchers might argue that Dr. Dickinson's research violates the ethical principle of A. full disclosure. B. protection from harm. C. right to privacy. D. voluntary participation.
answer
D
question
While theories are most closely associated with the scientific goal of ____, hypotheses are most closely associated with the goal of ____. A. application; description B. understanding; prediction C. prediction; understanding D. description; application
answer
B(?)
question
Answering the question of "why" something happens is most closely associated with which goal of science? A. The search for truth B. Application and control C. Measurement and description D. Understanding and prediction
answer
D
question
Paulo tells you that he just completed an experiment in his botany class and that his results were statistically significant. This means that the results he obtained A. will be of interest to people, even if they are not botanists. B. are important and will likely have an impact in the field of botany. C. were unlikely to be a result of chance variations in his sample. D. were likely to be the result of chance variations in his sample.
answer
C
question
In scientific investigations, researchers must clearly define the variables under study by precisely describing how they will be measured or controlled. These definitions are referred to as A. dictionary definitions. B. precise definitions. C. operational definitions. D. objective definitions.
answer
C
question
An instructor wishes to find out whether a new teaching method is superior to his usual procedures, so he conducts an experiment. Everyone in his classes is quite excited about the prospect of learning under the new procedure, but he cannot administer the new teaching method to everyone: a random half of the students receive the new method and the remaining half receive the old. What is the most obvious flaw in this experiment? A. Placebo effects or experimenter bias are likely to affect results. B. Distortions in self-report will affect results. C. Subjects should have been systematically assigned to groups. D. The sample is not representative of the population.
answer
A
question
One is most likely to encounter problems with the social desirability bias when using A. naturalistic observations. B. the experimental method. C. self-reports. D. case studies.
answer
C
question
In an experiment designed to test memory processes, one group was given special instructions and asked to group the items on a list into categories while they tried to memorize them. A second group of participants was given the same list, but they did not receive any special instructions. In this study, the experimental group is A. the group that did not receive any special instructions. B. the group in which the participants remember the least items from the list. C. the group that received the special instructions. D. the group in which the participants remember the most items from the list.
answer
C
question
The hypotheses for a research study are MOST likely to be found in the A. reference section of a journal article. B. results section of a journal article. C. introduction section of a journal article. D. methodology section of a journal article.
answer
C
question
Scarlett is a graduate student who is observing children playing together after watching a film. She knows that some children saw a film that contained graphic scenes of violence and some children saw a non-violent film, but she doesn't know which film each child she is observing watched. In this case, Scarlett is recording data for A. an unethical research study. B. a study with two independent variables. C. a double-blind research study. D. a correlational study with confounded variables.
answer
C
question
Darla has sent out a survey in which she is asking people to provide information about their attitudes on a number of sensitive subjects. When the surveys are returned, Darla needs to be aware that the responses may be distorted due to A. meta-analytic controls. B. placebo effects. C. self-report biases. D. statistical artifacts.
answer
C
question
Dr. Malm predicts that if teachers ignore students who act up in class, fewer students will act up in class. Dr. Malm's prediction is an example of A. an operational definition. B. a theory. C. inferential statistics. D. a hypothesis.
answer
D
question
In Margaritte's sociology discussion group, 4 of the 5 students are between the ages of 19 and 23; the fifth student is 54 years old. If Margaritte wants to report the statistic that BEST represents the "average" age for her discussion group, she should report either A. the mean or the median, because these numbers are typically the same. B. the mean or the standard deviation, so additional statistics can be calculated. C. the mean or the mode, because these number are not affected by extreme scores. D. the median or the mode, because these numbers will be more representative.
answer
D
question
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate? A. Deception has been fairly common in psychological research since the 1960s. B. Deception has never been used in psychological research. C. Although deception has been used in the past, it has recently been banned by the American Psychological Association. D. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the use of deception in psychological research.
answer
A
question
A group of researchers wanted to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on a company's assembly line. To make their observations, the researchers took jobs working on the assembly line and pretended to be new employees. In this example, the researchers were using A. survey research. B. correlational research. C. naturalistic observation. D. the case study method of research.
answer
C
question
Your grade point average is an example of which measure of central tendency? A. Median B. Mean C. Midpoint D. Mode
answer
B
question
Carla earned 78 points on her statistics exam. Ten of the students in her class earned higher scores than she did, and ten students earned lower scores than she did. Based on this information, you can conclude that Carla's score of 78 points is A. the mode for her class. B. the median for her class. C. the standardized score for her class. D. the mean for her class.
answer
B
question
One of your friends is writing a research paper and wants to obtain information about the depth of personal information people typically reveal during a first date. Directly observing a large number of people during a first date will be difficult, so your friend asks for your advice on the best way to collect this type of data. The best suggestion would be for your friend to use A. archival research. B. a survey. C. the case study approach. D. a double-blind observational study.
answer
B
question
A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is a(n) A. operational definition. B. hypothesis. C. variable. D. theory.
answer
B
question
Dr. Zelke surveys 50 university students to discover the relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. Dr. Zelke finds that for these two variables the correlation coefficient is -0.70. This indicates that A. more expensive books tend to receive higher readability ratings than less expensive books. B. more expensive books tend to receive lower readability ratings than less expensive books. C. there is no relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. D. increasing a textbook's price will cause a decrease in its readability rating.
answer
B
question
Which of the following reasons for conducting psychological research with animals is MOST controversial? A. Psychologists desire to understand and explain the behavior of certain species of animals B. Psychologists believe that the results of animal research can help identify general principles of behavior that are relevant to humans C. Animals can be exposed to treatments that would be unacceptable for human exposure D. Animals can live in research labs 24 hours a day, which would not be practical for human subjects
answer
C
question
In psychology, MOST journal articles are A. criticisms of previously published research. B. descriptions of newly developed theories. C. reports that describe original empirical studies. D. reviews that summarize and reconcile the findings from a large number of studies.
answer
C
question
Which of the following pairs of terms related to the goals of science are MOST clearly associated with the concept of correlation? A. Understanding and prediction B. Description and understanding C. Prediction and application D. Description and prediction
answer
A
question
The correlation coefficient is a measure of A. central tendency. B. the degree of relationship between two variables. C. the amount of variability in a data set. D. the difference between the largest and smallest scores in a data set.
answer
B
question
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate? A. The majority of psychological studies using animals involve painful or harmful manipulations. B. More than one-third of all psychological studies involve animals. C. There have been few, if any, major advances in the treatment of mental or physical disorders in humans that are attributable to animal research. D. The American Psychological Association has developed strict ethical guidelines for research involving animals.
answer
D
question
Sampling bias is a problem because it A. makes it difficult to avoid a confounding of variables. B. limits the generality of the findings. C. makes the effect of the independent variable appear to be bigger than it really is. D. makes it impossible to use inferential statistics.
answer
B
question
Suppose a researcher discovered a strong negative correlation between the length of people's hair and the amount of money they paid for their automobile. In general, people who paid the least amount of money for their automobile also had A. mid-length hair. B. the longest hair. C. the shortest hair. D. either extremely long or extremely short hair.
answer
B
question
Which type of error is the research study by Rosenthal and Fode described in the text used to illustrate? A. Double-blind research studies B. Confounded dependent variables C. The placebo effect D. Experimenter bias
answer
D
question
The tendency for participants to participate in survey research appears to have A. increased for mail surveys but decreased for phone surveys. B. remained relatively constant since the early 1950s. C. increased noticeably in recent decades. D. declined noticeably in recent decades.
answer
D
question
A researcher interested in studying individuals' attitudes toward "animal rights issues" would MOST likely conduct A. a case study. B. a survey. C. a correlation. D. a naturalistic observation.
answer
B
question
If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship, the ____ variable would be the cause, and the ____ variable would be the effect. A. independent; confounded B. control; experimental C. dependent; independent D. independent; dependent
answer
D
question
Recording all instances of an event for a particular time period (such as how many times an older brother strikes his younger brother) without the subjects' awareness is an example of A. conducting an experiment. B. compiling a case study. C. correlational research. D. naturalistic observation.
answer
D
question
A researcher plans to study the relationship between people's smoking behavior and their tendency to have minor physical illnesses (such as colds or the flu). Most likely, he will use correlational research for the study because A. the university does not allow smoking in the psychology building. B. correlational studies are always the "first choice" of researchers. C. it is not practical or ethical to manipulate people's smoking behavior. D. correlational studies allow the researcher to draw strong cause-and-effect conclusions.
answer
C
question
Sometimes a subject's expectations may lead to behavior change in the absence of any effective treatment. This is referred to as an example of A. socially desirable responding. B. experimenter bias. C. the placebo effect. D. sampling bias.
answer
C
question
Studies that have investigated the influence of anecdotal information have found that A. people are only influenced by anecdotal evidence when they have not been forewarned that it may be misleading. B. people tend to be influenced by anecdotal information, even when they are forewarned that the information is not representative. C. people are not influenced by anecdotal information and tend to view it as non-representative and biased. D. people are only influenced by anecdotal evidence when it is provided by someone they know and trust.
answer
B
question
A researcher is investigating the effects of caffeine consumption on student writing performance. Because the researcher will evaluate both the speed of assignment completion and the number of grammatical errors, she will need to include more than one ____________ variable in her study A. extraneous B. dependent C. independent D. confounding
answer
B
question
A standardized measure used to obtain a sample of a person's behavior is called A. a psychological test. B. an experiment. C. a case study. D. a survey.
answer
A
question
Carmella is in a class where the scores on the second midterm exam ranged from 75 to 85 points. Conrad is taking the same course, but in his section, the scores ranged from 50 to 98 points. In this example, the standard deviation in Carmella's class should be A. higher than the standard deviation in Conrad's class. B. lower than the standard deviation in Conrad's class. C. the same as the standard deviation in Conrad's class. D. negatively correlated with the standard deviation in Conrad's class.
answer
B
question
The final step in a scientific investigation is to A. decide whether or not the hypothesis was supported. B. report the findings. C. conduct the study. D. analyze the data.
answer
B
question
Imagine that a group of researchers conducted a single-blind study designed to test the effectiveness of subliminal-message weight-loss tapes. Suppose the researchers found that everyone lost weight during the study, even those who were given tapes without any subliminal messages. This type of result would A. be evidence of a placebo effect. B. indicate that the independent and dependent variables are negatively correlated. C. provide evidence that subliminal tapes are effective in promoting weight loss. D. be evidence that the study contained confounding variables.
answer
A
question
Jackson is working with a company to help it develop more effective training programs for its employees. He has spent a great deal of time reviewing all the documentation the company has about the previous training opportunities it has provided for its employees. Up to this point in time, Jackson has been engaged in A. meta-analysis. B. archival research. C. direct observation. D. psychological testing.
answer
B
question
The experimental group A. must be chosen so as to be as different from the control group as possible. B. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the independent variable. C. consists of the subjects who do not receive the special treatment. D. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the dependent variable.
answer
B
question
The measure of central tendency that is MOST sensitive to (or most influenced by) extreme scores in a distribution is the A. standard deviation. B. mean. C. median. D. mode.
answer
B
question
You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their gender. You are engaging in A. naturalistic observation. B. casual observation. C. case study research. D. experimental research.
answer
A
question
The data obtained in a research study, along with the statistical analyses, are reported in the A. introduction section of a journal article. B. method section of a journal article. C. results section of a journal article. D. discussion section of a journal article.
answer
C
question
The experimental procedure in which both the experimenter and subject are unaware of who is in the experimental and who is in the control group is referred to as the A. placebo control procedure. B. single-blind procedure. C. double-blind procedure. D. stereotaxic procedure.
answer
C
question
Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency? A. Mean B. Variability C. Mode D. Median
answer
A
question
If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship, the ____ variable would be the cause, and the ____ variable would be the effect. A. independent; dependent B. independent; confounded C. control; experimental D. dependent; independent
answer
A
question
In an investigation of the effects of caffeine on concentration, half the participants were given regular colas that contained caffeine and half were given decaffeinated colas. In this study, the decaffeinated colas are being used as A. a random factor. B. a placebo. C. a confounding variable. D. the dependent variable.
answer
B
question
If a researcher varies the loudness of music in a factory to observe its effect on the rate of productivity of the employees, the dependent variable is the A. rate of productivity. B. style of music being used. C. loudness of music being used. D. factory setting.
answer
A
question
Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have A. either very large or very small toes. B. large toes. C. small toes. D. medium-sized toes.
answer
C
question
Which of the following statements about correlations is incorrect? A. A and B correlate -1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error. B. A and B correlate +1.00; therefore, they are causally related. C. A and B correlate +1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error. D. A correlation of +.90 gives better predictability than a correlation of +.60.
answer
B
question
Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation and evaluation of the data? A. Conclusion B. References C. Results D. Discussion
answer
D
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question
The FDA found that people who used a particular diet drug combination had more heart valve defects than people who had not taken the diet drug combination. This suggests that the use of the diet drug combination and heart valve defects are: A. negatively correlated. B. interactive variables. C. positively correlated. D. independent variables.
answer
C
question
An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the extraneous (confounding) variable? A. The exercise B. The day of the week C. The hypothesis D. The mood (degree of happiness)
answer
B
question
A variable, other than the independent variable, that appears to have influenced the dependent variable in a study is referred to as: A. an extraneous variable. B. an inverse bias. C. a covariate. D. a redundant variable.
answer
A
question
The subjects who participate in an experiment should: A. be carefully chosen so that they represent a sample of the population. B. be allowed to choose in which group they would like to be. C. all be chosen from the same geographical area and socioeconomic class. D. come from a wide range of different age groups.
answer
A
question
The Featured Study presented in the text on how motives can affect perception demonstrates which of the texts's unifying themes? A. Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context. B. Behavior is shaped by cultural heritage. C. Heredity and environment jointly influence behavior. D. People's experience of the world is highly subjective.
answer
D
question
The ____ is a research strategy that minimizes the potential methodological problems associated with the placebo effect and experimenter bias. A. blind sample procedure B. neutral sample procedure C. single-blind procedure D. double-blind procedure
answer
D
question
If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that ____ scores on one variable are generally associated with ____ scores on the second variable. .A. high; low B. low; high C. low; low D. middle; a wide variety of
answer
C
question
In an investigation of the effects of caffeine on concentration, half the participants were given regular colas that contained caffeine and half were given decaffeinated colas. In this study, the decaffeinated colas are being used as A. a random factor. B. the dependent variable. C. a confounding variable. D. a placebo.
answer
D
question
If A and B are highly correlated, which statement MOST accurately describes the relationship between A and B? A. The score on B causes the score on A B. The score on A can be used to predict the score on B C. Both A and B are caused by a third variable D. The score on A causes the score on B
answer
B
question
What is the mode of the following data? 2, 3, 3, 3, 5, 5, 7, 12 A. 3 B. 4 C. 6 D. 5
answer
A
question
Of the following, the correlation coefficient that indicates the strongest relationship between the two variables being measured is A. 0.00. B. +0.65. C. +3.45. D. -0.89.
answer
D
question
The score that falls exactly in the center of a distribution of scores, such that half the scores fall below that score and half the scores fall above it, is the A. standard deviation. B. median. C. range. D. mean.
answer
B
question
The abstract of a journal article provides A. a concise summary of the entire article. B. a description of the research methods used in the study. C. a concise summary of the raw data and statistical analyses. D. an overview of the research problem, relevant theories, and previous research.
answer
A
question
A researcher interested in studying individuals' attitudes toward "animal rights issues" would MOST likely conduct A. a naturalistic observation. B. a survey. C. a correlation. D. a case study.
answer
B
question
A researcher is measuring the heart rate of subjects as an index of anxiety. In this study, heart rate is A. a confounded variable. B. an independent variable. C. an operational definition of anxiety. D. negatively correlated with anxiety.
answer
C
question
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate concerning the results of the research study by Rosenthal and Fode described in the text? A. The experimenters' expectations influenced the ratings given by the subjects. B. The experimenters were prevented from conversing with their subjects. C. Half of the experimenters were told that the ratings would average -5 and half were told to expect ratings of +5. D. A double-blind procedure was used in the study.
answer
A
question
Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency? A. Mode B. Median C. Mean D. Variability
answer
D
question
Broadening the scope of phenomena that psychologists are able to study is associated with A. descriptive research methods. B. hypothetical deductive research methods. C. introspective research methods. D. functional research methods.
answer
A
question
If your boss thinks very highly of you in general, she may tend to see even your mediocre projects as excellent work. This would be evidence for A. the discriminative effect. B. the placebo effect. C. the halo effect. D. the sampling effect.
answer
C
question
Following their first experiment, the authors of the Featured Study in the text conducted additional research to be sure that ____________ did not account for their initial findings. A. deception by participants B. placebo effects C. dependent variables D. experimenter bias
answer
A
question
A dependent variable in an experiment refers to the variable A. held constant across the experimental conditions. B. that the experimenter is depending on to cause something to happen in the experiment. C. deliberately manipulated by the experimenter. D. that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in the experiment.
answer
D
question
Which of the following is NOT a criticism of using animals in psychological research? A. The studies cost too much for the limited amount of information they provide. B. Many of the studies are trivial. C. The studies are a waste of time, as the results often do not apply to humans. D. It is unethical to subject an animal to pain.
answer
A
question
In experimental research, while subjects in the ____ group received some special treatment in regard to the independent variable, subjects in the ____ group did not. A. experimental; control B. control; experimental C. primary; secondary D. secondary; primary
answer
A
question
Statistical procedures are used during which step in conducting a scientific investigation? A. Report the findings B. Collect the data C. Analyze the data and draw conclusions D. Select a research method and design the study
answer
C
question
An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise improves mood. Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the independent variable? A. The exercise B. The day of the week C. The hypothesis D. The mood (degree of happiness)
answer
A
question
Dr. Redding has found a correlation of +0.65 between snoring and weight. This indicates that A. there is no relationship between weight and snoring. B. overweight individuals tend to snore less than underweight individuals. C. individuals who go on a diet will most likely begin to snore. D. overweight individuals tend to snore more than underweight .
answer
D
question
Dr. Stillingsworth is interested in people's reactions to a controversial jury verdict. Dr. Stillingsworth calls people at their home between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon. In this example, Dr. Stillingsworth has MOST likely selected A. a representative sample. B. a biased population. C. a statistically significant population. D. a biased sample.
answer
D
question
In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease, half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half were given a placebo (sugar pill). In this study, the experimental group is A. the group that received the placebo. B. the patients who were not included in the study. C. the patients who show evidence of an improvement in their memory. D. the group that received the actual drug.
answer
D
question
Which of the following statements about correlations is incorrect? A. A correlation of +.90 gives better predictability than a correlation of +.60. B. A and B correlate +1.00; therefore, they are causally related. C. A and B correlate +1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error. D. A and B correlate -1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error.
answer
B
question
According to the ethical guidelines for psychological research with humans, if you agree to be a participant in a research study, you would understand that you A. have to commit to participating in the entire research study. B. will not be exposed to deception. C. will not be exposed to harmful or dangerous treatments. D. do not have the right to privacy.
answer
C
question
Suppose researchers find a negative relationship between alcohol consumption and the number of correct responses on a skills test: the more alcohol consumed, the lower the score. Which of the following fictitious statistics could possibly represent that correlation? A. -4.57 B. +0.00 C. +0.91 D. -0.87
answer
D
question
The Featured Study presented in the text demonstrates that people's motives can affect their A. sense of taste. B. visual perception. C. attraction to others. D. choice of hobbies.
answer
B
question
Which is NOT among the goals of scientific psychology? A. Applications of research findings to solve everyday problems B. Understanding why certain behaviors occur C. The development of measurement techniques for describing behavior precisely and accurately D. Searching for absolute truths about behavior
answer
D
question
In an experiment, the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher is called the A. control variable. B. stimulus variable. C. independent variable. D. dependent variable.
answer
C
question
One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is A. the artificial, contrived situations in which experiments are often conducted. B. the inability to generate cause-and-effect conclusions. C. the fact that only one variable can be studied at a time. D. the length of time necessary to complete the study.
answer
A
question
The hypotheses for a research study are MOST likely to be found in the A. results section of a journal article. B. methodology section of a journal article. C. reference section of a journal article. D. introduction section of a journal article.
answer
D
question
Zigfried Rosenblat, Jr. took part in a study on sexual deviance last year. He was somewhat dismayed when he read an article in a weekly journal discussing sexual deviance in which one patient was referred to as ZRJ. Although the article claimed all names had been disguised to protect personal identities, Zigfried is convinced he is the individual described in the article. In this case, it is possible that the researchers who conducted the study violated the ethical principle of A. informed consent. B. full disclosure. C. adequate debriefing. D. right to privacy.
answer
D
question
Dr. Dobbins wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families. The first step in her scientific investigation would be to A. collect the data. B. analyze the data. C. design the study and select the research method. D. formulate a testable hypothesis.
answer
D
question
You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their gender. You are engaging in A. naturalistic observation. B. case study research. C. experimental research. D. casual observation.
answer
A(?)
question
A researcher plans to study the relationship between people's smoking behavior and their tendency to have minor physical illnesses (such as colds or the flu). Most likely, he will use correlational research for the study because A. correlational studies allow the researcher to draw strong cause-and-effect conclusions. B. the university does not allow smoking in the psychology building. C. correlational studies are always the "first choice" of researchers. D. it is not practical or ethical to manipulate people's smoking behavior.
answer
D(?)
question
Dr. Dickinson is investigating the link between social support networks and grades in school. Students in his classes are required to complete survey forms related to this research. If a survey form is not completed by the end of the semester, a student's grade is reduced by 10 points. In this case, some researchers might argue that Dr. Dickinson's research violates the ethical principle of A. full disclosure. B. protection from harm. C. right to privacy. D. voluntary participation.
answer
D
question
While theories are most closely associated with the scientific goal of ____, hypotheses are most closely associated with the goal of ____. A. application; description B. understanding; prediction C. prediction; understanding D. description; application
answer
B(?)
question
Answering the question of "why" something happens is most closely associated with which goal of science? A. The search for truth B. Application and control C. Measurement and description D. Understanding and prediction
answer
D
question
Paulo tells you that he just completed an experiment in his botany class and that his results were statistically significant. This means that the results he obtained A. will be of interest to people, even if they are not botanists. B. are important and will likely have an impact in the field of botany. C. were unlikely to be a result of chance variations in his sample. D. were likely to be the result of chance variations in his sample.
answer
C
question
In scientific investigations, researchers must clearly define the variables under study by precisely describing how they will be measured or controlled. These definitions are referred to as A. dictionary definitions. B. precise definitions. C. operational definitions. D. objective definitions.
answer
C
question
An instructor wishes to find out whether a new teaching method is superior to his usual procedures, so he conducts an experiment. Everyone in his classes is quite excited about the prospect of learning under the new procedure, but he cannot administer the new teaching method to everyone: a random half of the students receive the new method and the remaining half receive the old. What is the most obvious flaw in this experiment? A. Placebo effects or experimenter bias are likely to affect results. B. Distortions in self-report will affect results. C. Subjects should have been systematically assigned to groups. D. The sample is not representative of the population.
answer
A
question
One is most likely to encounter problems with the social desirability bias when using A. naturalistic observations. B. the experimental method. C. self-reports. D. case studies.
answer
C
question
In an experiment designed to test memory processes, one group was given special instructions and asked to group the items on a list into categories while they tried to memorize them. A second group of participants was given the same list, but they did not receive any special instructions. In this study, the experimental group is A. the group that did not receive any special instructions. B. the group in which the participants remember the least items from the list. C. the group that received the special instructions. D. the group in which the participants remember the most items from the list.
answer
C
question
The hypotheses for a research study are MOST likely to be found in the A. reference section of a journal article. B. results section of a journal article. C. introduction section of a journal article. D. methodology section of a journal article.
answer
C
question
Scarlett is a graduate student who is observing children playing together after watching a film. She knows that some children saw a film that contained graphic scenes of violence and some children saw a non-violent film, but she doesn't know which film each child she is observing watched. In this case, Scarlett is recording data for A. an unethical research study. B. a study with two independent variables. C. a double-blind research study. D. a correlational study with confounded variables.
answer
C
question
Darla has sent out a survey in which she is asking people to provide information about their attitudes on a number of sensitive subjects. When the surveys are returned, Darla needs to be aware that the responses may be distorted due to A. meta-analytic controls. B. placebo effects. C. self-report biases. D. statistical artifacts.
answer
C
question
Dr. Malm predicts that if teachers ignore students who act up in class, fewer students will act up in class. Dr. Malm's prediction is an example of A. an operational definition. B. a theory. C. inferential statistics. D. a hypothesis.
answer
D
question
In Margaritte's sociology discussion group, 4 of the 5 students are between the ages of 19 and 23; the fifth student is 54 years old. If Margaritte wants to report the statistic that BEST represents the "average" age for her discussion group, she should report either A. the mean or the median, because these numbers are typically the same. B. the mean or the standard deviation, so additional statistics can be calculated. C. the mean or the mode, because these number are not affected by extreme scores. D. the median or the mode, because these numbers will be more representative.
answer
D
question
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate? A. Deception has been fairly common in psychological research since the 1960s. B. Deception has never been used in psychological research. C. Although deception has been used in the past, it has recently been banned by the American Psychological Association. D. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the use of deception in psychological research.
answer
A
question
A group of researchers wanted to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on a company's assembly line. To make their observations, the researchers took jobs working on the assembly line and pretended to be new employees. In this example, the researchers were using A. survey research. B. correlational research. C. naturalistic observation. D. the case study method of research.
answer
C
question
Your grade point average is an example of which measure of central tendency? A. Median B. Mean C. Midpoint D. Mode
answer
B
question
Carla earned 78 points on her statistics exam. Ten of the students in her class earned higher scores than she did, and ten students earned lower scores than she did. Based on this information, you can conclude that Carla's score of 78 points is A. the mode for her class. B. the median for her class. C. the standardized score for her class. D. the mean for her class.
answer
B
question
One of your friends is writing a research paper and wants to obtain information about the depth of personal information people typically reveal during a first date. Directly observing a large number of people during a first date will be difficult, so your friend asks for your advice on the best way to collect this type of data. The best suggestion would be for your friend to use A. archival research. B. a survey. C. the case study approach. D. a double-blind observational study.
answer
B
question
A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is a(n) A. operational definition. B. hypothesis. C. variable. D. theory.
answer
B
question
Dr. Zelke surveys 50 university students to discover the relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. Dr. Zelke finds that for these two variables the correlation coefficient is -0.70. This indicates that A. more expensive books tend to receive higher readability ratings than less expensive books. B. more expensive books tend to receive lower readability ratings than less expensive books. C. there is no relationship between textbook price and ratings of readability. D. increasing a textbook's price will cause a decrease in its readability rating.
answer
B
question
Which of the following reasons for conducting psychological research with animals is MOST controversial? A. Psychologists desire to understand and explain the behavior of certain species of animals B. Psychologists believe that the results of animal research can help identify general principles of behavior that are relevant to humans C. Animals can be exposed to treatments that would be unacceptable for human exposure D. Animals can live in research labs 24 hours a day, which would not be practical for human subjects
answer
C
question
In psychology, MOST journal articles are A. criticisms of previously published research. B. descriptions of newly developed theories. C. reports that describe original empirical studies. D. reviews that summarize and reconcile the findings from a large number of studies.
answer
C
question
Which of the following pairs of terms related to the goals of science are MOST clearly associated with the concept of correlation? A. Understanding and prediction B. Description and understanding C. Prediction and application D. Description and prediction
answer
A
question
The correlation coefficient is a measure of A. central tendency. B. the degree of relationship between two variables. C. the amount of variability in a data set. D. the difference between the largest and smallest scores in a data set.
answer
B
question
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate? A. The majority of psychological studies using animals involve painful or harmful manipulations. B. More than one-third of all psychological studies involve animals. C. There have been few, if any, major advances in the treatment of mental or physical disorders in humans that are attributable to animal research. D. The American Psychological Association has developed strict ethical guidelines for research involving animals.
answer
D
question
Sampling bias is a problem because it A. makes it difficult to avoid a confounding of variables. B. limits the generality of the findings. C. makes the effect of the independent variable appear to be bigger than it really is. D. makes it impossible to use inferential statistics.
answer
B
question
Suppose a researcher discovered a strong negative correlation between the length of people's hair and the amount of money they paid for their automobile. In general, people who paid the least amount of money for their automobile also had A. mid-length hair. B. the longest hair. C. the shortest hair. D. either extremely long or extremely short hair.
answer
B
question
Which type of error is the research study by Rosenthal and Fode described in the text used to illustrate? A. Double-blind research studies B. Confounded dependent variables C. The placebo effect D. Experimenter bias
answer
D
question
The tendency for participants to participate in survey research appears to have A. increased for mail surveys but decreased for phone surveys. B. remained relatively constant since the early 1950s. C. increased noticeably in recent decades. D. declined noticeably in recent decades.
answer
D
question
A researcher interested in studying individuals' attitudes toward "animal rights issues" would MOST likely conduct A. a case study. B. a survey. C. a correlation. D. a naturalistic observation.
answer
B
question
If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship, the ____ variable would be the cause, and the ____ variable would be the effect. A. independent; confounded B. control; experimental C. dependent; independent D. independent; dependent
answer
D
question
Recording all instances of an event for a particular time period (such as how many times an older brother strikes his younger brother) without the subjects' awareness is an example of A. conducting an experiment. B. compiling a case study. C. correlational research. D. naturalistic observation.
answer
D
question
A researcher plans to study the relationship between people's smoking behavior and their tendency to have minor physical illnesses (such as colds or the flu). Most likely, he will use correlational research for the study because A. the university does not allow smoking in the psychology building. B. correlational studies are always the "first choice" of researchers. C. it is not practical or ethical to manipulate people's smoking behavior. D. correlational studies allow the researcher to draw strong cause-and-effect conclusions.
answer
C
question
Sometimes a subject's expectations may lead to behavior change in the absence of any effective treatment. This is referred to as an example of A. socially desirable responding. B. experimenter bias. C. the placebo effect. D. sampling bias.
answer
C
question
Studies that have investigated the influence of anecdotal information have found that A. people are only influenced by anecdotal evidence when they have not been forewarned that it may be misleading. B. people tend to be influenced by anecdotal information, even when they are forewarned that the information is not representative. C. people are not influenced by anecdotal information and tend to view it as non-representative and biased. D. people are only influenced by anecdotal evidence when it is provided by someone they know and trust.
answer
B
question
A researcher is investigating the effects of caffeine consumption on student writing performance. Because the researcher will evaluate both the speed of assignment completion and the number of grammatical errors, she will need to include more than one ____________ variable in her study A. extraneous B. dependent C. independent D. confounding
answer
B
question
A standardized measure used to obtain a sample of a person's behavior is called A. a psychological test. B. an experiment. C. a case study. D. a survey.
answer
A
question
Carmella is in a class where the scores on the second midterm exam ranged from 75 to 85 points. Conrad is taking the same course, but in his section, the scores ranged from 50 to 98 points. In this example, the standard deviation in Carmella's class should be A. higher than the standard deviation in Conrad's class. B. lower than the standard deviation in Conrad's class. C. the same as the standard deviation in Conrad's class. D. negatively correlated with the standard deviation in Conrad's class.
answer
B
question
The final step in a scientific investigation is to A. decide whether or not the hypothesis was supported. B. report the findings. C. conduct the study. D. analyze the data.
answer
B
question
Imagine that a group of researchers conducted a single-blind study designed to test the effectiveness of subliminal-message weight-loss tapes. Suppose the researchers found that everyone lost weight during the study, even those who were given tapes without any subliminal messages. This type of result would A. be evidence of a placebo effect. B. indicate that the independent and dependent variables are negatively correlated. C. provide evidence that subliminal tapes are effective in promoting weight loss. D. be evidence that the study contained confounding variables.
answer
A
question
Jackson is working with a company to help it develop more effective training programs for its employees. He has spent a great deal of time reviewing all the documentation the company has about the previous training opportunities it has provided for its employees. Up to this point in time, Jackson has been engaged in A. meta-analysis. B. archival research. C. direct observation. D. psychological testing.
answer
B
question
The experimental group A. must be chosen so as to be as different from the control group as possible. B. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the independent variable. C. consists of the subjects who do not receive the special treatment. D. consists of the subjects who receive some special treatment with regard to the dependent variable.
answer
B
question
The measure of central tendency that is MOST sensitive to (or most influenced by) extreme scores in a distribution is the A. standard deviation. B. mean. C. median. D. mode.
answer
B
question
You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their gender. You are engaging in A. naturalistic observation. B. casual observation. C. case study research. D. experimental research.
answer
A
question
The data obtained in a research study, along with the statistical analyses, are reported in the A. introduction section of a journal article. B. method section of a journal article. C. results section of a journal article. D. discussion section of a journal article.
answer
C
question
The experimental procedure in which both the experimenter and subject are unaware of who is in the experimental and who is in the control group is referred to as the A. placebo control procedure. B. single-blind procedure. C. double-blind procedure. D. stereotaxic procedure.
answer
C
question
Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency? A. Mean B. Variability C. Mode D. Median
answer
A
question
If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship, the ____ variable would be the cause, and the ____ variable would be the effect. A. independent; dependent B. independent; confounded C. control; experimental D. dependent; independent
answer
A
question
In an investigation of the effects of caffeine on concentration, half the participants were given regular colas that contained caffeine and half were given decaffeinated colas. In this study, the decaffeinated colas are being used as A. a random factor. B. a placebo. C. a confounding variable. D. the dependent variable.
answer
B
question
If a researcher varies the loudness of music in a factory to observe its effect on the rate of productivity of the employees, the dependent variable is the A. rate of productivity. B. style of music being used. C. loudness of music being used. D. factory setting.
answer
A
question
Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have A. either very large or very small toes. B. large toes. C. small toes. D. medium-sized toes.
answer
C
question
Which of the following statements about correlations is incorrect? A. A and B correlate -1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error. B. A and B correlate +1.00; therefore, they are causally related. C. A and B correlate +1.00; if you know A you can predict B without error. D. A correlation of +.90 gives better predictability than a correlation of +.60.
answer
B
question
Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation and evaluation of the data? A. Conclusion B. References C. Results D. Discussion
answer
D
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