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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
TOTAL
ASSESSMENT
GUIDE
Chapter 2
HOW PSYCHOLOGISTS DO RESEARCH
Topic/
Learning Objective
POP QUIZ 1
POP QUIZ 2
What Makes Psychological
Research Scientific?
2.1.A – Distinguish among a
theory, a hypothesis, and an
operational definition.
2.1.B – Explain why
skepticism in science
involves more than just
disbelief.
2.1.C – Explain why
falsifiability is an important
component of scientific
research.
2.1.D – Describe why
openness and replication are
important qualities of the
scientific enterprise.
Descriptive Studies:
Examining the Facts
2.2.A – Describe the ways
participants are selected for
psychological studies and
how the method of selection
can influence interpretations
of a study’s outcomes.
2.2.B – Discuss the
advantages and
disadvantages of using case
studies as a means of data
collection.
2.2.C – Discuss the
advantages and
disadvantages of using
observational methods as a
means of data collection.
2.2.D – Explain why norms,
reliability, and validity are the
three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological
test.
2.2.E –Describe the
advantages and limitations of
using surveys in data
collection.
2.2.F – Describe the
importance and challenges
of conducting cross-cultural
research.
Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice
Remember the
Facts
1-6,8,10
1,2,4,7-10
Understand the
Concepts
9
3,5,6
Multiple Choice
2-6,8,18,21-23
1,7,9,10,14,17
11-13,19
True/False
Short Answer
Essay
Integrative Essay
1-5,7-12
1
6
4
2,3
Multiple Choice
24,25,27-29,38,
44-47,49,50,54,
60,61,63,69
13-16,20-34
True/False
Short Answer
Apply What
You Know
Analyze It
7
1
1,3
26,30-32,34,37,
39,55,59,62,67,
70-75
17-19
33,35,40-43,48,
51-53,56-58,
64-66
5
6,7
Essay
Integrative Essay
(Continued on next page)
1
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
36,68
2
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Topic/
Learning Objective
Correlational Studies:
Looking for Relationships
2.3.A – Illustrate with an
example how a correlation
coefficient gives both the size
and direction of the
relationship between two
variables.
2.3.B – Explain why a
correlation between two
variables does not establish a
causal relationship between
those variables.
Experiments: Hunting for
Causes
2.4.A – Distinguish an
independent variable from a
dependent variable, and give
an example of each.
2.4.B – Explain how random
assignment helps create
conditions in an experiment,
and explain the difference
between an experimental
group and a control group.
2.4.C – Discuss the
methodological advantages
and limitations of
experimental research
design.
Evaluating the Findings
2.5.A – Explain how
descriptive statistics can be
used to compare the
performance of two groups of
research participants.
2.5.B – Explain what a
statistically significant
research result does and
does not indicate, and identify
ways in which statistics can
be misused or
misrepresented.
2.5.C – Compare crosssectional and longitudinal
studies, and discuss how
effect size, meta-analysis,
and Bayesian statistics allow
us to judge the importance of
a research outcome.
Keeping the Enterprise
Ethical
2.6.A Discuss why the
principles of informed consent
and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a
researcher’s code of ethics.
2.6.B – Discuss the
advantages and ethical
considerations of using
animals in research.
Multiple Choice
Remember the
Facts
76-80,93,98,104,
107
True/False
Short Answer
Essay
Integrative Essay
35-41
Multiple Choice
108-111,116,117,
124,130,131,133
42-48,50-60
True/False
Understand the
Concepts
86,87,89,90,94,
96,97,99,100,
103,105
Apply What
You Know
81,85,88,91,101,
106
Analyze It
82-84,92,95,102
8,9
2
Short Answer
112,125,127,
132,134,135
113-115,118123,126,128,129
49
10
Essay
3,4
Integrative Essay
Multiple Choice
True/False
Short Answer
Essay
Integrative Essay
Multiple Choice
True/False
Short Answer
Essay
Integrative Essay
136,138,140-142,
144,147,149,150
61-72,74,75
143,148
137,139,145,146
73
5-7
151-154
76-80
155
2
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
8
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Name__________________________________________________________
Chapter 2 – Pop Quiz 1
1.
An organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of phenomena and
their interrelationships is called a(n) __________.
a. hypothesis
b. operational definition
c. research design
d. theory
2.
The tendency to look for information that supports one’s own belief is called __________.
a. the principle of falsifiability
b. confirmation bias
c. denialism
d. cognitive inertia
3.
Research methods that depict behavior, but do not necessarily yield direct explanations, are called
__________.
a. experimental methods
b. blind studies
c. significance tests
d. descriptive methods
4.
In a(n) __________ study, a researcher carefully and systematically watches and records behavior, taking
care to avoid affecting the subjects being studied.
a. observational
b. exploratory
c. experimental
d. double-blind
5.
Assessment instruments that are designed to tap unconscious feelings or motives are called __________.
a. objective tests
b. projective tests
c. double-blind tests
d. single-blind tests
6.
A __________ is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
a. relationship coefficient
b. meta-analysis
c. Bayesian statistic
d. correlation
7.
Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be positively correlated?
a. outdoor temperature and hot chocolate sales
b. damage to a car and speed at the time of accident
c. the price of a car and the age of a car
d. hours spent watching TV and grade point average
8.
Which variable does an experimenter manipulate when conducting experimental research?
a. control variable
b. confounding variable
c. independent variable
d. dependent variable
9.
A result that is significant at the .05 level indicates that __________.
3
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
a. the result was obtained purely by chance and is not real
b. the probability that the result is due to real differences between groups is .05
c. there is a positive relationship between variables
d. the probability that the result occurred by chance is low, and therefore the result is probably real
10.
People who participate in research studies must participate voluntarily and must know enough about the study
to make an intelligent decision about participating. This concept is known as __________.
a. the Milgram doctrine
b. the APA code
c. informed consent
d. human welfare
4
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Chapter 2 – Pop Quiz 1
Answer Key
1.
d
Rationale: A theory is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain
a specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.1.A,
APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret,
design, and conduct basic psychological research)
2.
b
Rationale: Confirmation bias occurs when people look for and accept evidence that supports their
pet theories and assumptions and ignore or reject evidence that contradicts their beliefs.
(Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.1.C, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
3.
d
Rationale: Descriptive methods are methods that yield descriptions of behavior but not direct
explanations. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.2.A, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles,
and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
4.
a
Rationale: An observational study is defined as a study in which a researcher carefully and
systematically observes and records behavior (naturalistically or in a laboratory) without
interfering with the behavior. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.2.C, APA 1.1 Describe key
concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct
basic psychological research)
5.
b
Rationale: Projective tests are designed to tap unconscious feelings or motives. (Remember the
Facts, Easy, LO 2.2.D, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in
psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research)
6.
d
Rationale: Correlation is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
(Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.3.A, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
7.
b
Rationale: A positive correlation is an association between increases in one variable and increases
in another or between decreases in one and decreases in another. (Analyze It, Moderate, LO 2.3.A,
APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret,
design, and conduct basic psychological research)
8.
c
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is
known as the independent variable. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.4.A, APA 1.1 Describe key
concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct
basic psychological research)
9.
d
Rationale: A .05 level of significance means that there is less than 5 percent probability that the
results were due to chance. If, however, the significance test shows that the p value is greater than
.05, many researchers would have little confidence in the study’s result. (Understand the Concepts,
Difficult, LO 2.5.B, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in
psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research)
10.
c
Rationale: Informed consent is the doctrine that anyone who participates in human research must
do so voluntarily and must know enough about the study to make an intelligent decision about
whether to take part. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.6.A, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts,
principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic
psychological research)
5
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Name__________________________________________________________
Chapter 2 – Pop Quiz 2
1.
A statement that attempts to describe or explain a given behavior is called a(n) _______________.
a. hypothesis
b. axiom
c. corollary
d. theory
2.
The ability to see the same results when you repeat your study is critical to science. It is called __________.
a. openness
b. repeatability
c. replication
d. review
3.
Which of the following is an advantage of case studies?
a. Case studies produce a more detailed picture of an individual than other methods do.
b. The information produced in a case study is easy to interpret.
c. Data collected during a case study can be easily generalized to other individuals.
d. Case studies are less susceptible to researcher bias than other methods.
4.
Katy is doing a study using __________ for her advanced psychology class. She goes to the university dining
hall and makes notes on her fellow students’ behavior and activities. She is careful to avoid drawing attention
to herself so her subjects will behave as usual.
a. naturalistic observation
b. laboratory observation
c. exploratory research
d. experimental research
5.
People who are willing to take part in surveys usually have opinions and views that are different from those
who decline to take part. This phenomenon can lead to __________.
a. a biased sample being used for a survey
b. an experimenter fulfilling their beliefs by knowing the specific participants that would play a role in their
research
c. people participating who will only confirm what an experimenter is looking for
d. errors in content validity of the survey
6.
Which of the following pairs of variables would illustrate a negative correlation?
a. ocean temperature and the number of people at the beach
b. adult shoe size and IQ scores
c. the price of a car and the mileage on the odometer
d. height and weight
7.
Apparent associations between two things that are not really related are called __________ correlations.
a. illusory
b. positive
c. negative
d. erroneous
8.
A variable that is predicted to be affected by an experimenter’s manipulations in experimental research is
called a(n) __________ variable.
a. extraneous
b. dependent
c. confounding
d. independent
6
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
9.
__________ is a technique that allows a researcher to combine data from numerous studies..
a. Significance testing
b. Meta-analysis
c. Cross-sectional research
d. Longitudinal research
10.
Which of the following is one of the reasons for the use of animals in psychological research?
a. because what is true for animals will also be true for humans
b. animals are more complex than humans, so they provide us with more detailed information about
behavior
c. to improve human welfare
d. to improve the treatment of laboratory animals
7
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Chapter 2 – Pop Quiz 1
Answer Key
1.
a
Rationale: A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of
phenomena, specifying relationships among events or variables that can be empirically tested.
(Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.1.A, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
2.
c
Rationale: Science depends on the free flow of ideas and full disclosure of the procedures used in
a study. Secrecy is a big “no-no”; scientists must be willing to tell others where they got their
ideas, how they tested them, and what the results were. They must do this clearly and in detail so
that other scientists can repeat, or replicate, their studies and verify—or challenge—the findings.
(Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.1.D, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
3.
a
Rationale: Case studies are most commonly used by clinicians, but sometimes academic
researchers use them as well, especially when they are just beginning to study a topic or when
practical or ethical considerations prevent them from gathering information in other ways.
(Understand the Concepts, Easy, LO 2.2.B, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
4.
a
Rationale: An observational study is defined as a study in which a researcher carefully and
systematically observes and records behavior (naturalistically or in a laboratory) without
interfering with the behavior. Psychologists use naturalistic observation wherever people happen
to be. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.2.C, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and
overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological
research)
5.
a
Rationale: People who are willing to take part in surveys usually have opinions and views that are
different from those who decline to take part. A nonrepresentative sample does not necessarily
mean that a survey is worthless or uninteresting, but it does mean that the results may not hold true
for other groups. (Understand the Concepts, Moderate, LO 2.2.E, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts,
principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic
psychological research)
6.
c
Rationale: A negative correlation means that high values of one variable are associated with low
values of the other. There is a negative relationship between the price of a car and its mileage. The
more miles driven, the less a car is typically worth. (Understand the Concepts, Moderate, LO
2.3.A, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research)
7.
a
Rationale: Illusory correlations are apparent associations between two things that are not really
related. Illusory correlations can create dangerous beliefs and cause great social harm. (Remember
the Facts, Easy, LO 2.3.B, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in
psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research)
8.
c
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is
known as the independent variable. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.4.A, APA 1.1 Describe key
concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct
basic psychological research)
9.
b
Rationale: A meta-analysis is a set of techniques for combining data from a number of related
studies to determine the explanatory strength of a particular independent variable. (Remember the
8
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Facts, Easy, LO 2.5.C, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in
psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research)
10.
c
Rationale: One of the reasons psychologists conduct experiments with animals is to improve
human welfare. (Remember the Facts, Easy, LO 2.6.B, APA 1.1 Describe key concepts,
principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4 Interpret, design, and conduct basic
psychological research)
9
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Multiple Choice Questions
1.
In the cycle of scientific research, a theory is __________ when new evidence is gathered.
a. proven
b. replaced
c. revised
d. a law
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: By examining the evidence, modifications, extensions, and revisions to the theory can take
place, thereby generating new hypotheses and continuing the cycle of research investigation.
2.
Which of the following is the correct order for scientific research?
a. Evidence, prediction, hypothesis, theory
b. Prediction, evidence, hypothesis, theory
c. Hypothesis, evidence, theory, prediction
d. Theory, hypothesis, prediction, evidence
Answer: d
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Theories allow a researcher to derive testable hypotheses, and make predictions about the pattern
of results that should occur. Hypotheses are tested empirically by gathering data on operationally defined
variables. By examining the evidence, modifications, extensions, and revisions to the theory can take place,
thereby generating new hypotheses and continuing the cycle of research investigation.
3.
An organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of phenomena
and their interrelationships is called a(n) __________.
a. hypothesis
b. operational definition
c. research design
d. theory
Answer: d
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A theory is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a
specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships.
4.
In the scientific use of the term, a “theory” is __________.
a. a prediction about the outcome of a given experiment or study
b. an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a set of observations and
how they are related
c. a precise definition of a term in a hypothesis, which specifies how it will be observed and measured
d. a scientist’s best guess about the cause of an event or phenomenon
10
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Answer: b
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A theory is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a
specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships.
5.
A scientific theory can be thought of as a(n) __________.
a. personal opinion
b. established truth
c. system of assumptions
d. empirical proof
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A theory is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a
specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships.
6.
A statement that attempts to describe or explain a given behavior is called a(n) __________.
a. hypothesis
b. axiom
c. corollary
d. theory
Answer: a
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena,
specifying relationships among events or variables that can be empirically tested.
7.
Which of the following statements about a hypothesis is true?
a. It is a sentence negating the assumption that is considered correct by a researcher.
b. It is a theory that has not yet been accepted by most scientists.
c. It is a statement about a relationship between variables that may be empirically tested.
d. It is a precise definition of a term used in a theory.
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena,
specifying relationships among events or variables that can be empirically tested.
11
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
8.
An operational definition is __________.
a. a statement that attempts to describe or explain a given behavior
b. an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of
phenomena and their interrelationships
c. a specification of precisely how to observe and measure a variable in a hypothesis
d. a statement that is accepted without proof and regarded as fundamental to a subject
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An operational definition is a specification of precisely how to observe and measure a variable
in a hypothesis.
9.
An operational definition specifies ___________.
a. how something is to be observed and measured
b. how the purpose of a study will be explained to the participants
c. the meaning of a term in commonly used, non-scientific language
d. which research methods will be used in a study
Answer: a
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In a prediction, terms for the phenomena to be tested are given operational definitions, which
specify how the phenomena in question are to be observed and measured.
10.
Before research can proceed, the hypothesis must be made more __________ through the use of
operational definitions.
a. empirical
b. accurate
c. precise
d. theoretical
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: From a theory, a psychological scientist derives a hypothesis, which may be quite general. But
before any research can be done, the hypothesis must be made more precise in order to leads to predictions
about what will happen in a particular situation. Terms are given operational definitions, which specify how
the phenomena in question are to be observed and measured.
11.
Marcy is trying to define “anxiety” in such a way that it specifies how it is to be observed, measured, and
empirically tested. She is attempting to find an appropriate __________.
a. hypothesis
b. corollary
c. theoretical definition
d. operational definition
Answer: d
12
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An operational definition is a specification of precisely how to observe and measure a variable
in a hypothesis.
12.
Hannah decides to test whether engineering majors have greater visual-spatial abilities than students with
other majors. Hannah decides to define visual-spatial ability in terms of how long it takes each participant
to complete a jigsaw puzzle. This is an example of a(n) __________.
a. operational definition
b. theoretical definition
c. corollary
d. hypothesis
Answer: a
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An operational definition is a specification of precisely how to observe and measure a variable
in a hypothesis.
13.
Empirical evidence is information that __________.
a.
is easily obtained
b.
confirms your beliefs
c.
is observable and verifiable
d.
makes anecdotes part of scientific research
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Empirical evidence must eventually confirm any theory. It is information that is observable and
verifiable.
14.
Skepticism in scientific research means __________.
a. acquiring knowledge by means of observation or experimentation
b. refusing to accept empirical evidence
c. believing a claim is true unless you have evidence that it is wrong
d. treating conclusions, both new and old, with caution
Answer: d
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just disbelief.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In the world of science, skepticism means treating conclusions, both new and old, with caution.
15.
Which of the following statements about skepticism is true?
13
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
a.
Skepticism about a claim is generally unnecessary if the person making the claim is an authority on the
topic.
b. Skepticism in science is the willingness to accept an idea without empirical evidence.
c. Skepticism means always refusing to believe the claims of authorities in the field.
d. Good scientists must balance skepticism and openness to new ideas.
Answer: d
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just disbelief.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: “Skepticism” is not simply about debunking some claim, but showing why the claim is invalid—
so that better methods can replace it. Skepticism and caution, however, must be balanced by openness to
new ideas and evidence.
16.
Your text discusses how skepticism led to the falsifying of __________.
a. medicine for the treatment of autism
b. facilitated communication in autism
c. the potential cause of autism
d. behavioral modification in the treatment of autism
Answer: b
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just disbelief.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The text describes clearly the research done that falsifies the use of facilitated communication
with autistic children.
17.
The principle of falsifiability means that __________.
a. scientists must be careful not to falsify their results
b. all theories will eventually be shown to be false
c. a scientist must state an idea in such a way that it can be refuted or disproved by counterevidence
d. theories that have not been proven are considered false
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The principle of falsifiability states that a scientific theory must make predictions that are
specific enough to expose the theory to the possibility of disconfirmation; that is, the theory must predict
not only what will happen but also what will not happen.
18.
The tendency to look for information that supports one’s own belief is called __________.
a. the principle of falsifiability
b. confirmation bias
c. denialism
d. cognitive inertia
Answer: b
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
14
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Confirmation bias occurs when people look for and accept evidence that supports their pet
theories and assumptions and ignore or reject evidence that contradicts their beliefs.
19.
Dennis believes that women are worse drivers than men. He always notices examples of poor women
drivers, but ignores evidence to the contrary, such as poor male drivers or good female drivers. Dennis’
behavior is an example of __________.
a. the principle of falsifiability
b. critical thinking
c. the confirmation bias
d. skepticism
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Confirmation bias occurs when people look for and accept evidence that supports their pet
theories and assumptions and ignore or reject evidence that contradicts their beliefs.
20.
Which of the following statements is true?
a. Scientists should keep their research covert so as to protect their ideas from plagiarism.
b. It is a waste of time and money to replicate a study that has already been done.
c. Disclosure of the details of a study is important so that others can verify or refute the findings.
d. Peer reviews take place after research findings are announced publicly.
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Science depends on the free flow of ideas and full disclosure of the procedures used in a study.
Secrecy is a big “no-no”; scientists must be willing to tell others where they got their ideas, how they tested
them, and what the results were. They must do this clearly and in detail so that other scientists can repeat,
or replicate, their studies and verify—or challenge—the findings.
21.
The ability to see the same results when you repeat your study is critical to science. It is called
__________.
a. openness
b. repeatability
c. replication
d. review
Answer: c
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
15
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Rationale: Science depends on the free flow of ideas and full disclosure of the procedures used in a study.
Secrecy is a big “no-no”; scientists must be willing to tell others where they got their ideas, how they tested
them, and what the results were. They must do this clearly and in detail so that other scientists can repeat,
or replicate, their studies and verify—or challenge—the findings.
22.
__________ is the ability to repeat a study and see the same results.
a. Reliance
b. Replication
c. Plausibility
d. Falsifiability
Answer: b
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Science depends on the free flow of ideas and full disclosure of the procedures used in a study.
Secrecy is a big “no-no”; scientists must be willing to tell others where they got their ideas, how they tested
them, and what the results were. They must do this clearly and in detail so that other scientists can repeat,
or replicate, their studies and verify—or challenge—the findings.
23.
Harry found that there was a relationship between consumption of chocolate and the ability to draw well.
He knows that he must be cautious about trusting his data until he is able to __________ his study.
a. publish
b. replicate
c. restore
d. falsify
Answer: b
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Science depends on the free flow of ideas and full disclosure of the procedures used in a study.
Secrecy is a big “no-no”; scientists must be willing to tell others where they got their ideas, how they tested
them, and what the results were. They must do this clearly and in detail so that other scientists can repeat,
or replicate, their studies and verify—or challenge—the findings.
24.
Researchers prefer to select participants who accurately represent the larger population that the researchers
are interested in. This type of a group is called a __________ sample.
a. double-blind
b. cross-cultural
c. volunteer
d. representative
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
16
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A representative sample is a group of individuals, selected from a population for study, that
matches the population on important characteristics.
25.
A group of individuals that matches the population on important characteristics such as age and sex is
called a(n) __________.
a. volunteer group
b. representative sample
c. unrepresentative sample
d. general sample
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A representative sample is a group of individuals, selected from a population for study, which
matches the population on important characteristics.
26.
Which of the following would be considered a good example of a representative sample of college students
in the United States?
a. all the students from a particular rural college
b. every male student from three colleges in Texas
c. a diverse population in both urban and rural college classrooms in several states
d. self-identified student volunteers who found your survey on the Internet
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A representative sample is a group of individuals, selected from a population for study, which
matches the population on important characteristics.
27.
In a psychological research study, a sample made up of those who happen to be available at the time of
study is called a __________ sample.
a. representative
b. quota
c. random
d. convenience
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Psychologists and others who study human behavior must often settle for a sample of people
who happen to be available—a “convenience” sample—and often this means undergraduate students.
17
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
28.
Research methods that depict behavior, but do not necessarily yield direct explanations, are called
__________.
a. experimental methods
b. single-blind studies
c. significance tests
d. descriptive methods
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Descriptive methods are methods that yield descriptions of behavior but not direct explanations.
29.
Which of the following is a descriptive method used in psychological research?
a. experiment
b. case study
c. double-blind study
d. single-blind study
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A case study (or case history) is a detailed description of a particular individual based on careful
observation or formal psychological testing.
30.
A detailed description of a particular individual based on careful observation or formal psychological
testing is called a(n) __________.
a. observational study
b. correlational study
c. case study
d. survey
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A case study (or case history) is a detailed description of a particular individual based on careful
observation or formal psychological testing.
31.
Which of the following is an advantage of case studies?
a. They can be used to study existing situations when ethical considerations would prevent using
randomized trials.
b. They have no serious drawbacks because they are easy to interpret.
c. Data collected provides causal explanations of descriptive behavior.
d. Case studies are less susceptible to researcher bias than other methods.
Answer: a
18
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Case studies are most commonly used by clinicians, but sometimes academic researchers use
them as well, especially when they are just beginning to study a topic or when practical or ethical
considerations prevent them from gathering information in other ways.
32.
Which of the following is a disadvantage of case studies?
a. Case studies produce a less detailed picture of an individual than other methods.
b. Case studies have only limited usefulness for deriving general principles of behavior.
c. Data from case studies is more abstract, vague, and general than data from other methods.
d. The amount of control used in case studies makes them very artificial.
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Because one person may be unrepresentative of the group the researcher is interested in, case
studies have only limited usefulness for deriving general principles of behavior.
33.
A researcher studies the history of a suicide bomber who attempted to blow up a police station. The
researcher’s goal is to understand the events and personality traits that led the person to become a bomber.
This type of research is called a(n) __________.
a. case study
b. observational study
c. correlational study
d. survey study
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A case study (or case history) is a detailed description of a particular individual based on careful
observation or formal psychological testing.
34.
An academic researcher would use the case study method for a research study when __________.
a. a new discovery has been made regarding a cause-and-effect relationship
b. the relationship between two variables needs to be established
c. ethical considerations prevent the use of other sources of information
d. the purpose of the research is to track down a cause
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
19
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Case studies are most commonly used by clinicians, but sometimes academic researchers use
them as well, especially when they are just beginning to study a topic or when practical or ethical
considerations prevent them from gathering information in other ways.
35.
Dr. Sardonicus wants to know whether or not the first three years of life are critical for acquiring language.
She decides to study a child who was tragically deprived of human language by her parents. This type of
research is called a(n) __________.
a. correlational study
b. experiment
c. survey
d. case study
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Case studies are most commonly used by clinicians, but sometimes academic researchers use
them as well, especially when they are just beginning to study a topic or when practical or ethical
considerations prevent them from gathering information in other ways.
36.
Which of the following statements is true about case studies?
a. Case studies require a large number of participants.
b. Case studies are extremely useful for deriving general principles of behavior.
c. Conclusions obtained from case studies are highly reliable.
d. Researchers often resort to case studies when other methods would be unethical.
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Case studies are most commonly used by clinicians, but sometimes academic researchers use
them as well, especially when they are just beginning to study a topic or when practical or ethical
considerations prevent them from gathering information in other ways.
37.
__________ are usually sources of hypotheses, rather than tests of hypotheses.
a. Correlational studies
b. Case studies
c. Psychological tests
d. Regression analyses
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
20
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Rationale: The case study method has only limited usefulness for deriving general principles of behavior;
case studies are usually only sources, rather than tests, of hypotheses.
38.
In a(n) __________ study, a researcher carefully and systematically watches and records behavior, taking
care to avoid affecting the subjects being studied.
a. observational
b. exploratory
c. experimental
d. double-blind
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An observational study is defined as a study in which a researcher carefully and systematically
observes and records behavior (naturalistically or in a laboratory) without interfering with the behavior.
39.
An advantage of observational studies is that __________.
a. they can provide accurate descriptions of behavior
b. the presence of observers can alter the behavior being observed
c. they can answer questions about cause and effect
d. they allow experimenters to manipulate variables
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Often, an observational study is the first step in a program of research; it is helpful to have a
good description of behavior before you try to explain it.
40.
Dawn is systematically recording the behaviors of the kids in a nursery school, taking pains to avoid being
obvious about what she is doing. Dawn is engaging in a(n) __________.
a. observational study
b. exploratory research
c. experimental research
d. double-blind study
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An observational study is defined as a study in which a researcher carefully and systematically
observes and records behavior (naturalistically or in a laboratory) without interfering with the behavior.
41.
Katy is doing a study using __________ for her advanced psychology class. She goes to the university
dining hall and makes notes on her fellow students’ behavior and activities. She is careful to avoid drawing
attention to herself so her subjects will behave as usual.
21
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
a. naturalistic observation
b. laboratory observation
c. exploratory research
d. experimental research
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An observational study is defined as a study in which a researcher carefully and systematically
observes and records behavior (naturalistically or in a laboratory) without interfering with the behavior.
Psychologists use naturalistic observation wherever people happen to be.
42.
To test whether people in bars drink more when they are in groups than when they are alone, researchers
visited all the pubs in a city. They ordered beers and recorded observations on napkins and pieces of
newspaper. Why did they keep their identities in disguise?
a. They were conducting a double-blind study.
b. They wanted to make sure the study had test-retest reliability.
c. They needed to determine the experimenter effects in the study at a later point in time.
d. They wanted the people they were observing to behave naturally.
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Observers take pains to avoid being obvious about what they are doing so that those who are
being observed will behave naturally.
43.
Tess agrees to sleep in an artificial setting for three nights so that researchers can obtain information about
her brain and muscle activity during sleep. She is taking part in a research method called __________.
a. a single-blind study
b. a double-blind study
c. naturalistic observation
d. laboratory observation
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In laboratory observation, researchers have more control over the situation. They can use
sophisticated equipment, determine the number of people who will be observed, minimize disruptions, and
so forth.
44.
Psychologists sometimes prefer to make observations in a laboratory setting rather than a naturalistic
setting. The primary advantage of laboratory observation over naturalistic observation is __________.
a. it costs less money
b. participants take their participation more seriously in a professional environment
22
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
c. researchers have more control over the research study
d. laboratory observation is more natural
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In laboratory observation, researchers have more control over the situation. They can use
sophisticated equipment, determine the number of people who will be observed, minimize disruptions, and
so forth.
45.
A major disadvantage of using laboratory observation in a research study is that __________.
a. the presence of researchers may cause participants to act differently than they would in their natural
surroundings
b. it can be used only for explaining behavior and not for describing it
c. it is often considered unethical
d. researchers have less control of the situation than they do in a naturalistic observation
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: One shortcoming of laboratory observation is that the presence of researchers and special
equipment may cause people to behave differently than they would in their usual surroundings.
46.
Procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, and
abilities are called __________.
a. laboratory observations
b. psychological tests
c. significance tests
d. meta-analyses
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Psychological tests, sometimes called assessment instruments, are procedures for measuring and
evaluating personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, and abilities.
47.
Assessment instruments that are designed to tap unconscious feelings or motives are called __________.
a. objective tests
b. projective tests
c. double-blind tests
d. single-blind tests
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Projective tests are designed to tap unconscious feelings or motives.
48.
Greta agrees to an evaluation designed to tap her unconscious feelings and motives. Greta will be given
a(n) __________.
a. objective test
b. projective test
c. double-blind test
d. single-blind test
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Projective tests are designed to tap unconscious feelings or motives.
49.
Assessment instruments that are designed to measure beliefs, feelings, or behaviors of which an individual
is aware are called __________.
a. projective tests
b. objective tests
c. double-blind tests
d. single-blind tests
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Objective tests, also called inventories, measure beliefs, feelings, or behaviors of which an
individual is aware.
50.
If a psychological test is standardized, __________.
a. it has been approved for use by the APA
b. it is always administered to a random sample of participants
c. it has been demonstrated to be valid
d. uniform procedures have been developed for giving and scoring the test
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: One criterion of a good test is standardization, meaning that uniform procedures are in place for
giving and scoring the test.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
51.
When Haylee takes a personality test, the researcher gives her detailed instructions and plenty of time to
complete it. But Tyler takes the same test and is given only vague instructions and a limited amount of
time. This procedural difference shows that the test lacks __________.
a. validity
b. standardization
c. reliability
d. variability
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: One criterion of a good test is standardization, meaning that uniform procedures are in place for
giving and scoring the test.
52.
Hadley is told that the achievement test he is taking is a standardized test. This means that __________.
a. the test has been approved by the APA
b. the test will be measuring what is it intended to measure
c. similar scores occur when the test is given in a standard laboratory setting or in a naturalistic setting
d. uniform procedures exist for giving and scoring the test
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: One criterion of a good test is standardization, meaning that uniform procedures are in place for
giving and scoring the test.
53.
When Hoshi takes a personality test, she is told that the resulting score is compared to norms; that is, the
test __________.
a.
measures what it is designed to measure
b.
results are compared to established standards of performance
c.
produces the same results from one time to the next
d.
predicts other criteria of the personality trait in question
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Scoring on standardized tests is usually done by referring to norms, or established standards of
performance. The usual procedure for developing norms is to give the test to a large group of people who
resemble those for whom the test is intended. Norms determine which scores can be considered high, low,
or average.
54.
Reliability in psychological testing means that the test __________.
a. actually measures what it is supposed to measure
b. is fair
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
c. is unbiased
d. produces the same results from one time and place to the next
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Reliable tests are consistent. If a test yields consistent scores from one time and place to another
time and place, it is reliable.
55.
In order to be useful, a psychological test must be reliable; that is, it must __________.
a. measure what it is designed to measure
b. compare results against established standards of performance
c. produce the same results from one time to the next
d. predict other criteria of the trait in question
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Reliable tests are consistent. If a test yields consistent scores from one time and place to another
time and place, it is reliable.
56.
When Joyce takes a personality test, she is told that the test is reliable; that is, it __________.
a. measures what it is designed to measure
b. compares its results against established standards of performance
c. produces the same results from one time to the next
d. predicts other criteria of the personality trait in question
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Reliable tests are consistent. If a test yields consistent scores from one time and place to another
time and place, it is reliable.
57.
Juan is given a vocational-interest test and is then asked to attempt the same test a week later. The test
administrator wants to measure the __________ of the test.
a. content validity
b. test-retest reliability
c. alternate-forms reliability
d. criterion validity
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Psychologists can measure test–retest reliability by giving the test twice to the same group of
people and comparing the two sets of scores statistically.
58.
Ken is given a vocational-interest test and then takes a test, similar in format but with different questions, a
week later. The test administrator wants to measure the __________ of the test.
a. content validity
b. test-retest reliability
c. alternate-forms reliability
d. criterion validity
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: People tend to do better the second time they take a test, after they have become familiar with it.
A solution is to compute alternate-forms reliability by giving different versions of the same test to the same
group on two separate occasions.
59.
If a psychological test measures what it is supposed to measure, it has which of the following properties?
a. reliability
b. validity
c. variability
d. standardization
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Validity is the ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure.
60.
A psychological test is said to have content validity if __________.
a. the items in the test broadly represent the trait in question
b. its results are comparable to established standards of performance
c. it produces the same results from one time to the next
d. it predicts other measures of the personality trait in question
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: If the items in a test broadly represent the trait in question, the test is said to have content
validity.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
61.
A psychological test is said to have criterion validity if __________.
a. it measures what it is designed to measure
b. its results are comparable to established standards of performance
c. it produces the same results from one time to the next
d. it predicts other criteria of the personality trait in question
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Criterion validity, the ability to predict independent measures, or criteria, of the trait in question.
62.
When considering the use of testing in psychology, which of the following statements is true?
a. Tests used in employment and school acceptance have been widely accepted by people.
b. Tests used in employment and school acceptance have been questioned with regards to how useful
they are.
c. Tests used in employment and school acceptance fail to have validity or reliability.
d. Tests used in employment and school acceptance are not really accepted by the populations who use
them.
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Criticisms and reevaluations of psychological tests keep psychological assessment honest and
scientifically rigorous. Many currently used tests of IQ and tests like the SAT have been questioned with
regards to their usefulness.
63.
__________ gather information by asking people directly about their experiences, attitudes, or opinions.
a. Surveys
b. Inventories
c. Projective tests
d. Naturalistic observations
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Surveys are questionnaires and interviews that ask people directly about their experiences,
attitudes, or opinions.
64.
Which descriptive method would be most appropriate for studying the attitudes of a random sample of
people toward stem cell research?
a. observation
b. case study
c. survey
d. test
Answer: c
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Whereas psychological tests usually generate information about people indirectly, surveys are
questionnaires and interviews that gather information by asking people directly about their experiences,
attitudes, or opinions.
65.
The magazine Lover’s Delight publishes a survey of its female readers called “The Sex Life of the
American Wife.” It reports that 87 percent of all wives like to make love in rubber boots. The critical flaw
in this research would be that __________.
a. the sample is not representative of American wives
b. a psychological test, rather than a survey, should have been given
c. rubber boots are not equally available in all regions of the country
d. “making love” has not been operationally defined
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A nonrepresentative sample does not necessarily mean that a survey is worthless or
uninteresting, but it does mean that the results may not hold true for other groups.
66.
A magazine called Teen’s Delight publishes a survey of its readers called “School Life of a Typical
American Teen.” A critical flaw in this research is the fact that __________.
a. the sample surveyed is not necessarily representative of American teens
b. the survey is valid but is not reliable
c. a projective test would have produced more accurate results than a survey
d. an objective test would have produced more accurate results than a survey
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A nonrepresentative sample does not necessarily mean that a survey is worthless or
uninteresting, but it does mean that the results may not hold true for other groups.
67.
People who are willing to take part in surveys usually have opinions and views that are different from those
who decline to take part. This phenomenon can lead to __________.
a. a biased sample being used for a survey
b. an experimenter fulfilling their beliefs by knowing the specific participants that would play a role in
their research
c. people participating who will only confirm what an experimenter is looking for
d. errors in content validity of the survey
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: People who are willing to take part in surveys usually have opinions and views that are different
from those who decline to take part. A nonrepresentative sample does not necessarily mean that a survey is
worthless or uninteresting, but it does mean that the results may not hold true for other groups.
68.
Which of the following statements is true?
a. A sample’s size is more critical than its representativeness.
b. Surveys are procedures used to measure and evaluate people’s abilities and aptitudes.
c. The likelihood of lying on a survey is the same even when respondents are guaranteed anonymity.
d. A problem with surveys is that sometimes people lie.
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: One problem with surveys, and with self-reports in general, is that people sometimes lie,
especially when the survey is about a touchy or embarrassing topic.
69.
According to your textbook, the likelihood of lying about a sensitive topic on a survey is reduced when
respondents __________.
a. are paid for their participation in the survey
b. receive explanations regarding the importance of the survey
c. are questioned by an interviewer of the same age
d. are guaranteed anonymity
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The likelihood of lying on surveys is reduced when respondents are guaranteed anonymity and
allowed to respond in private.
70.
When doing cross-cultural research, one of the challenges involves __________.
a. how accurately one language translates into another
b. whether or not subjects understand what research is
c. whether or not the culture values research
d. how willing other cultures are to participate in research studies
Answer: a
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Often translation issues will make it difficult when the test subjects do not understand what you
are asking for, or the terminology may mean something different in their culture.
71.
When doing cross-cultural research you must make sure your samples match on everything except
__________.
a. education
b. language
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
c. economics
d. culture
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Well-controlled research makes sure that samples are the same on all factors except the one in
question. In cross-cultural research, that is culture.
72.
Sometime researchers oversimplify cross-cultural research, leading to __________.
a. reification
b. reliability issues
c. validity issues
d. stereotyping
Answer: d
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Stereotyping can result when shortcuts are taken in describing research findings.
73.
Which of the following is a major concern that can affect cross-cultural research?
a. stereotyping all members of a culture as being the same
b. restrictions placed on foreign researchers
c. lack of norms for standardization
d. anti-science bias in unsophisticated cultures
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: When researchers describe average differences across societies, they may be tempted to
oversimplify their findings, which can lead to stereotyping.
74.
When Salomea was trying to describe how she feels, she stated that her sadness feels like a black insect
living inside her heart. Salomea was using __________ in her description.
a. stereotyping
b. rationalizing
c. reification
d. anthropomorphizing
Answer: c
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: To reify means to regard an intangible process, such as a feeling, as if it were a literal object.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
75.
__________ means to regard an intangible process, such as a feeling, as if it were a literal object.
a. Reestablishment
b. Reification
c. Rationalization
d. Surmising
Answer: b
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: To reify means to regard an intangible process, such as a feeling, as if it were a literal object.
76.
A __________ is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
a. relationship coefficient
b. meta-analysis
c. Bayesian statistic
d. correlation
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
77.
A statistical measure of the relationship between two variables is known as __________.
a. correlation
b. the association coefficient
c. association
d. arbitrage
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another. Specifically, a
correlation is a numerical measure of the strength of the relationship between two things.
78.
A __________ study is a descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between two phenomena.
a. causal
b. case
c. correlational
d. exploratory
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
32
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between two or more phenomena is
called a correlational study.
79.
A correlation is a numerical measure of the __________.
a. unintended changes in subjects’ behavior due to cues from the experimenter
b. strength of the relationship between two variables
c. behaviors of subjects of different ages compared at a given time
d. behaviors of subjects followed and periodically assessed over time
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation means a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
Specifically, a correlation is a numerical measure of the strength of the relationship between two things.
80.
A negative correlation means that __________.
a. the high values of one variable are associated with the low values of the other
b. the high values of one variable are associated with the high values of the other
c. the low values of one variable are associated with the low values of the other
d. there is no relationship between the two variables
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A negative correlation is an association between increases in one variable and decreases in
another.
81.
Julie finds that the more she sleeps on the eve of an exam, the higher the score she gets on the exam. There
is __________ correlation between the amount Julie sleeps and her exam scores.
a. a negative
b. a positive
c. a perfect
d. no actual
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A positive correlation is an association between increases in one variable and increases in
another or between decreases in one and decreases in another.
82.
Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be positively correlated?
a. outdoor temperature and hot chocolate sales
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
b. damage to a car and speed at the time of accident
c. the price of a car and the age of a car
d. hours spent watching TV and grade point average
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A positive correlation is an association between increases in one variable and increases in
another or between decreases in one and decreases in another.
83.
Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be negatively correlated?
a. room size and time required to paint walls
b. amount of studying and test grade
c. value of a collectable item and the number of those items known to exist
d. ocean temperature and the number of people at the beach
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A negative correlation means that high values of one variable are associated with low values of
the other. Rare collectables (i.e., few are known to exist) are typically more expensive than ones that are
more common. As the number known to exist goes down, the cost goes up.
84.
Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be uncorrelated?
a. average income and the incidence of dental disease
b. adult shoe size and IQ scores
c. the price of a car and the age of a car
d. hours spent watching TV and grade point average
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: If no relationship exists between two variables, we say that they are uncorrelated. Shoe size and
IQ scores are uncorrelated.
85.
Which of the following is an example of a positive correlation?
a. The more kumquats Jane ate, the higher she scored on successive IQ tests.
b. The more kumquats Mark ate, the lower he scored on successive IQ tests.
c. Jane ate kumquats, while Mark took an IQ test.
d. Mark ate oranges because Jane ate all the kumquats.
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A positive correlation is an association between increases in one variable and increases in
another or between decreases in one and decreases in another.
86.
Which of the following pairs of variables illustrates a negative correlation?
a. ocean temperature and the number of people at the beach
b. adult shoe size and IQ scores
c. the price of a car and the mileage on the odometer
d. height and weight
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A negative correlation means that high values of one variable are associated with low values of
the other. There is a negative relationship between the price of a car and its mileage. The more miles
driven, the less a car is typically worth.
87.
Two sets of observations assessing students’ heights and their respective weights are compared. Which of
the following is most likely true?
a. The two variables will be both positively and negatively correlated.
b. The two variables will be uncorrelated.
c. The two variables will be negatively correlated.
d. The two variables will be positively correlated.
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A positive correlation is an association between increases in one variable and increases in
another or between decreases in one and decreases in another. Height and weight are positively correlated;
that is, in general, the taller a person is, the more he or she weighs.
88.
Which of the following represents a positive correlation?
a. Jack has a higher level of education and a higher income than his brother, Tim.
b. Tim has less education than his brother, Jack, but he makes more money.
c. Jack has a high level of education, and Tim likes to waterski.
d. Jack has more education than his brother, Tim, and also has children.
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
35
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Rationale: A positive correlation is an association between increases in one variable and increases in
another or between decreases in one and decreases in another. In this case, Jack’s high level of education
correlates with his higher income.
89.
Which of the following is the correct definition of “correlation”?
a. characteristics of behavior or experience that cause other phenomenon
b. characteristics of behavior or experience that can be measured or described by a numeric scale
c. a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another
d. a descriptive study that looks for a consistent relationship between two phenomena
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation is defined as a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
90.
Which of the following is the correct definition of “positive correlation”?
a. A measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
b. An association between increases in one variable and decreases in another.
c. An association between increases in one variable and increases in another or between decreases in one
and decreases in another.
d. A measure that shows that two variables have no relationship to each other.
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A positive correlation is a defined as an association between increases in one variable and
increases in another or between decreases in one and decreases in another.
91.
In his research on male pattern baldness, Dr. Toupee has observed that, on average, men with less hair tend
to be older than men with more hair. This would be considered a(n) __________ correlation.
a. positive
b. false
c. negative
d. causational
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: : A negative correlation means that high values of one variable are associated with low values of
the other. According to Dr. Toupee’s findings, as a man’s age increases, his amount of hair decreases.
92.
Two sets of observations assessing hat size and seasonal allergies are compared. Which of the following is
the most likely outcome?
a. The two variables will be both positively and negatively correlated.
36
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
b. The two variables will be uncorrelated.
c. The two variables will be negatively correlated.
d. The two variables will be positively correlated.
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: It is unlikely that hat size and seasonal allergies are related in any way.
93.
The correlation coefficient conveys __________.
a. the size and direction of the relationship between two variables
b. whether one variable causes the other variable to happen
c. the unintended changes in a subject’s behavior due to the experimenter’s cues
d. whether or not the principle of falsifiability applies to each variable
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The statistic used to express a correlation is called the correlation coefficient. This number
conveys both the size of the correlation and its direction.
94.
Which of the following correlation coefficient values indicate the strongest relationship between two
variables?
a. +.50
b. –.80
c. +.70
d. –.10
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: If the correlation between two variables is +.80, it means that they are strongly related. If the
correlation is −.80, the relationship is just as strong, but it is negative. When there is no association between
two variables, the coefficient is zero or close to zero.
95.
A correlation coefficient of +1.73 means that __________.
a. the relationship between the two variables is very strong
b. the relationship between the two variables is very weak
c. as one variable increases, so does the other
d. a calculation error has been made
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
37
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlations can only range from –1.00 to +1.00, therefore a calculation error has been made.
96.
When two variables are not related, the correlation coefficient will be close to __________.
a. .00
b. –1.00
c. +1.00
d. +.50
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The closer the correlation coefficient is to 0, the weaker the relationship. A correlation
coefficient of 0 indicates no relationship.
97.
When two variables have a strong positive correlation, the correlation coefficient will be close to
__________.
a. .00
b. +1.00
c. –1.00
d. +.50
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation coefficients close to +1.00 indicate strong positive relationships.
98.
When two variables have a strong negative correlation, the correlation coefficient will be close to
__________.
a. .00
b. –1.00
c. +1.00
d. .50
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation coefficients close to –1.00 indicate strong negative relationships.
99.
Which of the following correlation coefficient values indicate the strongest relationship between two
variables?
38
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
a. –.74
b. –.42
c. –.35
d. +.05
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: When there is no association between two variables, the coefficient is zero or close to zero, so a
strong correlation coefficient will be closer to either +1.00 or –1.00.
100.
Which of the following correlation coefficient values indicate the strongest relationship between two
variables?
a. +.74
b. +.68
c. +.69
d. +.71
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: When there is no association between two variables, the coefficient is zero or close to zero, so a
strong correlation coefficient will be closer to either +1.00 or –1.00.
101.
Marguerita conducts a study in which she finds that there is no correlation between the number of calories a
person consumes in a day and his or her IQ. The correlation coefficient here would be close to
__________.
a. +1.00
b. +0.50
c. –0.50
d. .00
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: When there is no association between two variables, the coefficient is zero or close to zero.
102.
Which of the following statements is true about correlation?
a. Positive correlations are meaningful, but negative ones are not.
b. Negative correlations are weak, but positive ones are strong.
c. Correlations close to +1.00 or –1.00 are strong, whereas correlations close to zero are weak.
d. A strong correlation is indicative of a causal relationship between variables.
Answer: c
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
39
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The closer the correlation coefficient is to zero, the weaker the relationship and the closer the
correlation coefficient is to +1.00 or –1.00, the stronger the relationship.
103.
A correlational study determined that the higher a male monkey’s level of testosterone, the more aggressive
it is likely to be. This would mean that __________.
a. testosterone causes aggression
b. testosterone and aggression are uncorrelated
c. testosterone and aggression are negatively correlated
d. testosterone and aggression are positively correlated
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlations indicate strength and direction of relationships, but do not indicate cause and effect.
A positive correlation is a defined as an association between increases in one variable and increases in
another or between decreases in one and decreases in another.
104.
Apparent associations between two things that are not really related are called __________ correlations.
a. illusory
b. positive
c. negative
d. erroneous
Answer: a
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Illusory correlations are apparent associations between two things that are not really related.
Illusory correlations can create dangerous beliefs and cause great social harm.
105.
Some correlational studies have found that people who are chronically depressed are more likely than nondepressed people to develop cancer. Which of the following can be derived from the study?
a. Chronic depression causes cancer.
b. Early, undetected cancer causes depression.
c. Depressed people tend to smoke, causing cancer.
d. Chronic depression and cancer occur in the same people in these studies.
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
40
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation tells us about relationships, but not causal relationships. Even when a correlation is
real, it does not necessarily demonstrate a causal relationship between the variables.
106.
Dr. Friday observes that more muggings tend to occur during hot weather. Which of the following is true?
a. This is a negative correlation because both muggings and hot weather are negative.
b. This is an example of a correlation that demonstrates causation.
c. This research proves that criminal behavior is caused by hot weather.
d. This is a positive correlation that does not demonstrate causation.
Answer: d
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Correlation tells us about relationships, but not causal relationships. Even when a correlation is
real, it does not necessarily demonstrate a causal relationship between the variables.
107.
Why can it be difficult to interpret a correlation between two variables?
a. Correlation does not establish a relationship.
b. A correlation does not establish causation.
c. Most correlations are illusory.
d. Most correlations are negative.
Answer: b
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Even when correlations are meaningful, they can still be hard to interpret because a correlation
does not establish causation.
108.
A controlled test of a hypothesis, in which the researcher manipulates one variable in order to discover its
effect on another variable, is called a(n) __________.
a. correlational study
b. experiment
c. survey
d. single-blind study
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An experiment is defined as a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates
one variable to discover its effect on another.
109.
A(n) __________ allows a researcher to control and manipulate the situation being studied.
a. survey
41
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
b. experiment
c. case study
d. correlational study
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An experiment is defined as a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates
one variable to discover its effect on another.
110.
Experiments are more valuable than other research methods because __________.
a. they are always double-blind
b. they can determine correlations
c. they require informed consent
d. they allow a determination of cause-effect relationships
Answer: d
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Experiments are the only method that allows a determination of cause and effect.
111.
Ideally, in an experimental situation everything is held constant except for the __________, which is
manipulated by the researchers.
a. control variable
b. dependent variable
c. independent variable
d. extraneous variable
Answer: c
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
112.
In an experimental situation, the independent variable is __________.
a. a placebo
b. measured
c. held constant
d. manipulated
Answer: d
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
42
Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
113.
Milton is a researcher who wants to know whether eating chocolate makes people nervous. Some
participants are given two bars of chocolate to eat and some are given no chocolate at all, and then all of the
participants are tested for nervousness an hour later. In this experiment, the amount of chocolate eaten
__________.
a. would be a dependent variable
b. would be a placebo
c. would be an independent variable
d. may be either an independent or dependent variable
Answer: c
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
114.
Professor Marshall wants to know whether eating sweets before bedtime causes children to take longer to
fall asleep. In his experiment, whether or not a sweet is given before bedtime is the __________.
a. independent variable
b. dependent variable
c. control variable
d. extraneous variable
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
115.
A researcher plans to conduct an experiment to test whether a cup of hot milk at night helps people fall
asleep faster than usual. In this study, the independent variable is __________.
a. the amount of time it takes participants to fall asleep
b. the consumption of hot milk at bedtime
c. the number of participants drinking hot milk at bedtime
d. the number of hours each participant sleeps
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
43
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
116.
Which variable does an experimenter manipulate when conducting experimental research?
a. control variable
b. confounding variable
c. independent variable
d. dependent variable
Answer: c
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
117.
A variable that is predicted to be affected by an experimenter’s manipulations in experimental research is
called a(n) __________ variable.
a. extraneous
b. dependent
c. confounding
d. independent
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A dependent variable is a variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by
manipulations of the independent variable.
118.
Dr. Robert’s research hypothesis proposes that consuming a low carbohydrate diet will result in increased
weight loss. One group of participants follows a low-carb diet for three weeks, whereas a second group
follows a high-carb diet containing the same number of calories for three weeks. The average number of
pounds lost for each group is then is compared. What is the dependent variable?
a. number of pounds lost
b. length of time on the diet
c. the amount of carbs in each diet
d. the number of calories in each diet
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A dependent variable is a variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by
manipulations of the independent variable.
44
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
119.
In a laboratory, smokers are asked to drive using a computerized driving simulator and cover the maximum
distance possible, while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some volunteers are given a real cigarette to smoke
immediately before the test. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. The number of collisions the
two groups make is to be compared. In this study, the independent variable is __________.
a. the use of nicotine
b. the use of a driving simulator
c. the number of collisions
d. the speed of each driver
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The aspect of an experimental situation manipulated or varied by the researcher is known as the
independent variable.
120.
In a laboratory, smokers are asked to drive using a computerized driving simulator and cover the maximum
distance possible, while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some volunteers are given a real cigarette to smoke
immediately before the test. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. The number of collisions the
two groups make is to be compared. In this study, the dependent variable is __________.
a. the use of nicotine
b. the use of a driving simulator
c. the number of collisions
d. the speed of each driver
Answer: c
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A dependent variable is a variable that an experimenter predicts will be affected by
manipulations of the independent variable.
121.
In a laboratory, smokers are asked to drive using a computerized driving simulator and cover the maximum
distance possible, while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some volunteers are given a real cigarette to smoke
immediately before the test. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. The number of collisions the
two groups make is to be compared. The control group in this scenario consists of __________.
a. volunteers who smoke real cigarettes
b. volunteers who smoke fake cigarettes
c. all the experimenters
d. all the volunteers
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Rationale: In an experiment, a comparison condition is required in which participants are not exposed to the
same treatment as in the experimental condition. These participants are the control group.
122.
In a laboratory, smokers are asked to drive using a computerized driving simulator and cover the maximum
distance possible, while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some volunteers are given a real cigarette to smoke
immediately before the test. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. The number of collisions the
two groups make is to be compared. The experimental group in this scenario consists of __________.
a. volunteers who smoke real cigarettes
b. volunteers who smoke fake cigarettes
c. all the experimenters
d. all the volunteers
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The experimental group is the group that is exposed to the manipulations of the independent
variable.
123.
In a laboratory, smokers are asked to drive using a computerized driving simulator and cover the maximum
distance possible, while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some volunteers are given a real cigarette to smoke
immediately before the test. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. The number of collisions the
two groups make is to be compared. In this study, the cigarette without nicotine is a(n) __________.
a. dependent variable
b. placebo
c. double-blind procedure
d. hypothesis
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A placebo is an inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment.
124.
__________ are fake treatments or inactive substances used as a control in an experiment.
a. Double-blinds
b. Alternative medicines
c. Clinical trials
d. Placebos
Answer: d
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A placebo is an inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment.
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125.
Which of the following is critical in testing new drugs because of the optimism that the new drugs may
create in the minds of the users?
a. standardization
b. having a small sample size
c. laboratory observation
d. use of a placebo
Answer: d
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A placebo is an inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment. If the
placebo produces the same result as the real thing, the reason must be the participants’ expectations rather
than the treatment itself.
126.
An experiment is conducted to test a new antianxiety drug. After taking the drug, 35 percent of the
participants receiving the medication report less anxiety, compared to 36 percent of those taking a placebo.
The researchers should conclude that __________.
a. participants knew which group they were in
b. the medication itself probably has no real effect on anxiety
c. the drug actually increases anxiety
d. the drug is an effective treatment for anxiety
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A placebo is an inactive substance or fake treatment used as a control in an experiment. If the
placebo produces the same result as the real thing, the reason must be the participants’ expectations rather
than the treatment itself.
127.
Subjects are randomly assigned to experimental and control groups to __________.
a. make the two groups as similar as possible in all major characteristics
b. eliminate the placebo effect
c. establish possible correlations between the independent and dependent variables
d. eliminate experimenter effects
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: If we have enough participants in our study, individual characteristics that could possibly affect
the results are likely to be roughly balanced in randomly assigned groups, so we can safely ignore them.
128.
Professor Villanueva has developed a new form of therapy that he believes reduces anxiety. When he
explains the experiment to his research assistants, he tells them that the participants in Group A are highly
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
anxious and the participants in Group B are slightly anxious. Group C shows no signs of anxiety. Why
might a scientist be skeptical of his claim?
a. There is no control group to compare to the people in his program.
b. He lacks a well-developed hypothesis.
c. Over 30 percent of the people did not improve.
d. There may be experimenter effects caused by the researchers’ expectations about the participants.
Answer: d
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Experimenter effects are unintended changes in study participants’ behavior due to cues that the
experimenter inadvertently conveys.
129.
The participants for an experiment are randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group.
Although the researchers know which group each participant has been assigned to, the participants do not
know if they are in the experimental or control group. Which type of study is this an example of?
a.
single-blind
b.
correlational
c.
field research
d.
double-blind
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A single-blind study is an experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in an
experimental or a control group.
130.
Unintended changes in subjects’ behavior due to cues inadvertently given by the experimenter in an
experimental study are called __________.
a. conformation biases
b. experimenter effects
c. volunteer biases
d. reifications
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Experimenter effects are unintended changes in study participants’ behavior due to cues that the
experimenter inadvertently conveys.
131.
A __________ is an experiment in which neither the participants nor the individuals running the
experiment know if a given participant is in the experimental or the control group until after the results are
tallied.
a. double-blind study
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b. single-blind study
c. meta-analysis
d. correlational study
Answer: a
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A double-blind study is an experiment in which neither the participants nor the individuals
running the experiment know if participants are in the experimental or the control group until after the
results are tallied.
132.
The main advantage of a __________ study is that the results cannot be influenced by the expectations of
either the participants or the experimenters.
a.
correlational
b.
single-blind
c.
double-blind
d.
observational
Answer: c
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A double-blind study is an experiment in which neither the participants nor the individuals
running the experiment know if participants are in the experimental or the control group until after the
results are tallied.
133.
Empirical investigation that is conducted in a natural setting outside of the laboratory is called __________.
a. double-blind
b. single-blind
c. field research
d. correlational research
Answer: c
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Field research is defined as empirical investigation conducted in a natural setting outside the
laboratory.
134.
Some psychologists have called for more field research because experimental studies __________.
a. cannot identify cause and effect
b. often involve artificial situations
c. do not allow firm conclusions to be drawn
d. may miss vital information due to participants’ inaccurate memories
Answer: b
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
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Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In an experiment, the researcher designs and sets up what is often a rather artificial situation, and
the participants try to do as they are told. For this reason, many psychologists have called for more field
research, the careful study of behavior in natural contexts such as schools and the workplace.
135.
Field research may yield more applicable results than laboratory research because __________.
a. placebos are not used
b. there is no experimental group
c. there is no control group
d. the situation is less artificial
Answer: d
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In an experiment, the researcher designs and sets up what is often a rather artificial situation, and
the participants try to do as they are told. For this reason, many psychologists have called for more field
research, the careful study of behavior in natural contexts such as schools and the workplace.
136.
Researchers use descriptive statistics when they want to __________.
a. draw inferences about how statistically meaningful a study’s results are
b. organize and summarize research data
c. combine and analyze data from many studies
d. assess how likely it is that a study’s results occurred merely by chance
Answer: b
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Descriptive statistics are defined as statistical procedures that organize and summarize research
data.
137.
A statistician adds all of the test scores for a group of participants and then divides the sum by the number
of participants. The result of his calculation is the __________ of the test scores.
a. arithmetic mean
b. effect size
c. p value
d. standard deviation
Answer: a
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
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APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: An arithmetic mean is an average calculated by adding up a set of quantities and dividing the
sum by the total number of quantities in the set.
138.
The __________ tells us how clustered or spread out individual scores are around an arithmetic mean.
a. arithmetic mean
b. p value
c. confidence interval
d. standard deviation
Answer: d
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The standard deviation tells us how clustered or spread out the individual scores are around the
mean; the more spread out they are, the less “typical” the mean is.
139.
A researcher is studying the amount of sleep college students get each night. She notices that there is a lot
of variability in the data, with some students typically sleeping for around eight hours a night and some
sleeping around five hours a night. One way to measure how spread out the data scores are is to use
__________.
a. the arithmetic mean
b. meta-analysis
c. inferential statistics
d. the standard deviation
Answer: d
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The standard deviation tells us how clustered or spread out the individual scores are around the
mean; the more spread out they are, the less “typical” the mean is.
140.
Inferential statistics are __________.
a. statistical procedures that allow researchers to draw conclusions about how statistically reliable a
study’s results are
b. statistical procedures that organize and summarize research data
c. averages that are calculated by adding up a set of quantities and multiplying the sum by the total
number of quantities in the set
d. a set of techniques for combining data from a number of related studies to determine the explanatory
strength of a particular independent variable
Answer: a
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Rationale: Inferential statistics are defined as statistical procedures that allow researchers to draw
conclusions about how statistically reliable a study’s results are.
141.
Which of the following is a type of inferential statistic?
a. median
b. significance test
c. arithmetic mean
d. standard deviations
Answer: b
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Historically, the most commonly used inferential statistics have been significance tests, which
tell researchers how likely it is that a result occurred by chance.
142.
Psychologists typically consider a result to be significant if it would be expected to occur by chance
__________ times in 100 repetitions of the study.
a. 5 or fewer
b. 10 or fewer
c. 20 or fewer
d. 40 or fewer
Answer: a
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Psychologists consider a result to be significant if it would be expected to occur by chance 5 or
fewer times in 100 repetitions of the study.
143.
A result that is significant at the .05 level indicates that __________.
a. the result was obtained purely by chance and is not real
b. the probability that the result is due to real differences between groups is .05
c. there is a positive relationship between variables
d. the probability that the result occurred by chance is low, and therefore the result is probably real
Answer: d
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A .05 level of significance means that there is less than 5 percent probability that the results
were due to chance. If, however, the significance test shows that the p value is greater than .05, many
researchers would have little confidence in the study’s result.
144.
A __________ draws a range a little higher and lower than the sample mean to help depict where the true
mean probably lies.
a. confidence interval
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b. standard deviation
c. significance test
d. descriptive statistic
Answer: a
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A confidence interval is defined as a statistical measure that provides, with a specified
probability, a range of values within which a population mean is likely to lie.
145.
A psychologist is studying gender relationships in childhood and early adolescence. Students from each
grade are separately observed during lunchtime at school in order to assess their seating preferences. The
researcher is conducting a __________.
a. cross-sectional study
b. longitudinal study
c. single-blind study
d. double-blind study
Answer: a
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: In a cross-sectional study, people (or animals) of different ages are compared at a given time.
146.
After their marriage, Patrick and Mary Anne agreed to participate in a research project that investigated
differences in the level of marital satisfaction over time. Every five years they had to complete a survey that
indicated their marital satisfaction. Patrick and Mary Anne are participants in a __________.
a. single-blind study
b. double-blind study
c. longitudinal study
d. cross-sectional study
Answer: c
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A longitudinal study is a study in which people (or animals) are followed and periodically
reassessed over a period of time.
147.
__________ is an objective, standardized way of describing the strength of the independent variable’s
influence on the dependent variable.
a. Effect size
b. Significance level
c. Meta-analysis
d. Bayesian statistics
Answer: a
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Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Effect size is defined as an objective, standardized way of describing the strength of the
independent variable’s influence on the dependent variable.
148.
Techniques such as meta-analysis are useful in psychology because __________.
a. they help reduce unintended changes in subjects’ behavior due to cues given by the experimenter
b. they allow for the careful study of behavior in schools, workplaces, and other natural contexts
c. they provide a range of values within which the mean of a population is likely to lie
d. rarely does one study alone prove anything, and this technique analyzes data from many studies
Answer: d
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A meta-analysis is a set of techniques for combining data from a number of related studies to
determine the explanatory strength of a particular independent variable.
149.
__________ is a technique that allows a researcher to combine data from numerous studies.
a. Significance testing
b. Meta-analysis
c. Cross-sectional research
d. Longitudinal research
Answer: b
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: A meta-analysis is a set of techniques for combining data from a number of related studies to
determine the explanatory strength of a particular independent variable.
150.
__________ involve a formula for calculating the likelihood of a hypothesis being true and meaningful,
taking into account relevant prior knowledge.
a. Mathematical statistics
b. Descriptive statistics
c. Inferential statistics
d. Bayesian statistics
Answer: d
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Rationale: Bayesian statistics uses a formula for calculating the likelihood of a hypothesis being true and
meaningful, taking into account relevant prior knowledge.
151.
People who participate in research studies must participate voluntarily and must know enough about the
study to make an intelligent decision about participating. This concept is known as __________.
a. the Milgram doctrine
b. the APA code
c. informed consent
d. human welfare
Answer: c
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: Informed consent is the doctrine that anyone who participates in human research must do so
voluntarily and must know enough about the study to make an intelligent decision about whether to take
part.
152.
As a result of controversy over the use of deception in research, __________.
a. the APA now does not allow deception
b. debriefing is required when deception is used
c. participants who are deceived must receive therapy free of charge if requested
d. deception is allowed only if the participants are volunteers
Answer: b
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The APA code requires that participants be thoroughly debriefed when the study is over and told
why deception was necessary. In addition to debriefing, the APA’s ethical guidelines require researchers to
show that any deception is justified by a study’s potential value and to consider alternative procedures.
153.
Before deception can be used, it must be __________.
a. included as part of the informed consent
b. justified by the study’s potential value and alternative procedures are not feasible
c. tested on other participants to see if it causes anyone any harm
d. built in as part of the independent variable so that only part of the test participants receive deception
Answer: b
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The APA code requires that participants be thoroughly debriefed when the study is over and told
why deception was necessary. In addition to debriefing, the APA’s ethical guidelines require researchers to
show that any deception is justified by a study’s potential value and to consider alternative procedures.
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154.
Which of the following is one of the reasons for the use of animals in psychological research?
a. because what is true for animals will also be true for humans
b. animals are more complex than humans, so they provide us with more detailed information about
behavior
c. to improve human welfare
d. to improve the treatment of laboratory animals
Answer: c
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: One of the reasons psychologists conduct experiments with animals is to improve human
welfare.
155.
If a scientist designs a study to see if the presence of noise in a field where a crop is grown will scare away
animals who forage on the crop, the scientist would be studying __________ using an animal model.
a. practical applications
b. how to clarify theoretical questions
c. how to improve human welfare
d. how to understand basic research on a species
Answer: a
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
Rationale: The problem of having animals forage on a crop is a practical issue as many crops are ruined by
damage caused by animals. Therefore, this researcher is studying a “practical” application in his research.
56
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
True-False Questions
1.
A hypothesis is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set
of phenomena.
Answer: False
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
2.
A theory is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set of
phenomena.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
3.
A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
4.
A theory is a statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena.
Answer: False
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
5.
Operational definitions specify how the phenomena in question are to be observed and measured.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
6.
Violations of the principle of falsifiability rarely take place in everyday life.
Answer: False
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
7.
The principle of falsifiability is the tendency to avoid information that would prove one’s belief to be false.
Answer: False
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
8.
Confirmation bias is the tendency to look for information that supports one’s beliefs.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
9.
Replication is an essential part of the scientific process.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
10.
Replication occurs when scientists repeat a study in order to verify or challenge its findings.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
11.
In order to maintain scientific objectivity, psychologists do not work on research that is sponsored by
private industry.
Answer: False
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
12.
Scientists are expected to submit their study’s results for peer review before any announcements regarding
the study are made to the public.
Answer: True
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
58
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the
scientific enterprise.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
13.
A representative sample is a group of participants that accurately represents the larger population that the
researcher is interested in.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
14.
Descriptive methods yield characterizations of behavior but not necessarily causal explanations.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
15.
Experiments yield descriptions of behavior but cannot provide causal explanations.
Answer: False
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how
the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
16.
Case studies are most commonly used by clinicians.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
17.
Case studies are usually sources of hypotheses, rather than tests of hypotheses.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
59
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
18.
Observational studies are more useful for describing behavior than for explaining behavior.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
19.
A shortcoming of laboratory observation is that the presence of researchers may cause participants to
behave differently than they would in their usual surroundings.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
20.
The usual procedure for developing norms for a test is to give the test to a large group of people who
resemble those for whom the test is intended.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
21.
When psychologists say that a test has been standardized, they mean that uniform procedures for giving and
scoring the test have been developed.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
22.
The ability of a test to measure what it is designed to measure is called its reliability.
Answer: False
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
60
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
23.
The ability of a test to measure what it is designed to measure is called standardization.
Answer: False
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
24.
The ability of a test to measure what it is designed to measure is called validity.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
25.
Psychologists measure test-retest reliability by giving different versions of the same test to the same group
on two separate occasions.
Answer: False
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
26.
Psychologists measure alternate-forms reliability by giving different versions of the same test to the same
group on two separate occasions.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
27.
Psychologists measure test-retest reliability by giving the same test twice to the same group of people.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
28.
Psychologists measure alternate-forms reliability by giving the same test twice to the same group of people.
Answer: False
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
61
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
29.
If a survey covers a sensitive or embarrassing topic, it is more likely that people will lie.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
30.
The likelihood of lying in surveys is reduced when the respondents are guaranteed anonymity.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
31.
Controlling extraneous variables in cross-cultural research is easier than research that does not span various
cultures.
Answer: False
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
32.
In cross-cultural research, the translation of language can cause challenges in conducting the research.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
33.
Researchers may oversimplify findings in cross-cultural research and end up stereotyping participants.
Answer: True
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Describe the importance and challenges of conducting cross-cultural research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
34.
To reify means to regard an intangible process, such as a feeling, as if it were a literal object.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
62
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.F Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
35.
The word “correlation” is often used as a synonym for “relationship.”
Answer: True
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
36.
A correlation is a numerical measure indicating the cause-and-effect relationship between two variables.
Answer: False
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
37.
An association between increases in one variable and decreases in the other variable is called a negative
correlation.
Answer: True
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
38.
An association between decreases in one variable and decreases in the other variable is called a negative
correlation.
Answer: False
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
39.
An association between increases in one variable and decreases in the other variable indicates that the two
variables are uncorrelated.
Answer: False
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how the correlation coefficient gives both the size and
direction of the relationship between two variables.
63
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
40.
When a correlation coefficient indicates a strong relationship between two variables, one variable is
causing the other.
Answer: False
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
41.
When two variables are correlated, one variable may or may not be causing the other.
Answer: True
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
42.
An experiment is a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to
discover its effect on another.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
43.
A laboratory observation is a controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one
variable to discover its effect on another.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
44.
The variable that an experimenter manipulates is called the dependent variable in an experiment.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
64
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
45.
Ideally, everything in an experiment except the independent variable is held constant.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
46.
The variable that an experimenter manipulates is called the independent variable.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
47.
Ideally, everything in an experiment except the dependent variable is held constant.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
48.
The value of the independent variable is affected by manipulations to the dependent variable.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
49.
A researcher wants to know whether eating chocolate makes people nervous. Some participants are given
two bars of chocolate to eat and some are given no chocolate at all, and then all of the participants are
tested for nervousness an hour later. In this experiment, the amount of chocolate eaten is the independent
variable.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
50.
In a control condition, subjects are not exposed to the same treatment of the independent variable as in an
experimental condition.
Answer: True
65
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
51.
The practice of placing participants into conditions at random increases the likelihood that the different
conditions are equivalent to begin with.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
52.
Medical placebos usually take the form of pills or injections that contain active ingredients.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and
explain the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
53.
In a single-blind experiment, participants do not know if they are in an experimental group or a control
group.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
54.
If a placebo produces the same results as the real treatment, the reason must be the participants’
expectations about the treatment, rather than the treatment itself.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
55.
An experimenter’s friendly smile or cold demeanor can affect people’s responses in an experiment.
Answer: True
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
66
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
56.
Single-blind studies are conducted in order to avoid the powerful influence of experimenter effects on the
results of an experiment.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
57.
When compared to other methods, an advantage of experiments is that the participants are always
representative of the larger population.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
58.
Field research refers to empirical investigation that is conducted on agricultural issues.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
59.
A disadvantage of experimental research is that it does not permit identification of cause and effect.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
60.
An advantage of field research is that it allows the use of sophisticated equipment.
Answer: False
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
61.
Descriptive statistics are statistical procedures that organize and summarize research data.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
62.
Inferential statistics are statistical procedures that organize and summarize research data.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
63.
The arithmetic mean is a commonly used measure of variability.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
64.
The arithmetic mean is an average that is calculated by adding up a set of quantities and dividing the sum
by the total number of quantities in the set.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
65.
The standard deviation is an average that is calculated by adding up a set of quantities and dividing the sum
by the total number of quantities in the set.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
66.
The standard deviation is a commonly used measure of variability that indicates the average difference
between scores in a distribution.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
67.
Descriptive statistics allow researchers to draw conclusions about how statistically meaningful a study’s
results are.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
68.
Inferential statistics allow researchers to draw conclusions about how statistically meaningful a study’s
results are.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
69.
If a significance test shows that the p value of a result is greater than .05, researchers would have high
confidence in the study’s result.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
70.
A result is considered significant if it would occur by chance more than 5 times in 100 repetitions of the
study.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
71.
A study in which subjects of different ages are compared at a given time is called a cross-sectional study.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
72.
A study in which subjects of different ages are compared at a given time is called a longitudinal study.
Answer: False
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
73.
A result may be statistically significant, yet be of little consequence in everyday life.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
74.
Meta-analysis combines data from a number of related studies instead of assessing each study’s results
separately.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
75.
Bayesian statistics involve a formula that takes prior knowledge into consideration when evaluating any
finding.
Answer: True
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
76.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has a code of ethics that all of its members are supposed
to follow.
Answer: True
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
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APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
77.
The APA’s ethical guidelines require researchers to show that any deceptive procedures are justified by a
study’s potential value.
Answer: True
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
78.
The American Psychological Association’s ethical guidelines require researchers to avoid studies that
involve volunteer deception.
Answer: False
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
79.
A majority of psychological research studies involve animals.
Answer: False
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
80.
Research on animals is easiest as there are no ethical constraints.
Answer: False
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
Learning Objective: 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Short Answer Questions
1.
What is the difference between a theory and a hypothesis?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• A theory is an organized system of assumptions and principles that purports to explain a specified set
of phenomena and their interrelationships.
• A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena, specifying
relationships among events or variables that can be empirically tested.
• A theory precedes hypothesis; the hypothesis is based on the theory.
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
2.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” How would you
frame this question in clear and concrete terms so that it could be tested? Specify an operational definition
for the major terms.
Answer: A good answer could include any of the following options:
• To achieve something great, a person must have enthusiasm.
• A possible operational definition for a great achievement might be an achievement that is reported in a
national news magazine.
• A possible operational definition of enthusiasm might be an average rating of 8 or higher on a 10-point
rating scale on a standardized test of enthusiasm.
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
3.
Dr. Benjamin Rush treated yellow fever by bloodletting. He attributed each recovery to the bloodletting and
each death to the severity of the yellow fever. What rule of science did he violate?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Rush violated the principle of falsifiability.
• There was no possible counterevidence that could refute his theory.
• He also did not look for contradictory evidence and so was guilty of confirmation bias.
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
4.
Explain the purpose and process of peer review.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• The purpose of peer review is to ensure that research lives up to accepted scientific standards.
• When a scientist sends research results to a professional journal for publication, the report is sent to
experts in the field for evaluation before deciding whether to publish them.
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific
enterprise.
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APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
5.
What are the disadvantages associated with psychological case study research?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Case studies have only limited usefulness for deriving general principles of behavior.
• This is especially true when information is missing or hard to interpret.
• It is also true if the individual being studied is unrepresentative of the group that a researcher is
interested in.
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
6.
A psychologist is planning to gather information about a group of subjects through the use of psychological
tests. What will ensure that the tests provide useful results?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Standardization: one criterion of a good test is whether it is standardized, having uniform procedures
for giving and scoring the test.
• Reliability: producing the same results from one time and place to the next or from one scorer to
another.
• Validity: measuring what it sets out to measure.
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
7.
Jamal comes across some survey results on the Internet that conclude that people who watch cat videos
with hip-hop music are cooler than people who watch cat videos with dubstep music. What are some things
he should look out for before deciding to believe the results of this survey?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• People who are willing to volunteer their opinions may differ from those who decline to take part.
• Which questions were (and were not) asked and how the questions were phrased? These aspects of a
survey’s design may reflect assumptions about the topic or encourage certain responses.
• What are the credentials of those designing the test or survey? Are they likely to use a well-designed
survey or just make something up?
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
8.
A correlation between “A” and “B” does not necessarily mean that “A” causes “B.” Why? Explain using
this example: The higher a male monkey’s level of the hormone testosterone, the more aggressive he is
likely to be.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Correlation does not indicate causation.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
•
A positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggression could mean that testosterone causes
aggression.
• It could also mean that aggressive behavior causes an increase in testosterone levels.
• It could also mean that some other unspecified variable causes both high testosterone levels and high
aggression.
• It could also mean that unknown variables affect each phenomenon, which are only related in time.
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
9.
If TV watching is positively correlated with children’s aggressiveness, then in what possible ways could
this relationship be explained?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• Watching TV could cause children to behave aggressively.
• Aggressiveness in children could cause them to watch more TV.
• Another unspecified variable could cause both TV watching and increased aggressiveness.
• Other unspecified variables could affect either TV watching or increased aggressiveness.
Topic: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal
relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
10.
Experiments have long been the method of choice in psychology. However, the experiment does have its
limitations. Describe these limitations and explain why many psychologists have called for more field
research.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• One limitation of experiments is experimenter effects. That is, if participants know whether they are in
the experimental or control group, their expectations may affect the results.
• A researcher’s expectations can also influence the results of an experiment.
• If participants are not representative of the larger population of interest, the results cannot be
generalized.
• Controlled experiments may result in artificial situations in which behavior is not normal and cannot
be generalized to the real world.
• Field research can at least partially overcome this last objection.
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Essay Questions
1.
What are the different parts of the cycle of scientific research? Distinguish what happens during each part
of the cycle by providing an example.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• The cycle of scientific research begins with theory, then developing a hypothesis, making predictions,
and gathering evidence.
• Theories allow a researcher to derive testable hypotheses, and make predictions about the pattern of
results that should occur. (Example: Frustration occurs faster in young people.)
• Hypotheses are tested empirically by gathering data on operationally defined variables. (Hypothesis:
People under the age of 30 will report frustration more quickly than people over 30 when given an
impossible puzzle to solve)
• By examining the evidence, modifications, extensions, and revisions to the theory can take place,
thereby generating new hypotheses and continuing the cycle of research investigation. (Example: Data
is gathered, analyzed, and conclusions drawn. Data informs future hypotheses to be tested.)
Topic: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
2.
The president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is concerned after reading that during puberty,
children have increased needs for sleep. She wants to find out if other parents of middle-school children
would support a later starting time for school. At one of the Tuesday night meetings, she conducts a survey
of the PTA members in order to address this question. When she asks those parents in support of the
change to raise their hands, she discovers that 85 percent of the parents support a later starting time.
Identify what information she has gained by conducting this survey. Analyze what shortcomings exist in
her survey. Describe how she might improve the quality of the data she gathers.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• She has learned that a majority of other PTA members who attend meetings support a later starting
time.
• A major shortcoming is that the PTA members at the meeting may not be representative of all parents
of students at the school in question.
• She should either select a random sample from all parents of the school, or possibly include all parents
in her sample.
Topic: Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
3.
A researcher hypothesizes that adults will respond differently to the same baby depending on how whether
the child is dressed in “girl clothes” or “boy clothes.” Her colleague, on the other hand, hypothesizes that
boys and girls are treated equally and that only temperamental differences lead to differences in their
handling. Design a research study to test their hypotheses.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Two babies with similar temperament should be selected, one male and one female.
• Participants in the experimental group will be exposed to a baby dressed in clothing usually considered
appropriate to the opposite sex.
• Participants in the control group will be exposed to an infant dressed in clothing usually considered
appropriate for that sex.
• All participants will be observed for 10 minutes while interacting with the baby and their behaviors
carefully noted.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
•
•
Behaviors of participants in the experimental and control groups will be compared.
This would be a single-blind study, since the participants do not know the actual sex of either child but
the researchers do.
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
4.
You are a scientist who is intrigued by the idea that stress results in increased illness. Design a study by
stating your hypothesis and define your variables and their operational definitions. Identify your selection
strategy for participants and describe how you will conduct your study.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Hypothesis: Stress will result in more cases of colds in people.
• Operational Definitions: Stress will be exposure to unsolvable puzzles. Colds will be measured by
symptoms of a cold as identified by a doctor.
• Randomly select and assign people to two groups. The control group comes into your facility and you
squirt a virus up their nose. They stay with you for 7 days.
• The experimental group gets the virus up their nose and they are subjected multiple times daily to
unsolvable puzzles.
• At the end of 7 days, the number of cold symptoms suffered by each individual is gathered and data is
analyzed.
Topic: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an
example of each.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
5.
Why is it important to go beyond averages when summarizing data? What other descriptive statistics are
used to help interpret data?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• An average (arithmetic mean) may not actually occur in any individual case.
• Descriptive statistics are needed to organize and summarize research data.
• The standard deviation tells us how clustered or spread out the individual scores are around the mean;
the more spread out they are, the less “typical” the mean is. Even a range of scores will provide
information about how variable the group is.
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of
two groups of research participants.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
6.
Rarely does a psychological study have completely straightforward results. Usually there is some
possibility that the difference between two groups could be due to chance. Explain how inferential statistics
help us determine how statistically meaningful a study’s results are.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• Inferential statistics allow researchers to draw conclusions about how statistically meaningful a study’s
results are.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
•
Significance tests, which tell researchers how likely it is that their result occurred by chance, are the
most commonly used inferential statistics.
• If research is statistically significant, there is a good probability that the difference found in the study is
real.
• Psychologists consider a result to be significant if it would be expected to occur by chance 5 or fewer
times in 100 repetitions of the study.
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate,
and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
7.
When the relationship between age and mental abilities is studied through cross-sectional methods, the
results often conflict with the findings from longitudinal studies. Explain the basic procedures in each type
of study and then discuss why the two methods sometimes yield different results.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• Longitudinal studies examine the same people over a period of time, reassessing them periodically.
• Cross-sectional studies examine groups of people of different ages at the same time.
• Longitudinal studies are especially useful to study changes in individuals over time. However, you
may lose some participants because they must stay committed to the study for such a long time.
• The two types of studies can reach different conclusions because cross-sectional studies measure
generational differences, in addition to changes that occur as people age.
Topic: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size,
meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
8.
Psychologists follow a code of ethics that has been developed by the American Psychological Association
(APA). Explain the APA code in regard to research with human participants.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• The APA code of ethics expects scientists to respect the dignity and welfare of human participants and
specifies a number of guidelines to guarantee this.
• People must participate in research voluntarily—informed consent should be obtained.
• Participants should be protected from physical and mental harm—if risks exist, participants must be
informed in advance.
• Participants must be given the right to withdraw from research at any time without penalty.
• If deception is involved, participants must be debriefed.
Topic: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key
characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
Integrative Essay Questions: Linking the Chapters
1.
What makes psychological research scientific? This chapter points out the importance of precision in the
pursuit of knowledge. How does this principle of good science correspond to the critical thinking step,
“Define Your Terms,” discussed in Chapter 1?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• The requirement for precision in science includes both stating specific hypotheses and providing
operational definitions of all variables.
• This directly corresponds with the guideline requiring that critical thinkers define the terms that they
use.
Topic: 1.2 Thinking Critically about Psychology, 2.1 What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.2.B Identify important steps to critical thinking, and give an example of how each
applies to the science of psychology. 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational
definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
2.
In Chapter 2, we read about the disastrous consequences that can take place when conclusions are drawn
solely on the basis of case studies. How does the alleged connection between autism and vaccinations
illustrate the importance of the critical thinking guidelines discussed in Chapter 1?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• No convincing evidence exists between autism and vaccinations.
• Once the suspect elements were removed from vaccinations, the incidence of autism did not decline.
• The coincidence seems to be that the symptoms of autism occur about the same time that children are
vaccinated.
• Even when a correlation is meaningful, a correlation does not establish causation.
• Critical thinking step: Examine the evidence. Critical thinkers avoid oversimplification, resist easy
generalizations, and reject either/or thinking. Critical thinkers want more evidence than one or two
anecdotes before drawing sweeping conclusions.
Topic: 1.2 Thinking Critically about Psychology, 2.3 Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.2.B Identify important steps to critical thinking, and give an example of how each
applies to the science of psychology. 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not
establish a causal relationship between those variables.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
3.
Unlike plays and poems, scientific theories are not judged by how pleasing they are. Instead, a theory must
be backed by empirical evidence if it is to be taken seriously. Integrate this information from Chapter 2
with the critical thinking step, “Analyze Assumptions and Biases,” that you studied in Chapter 1.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• Theories must be based on empirical evidence.
• They should not be based on emotion, intuition, or appeal to authority.
• Critical thinking step: Analyze assumptions and biases. It is important to avoid relying too much on
emotional reasoning. Emotion has a place in critical thinking, but when gut feelings replace clear
thinking, the results can be dangerous. The fact that you really, really feel strongly that something is
true—or want it to be—doesn’t make it so.
Topic: 1.2 Thinking Critically about Psychology, 2.1 What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
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Learning Objective: 1.2.B Identify important steps to critical thinking, and give an example of how each
applies to the science of psychology. 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational
definition.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
4.
In Chapter 1, we present the idea that pop psychology lacks experimental evidence for its value. Now that
you have read Chapter 2, design a research study in order to test this idea. Provide your reasoning in
selecting a particular research method, subjects, and other key details.
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points.
• One method that could be used is laboratory observation. Have participants read a self-help book about
a specific issue in their life and watch to determine if they are able to apply the principles in the selfhelp book and see if it helps resolve the problem.
• A representative group of people with similar problems should be selected.
• A measure of the severity of the problem should be taken before reading the book and then after
reading the book.
Topic: 1.1 Psychology, Pseudoscience, and the Perils of Common Sense, 2.2 Descriptive Studies:
Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.1.B Explain what separates psychological science from pseudoscience, pop
psychology, and other sources of dubious claims regarding psychological issues. 2.2.A Describe the ways
participants are selected for psychological studies and how the method of selection can influence
interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
5.
Which research method did Sigmund Freud rely upon? Analyze what you know about his theory given
your understanding of research methods. What are the strengths and limitations of his approach?
Answer: A good answer will include the following key points:
• Freud’s theory was based on case studies.
• Case studies are useful for studying unusual or rare cases and for generating hypotheses for further
research.
• One drawback to case studies is that information is often missing or hard to interpret.
• Observers may have biases that influence which facts get noticed and which are ignored.
• Memory of observers may be selective or inaccurate, making conclusions unreliable.
• Most important, the person studied may be unrepresentative of the group that a researcher is interested
in.
• The case study method has only limited usefulness for deriving general principles of behavior.
• The limitations of the case study method make it likely that Freud’s theory has only limited usefulness.
Topic: 1.3 A History of Psychology: From the Armchair to the Laboratory, 2 2 Descriptive Studies:
Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.3.B Discuss some of the influential perspectives and individuals in the early years of
modern psychology. 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of
data collection.
APA Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology, 2.4
Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research
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Revel Quizzes
The following questions appear at the end of each module and at the end of the chapter in Revel for Psychology,
13e.
End of Module Quiz: 2.1 What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
EOM Q2.1.1
An organized system of assumptions and principles that seeks to explain a phenomenon is known as a(n)
__________.
a) theory
b) hypothesis
c) operational definition
d) prediction
Consider This: The definition given here describes an important aspect of conducting scientific research. 2.1.A
Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.1.2
Natasha tells her psychology professor that she wants to study why similarity leads to attraction. “That’s great,” her
professor replies. “But what do you mean, exactly, by ‘similarity’ and ‘attraction’?” What is Natasha’s professor
urging her to do?
a) Create operational definitions of the variables she wants to study.
b) Formulate a hypothesis about the relationship between her variables of interest.
c) Propose a theory to explain why similarity is correlated with attraction.
d) Design a field experiment to test her hypothesis.
Consider This: Natasha’s got a good idea, but what’s her next step for turning that idea into a scientifically testable
question? 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.1.3
Luis tells his friend Meeta, “Since I’ve been wearing this copper bracelet, my joint pain has decreased. It must really
work!” “Hmm…,” replies Meeta. “I’m sure you believe that, and I’m glad you’re feeling better. But I’d want to know
how, when, and why copper would have that effect on pain.” Which characteristic of being a good scientist is Meeta
demonstrating?
a) skepticism
b) replication
c) transparency
d) argument from authority
Consider This: There are several characteristics that ideal scientists possess. Think about what Meeta is saying and
decide which characteristic she’s exhibiting. 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just
disbelief.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just disbelief.
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Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.1.4
“All swans are white” is a poor example of a scientific hypothesis. Gathering more and more examples of white
swans would never really confirm the conclusion. However, finding a single black swan would be enough to
disprove the hypothesis. Which scientific principle does this logic demonstrate?
a) the principle of falsifiability
b) the exception to the rule
c) the Code of Hammurabi
d) the principle of precision
Consider This: After finding 100,000 white swans, the 100,001 doesn’t add much to the argument; yet finding a
single contradictory example is a much more efficient test of the hypothesis. 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an
important component of scientific research.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.1.5
Waleska wants to publish the results of her scientific study, but before she does so she collects more data using the
same variables but with a new sample of research participants and a slightly different procedure. The results of the
second study are consistent with those of the first, and Waleska publishes both sets of results with greater confidence
in her contribution to science. Which good scientific practice is Waleska following?
a) replication
b) risky predictions
c) peer review
d) confirmation control
Consider This: A hallmark of good science is being able to demonstrate the same phenomenon under the same
conditions. 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific enterprise.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific enterprise.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
End of Module Quiz: 2.2 Descriptive Studies: Establishing the Facts
EOM Q2.2.1
Pedro wants to gauge the nation’s attitudes toward handguns, so he polls a very large sample of National Rifle
Association (NRA) members and asks them what they think. Despite having a lot of data, Pedro’s conclusions are
likely to be flawed. Why?
a) The sample he used wasn’t representative of the population he’s interested in learning about.
b) He used a survey when he should have used an interview to collect the data.
c) Samples should always include about 13 percent of the population being studied.
d) He didn’t use alternate-forms reliability when constructing his measurements.
Consider This: There’s a fundamental problem with Pedro’s approach to data collection. 2.2.A Describe the ways
participants are selected for psychological studies and how the method of selection can influence interpretations of a
study’s outcomes.
Answer: a
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Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how the method
of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
EOM Q2.2.2
Trixie has been assigned to do a research project on human development for her Introductory Psychology course.
She decides to conduct a case study of her Uncle Joe and devises a days-long set of interview questions for him,
ranging from his childhood experiences through the ensuing 60 years of his life. Although her intentions are
admirable, Trixie might have spent the time more profitably by using a different methodology. Why?
a) Case studies are of limited usefulness in deriving general conclusions about behavior.
b) Case studies always produce biased and inaccurate results.
c) By definition, case studies involve studying, and Trixie didn’t devote enough time to this project.
d) Case studies are a technique typically used by biologists but not by psychologists.
Consider This: Case studies can illuminate the details of a particular individual’s life, a single important event, or an
unusual occurrence. Why might this not be a main approach to adopt as a general method of science? 2.2.B Discuss
the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of data collection.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of data
collection.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
EOM Q2.2.3
Both Huong and Asli are interested in developmental psychology, specifically the types of play five-year-olds
engage in. Huong visits a local park and unobtrusively makes notes about the children she sees. Asli invites parents
and their children to a specially designed room in the psychology building and watches the children through a oneway mirror. Both approaches are sensible. The difference is that Huong is using __________ whereas Asli is using
_________.
a) naturalistic observation; laboratory observation
b) laboratory observation; the case study method
c) the case study method; cross-cultural research
d) cross-cultural research; naturalistic observation
Consider This: Both Huong and Asli are taking the same basic approach to studying their research question; only the
setting of the research differs. 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a
means of data collection.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a means of
data collection.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.2.4
Desmond administers a test of mathematical aptitude to a group of 25 incoming ninth graders, and then inspects
their final grades in their geometry class at the end of the school year. He finds that those students who were
predicted to have high mathematical skills (based on the test) did well on their geometry class (based on their final
grades) and that those who were predicted to do poorly did indeed do poorly. Desmond has collected some evidence
for the __________ of his aptitude test.
a) criterion validity
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b) test–retest reliability
c) content validity
d) projective content
Consider This: Desmond was able to demonstrate that his test correctly predicted independent, yet relevant,
outcomes. 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any standardized
psychological test.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.2.5
Sandeep wants to know whether drug use is widespread on his college campus. He asks the members of his
Chemical Dependency class if they’d be willing to respond to a short survey that he’s constructed on this topic. Half
the class agrees to participate. When Sandeep analyzes the data, he concludes that drug use indeed takes place at a
high rate. What’s the flaw in this research process?
a) Those students who agreed to participate might be quite different in their drug-taking attitudes or habits than
those who chose not to participate.
b) Content validity is at issue; Sandeep’s survey probably had little to do with drug-taking policies and more to do
with drug-taking attitudes.
c) Sandeep’s sample was representative of his college population, but it may not have been representative of the
average of college populations in his home state.
d) Sandeep relied on a standardized test; an assessment instrument should have been used instead, to assure that the
confirmation effect was in place.
Consider This: Sandeep might want to give more thought to the generalizability of the responses he obtained. 2.2.E
Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
End of Module Quiz: 2.3 Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
EOM Q2.3.1
Question: You notice a correlation coefficient of +.02 between two variables you’re studying. What conclusion
should you reach about their relatedness?
a) The two variables are pretty much unrelated to one another; scores on one variable show no consistent pattern
with scores on the other variable.
b) The two variables show a near-perfect positive correlation; +.02 is close to ideal, and high scores on one variable
are associated with high scores on the other.
c) The two variables show a near-perfect negative correlation; +.02 is close to ideal, and high scores on one variable
are associated with low scores on the other.
d) A correlation of +.02 is under the “.10 threshold”; therefore, the data should be reexamined using a new group of
research participants.
Consider This: Correlation coefficients range along a finite scale, and their gradations indicate differing degrees of
association between two variables. 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size
and direction of the relationship between two variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction
of the relationship between two variables.
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Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.3.2
Question: A negative correlation coefficient indicates that as scores on one variable __________, scores on the other
variable __________.
a) increase; decrease
b) decrease; decrease
c) increase; increase
d) level out; decrease
Consider This: Picture in your mind what a graph of a negative correlation would look like. 2.3.A Illustrate with an
example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction of the relationship between two variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction
of the relationship between two variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.3.3
Question: Which of the following values for a correlation coefficient indicates the strongest degree of relationship?
a) –.69
b) –.35
c) +.03
d) +.59
Consider This: Correlation coefficients measure both the strength and direction of a relationship between two
variables. 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction of the
relationship between two variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction
of the relationship between two variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.3.4
Roya believes that every time the moon is full, her left knee feels shaky. “It’s true,” she insists. “My knee is shaky
when the moon is full, and not shaky when the moon isn’t full.” Because there’s probably not a reliable association
between lunar phases and joint mobility, what does Roya’s belief illustrate?
a) an illusory correlation
b) a negative correlation coefficient
c) variable skew
d) a positive correlation coefficient
Consider This: Roya believes there is an association between two variables when there most likely isn’t. 2.3.B
Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship between those variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship
between those variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
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EOM Q2.3.5
Variable A is strongly associated with variable B. Therefore, it logically follows that __________.
a) variable A and variable B are correlated with one another
b) variable A causes variable B to happen
c) variable B causes variable A to happen
d) variable C causes both variable A and variable B to happen
Consider This: There are many possible ways to explain the association between two variables. 2.3.B Explain why a
correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship between those variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship
between those variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
End of Module Quiz: 2.4 Experiments: Hunting for Causes
EOM Q2.4.1
Question: In a study where college students are given herbal memory supplements to see whether this will improve
their scores in their psychology course, what is the independent variable?
a) whether students were given supplements or not
b) students’ scores on the next psychology midterm
c) students’ previous scores (or baseline) on psychology midterms
d) students’ scores on the next midterm minus the baseline score
Consider This: Some students were given supplements and some were not; both groups were later compared on
some outcome. 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an example of each.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an example of
each.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.4.2
Question: Inigo is conducting a psychological experiment with the help of his professor. As research participants
come to the laboratory, Inigo flips a coin. If the coin lands on heads, the participant takes part in the experimental
group; if the coin lands on tails, the participant goes into the control group. What principle of experimental design is
Inigo utilizing?
a) random assignment
b) a double-blind procedure
c) controlling the dependent variable
d) placebo activation
Consider This: Participants are equally likely to end up in either the experimental group or the control group. 2.4.B
Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and explain the difference between an
experimental group and a control group.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and explain
the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
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EOM Q2.4.3
Margo is studying people’s moods during a stressful laboratory situation. Wanting to be nice, she smiles at each
participant who enters the experimental condition (where they’ll be stressed) and remains neutral toward participants
in the control group. Surprisingly, she finds that participants in the stressful condition report being in better moods at
the end of the experiment, compared to participants in the control group. Margo’s professor is not so surprised,
however, because she realizes the outcomes are plagued by __________.
a) experimenter effects
b) random assignment
c) field study problems
d) placebo effects
Consider This: Can the differences in participants’ moods be attributed solely to the experimental treatments they
received, or is there another explanation for why one group is in a better mood than the other? 2.4.C Discuss the
methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research design.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research design.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.4.4
An experiment in which neither the participants nor the experimenter knows who is in the control group and who is
in the experimental group is called __________.
a) double-blind
b) single-blind
c) omni-blind
d) placebo-neutral
Consider This: Both the experimenter and participants remain uninformed about how the participants were assigned
to experimental conditions. 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research
design.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research design.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.4.5
__________ is a general term referring to studies that take place in a natural setting.
a) Field research
b) Experiment
c) Sampling expansion
d) Dependent control
Consider This: Research often takes place in the controlled conditions of a laboratory, but sometimes it doesn’t.
2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research design.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research design.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
End of Module Quiz: 2.5 Evaluating the Findings
EOM Q2.5.1
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“I’m so confused!” sputters Henry. “I collected all this data for my research project, but I don’t know which numbers
to pay attention to. The highest values? The lowest values? The most common value? Argh!” “Why don’t you look
at the arithmetic mean of all the values?” suggests Raelynn. “Finding the average score would be a good indicator of
what the values look like in general.” How would you advise Henry to go about finding the arithmetic mean?
a) Add up all the individual scores, then divide the result by the number of scores.
b) Figure out how far away each score is from every other one.
c) Subtract the lowest score from the highest score, then multiply the answer by 2.
d) Add the five lowest scores to the five highest scores, then divide the result by 2.
Consider This: The arithmetic mean is the average of a set of measurements. 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics
can be used to compare the performance of two groups of research participants.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of two groups
of research participants.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.5.2
Question: Calculations that allow a researcher to draw conclusions about how statistically reliable a result is are
collectively called __________ statistics.
a) inferential
b) descriptive
c) qualitative
d) quantitative
Consider This: After a researcher collects data from a specific group of participants, she or he usually wants to draw
some larger conclusion about what’s likely to be true in general. 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant
research result does and does not indicate, and identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate, and
identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.5.3
What threshold do psychological scientists usually adopt when deciding if a result is statistically significant?
a) whether the outcome would occur by chance alone less than 5 times out of 100
b) whether the outcome would occur by chance alone less than 20 times out of 100
c) whether the outcome matches what was predicted in the researcher’s original hypothesis
d) whether 60 percent of other researchers would reach the same conclusion when examining the data
Consider This: In order to be considered a statistically significant result, an outcome must meet a generally-agreed
upon standard. 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate, and identify
ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate, and
identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.5.4
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Guillermo and Eva are both interested in developmental psychology. Guillermo wants to compare a group of fiveyear-olds to a group of eight-year-olds to see how their reasoning skills differ. Eva wants to study a group of fiveyear-olds over the next three years to see how their reasoning skills change over time. Both designs have merit. The
main difference is that Guillermo is proposing __________ whereas Eva wants to conduct __________.
a) cross-sectional research; a longitudinal study
b) cross-sectional research; cross-cultural research
c) a longitudinal study; cross-sectional research
d) a time-series design; a meta-analysis
Consider This: Both Guillermo and Eva will be able to answer their questions about age differences in reasoning
skills, although they’re approaching the question with different tactics. 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and
longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size, meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the
importance of a research outcome.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size, metaanalysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOM Q2.5.5
Yvonne reviewed the scientific literature on the effects of gum-chewing on attention among middle schoolers and
found that 23 experiments had been conducted on this topic. She performed a series of statistical tests to reach an
overall conclusion from these studies as a group. What technique was Yvonne using?
a) meta-analysis
b) cross-sectional encumbrance
c) Bayesian sampling
d) confidence inference
Consider This: Rather than relying on the outcomes within any one experiment, Yvonne is utilizing a technique to
determine the strength of an overall pattern of results across many studies. 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and
longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size, meta-analysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the
importance of a research outcome.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size, metaanalysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
End of Module 2.6 Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
EOM Q2.6.1
Guidelines for the ethical treatment of human and animal research participants have been published (and are
updated) by the __________.
a) American Psychological Association (APA)
b) National Bureau of Standards (NBS)
c) International Federation of Psychological Scientists (IFPS)
d) Coalition for Psychological Justice (CPJ)
Consider This: Although research standards and guidelines exist at national and local levels, there is also a code of
conduct maintained by an independent governing body. 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and
debriefing are two key characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key characteristics
of a researcher’s code of ethics.
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Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.6.2
The ethical principle of __________ means that research participants are given enough information about a study to
make a reasonable decision about whether they will participate.
a) informed consent
b) debriefing
c) briefing
d) noblesse oblige
Consider This: Research participants cannot be coerced into taking part in a psychological study. 2.6.A Discuss why
the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key characteristics
of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.6.3
The ethical principle of __________ requires that researchers reveal the true nature and purpose of a psychological
study to subjects at the conclusion of their participation, and explain any deception that was used during the study.
a) debriefing
b) briefing
c) informed consent
d) falsification
Consider This: For example, in studies that require a bit of deception, when the study is over, participants must be
told why the deception was necessary. 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two
key characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key characteristics
of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOM Q2.6.4
Question: Which statement is true concerning the use of animals in psychological studies?
a) Animals are used in only a small percentage of psychological studies.
b) Animals are used as research subjects when it is too expensive to recruit human participants.
c) Animal research has been banned in psychological science, although it is common in medical research.
d) Animals are used in roughly 50 percent of all psychological research.
Consider This: Animal studies can provide important findings for many sciences, including psychology. 2.6.B
Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
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EOM Q2.6.5
Which of the following is a reason psychologists might study animals?
a) to improve human welfare
b) to avoid criticism from human participants
c) to take advantage of relaxed ethical standards
d) to test vague hypotheses without ethical repercussions
Consider This: There are many reasons why it might be advantageous to study animals; the text highlights four
reasons in particular. 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Chapter 2 Quiz: How Psychologists Do Research
EOC Q2.1
A statement that specifies the relationships among events and is derived from a theory is called __________.
a) a hypothesis
b) an operational definition
c) a predicate
d) an extension
Consider This: Science advances through the formulation and testing of the types of statements described in this
question. 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.A Distinguish among a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOC Q2.2
Tammy believes everything she reads in her sociology textbook. Keiko disagrees with every point her political
science professor makes. Peter listens to his astronomy professor but routinely asks “Why is that?” and “Could this
also be true?” Which student is skeptical?
a) Peter
b) Tammy
c) Keiko
d) All three students are practicing skepticism.
Consider This: Being skeptical is a good practice for scientists and critical thinkers in general. Think about how a
skeptic responds to information. 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just disbelief.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.B Explain why skepticism in science involves more than just disbelief.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.3
Jorge argues that personality characteristics are fully formed prenatally, while babies are still in their mothers’
wombs. Upon birth and exposure to the external environment, personality begins to change. Why is Jorge’s
hypothesis a poor one?
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a) It violates the principle of falsifiability; it can’t be disconfirmed.
b) It is a stage theory of development, but it needs more stages.
c) It is based on a small sample of measurements; Jorge should collect more data.
d) It is grounded in biological uncertainty; some mothers don’t know the sex of their unborn child.
Consider This: Jorge is proposing a hypothesis and making a prediction, presumably based on a theory he has
constructed regarding personality development. Many aspects of the scientific process are present, but something
crucial is missing. 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.C Explain why falsifiability is an important component of scientific research.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
EOC Q2.4
Under carefully controlled experimental conditions, Aldo finds that ninth graders who study an additional two hours
raise their test scores by 5 percent. Before publicizing his results, he repeats the experiment with a different group of
ninth graders, another group of ninth graders studying different material, and a group of 10th graders; in all cases the
same pattern of results emerges. What important feature of the scientific process is Aldo demonstrating?
a) replication
b) falsifiability
c) operationalization
d) divergence
Consider This: Aldo has taken steps to assure that his initial results are not a one-time fluke. 2.1.D Describe why
openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific enterprise.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.1.D Describe why openness and replication are important qualities of the scientific enterprise.
Module: What Makes Psychological Research Scientific?
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.5
Lluvia administers a questionnaire on dating habits to the 35 students in her Introductory Psychology class. What
type of sample do those participants constitute?
a) a convenience sample
b) a representative sample
c) a population sample
d) a dependent sample
Consider This: Think about how and where Lluvia got her research participants, and also think about the quality of
the conclusions she can reach from her study. 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological
studies and how the method of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.A Describe the ways participants are selected for psychological studies and how the method
of selection can influence interpretations of a study’s outcomes.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.6
Janelle wants to learn about the psychological impact of war on combat veterans, so she conducts an in-depth
interview with her grandfather who served in the Vietnam War. What type of research approach is Janelle using?
a) case study
b) observational study
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c) survey
d) experiment
Consider This: Janelle will no doubt learn much about her grandfather’s individual experiences, and this will provide
some information relevant to her research interests. 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case
studies as a means of data collection.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.B Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as a means of data
collection.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.7
A researcher wants to study whether people using laptops in a public setting are more likely to sit near one another
or more likely to sit near someone not using a computer. She sits in a local coffee shop for two hours each day for a
week and counts the number of other patrons with or without a laptop and whether they sit next to someone with or
without a laptop. What type of research methodology is being used in this study?
a) naturalistic observation
b) laboratory observation
c) survey
d) case study
Consider This: The researcher is recording typical behavior in a typical setting, without intervening in any way or
manipulating the situation in any way. 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational
methods as a means of data collection.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.C Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using observational methods as a means of
data collection.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.8
Compared to a group of 25,000 other test takers, Casey discovered she scored within the top 10 percent on an
intelligence test. She was suitably proud and impressed with her achievement. What allowed her to interpret her
score so readily?
a) The intelligence test provided norms based on a large comparison group.
b) She had been randomly assigned to the control condition of the intelligence experiment.
c) The intelligence test had alternate-forms reliability.
d) The other test takers formed the basis for test–retest reliability.
Consider This: Which aspect of standardized tests was Casey relying on? 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and
validity are the three key hallmarks of any standardized psychological test.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.D Explain why norms, reliability, and validity are the three key hallmarks of any
standardized psychological test.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
EOC Q2.9
Florence is interested in college students’ morality, so she administers a survey to 100 classmates asking how many
times they’ve vandalized public property, shoplifted a small item, lied to a loved one, taken office supplies from a
workplace, or kept miscounted change from a cashier. Florence was pleased to find that a staggering 92 percent of
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
her participants reported little to none of these activities and concluded that today’s students are a highly moral
bunch. Why might this conclusion not be entirely warranted?
a) People may not always respond accurately to self-report measures, such as surveys.
b) Florence should have polled a more focused sample of known transgressors.
c) Interviews with those 100 participants would have been a more efficient methodology.
d) She should have conducted case studies on the 8 percent of respondents who were immoral.
Consider This: Florence is making an assumption about the motives and abilities of the respondents to her survey.
2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.2.E Describe the advantages and limitations of using surveys in data collection.
Module: Descriptive Statistics: Establishing the Facts
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.10
Which of the following values for a coefficient of correlation indicates the weakest degree of relationship?
a) +.04
b) –.29
c) –.75
d) +.42
Consider This: Correlation coefficients measure both the strength and direction of a relationship between two
variables. 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction of the
relationship between two variables
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.A Illustrate with an example how a correlation coefficient gives both the size and direction
of the relationship between two variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.11
Question: Dalisay conducts a correlational study between two variables, X and Y. She conducts a statistical analysis
and writes out the following conclusion: The correlation coefficient for X and Y is – .67, meaning that the more
there is of X, the more there tends to be of Y. Dalisay has made a mistake. What is it?
a) This is a negative correlation, but she’s explaining it as if it were a positive correlation.
b) She must have run the analysis wrong because that is an invalid correlation coefficient.
c) She can’t draw a conclusion about the relationship between X and Y if the study was only correlational.
d) By definition, a correlational study must have at least three variables in it.
Consider This: A correlation coefficient can be any number between –1 and 1, with positive and negative numbers
referring to different directions for the relationship between variables. 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two
variables does not establish a causal relationship between those variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship
between those variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.12
Ximena conducts a study and finds that worker satisfaction and worker productivity are highly positively correlated.
What conclusion should she reach from her research?
a) Higher levels of satisfaction are systematically related to higher levels of productivity.
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Psychology, 13e/Wade/Tavris/Sommers/Shin
b) Greater satisfaction causes workers to be more productive.
c) Higher productivity causes workers to be more satisfied with their jobs.
d) Salary causes both increased productivity and increased satisfaction.
Consider This: Ximena has established that a relationship exists between two variables. 2.3.B Explain why a
correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship between those variables.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.3.B Explain why a correlation between two variables does not establish a causal relationship
between those variables.
Module: Correlational Studies: Looking for Relationships
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.13
Carmen wants to test whether putting people in a good mood versus a bad mood affects the size of a donation they
give to a homeless person. In this experiment, the dependent variable is __________.
a) the size of the donation
b) being in a good mood
c) being in a bad mood
d) a person’s mood state
Consider This: The dependent variable in an experiment “depends” on the independent variable. 2.4.A Distinguish
an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an example of each.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.A Distinguish an independent variable from a dependent variable, and give an example of
each.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.14
One group of research participants is given a new pain medication being tested by a pharmaceutical company. A
second group of participants reports to the same study as the first group, goes through the same procedures, meets
with the same researchers, but is given a sugar pill that has the same size, shape, and texture as the actual
medication. What did this second group receive in this experiment?
a) a placebo
b) the dependent variable
c) an agentic marker
d) a baseline
Consider This: In order to reach sound conclusions from an experiment, both an experimental group and a control
group need to be present. Think about the experiences of the two groups of participants described here. 2.4.B
Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and explain the difference between an
experimental group and a control group.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.B Explain how random assignment helps create conditions in an experiment, and explain
the difference between an experimental group and a control group.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.15
When only the experimenter knows whether a given participant is in the experimental or control group (and the
participants themselves do not), the study can be classified as a __________.
a) single-blind experiment
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b) double-blind experiment
c) repeated-measures design
d) failure
Consider This: Several safeguards need to be in place in order for psychological research to be valid; think about the
type of safeguard described in this question. 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of
experimental research design.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.4.C Discuss the methodological advantages and limitations of experimental research design.
Module: Experiments: Hunting for Causes
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOC Q2.16
Vihaan collects data on the number of hours college students study each day, and finds that his respondents typically
study for three hours, give or take one and a half hours in either direction. “Typically” in this context refers to the
__________, whereas “give or take” refers to the __________.
a) arithmetic mean; standard deviation
b) standard deviation; arithmetic mean
c) arithmetic mean; p-value
d) p-value; standard deviation
Consider This: Vihaan no doubt compiled some descriptive statistics as a first step in understanding his
measurements. 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of two groups of
research participants.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.A Explain how descriptive statistics can be used to compare the performance of two groups
of research participants.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
EOC Q2.17
“The arithmetic mean of the ratings in the experimental group was 45, although the mean could reasonably be as
high as 52 or as low as 37 if the test were repeated with a new group of subjects.” Which inferential statistic is being
utilized in that statement?
a) confidence intervals
b) effect size
c) canonical correlation
d) significance testing
Consider This: The statement provides a range of values that show where the arithmetic mean is likely to be in the
majority of cases. 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate, and
identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.B Explain what a statistically significant research result does and does not indicate, and
identify ways in which statistics can be misused or misrepresented.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
EOC Q2.18
Bayesian statistics approaches the results of an experiment by __________.
a) taking into account relevant prior knowledge about the topic under study and the likelihood of a result’s
occurrence
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b) assuming the result is incorrect, then reasoning backward to show how it could be accurate
c) setting a p value at 1 time out of 1,000
d) comparing the effect size if the result were correct to the effect size if the result were wrong Consider This:
Bayesian statistics offers a different approach from traditional significance tests. Which aspects make it different?
2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size, meta-analysis, and Bayesian
statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.5.C Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss how effect size, metaanalysis, and Bayesian statistics allow us to judge the importance of a research outcome.
Module: Evaluating the Findings
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
EOC Q2.19
Anna reported to the psychology laboratory to participate in an experiment. Before she began, however, she was
given a form to read and sign, outlining what her participation would require, detailing her options should she
choose not to participate, and requesting her permission to take part in the study. Anna was given a(n) __________.
a) consent form
b) debriefing form
c) indemnity form
d) issuance notice
Consider This: Anna was not coerced into participating but rather she was given enough information to make a
reasonable decision regarding her participation. 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and
debriefing are two key characteristics of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: 2.6.A Discuss why the principles of informed consent and debriefing are two key characteristics
of a researcher’s code of ethics.
Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
EOC Q2.20
Which of the following is a reason psychologists might study animals?
a) to conduct basic research on a particular species
b) to test the limitations of new and dangerous equipment
c) to avoid having to deal with APA ethical guidelines
d) because animals don’t require payment, and human research subjects always get paid for their participation
Consider This: There are many reasons why it might be advantageous to study animals; the text highlights four
reasons in particular. 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
Answer: a
Learning Objective: . 2.6.B Discuss the advantages and ethical considerations of using animals in research.
Module: Keeping the Enterprise Ethical
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
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