Ch 2 (c) Research Methods

Question 1

To understand the unusual behavior of an adult client, a clinical psychologist carefully investigates the client’s current life situation and his physical, social-cultural, and educational history. Which research method has the psychologist used?

Answer 1

the case study

Question 2

Which research method is typically used to examine one participant in depth, usually because the individual’s situation/behavior is rare or unusual?

Answer 2

case study

Question 3

Which of the following researchers used the case study method, carefully observing one exceptional individual in depth to reach conclusions that might be true of all of us?

Answer 3

Jean Piaget

Question 4

In 1953, H.M. underwent surgery to control his seizures. Doctors removed tissue from the hippocampus. As a result H.M.’s memory was severely impaired. Psychologists studied H.M.’s memory function until his death in 2008. Which research method did the psychologists utilize in this situation?

Answer 4

case study

Question 5

In 1848, Phineas Gage, a railroad construction foreman, survived when an explosion drove an iron rod through his head damaging the functioning of the frontal lobes. This instance provided evidence that the frontal lobe plays a role in personality and behavior. Researchers have continued to study Gage’s brain to better understand this link. Which research method is being used?

Answer 5

case study

Question 6

The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it

Answer 6

may be unrepresentative of what is generally true.

Question 7

In which research method do we study one exceptional individual in depth and try to carefully draw conclusions about others based on the evidence?

Answer 7

case study

Question 8

What is the primary limitation of the case study research method?

Answer 8

Individual cases can be misleading and result in false generalizations.

Question 9

A researcher interested in investigating the attitudes or opinions of a large sample of people is most likely to use which research method?

Answer 9

survey

Question 10

A majority of respondents in a national survey agreed that “classroom prayer should not be allowed in public schools.” Only 33 percent of respondents in a similar survey agreed that “classroom prayer in public schools should be banned.” These divergent findings best illustrate the importance of

Answer 10

wording effects

Question 11

Surveys indicate that people are much less likely to support “welfare” than “aid to the needy.” These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of

Answer 11

wording effects

Question 12

Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion?

Answer 12

survey

Question 13

The complete set of cases from which samples may be drawn is called a(n)

Answer 13

population

Question 14

In order to learn about the political attitudes of all students enrolled at Arizona State University, Professor Marlow randomly selected 800 of these students to complete a questionnaire. In this instance, all the students enrolled at Arizona State University are considered to be a(n)

Answer 14

population

Question 15

Which procedure helps to ensure that the participants in a survey are representative of a larger population?

Answer 15

random sampling

Question 16

To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School, Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school’s students. In this instance, all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n)

Answer 16

population

Question 17

To assess reactions to a proposed tuition hike at her college, Ariana sent a questionnaire to every fifteenth person in the college registrar’s alphabetical listing of all currently enrolled students. Ariana employed the technique of

Answer 17

random sampling

Question 18

After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American, Ervin concluded that African-
Americans are better athletes than members of other racial groups. Ervin’s conclusion best illustrates the danger of

Answer 18

generalizing from vivid cases

Question 20

Which of the following is most useful for helping survey researchers avoid false generalizations?

Answer 20

random sampling

Question 21

Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as

Answer 21

naturalistic observation

Question 22

To study the development of relationships, Dr. Rajiv carefully observed and recorded patterns of verbal and nonverbal behaviors among boys and girls in the school yard. Which research method did Dr. Rajiv employ?

Answer 22

naturalistic observation

Question 23

To compare the pace of life in different countries, investigators measured the speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request. This best illustrates the use of a research method known as

Answer 23

naturalistic observation