chap 2 - research methods

Question 1

Which of the following helps us to avoid the pitfalls of relying too much on intuition and heuristics?

Answer 1

research design

Question 2

As the average daily temperature in Des Moines, Iowa, decreases the number of persons who are observed wearing sweaters in the workplace increases. This is an example of a ________ correlation.

Answer 2

negative

Question 3

Which term is used to describe the process whereby researchers must let research subjects know what they are getting into?

Answer 3

informed consent

Question 4

A mechanism by which experts in a field carefully screen the work of their colleagues is known as

Answer 4

peer review

Question 5

The variable that an experimenter measures to determine whether or not the manipulation has had an effect is the ________ variable.

Answer 5

dependent

Question 6

Dr. Watson wanted to know which grade was better at sharing at the middle-school level, so he went to the local middle school to observe lunch periods. This is a form of

Answer 6

naturalistic observation

Question 7

People report feeling better after taking medication even though it hasn’t had time to be effective. They are experiencing

Answer 7

the placebo affect

Question 8

If you are interested in examining the relationship between the number of class days missed and one’s subsequent semester grade point average, you would be best served to use a(n) ________ to study this question.

Answer 8

correlational design

Question 9

The major advantage of self-report measures, like surveys, is that they

Answer 9

are easy to administer

Question 10

Jason was conducting an evaluation of a restaurant waitress. He sat at the table with a list of things to observe in front of him, and the waitress noticed that he was assessing her every move. He noticed that she began acting more professionally around him, was friendlier, and gave him extra attention. Why would Jason have been better off using naturalistic observation for this assessment?

Answer 10

so that his observations would not have changed the witnesses behavior

Question 11

Professor Wagner is explaining to his subjects the purpose behind the experiment they just participated in, along with a general description of the results. He is engaging in what aspect of a research study?

Answer 11

debriefing

Question 12

When we ask if it is possible for a claim made in a research study to be disproved, we are asking if the claim is

Answer 12

falsifiable

Question 13

A(n) ________ definition in an experiment refers to a working description of what the researcher is measuring or observing in the study.

Answer 13

operational

Question 14

The variable that an experimenter measures to determine whether or not the manipulation has had an effect is the ________ variable.

Answer 14

dependent

Question 15

Professor Todd decides to test her hypothesis that eating chocolate prior to exams increases students’ test scores. She randomly assigns students to two groups at the beginning of the semester. One group receives a bar of chocolate before each test, while the other group receives another type of candy. She compares their scores at the end of the year, and finds that the students who ate the chocolate scored an average of ten points higher on their exams. What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

Answer 15

student test scores

Question 16

Which ethical requirement of research was not present in the Tuskegee experiment, where nearly 400 African American men were exposed to syphilis and denied treatment for its symptoms?

Answer 16

informed consent

Question 17

Two variables are said to be correlated when scores on one variable

Answer 17

are related to scores on the second variable.

Question 18

The most important factor to ensure that one’s results apply to other people in other settings is to use

Answer 18

random selection

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true about naturalistic observation?

Answer 19

It involves observing behavior in its real-world context.

Question 20

The idea that we can dismiss scientific theories like Darwinian evolution from serious consideration because a theory is just an educated guess is

Answer 20

a misconception

Question 21

A correlation coefficient will always range between

Answer 21

-1.0 and +1.0

Question 22

The tendency to look for supportive evidence rather than actively seeking out contradictory evidence is known as

Answer 22

the confirmation bias

Question 23

__________ is consistency of measurement.

Answer 23

reliability

Question 24

Sue asked three of her friends after class if they thought the test they just finished taking was as easy as she thought it was. They all agreed that it was. She was surprised to find out the next day that although she and her friends had indeed done well, a majority of the class had failed. Why shouldn’t Sue have been surprised?

Answer 24

She did not use random selection when asking people about the test.

Question 25

This research design involves an extremely deep and detailed information gathering from a single individual over an extended period of time.

Answer 25

case study design

Question 26

A psychologist is often skeptical of claims suggesting that

Answer 26

a particular behavior is the result of a single causal variable.

Question 27

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest degree of relation between two variables?

Answer 27

-.47

Question 28

Dr. Potter, an English professor, is curious about his students’ attitudes toward one of his favorite books. What research method is he most likely to use to gather this information?

Answer 28

survey

Question 29

Which of the following correlations represents the weakest degree of relation between two variables?

Answer 29

daily calcium intake and bone mass density, r= +.11

Question 30

The perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists is known as

Answer 30

illusory correlation

Question 31

The __________ variable is what the experimenter “manipulates” or varies.

Answer 31

independent variable

Question 32

A key disadvantage to self-report measures is that

Answer 32

respondents are not always honest in their answers

Question 33

Correlational research designs are NOT appropriate for purposes of

Answer 33

causation

Question 34

A group of student researchers divide up the different times and buildings on their campus to attempt to determine when people will hold a door open for another person. These student researchers are most likely to use which research method design when conducting their study?

Answer 34

naturalistic observation design

Question 35

Why do most individuals on both sides of the animal rights debate believe that it is “a dreadful idea” for animal activists to release captive laboratory animals?

Answer 35

many of the animals die shortly after being released

Question 36

The group that receives the manipulation is called the

Answer 36

the experimental group

Question 37

The story of how facilitated communication was debunked is a powerful illustration of the triumph of science over

Answer 37

pseudoscience

Question 38

__________ is the extent to which a measure assesses what it claims to measure.

Answer 38

validity

Question 39

Dr. Johansen randomly assigned subjects to three different groups during her last experiment. She then proceeded to give all the participants in the experiment a new study technique designed to enhance their learning for the upcoming test. What critical error did she make during her experiment?

Answer 39

she failed to include a control group

Question 40

What is the main difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

Answer 40

an experiment involves the manipulation of variables, while a correlational study does not

Question 41

When acting as a participant in a research study examining the relationship between alcohol consumption and driving ability, Layla was assigned to the experimental group that received the highest amount of alcohol to drink. Despite this ingestion of liquor, Layla was still able to navigate the driver’s course perfectly. The experimenter did not consider the fact that Layla had been a drinker for many years, and had developed a high alcohol tolerance. This factor, which impacted the dependent variable in the study, would be called a(n) ________ variable.

Answer 41

confounding

Question 42

Professor Bowden is in the middle of her lecture on marital satisfaction when a student in the back interrupts her and says, “Dr. Phil doesn’t agree with that theory!” Soon other students chime in to add fuel to the discussion. Professor Bowden just smiles and asks the original student to produce the research that Dr. Phil carried out to justify his statements. What lesson is Professor Bowden trying to teach?

Answer 42

always check the source of your information before you believe it