Chapter 2 - Questions

Question 1

Psychologists and other scientists share three sets of interrelated goals:

Answer 1

(1) Measurement and description

(2) Understanding and prediction

(3) Application and control

Question 2

Steps in a scientific investigation:

Answer 2

Step 1: Formulate a Testable Hypothesis

Step 2: Select the Research Method and Design The Study

Step 3: Collect the Data

Step 4: Analyze the Data and Draw Conclusions

Step 5: Report the Findings

Question 3

within-subjects design

Answer 3

experiment where participants serve as their own control group

Question 4

Which research method is best for investigating the following:

Are people’s attitudes about nuclear disarmament related to their social class or education?

Answer 4

Survey.

You would distribute a survey to obtain information on subjects’ social class, education, and attitudes about nuclear disarmament.

Question 5

Which research method is best for investigating the following:

Do people who suffer from anxiety disorders share similar early childhood experiences?

Answer 5

Case study.

Using a case study approach, you could interview people with anxiety disorders, interview their parents, and examine their school records to look for similarities in childhood experiences. As a second choice, you might have people with anxiety disorders fill out a survey about their childhood experiences.

Question 6

Which research method is best for investigating the following:

Do troops of baboons display territoriality—that is, do they mark off an area as their own and defend it from intrusion by other baboons?

Answer 6

Naturalistic observation.

To answer this question properly, you would want to observe baboons in their natural environment, without interference