CHAPTER 2: Research Methods MCQ Flashcards
Which of these is the key characteristic of science?
A) It involves formal and systematic observation.
B) It involves the use of laboratories.
C) It is performed by professors.
D) It results in technological advances.
A) It involves formal and systematic observation.
Which of these is a goal of science? A) inquiry B) Internal validity C) description D) discovery
C) description
The goals of science include description, explanation, control, and: A) expectation.
B) prescription.
C) confirmation.
D) prediction.
D) prediction.
The goal of science that involves the manipulation of antecedent conditions to affect behavior is called: A) control. B) explanation. C) prediction. D) disconfirmation.
A) control.
The goal of science that involves the accurate portrayal of a certain phenomenon is known as: A) control. B) explanation. C) description. D) evaluation.
C) description.
The goal of science that involves learning about how and why a phenomenon exists is known as: A) control. B) explanation. C) description. D) proving.
B) explanation.
A scientist who believes that behavior is orderly and systematic and does not happen by chance holds the basic assumption of science known as: A) discoverability. B) empiricism. C) descriptivism. D) determinism.
D) determinism.
Dr. Le believes that humans behave in orderly ways, and it is possible to detect this orderliness . Dr. Le appears to believe in an assumption of science known as: A) parsimony. B) precision. C) discoverability. D) generativity.
C) discoverability.
Jill develops the theory that students learn better from lectures than from reading. Sam believes that this theory is not very good because it is unclear what Jill means by “better.” In other words, Jill’s theory lacks:
A) precision.
B) discoverability.
C) parsimony.
D) generativity.
A) precision.
Which of these is a criterion of a good theory? A) usefulness B) empiricism C) entropy D) pseudoscience
A) usefulness
Ting believes that if you die in a dream you will also die in real life. Karen points out that if someone dies in his or her sleep we could never find out what happened in the dream. Thus, there is no way to demonstrate support for Ting's theory. His theory lacks: A) precision. B) parsimony. C) testability. D) determinism.
C) testability.
The scientific philosopher Karl Popper stated that science is really about:
A) generating as many theories as possible in order to advance science.
B) proving that theories are true based on experimental data.
C) ruling out alternative explanations until one explanation or theory fits the data.
D) creating new theories, even if no one ever tests them.
C) ruling out alternative explanations until one explanation or theory fits the data.
This criterion of a good theory states that it should be practical and help to describe, explain, and predict an important phenomenon. Thus, a good theory must be: A) systematic. B) useful. C) deterministic. D) testable.
B) useful.
Professor Sandhurst collects data from employees before developing a theory of job satisfaction. This approach is known as: A) reduction. B) deduction. C) induction. D) postduction.
C) induction.
The approach to science that involves starting with a theory and propositions and then collecting data to test those propositions is: A) reduction. B) induction. C) production. D) deduction.
D) deduction.
Researchers are using _____ when they start with data and create a theory to explain it; and they are using _____ when they
start with a theory and collect data to support or refute that theory.
A) induction; deduction
B) deduction; induction
C) reduction; induction
D) induction; reduction
A) induction; deduction
Sofia has heard about a theory that suggests that when people are in a group they tend to put forth less effort than when they work alone. She decides to collect some data to see if they support this theory. Sofia is using: A) deduction. B) reduction. C) parsimony. D) induction.
D) induction.
When considering whether to begin scientific research with data or with theory, it is important to know that the approach taken by most distinguished scientists is one that:
A) combines both inductive and deductive processes.
B) uses the deductive process only.
C) uses the inductive process only
D) uses the reductive process only.
A) combines both inductive and deductive processes.
Professor Sanchez has data from an experiment that indicate that being treated rudely by a boss leads to employees missing work more often. With such data the professor can draw a(n): A) causal inference. B) deductive inference. C) inductive inference. D) conclusive inference.
A) causal inference.
Which research design is the ONLY design in which we can assert that one variable is causing another variable? A) survey research B) case study research C) experimental research D) archival research
C) experimental research
In an experiment, a researcher is investigating the effects of two types of rewards on employee motivation. The independent variable in this experiment is: A) the type of rewards. B) employee motivation. C) employee performance. D) employee salary.
A) the type of rewards.
Dr. Applesmith conducts a study in which he manipulates the light in a room while assessing participants’ performance on a counting task. In this example, the light is the _____, and the performance on the counting task is the _____.
A) dependent variable; independent variable
B) extraneous variable; dependent variable
C) independent variable; dependent variable
D) independent variable; extraneous variable
C) independent variable; dependent variable
In an experiment, the variable of interest—that is, the variable the experiment is designed to assess—is known as the: A) independent variable. B) dependent variable. C) causal variable. D) internal variable.
B) dependent variable.
The type of variable that can contaminate the results of an experiment and may be an alternative to a causal relationship is known as a(n): A) predictor variable. B) criterion variable. C) extraneous variable. D) antecedent variable.
C) extraneous variable.
Dr. Wickersham wants to examine how light affects participants’ performance on a counting task. So she has two groups, one that works under dim light, and one that works under bright lights. She finds that those in the dim-light condition perform better. However, one of her research assistants admits that he gave those in the dim-light condition extra time to complete the task. Now Dr. Wickersham is not sure whether those in the dim-light condition did better because of the lighting or because of the extra time they received. The extra time on the test is an example of a(n):
A) independent variable.
B) dependent variable.
C) criterion variable.
D) extraneous variable.
D) extraneous variable.
Independent variables are frequently referred to as: A) predictors. B) criteria. C) confounds. D) outcomes.
A) predictors.
"Predictors," "precursors," and "antecedents" are all words we might use to describe: A) extraneous variables. B) independent variables. C) dependent variables. D) criterion variables.
B) independent variables.
"Criteria," "outcomes," and "consequences" are all words we might use to describe: A) extraneous variables. B) independent variables. C) dependent variables. D) predictor variables.
C) dependent variables.
Dr. Xiong conducts a study examining whether people feel more motivated when music is playing versus when there is silence. At first, his findings appear to indicate that those in the “music condition” do better. However, he learns that his research assistant encouraged the participants in the music condition but did not encourage those in the silent condition. Now, Dr. Xiong doesn’t know whether the better performance was due to the music or the encouragement. Dr. Xiong’s study has poor:
A) external validity.
B) extraneous validity.
C) content validity.
D) internal validity.
D) internal validity.
\_\_\_\_\_ is the extent to which we can draw causal inferences about the variables in an experiment. A) External validity B) Extraneous validity C) Content validity D) Internal validity
A) External validity
The extent to which results in an experiment generalize to other people, settings, and times is referred to as: A) internal validity. B) external validity. C) empirical validity. D) experimental control.
B) external validity.
When an experiment uses college students as participants, some people may raise concerns that the results are not generalizable to employees in the "real world." This represents a concern about: A) content validity. B) construct validity. C) external validity. D) internal validity.
C) external validity.
One way to demonstrate the external validity of an experiment is to:
A) replicate the results with different participants, in different settings, and at different times.
B) rule out all extraneous variables affecting the independent variable.
C) implement statistical control to minimize variability in the experiment.
D) manipulate different levels of the independent variable.
A) replicate the results with different participants, in different settings, and at different times.
Dr. Chinua is conducting a lab study. The situation is very artificial, and participants may not always behave normally. However, Dr. Chinua can very carefully control the conditions so that he can be certain that the effects that he sees on the dependent variable result from changes in the independent variable. His research is high in _____, but low in _____.
A) internal validity; external validity
B) external validity; internal validity
C) internal validity extraneous validity
D) extraneous validity; internal validity
A) internal validity; external validity
Dr. Begley is conducting a study in a factory in which she is examining whether having employees wear uniforms affects their job satisfaction. In this study, her sample is very representative of other factory workers; however, because the employees work in an actual workplace, she cannot control other things that might affect their satisfaction. Her research is
high in _____, but low in _____.
A) internal validity; external validity
B) external validity; internal validity
C) internal validity; extraneous validity
D) extraneous validity; internal validity
B) external validity; internal validity
The first step in any research project is to:
A) design the study and consider validity.
B) formulate testable hypotheses.
C) decide how data will be collected from participants.
D) use statistical analysis to make sense of the data.
B) formulate testable hypotheses.
After designing a study, the next step in the research process involves: A) developing hypotheses. B) testing the hypotheses. C) reporting results. D) collecting data.
D) collecting data.
When research participants have an equally likely chance of being assigned to an experimental condition or the control condition, the experimenter has: A) manipulated the independent variable. B) demonstrated external validity. C) employed random assignment. D) set up a quasi-experiment.
C) employed random assignment.
A researcher is conducting an experiment to test the effect of feedback on job performance. The researcher can exercise control over extraneous variables, such as intelligence, by:
A) using participants with the same level of intelligence.
B) using participants with the same level of job performance.
C) giving all participants the same type of feedback.
D) randomly assigning participants to feedback conditions.
D) randomly assigning participants to feedback conditions.
Laboratory experiments are typically:
A) high in internal validity and low in external validity.
B) low in internal validity and high in external validity.
C) generalizable to any workplace situation.
D) conducted in real-world work settings.
A) high in internal validity and low in external validity.
