Exam 1: Research Methods

Question 1

A researcher administers a cognitive ability test to a group of participants on two occasions, one week apart. She calculates a high correlation between the two sets of test scores. This suggests that the test has high:

A. Internal consistency
B. Test-retest reliability
C. Face validity
D. Construct validity

Answer 1

B. Test-retest reliability

Question 2

In a study measuring the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, the researcher notices that participants’ test scores have a large spread, with some scoring very high and others very low. This wide spread in scores is an example of:

A. High reliability
B. Low validity
C. High variability
D. High reliability

Answer 2

C. High variability

Question 3

A researcher finds that as physical activity increases, symptoms of depression decrease in a group of elderly participants. This type of research is most likely an example of:

A. Experimental research
B. Correlational research
C. Case study
D. Quasi-experimental research

Answer 3

B. Correlational research

Question 4

A scientist wants to test the effects of a new drug on memory. She randomly assigns participants to two groups: one group receives the drug, and the other receives a placebo. The participants’ memory performance is then measured. What type of research design is this?

A. Observational
B. Experimental
C. Correlational
D. Longitudinal

Answer 4

B. Experimental

Question 5

A researcher studies the effects of music on learning by having one group study in silence and another group study while listening to classical music. However, the participants in the music group were also exposed to brighter lighting than the silence group, which may have influenced the results. This is an example of a:

A. Dependent variable
B. Confounding variable
C. Control variable
D. Independent variable

Answer 5

B. Confounding variable

Question 6

A psychologist uses a personality test with 30 items to measure extroversion. She finds that all the items seem to be measuring the same construct and calculates a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.91. This suggests the test has:

A. Low face validity
B. High test-retest reliability
C. High internal consistency
D. High external validity

Answer 6

C. High internal consistency

Question 7

In an experiment, one group of participants is given a stimulant and another group is given a placebo to measure attention levels. The researcher finds that the attention scores for the stimulant group are tightly clustered around the mean, while the placebo group’s scores are more spread out. This difference in score distribution is related to:

A. Variability
B. Internal validity
C. Reliability
D. External validity

Answer 7

A. Variability

Question 8

A study finds that people who eat more fruits and vegetables tend to have lower blood pressure. However, the study does not manipulate any variables, it simply observes this relationship. This type of study is best described as:

A. Experimental
B. Correlational
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Case study

Answer 8

B. Correlational

Question 9

Researchers want to test whether a new teaching method improves math scores in elementary school students. They randomly assign one class to use the new method and another class to use the traditional method. What is the independent variable in this experiment?

A. Students’ math scores
B. The type of teaching method used
C. The age of the students
D. The number of math problems solved

Answer 9

B. The type of teaching method used

Question 10

In an experiment testing the effects of exercise on mood, the researcher assigns participants to an exercise group or a control group. However, the participants in the exercise group are also given a motivational speech before the exercise, which the control group did not receive. This speech could act as a:

A. Dependent variable
B. Independent variable
C. Confound
D. Random variable

Answer 10

C. Confound

Question 11

A researcher wants to study the effects of a new after-school tutoring program on student achievement. She selects one school where the program is already in place and compares student test scores to another nearby school that does not have the program. The lack of random assignment in this study makes it a:

A. True experimental design
B. Quasi-experimental design
C. Correlational study
D. Case study

Answer 11

B. Quasi-experimental design

Question 12

A hospital implements a new patient care protocol in one of its departments to improve patient satisfaction. To evaluate its effectiveness, the researcher compares patient satisfaction scores from the department using the new protocol with scores from a different department using the traditional protocol. The main reason this is a quasi-experimental design is because:

A. The researcher manipulates an independent variable
B. There is no manipulation of any variables
C. Participants were not randomly assigned to groups
D. It involves only one department

Answer 12

C. Participants were not randomly assigned to groups

Question 13

A government agency wants to evaluate the impact of a new job training program. It tracks participants who voluntarily join the program and compares their employment outcomes to a group of similar individuals who did not join the program. This is an example of a quasi-experimental design because:

A. The independent variable is not manipulated
B. The participants were not randomly assigned to conditions
C. The researcher is not measuring a dependent variable
D. The study takes place over a long period of time

Answer 13

B. The participants were not randomly assigned to conditions

Question 14

A psychologist collects data on the stress levels of 50 college students after finals week. She wants to know if the average stress level in this sample is significantly higher than the national average stress level of all college students. To draw a conclusion about the entire population based on this sample, the psychologist should use:

A. Descriptive statistics
B. Inferential statistics
C. Case study analysis
D. Observational research

Answer 14

B. Inferential statistics

Question 15

A researcher measures the average blood pressure of 100 patients before and after they start a new diet. He wants to determine if the diet has a statistically significant effect on blood pressure in the general population. Which statistical approach would help the researcher make this inference?

A. Inferential statistics using a paired t-test
B. Descriptive statistics using the mean and standard deviation
C. Correlational analysis between diet and age
D. Regression analysis of diet compliance

Answer 15

A. Inferential statistics using a paired t-test

Question 16

A company conducts a survey to compare customer satisfaction between two of its stores. Store A has an average satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5, while Store B has an average of 4.2. The researcher wants to know if this difference is statistically significant for all customers, not just the ones surveyed. Which of the following would be appropriate to use?

A. Correlation analysis
B. Descriptive statistics
C. Hypothesis testing with a p-value
D. Frequency distribution

Answer 16

C. Hypothesis testing with a p-value

Question 17

A researcher is studying whether a new drug lowers cholesterol levels. She conducts a clinical trial with 150 participants and compares their cholesterol levels before and after taking the drug. To infer whether the reduction in cholesterol levels is statistically significant for the larger population, the researcher should use:

A. Inferential statistics with a confidence interval
B. Descriptive statistics with a histogram
C. Observational analysis
D. Correlational statistics

Answer 17

A. Inferential statistics with a confidence interval