Unit 1 Test

Question 1

Which of the following methods best limits the influence of unknown variables in an experiment?
A. Random assignment.
B. Correlational study.
C. Debriefing.
D. Stratified sampling.
E. Subject matching.

Answer 1

A. Random assignment.

Question 2

Jill wants to study the process of thinking. Which field of psychology should she choose?
A. Cognitive.
B. Social.
C. Personality.
D. Learning.
E. Subject matching.

Answer 2

A. Cognitive.

Question 3

A positive correlation means that:
A. High values of one variable are associated with low values of another.
B. High values of one variable are associated with high values of the other.
C. Low values of one variable are associated with high values of the other. D. There is no relationship between the two variables.

Answer 3

B. High values of one variable are associated with high values of the other.

Question 4

Empirical evidence is evidence derived from careful observation, experimentation, and ________ ?
A. Psychoanalytic truths.
B. Measurement.
C. Psychobabble.
D. Common sense.

Answer 4

B. Measurement.

Question 5

In a drug study, a placebo effect occurs when:
A. Participants who receive a placebo respond to the fake drug treatment in the same way as a control group who receives no drug.
B. participants are aware when they are given a fake drug treatment.
C. Only the experimental group is affected by the drug treatment.
D. Participants who receive a placebo respond to the fake drug treatment in the same way as the experimental group who receives the drug.

Answer 5

D. Participants who receive a placebo respond to the fake drug treatment in the same way as an experimental group, who receives the drug.

Question 6

The first psychology laboratory was established in 1879 and Leipzig, Germany by?
A. Joseph Gall.
B. Wilhelm Wundt.
C. William James.
D. Sigmund Freud.

Answer 6

B. Wilhelm Wundt.

Question 7

Which of the following hypothesis would be the most difficult to test experimentally?
A. People exposed to the color red will be more aggressive than those exposed to the color blue.
B. Exercise improves mood.
C. Exposure to violent television increases aggression.
D. Studying leads to better grades.
E. Divorce makes children more independent.

Answer 7

E. Divorce makes children more independent.

Question 8

Lily scores 145 on an IQ test with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. What is her Z score?
A. -3
B. -1.5
C. +.67
D. 1.5
E. +3

Answer 8

E. +3

Question 9

Olivia, a nursery school student hypothesizes that boys have fights with the finger paints more than girls do. She test her hypothesis by casually watching the finger painting table for three days of nursery school. What method is she using?
A. Field experiment
B. Informal survey.
C. Case study
D. Naturalistic observation
E. Ethnography.

Answer 9

D. Naturalistic observation

Question 10

Dr. Lyons studies the impact of societal norms and values on human decision making behavior. She accepts which of the following psychological approaches?
A. Sociocultural.
B. Learning.
C. Cognitive.
D. Psychodynamic.

Answer 10

A. Sociocultural

Question 11

Emma scores a perfect hundred on a test that everyone else fails. If we were to graph this distribution it would be:
A. Normal.
B. Positively skewed.
C. Negatively skewed.
D. A straight line.

Answer 11

B. Positively skewed.

Question 12

Psychologist who conduct psychological research in order to seek knowledge for its own sake work in:
A. Humanist psychology.
B. Basic psychology.
C. Applied psychology.
D. Positive psychology.

Answer 12

B. Basic psychology.

Question 13

According to the psychoanalytic perspective, human behavior is understood by:
A. Careful introspection and reflection on sensations and thoughts.
B. Looking at unconscious forces, conflicts and instincts.
C. Examining the causes and consequences of behavior.
D. Studying the nervous system and the dynamics of the brain.

Answer 13

B. Looking at unconscious forces, conflicts and instincts.

Question 14

A(n) ____________ psychologist studies how the adaptive nature of one’s genetic past may be reflected in our current mental processes, behaviors, and traits.
A. Cognitive.
B. Psychodynamic.
C. Biological.
D. Evolutionary.

Answer 14

D. Evolutionary

Question 15

The ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments requires:
A. Emotional reasoning.
B. Relying on assumptions.
C. Critical thinking.
D. Relying on anecdotes

Answer 15

C. Critical thinking.

Question 16

A statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena is called:
A. Hypothesis.
B. Operational definition.
C. Independent variable.
D. Theory.

Answer 16

A. Hypothesis.

Question 17

A precise definition of a term in a hypothesis, which specifies the operations for observing and measuring the process being defined, is called:
A. Variable.
B. Operational definition.
C. Theory.
D. Norm.

Answer 17

B. Operational definition.

Question 18

Which of the following psychological approaches suggest that jealousy might serve an adaptive functioning in protecting a sexual relationship from threats?
A. Cognitive.
B. Behavioral.
C. Psychodynamic.
D. Evolutionary.

Answer 18

D. Evolutionary.

Question 19

What is the median of the following distribution: 6,2,9,4,7,3?
A. 4
B. 5
C. 5.5
D. 6
E. 6.5

Answer 19

B. 5

Question 20

Psychologist generally prefer the experimental method to other research methods because:
A. Experiments are more likely to support psychologist hypotheses.
B. Experiments can show cause effect relationships.
C. It is easier to obtain a random sample from an experiment.
D. Double blind designs are unnecessary in an experiment.
E. Experiments are more likely to result in statistically significant findings.

Answer 20

B. Experiments can show cause-effect relationships.

Question 21

A(n) ____________ is descriptive research method that provides a detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated.
A. Observational study.
B. Case study.
C. Survey.
D. Psychological test.

Answer 21

B. Case study

Question 22

Procedures used to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes and values through oral and written test are called:
A. Laboratory observations.
B. Control conditions.
C. Psychological tests.
D. Field research.

Answer 22

C. Psychological tests.

Question 23

Establish standards of performance on psychological tests, are referred to as:
A. Norms.
B. Reliability.
D. Validity.
E. Service.

Answer 23

A. Norms

Question 24

Graphology, or hand writing analysis, uses precise measurements in order to determine personality characteristics from a sample of one’s hand writing. However, there is a little empirical evidence to suggest that graphology is accurate in determining one’s personality from a handwritten sample. Graphology is an example of?
A. Fortune telling.
B. Common sense.
C. Pseudoscience.
D. Numerology.

Answer 24

C. Pseudoscience.

Question 25

A test that is valid must: A. Have scores that fit a normal curve B. Be reliable. C. B normed on a random sample. D. Predict the future. E. Reveal important information.

Answer 25

B. Be reliable.

Question 26

Introspection, a research tool used by early psychologist, is a technique which involves: A. Correlational analysis. B. Machines designed for cognitive analysis. C. Survey methodology. D. Self examination of mental process. E. Teaching participants to multitask.

Answer 26

D. Self examination of mental process.

Question 27

Charlotte and Tamar are lab partners assigned to research who is friendlier, girls or boys. After conversing with their first 10 participants, they find that their friendliness ratings often differ. With which of the following should they be most concerned? A. Reliability. B. Confounding variables. C. Ethics. D. Validity. E. Random assignment.

Answer 27

A. Reliability.

Question 28

The term “Biological psychology” is concerned with: A. Aggressive and sexual behavior. B. Depression and anxiety. C. Genetics and nervous system. D. Social anxiety. E. Psycho treatment.

Answer 28

C. Genetics and nervous system.

Question 29

It is important for researchers to use operational definitions when: A. They want to ensure that conditions are assigned randomly. B. They want to be able to replicate the experiment. C. They want to organize a hypothesis appropriately. D. They are conducting experimental research but not correlational research. E. They are conducting an experiment with no independent independent variables.

Answer 29

B. They want to be able to replicate the experiment.

Question 30

A psychologist designed a study to test the effects of cell phone use on driving safety. Participants were randomly assigned either to drive an automobile simulator while talking to a friend on his cell phone or to drive hey simulator without talking on the phone. Which type of research does the scenario describe? A. Participant observation. B. Correlational study. C. Naturalistic observation. D. Case study. E. Experimental.

Answer 30

E. Experimental.

Question 31

A psychologist designed a study to test the effects of cell phone use on driving safety. Participants were randomly assigned either to drive an automobile simulator while talking to a friend on his cell phone or to drive hey simulator without talking on the phone. In the study, cell phone use can be described as: A. The dependent variable. B. The independent variable. C. The confounding variable. D. The placebo. E. And operational definition.

Answer 31

B. The independent variable.

Question 32

The _______ perspective emphasizes how people are in control of their own actions and inherent worth is very important. A. Biological B. Learning. C. Cognitive. D. Humanistic.

Answer 32

D. Humanistic.

Question 33

A negative correlation means that: A. High values of one variable are associated with low values of another. B. High values of one variable are associated with high values of the other. C. Low values of one variable are associated with low values of the other. D. There is no relationship between the two variables.

Answer 33

A. High values of one variable are associated with low values of another.

Question 34

In an experiment that tests the effects of violent television on aggressive behavior, 30 participants view violent television for 2 hours. Thirty additional participants view nonviolent television for 2 hours. All participants are then given an aggression questionnaire to complete. Individuals who viewed nonviolent television are part of: A. The dependent variable. B. The independent variable. C. The control group D. The placebo

Answer 34

C. The control group.

Question 35

The inactive substance or fake treatment that is used as a control in an experiment is called: A. The dependent variable. B. The independent variable. C. The control variable. D. The placebo

Answer 35

D. The placebo

Question 36

Which of the following measures can be precisely located on the graph of skewed distribution without doing any calculations? A. Mode B. Median. C. Mean. D. Standard deviation. E. Variance.

Answer 36

A. Mode

Question 37

A market researcher is interested in ascertaining which of two possible packages is more likely to entice buyers to purchase a new brand of chocolate chip cookie. In this study, which of the following pairs, represents the independent and dependent variables, respectively? A. Another brand of cookie; the new brand of cookie. B. The new brand of cookie; another brand of cookie. C. The new brand of cookie; the two types of packaging. D. Total sales from each of the packages; the different types of package. E. The different types of packages; total sales for each of the packages.

Answer 37

E. The different types of packages; total sales for each of the packages.

Question 38

An experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or control group is called: A. A correlational study. B. A single blind study. C. A double blind study. D. Field research.

Answer 38

B. A single blind study.

Question 39

A psychologist administered the most recent edition of the Stratford Binet IQ test to 50 students and their scores are shown in the chart to the right. How many students earned scores higher than two standard deviations above the mean? A. 2 B. 3 C. 8 D. 10 E. 20

Answer 39

A. 2

Question 40

The number of storks nests in some European villages is positively correlated with the number of human births in the village. This means that: A. The researchers made an error in their calculations since babies don’t attract storks. B. Since storks don’t bring babies, one may assume that correlation never represents causation. C. When many storks nest, researchers may predict fewer human births. D. The number of human births may be predicted by knowing the number of stork nestlings.

Answer 40

D. The number of human births may be predicted by knowing the number of stork nestlings.

Question 41

A random sample can best be defined as: A. A sample in which each potential participant has an equal chance of being selected. B. A sample that is carefully chosen so the characteristics of participants correspond to the larger population. C. A selection of cases from a larger population. D. A selection of cases from the control group. E. A sample of a larger population from the experimental group.

Answer 41

A. A sample in which each potential participant has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 42

The Hawthorne effect is best defined as: A. Expectations by the experimenter that can influence the results of an experiment. B. The change in the results of an experiment when it is “blind” versus “double blind.” C. The idea that people will alter their behavior because of the researchers’ attention and not because of actual treatment. D. Specific, testable predictions derived from a theory E. The idea that subjects in an experiment will lie if the researcher tells them to.

Answer 42

C. The idea that people will alter their behavior because of the researchers’ attention and not because of actual treatment.

Question 43

Marc, a psychology major, collected survey data about the the number of hours that college students study for finals and their grades on those finals. His data indicates that students who spend more time studying for finals tend to do better than other students. What can Marc now conclude? A. Studying improves a students grade on a final exam. B. A relationship exists between studying and grades. D. Students who do not study for final exams will not do well on those exams. E. Students with higher IQs tend to study more than those with lower IQs.

Answer 43

B. A relationship exists between studying and exam grades.

Question 44

Which of the following coefficients of a correlation indicate the weakest relationship between two variables? A. .51 B. -.28 C. .08 D. -1 E. 1

Answer 44

C. .08

Question 45

If a researcher is trying to establish a casual relationship between eating breakfast and work performance, the researcher should use which of the following methods of research? A. Case study B. Correlational research C. Experimental research D. Survey E. Statistics

Answer 45

C. Experimental research

Question 46

Dr. Marco explains to a client that his feelings of hostility toward a coworker are most likely caused by the way the client interprets the coworker’s actions and the way he thinks that people should behave at work. Dr. Marco is most likely working from what perspective? A. Behavioral B. Cognitive C. Psychoanalytic D. Humanist E. Sociocultural

Answer 46

B. Cognitive

Question 47

Which of the following psychologists wrote the first psychology textbook? A. William James B. Wilhelm Wundt C. B.F. Skinner D. John Watson E. Albert Bandura

Answer 47

A. William James

Question 48

Which of the following correlation coefficients most likely represents the relationship between length of sleep deprivation and level of alertness? A. 1.35 B. .85 C. .01 D. -.7 E. -1.25

Answer 48

D. -.7

Question 49

Clients who work with their therapists to explore their past to discover the source of their illness would be seeking what type of therapy? A. Psychoanalytic B. Humanist C. Cognitive D. Eclectic E. Behavioral

Answer 49

A. Psychoanalytic

Question 50

Dr. Pickering decided to study the television viewing habits of his students and therefore demanded that they complete and return a survey regarding their viewing habits. Which of the following ethical principals was clearly violated in this study? A. The right to have a copy of the results B. The right to have a copy of the survey C. The right to be protected from unnecessary risk of harm D. The right to refuse to participate in the study E. The right to be informed of deception

Answer 50

D. The right to refuse to participate in the study

Question 51

A researcher conducts an experiment to test the claim that new drug Y is more effective than standard drug X in inhibiting arousal. The researcher randomly assigns participants to receive drug Y or drug X and subsequently measures arousal. In this experiment, participants receiving drug Y constitute the: A. Dependent variable B. Confounding variable C. Experimental group D. Control group E. Placebo group

Answer 51

C. Experimental group

Question 52

Which of the following scatterplots depicts the most predictive negative correlation between two variables?

Answer 52

C.

Question 53

A therapist who says that she uses the whatever psychological perspective “works best” for each patient might be best described as: A. Sociocultural B. Humanist C. Eclectic D. Psychoanalytic E. Functionalist

Answer 53

C. Eclectic

Question 54

The normal distribution, approximately what percent of the scores occur within one standard deviation above and below the mean? A. 5% B. 16% C. 33% D. 68% E. 97%

Answer 54

D. 68%

Question 55

The quotation below is consistent with the views of which of the following schools of psychology? “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed, in my own specific world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to be any type of specialist I might select-doctor, lawyer, artist, merchan-chief and yes, even beggar and their…” A. Existentialism B. Structuralism. C. Humanism. D. Gestalt. E. Behaviorism.

Answer 55

E. Behaviorism.

Question 56

3 4 5 5 7 7 7 8 8 10 10 participants in a treatment group were asked to write their feelings of self-worth on a scale of one to ten, the value of 10 indicating a very positive feeling of self worth. The data for the participants are above. What is the mode for these data? A. 4 B. 5 C. 6 D. 7 E. 8

Answer 56

D. 7

Question 57

3 4 5 5 7 7 7 8 8 10 10 participants in a treatment group were asked to write their feelings of self-worth on a scale of one to ten, the value of 10 indicating a very positive feeling of self worth. The data for the participants are above. What is the mean for these data? A. 6 B. 6.4 C. 7 D. 7.33 E. 7.5

Answer 57

B. 6.4

Question 58

Based on the graph, which of the following would most likely be used to assess the relation between participants’ scores on the two tests? A. Z score B. A correlation C. Analysis of variance D. Descriptive statistics E. Factor analysis

Answer 58

B. A correlation

Question 59

Which of the following values best represents the value of the statistic associated with the graph? A. -.50 B. .00 C. 1.00 D. 1.96 E. 3.00

Answer 59

B. .00

Question 60

Which of the following is a valid conclusion that the researchers could have drawn from the data? A. The measurement from the new test is likely to be better than the measurement of the original test. B. The new test provides information on intelligence that is highly comparable to that provided by the original test. C. The new test produces scores that are generally unrelated to those produced by the original test. D. The new test is likely to be biased in favor of disadvantaged groups E. Intelligence is too abstract a concept to measure accurately.

Answer 60

C. The new test produces scores that are generally unrelated to those produced by the original test.

Question 61

Match the psychologist to their perspective field:

Answer 61

1. F 2. C 3. G 4. F 5. E 6. A 7. B 8. D 9. G 10. G

Question 62

Dependent variable:

Answer 62

A dependent variable is the behavior or mental process that is being measured.

Question 63

Hypothesis:

Answer 63

A hypothesis is an assumption or prediction of how two or more factors or variables are likely to be related.

Question 64

Independent variable:

Answer 64

An independent variable is the factor that the researcher is changing or manipulating.

Question 65

Confounding variables:

Answer 65

Confounding variables are any variable other than the independent variable that is different between the experimental group and the control group that may influence the results of the experiment.

Question 66

Operational definition:

Answer 66

An operational definition is a description of the specific procedure being used to determine the presence of a variable.

Question 67

Single blind study:

Answer 67

A single blind study is an experiment where the participants do not know if they are in the experimental group or the control group but the researcher does.

Question 68

Random assignment:

Answer 68

Random assignment is when all people selected to be in an experiment have an equal chance of being assigned to the experimental group or control group.

Question 69

P Score:

Answer 69

The P Score is a descriptive statistic that shows the likelihood that the findings of an experiment are due to chance.