Exam 2: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research

If explanation of the causes of thoughts, feelings, and behavior is a psychologist's goal, then the __________ method of research should be used. a. correlational b. experimental c. survey d. naturalistic observation

Dr. Sparks is concerned because he gave Julie a new intelligence test that he personally designed and her scores do not seem very consistent. Which aspect of psychological testing is Dr. Sparks concerned with?

Which of the following is the correct description of frequency?

The process of setting up two or more groups in an experiment is called _____.

Mr. Jones, a sixth grade science teacher, has tried to predict his students' end-of-the-year grades by looking at their grades from the previous year. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any systematic relationship between these two variables. The correlation between these two variables is probably ____________.

The group that receives the manipulation of an independent variable is called the _______________.

In general, which of the following is true about anecdotal evidence?

_____________ research does not an attempt to explain how or why something happened, but instead it is an opportunity to present observations about the characteristics of the subject.

Describe and compare correlational research and experimental research. What key advantage does experimental research have over correlational research? Module: 2.2

In a survey of recent graduates, your college reports that the mean salaries of the former students are positively skewed. What are the consequences of choosing the mean rather than the median or the mode in this case?

Before research findings can be published they go through ________________, which is a process in which papers submitted to publication in scholarly journals are read and critiqued by experts in the specific field of study.

A researcher is able to conduct an experiment on study habits in his laboratory and he finds some exciting results. What is one possible shortcoming of using this method?

Naturalistic observation is ____________________. a. re-creating natural conditions in the laboratory as closely as possible to make an experiment more valid b. studying behavior in its natural context c. basically the same process as objective introspection d. observing behavior in the lab without taking formal notes or using technological equipment to measure the experiment findings