Exam 2: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research

Standard deviation is a measure of ______________.

Expectations by the experimenter that might influence the results of an experiment or their interpretation are called __________. a. experimental blinds b. experimenter bias c. sample bias d. treatment bias

Dr. Rose gives a standardized personality test to a group of psychology majors in January and again in March. Each individual's score remained nearly the same over the two-month period. From this, Dr. Rose can infer that the test is _____.

The degree to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure is known as _____.

By studying a _____, scientists hope that they can generalize the results of their investigation to the _____.

Dr. Johansen randomly assigned subjects to three different groups during her last experiment. She then proceeded to give all the participants in the experiment a new study technique designed to enhance their learning for the upcoming test. What critical error did she make during her experiment?

Asking participants to write about upsetting or traumatic experiences puts them at risk for cognitive and emotional stress.

Kia and her friend are discussing why so many child actors become troubled adults. Kia says, "Obviously they were spoiled as children, which made them unprepared to become adults." From a scientific point of view, what is wrong with Kia's statement?

A frequency distribution with a cluster of scores and a long tail to its left is called a ________________ distribution.

Dr. Welsh is doing experiments using drugs. He is concerned that his subjects will respond to demand characteristics. He may want to control for this by using which of the following? a. stratification b. two independent variables c. a placebo d. randomization

As children grow older, their discretionary income usually increases. The best conclusion to draw about the variables age and income are that they are: a. causally related b. uncorrelated c. negatively correlated d. positively correlated

The main purpose of replicating studies is to:

A researcher tests the hypothesis that students who study in the room where they take their tests will perform better on the tests than students who study in other rooms. She requires one group to study in the classroom where the exam is given and another group to study in the library. All students take the test in the classroom, and their test performance is compared. In this example, where students study is the: a. independent variable. b. dependent variable. c. manipulation. d. hypothesis.

Watching behavior in real-world settings is known as ___________.

In an experiment concerning the effect of auditory feedback on accuracy in writing computer programs, one group hears a computer-simulated voice say each character or symbol that they type in as they are writing their programs. The second group does not receive the auditory feedback as they type their program lines. This second group is the ___________ group. a. experimental b. control c. placebo d. confederate

Using both independent and dependent variables is associated with which of the following types of research used in psychology? a. experimentation b. naturalistic observation c. correlation d. correlation and experimentation

Experimenter bias can best be controlled using ________. a. a placebo b. double-blind control c. randomization d. subjects who do not know the purpose of the study

Professor Golder is studying hyperactivity in preschool-age children. She is concerned that differences in child rearing, diet, and so forth may affect her results. To minimize these potential preexisting variables, she should be sure to do which of the following?

A detailed, well-researched biography of a famous historical person is technically an example of the __________ method of research. a. psychometric b. naturalistic observation c. case study d. correlational

A psychologist uses the correlational method to _________. a. explain the effects of one variable on another b. compare two groups of subjects c. determine what causes a variable to change d. identify relationships between variables