Exam 2: Studying Behaviour Scientifically

A researcher is conducting an experimental research where reaction time is measured. 50 participants were selected randomly from the population. Each participant was asked to press the "space bar" on a computer that has been in the research lab for 20 years. If the results of such a study show an overall slow reaction time across the participants then the conclusion can be made as such?

Explain why confounding decreases the internal validity of experiments.

Strayer and colleagues wanted to establish if there was a causal relationship between cell phone use while driving and increased risk of vehicular collision. The independent and dependent variables in that experiment were, respectively

People sometimes change their behaviour when they know that they are being observed. To counter this problem, psychologists monitor behaviours in a way that people are unaware that they are being observed. These measures are called _________.

In research, any characteristic that can vary is called a(n) _________.

In survey research, random sampling is typically used to insure that a sample is representative; while in experiments, a different method is used to balance differences between subjects across various experimental groups. The method used in experiments is called

A clinical psychologist has developed a new form of psychotherapy to treat a particular personality disorder. In order to test its effectiveness, a group of people with the personality disorder is selected to receive the therapy for 8 weeks. A second group of people with the disorder is also created, but this group receives no therapy at all. At the end of the 8 weeks, the mental health of people in both groups is assessed to evaluate the new psychotherapy. In this study, the people who did not receive any therapy would be in the

A major difference between experiments and correlational studies is

If an experiment has a confounding variable, this significantly lowers its internal validity.

In 1971, Phillip Zimbardo and colleagues conducted an experiment to learn about the power of roles. The subjects were randomly assigned to a "prisoner" group or a "guard" group. The guards were to do whatever they deemed necessary to maintain control. Less than two days into the experiment, one prisoner had a "nervous breakdown." Because the experimenters believed that the prisoner was trying to trick them into releasing him, they laughed at him for being weak and made him stay. If this experiment were done today, it would be in violation of the APA's ethical standards for informed consent, because

Which of the following was discussed as a potential limitation of naturalistic observation?

Random assignment controls important differences between individual participants by ____________.

What are the three essential characteristics of experimentation?

Consider the following distribution: (3, 4, 5, 2, 256). Which measure of central tendancy is likely to be LEAST representative of the distribution?

You read about some research that is assessing a new treatment for social phobia (a psychological disorder). Immediately you notice that the research may have been affected by both placebo effects and experimenter expectancy effects. You would now be concerned about which of the following?

The problem that occurs when we can't tell which of two variables causes the other (i.e., does A cause B or does B cause A) is called the third-variable problem.

A researcher wants to study the effect of child abuse on intellectual development. Which type of methodology would be ethically acceptable?

Imagine that a study has just been published which shows a relationship between a certain nutritional supplement and a lower incidence of cold and flu. This study was based on survey data and asked people to report whether or not they used this supplement in the last four months, as well as estimate the amount of times they were ill in that same period, and the average duration associated with those illnesses. Their results show that people who take the supplement report being ill less often and/or for less time. The company selling the supplement wants to claim that this is scientific proof their product works. Why are participants in this study asked about both the number and duration of illnesses?

The main difference between internal validity and external validity is that

Which of the following is an advantage of the case study method of research?