Question 1

Which of the following would be the best first step to getting involved in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

A)  Working on your own research project as it is the most immersive. 
B)  Taking a variety of psychology courses. 
C)  Reading a narrow and specific body of literature chosen at random to gain a deep understanding. If it doesn't interest you, start over. 
D)  Read faculty websites at your institution. 
A)  Working on your own research project as it is the most immersive. 
B)  Taking a variety of psychology courses. 
C)  Reading a narrow and specific body of literature chosen at random to gain a deep understanding. If it doesn't interest you, start over. 
D)  Read faculty websites at your institution. B

Question 2

Which of the following best describes an instance of methodological advancement informing psychological theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  The invention of the Internet has allowed surveys to be accessed by participants from all over the world. 
B)  The development of faster computing ability has enabled complex statistical models to be run on large datasets. 
C)  The foundation of the Institutional Review Board has allowed researchers to recruit a much more diverse population of participants. 
D)  The discovery of DNA sequencing has enabled researches to make claims about the role of nature in behavior. 
A)  The invention of the Internet has allowed surveys to be accessed by participants from all over the world. 
B)  The development of faster computing ability has enabled complex statistical models to be run on large datasets. 
C)  The foundation of the Institutional Review Board has allowed researchers to recruit a much more diverse population of participants. 
D)  The discovery of DNA sequencing has enabled researches to make claims about the role of nature in behavior. D

Question 3

It is possible to conduct research that is free of prior assumptions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 4

A group of researchers studying the effects of exercise on stress levels hypothesize that a higher level of physical activity will result in a lower level of stress. Which of the following describes a theory-driven approach to data analysis in this instance?

Accepted Answer

A)  Two-tailed hypothesis testing 
B)  One-tailed hypothesis testing 
C)  Statistical exploration 
D)  Data mining 
A)  Two-tailed hypothesis testing 
B)  One-tailed hypothesis testing 
C)  Statistical exploration 
D)  Data mining

Question 5

Psychological theory influences methodology but methodology does not influence theory.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

The best way to find out the details of a survey that was used in a study is to look in the abstract.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

List a reason for and a criticism against data exploration.

Accepted Answer

For: make new findings that wo

Question 8

Finding an article relevant to your topic can often lead you to more relevant articles.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

George wants to get a brief overview of a research article before reading it in more detail. Which portion should he look at first?

Accepted Answer

A)  The abstract 
B)  The references 
C)  The introduction 
D)  The discussion 
A)  The abstract 
B)  The references 
C)  The introduction 
D)  The discussion

Question 10

Which of the following is not a function of psychological theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Informs the predictions that researchers make 
B)  Supports the questions that researchers ask 
C)  Influence the methods that researchers use 
D)  Determines the ethical guidelines for a study 
A)  Informs the predictions that researchers make 
B)  Supports the questions that researchers ask 
C)  Influence the methods that researchers use 
D)  Determines the ethical guidelines for a study

Question 11

What is the key advantage of joining an on-going research project instead of starting your own?

Accepted Answer

A)  One of the hardest task of conducting research as an amateur is selecting the research question. 
B)  You don't have enough experience in analysis and joining an on-going project will allow others to help you with that. 
C)  On-going research projects give you immersion faster and allow you to participate in the most important part of research: answering the question. 
D)  On-going projects already have a design, and designing how to conduct a study takes a lot of time and energy. 
A)  One of the hardest task of conducting research as an amateur is selecting the research question. 
B)  You don't have enough experience in analysis and joining an on-going project will allow others to help you with that. 
C)  On-going research projects give you immersion faster and allow you to participate in the most important part of research: answering the question. 
D)  On-going projects already have a design, and designing how to conduct a study takes a lot of time and energy.

Question 12

List three functions of using theory in the research process.

Accepted Answer

Helps to narrow the focus and

Question 13

A researcher's theoretical assumptions can influence how they design an experiment.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

When looking for research articles on a particular research topic, why might you want to avoid a general "brute force" search involving just the keywords?

Accepted Answer

A)  The article database will not return a comprehensive list of related articles. 
B)  The most widely read media article on the topic is comprehensive enough, so no further search is needed. 
C)  There are more efficient ways of obtaining important articles within a topic, such as using advanced search functions. 
D)  The "brute force" method is inefficient because important articles can always be obtained more quickly by asking your peers for them. 
A)  The article database will not return a comprehensive list of related articles. 
B)  The most widely read media article on the topic is comprehensive enough, so no further search is needed. 
C)  There are more efficient ways of obtaining important articles within a topic, such as using advanced search functions. 
D)  The "brute force" method is inefficient because important articles can always be obtained more quickly by asking your peers for them.

Question 15

Describe an instance of how methodology can influence psychological theory.

Accepted Answer

Any example of how the discove

Question 16

Researchers sometimes recruit participants with specific characteristics as a function of theoretical demands. For example, researchers interested in the question of the effects of nature versus nurture conduct twin studies.
Which of the following participant characteristics is least likely to be informed by psychological theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Age 
B)  Blood type 
C)  Personality 
D)  Gender 
A)  Age 
B)  Blood type 
C)  Personality 
D)  Gender

Question 17

The best way to obtain information from a research article is to read it from front to back.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In general, empirical psychology research articles…

Accepted Answer

A)  do not have a standard format. While most have introductions, methods, and results, there is no strict structure governing the sections even though APA formatting exists. 
B)  should be read linearly from beginning to end first; it is written in that order for a reason. After, you are free to skip to the important sections. 
C)  consists of exactly five sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, and references. 
D)  are often most efficiently read without regard for the order of the sections. 
A)  do not have a standard format. While most have introductions, methods, and results, there is no strict structure governing the sections even though APA formatting exists. 
B)  should be read linearly from beginning to end first; it is written in that order for a reason. After, you are free to skip to the important sections. 
C)  consists of exactly five sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, and references. 
D)  are often most efficiently read without regard for the order of the sections.

Question 19

Which of the following is true of common sense theories with regards to psychological research?

Accepted Answer

A)  They have no place in psychological research. 
B)  They sometimes influence psychological research. 
C)  They are more reliable than formal theories. 
D)  They are often the basis of formal theories. 
A)  They have no place in psychological research. 
B)  They sometimes influence psychological research. 
C)  They are more reliable than formal theories. 
D)  They are often the basis of formal theories.

Question 20

A literature review mainly lists authors who have contributed to the topic, including authors who have had both minor and major contributions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Which of the following would be the best first step to getting involved in psychological research?

Which of the following best describes an instance of methodological advancement informing psychological theory?

It is possible to conduct research that is free of prior assumptions.

A group of researchers studying the effects of exercise on stress levels hypothesize that a higher level of physical activity will result in a lower level of stress. Which of the following describes a theory-driven approach to data analysis in this instance?

Psychological theory influences methodology but methodology does not influence theory.

The best way to find out the details of a survey that was used in a study is to look in the abstract.

List a reason for and a criticism against data exploration.

Finding an article relevant to your topic can often lead you to more relevant articles.

George wants to get a brief overview of a research article before reading it in more detail. Which portion should he look at first?

Which of the following is not a function of psychological theory?

What is the key advantage of joining an on-going research project instead of starting your own?

List three functions of using theory in the research process.

A researcher's theoretical assumptions can influence how they design an experiment.

When looking for research articles on a particular research topic, why might you want to avoid a general "brute force" search involving just the keywords?

Describe an instance of how methodology can influence psychological theory.

The best way to obtain information from a research article is to read it from front to back.

In general, empirical psychology research articles…

Which of the following is true of common sense theories with regards to psychological research?

A literature review mainly lists authors who have contributed to the topic, including authors who have had both minor and major contributions.

Introduction to Research Methods

The Ethical Imperative

Negotiating the Institutional Review Board Process

Focusing Your Question and Choosing a Design

Developing Your Research Protocol

Survey and Interview Approaches

Experimental Designs

Variations on Experimental Designs

Observation, Case Studies, Archival Research, and Meta-Analysis

Neuroscience Methods

Research Over Age and Time

Analyzing Your Data I: an Overview

Analyzing Your Data II: Specific Approaches

Writing up Your Results

Publishing Your Research

Filters

Exam 4: Starting Your Research

Which of the following would be the best first step to getting involved in psychological research?

Which of the following best describes an instance of methodological advancement informing psychological theory?

It is possible to conduct research that is free of prior assumptions.

A group of researchers studying the effects of exercise on stress levels hypothesize that a higher level of physical activity will result in a lower level of stress. Which of the following describes a theory-driven approach to data analysis in this instance?

Psychological theory influences methodology but methodology does not influence theory.

The best way to find out the details of a survey that was used in a study is to look in the abstract.

List a reason for and a criticism against data exploration.

Finding an article relevant to your topic can often lead you to more relevant articles.

George wants to get a brief overview of a research article before reading it in more detail. Which portion should he look at first?

Which of the following is not a function of psychological theory?

What is the key advantage of joining an on-going research project instead of starting your own?

List three functions of using theory in the research process.

A researcher's theoretical assumptions can influence how they design an experiment.

When looking for research articles on a particular research topic, why might you want to avoid a general "brute force" search involving just the keywords?

Describe an instance of how methodology can influence psychological theory.

The best way to obtain information from a research article is to read it from front to back.

In general, empirical psychology research articles…

Which of the following is true of common sense theories with regards to psychological research?

A literature review mainly lists authors who have contributed to the topic, including authors who have had both minor and major contributions.

Introduction to Research Methods

The Ethical Imperative

Negotiating the Institutional Review Board Process

Focusing Your Question and Choosing a Design

Developing Your Research Protocol

Survey and Interview Approaches

Experimental Designs

Variations on Experimental Designs

Observation, Case Studies, Archival Research, and Meta-Analysis

Neuroscience Methods

Research Over Age and Time

Analyzing Your Data I: an Overview

Analyzing Your Data II: Specific Approaches

Writing up Your Results

Publishing Your Research

Filters