Exam 1: Section 2: Introduction and Research Methods

Gomez wanted to investigate the effects of nicotine on the activity of the brain. Because she did not want to expose people to radioactivity or use any invasive procedures to measure brain activity, Dr. Gomez chose to use _____ for her measures of brain activity.

"I hate doing group projects in my classes," Hillary, an American student, complained. "When we do a group project, people just don't work as hard as they do when they are working alone." Hillary's observation reflects a psychological phenomenon called:

Which of the following numbers is NOT a possible correlation coefficient?

Psychologists following the _____ perspective have investigated the diversity of human behavior in different countries and have discovered that some well-established psychological findings are not as universal as once thought.

Which of the following early psychologists wrote The Animal Mind and strongly advocated the scientific study of the mental processes of different animal species?

When Brenda's son did not experience any of the claimed benefits from wearing a magnetic vest, she was told that magnets act differently on different body parts, that the vest might not have been properly secured, and that everyone's body reacts differently to magnet therapy. The therapist encouraged her to continue using the vest, saying that the healing effect would not be noticeable until her son had worn it longer. This example illustrates:

Which of the following statements about Mary Whiton Calkins is FALSE?

The founder of psychoanalysis was:

Which of the following techniques or instruments generates color-coded images of the brain's activity by tracking a small amount of radioactively tagged compound, such as glucose, oxygen, or a drug that is injected into the person's bloodstream?

In an experiment investigating the hypothesis that aerobic exercise improves concentration and memory, all the participants had an equal chance of being assigned to any of the three conditions in the study. The researchers have used _____ to minimize the possibility of bias when assigning participants to the different groups.

After the dictatorship ended in Slobonia, many children were found in state-run orphanages where they had been badly treated and often neglected. These children were placed for adoption and researchers followed their progress over a number of years, measuring psychological and physical indicators of well-being. This type of research is called:

A health psychologist is conducting an experiment on the link between short-term psychological distress and the immune system. Participants in the first group watched a 30-minute film in which a carpenter and his assistant demonstrated how to build a deck for a house. Participants in the second group watched an almost identical film, except that during the last few minutes of the film, the carpenter slipped while operating an electric hand saw and cut off one of his assistant's fingers. Immediately after the film, blood samples were drawn from each subject and assessed for the number of disease-fighting white blood cells. What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Psychologists can use deception techniques as part of a study only when certain conditions have been met. Which statement is one of these conditions?

The factor or variable other than the ones being studied that, if not controlled, could affect the outcome of an experiment is the _____ variable.

Theory is to hypothesis as _____ is to _____.

A friend tells you that putting a small cardboard pyramid under your bed as you sleep at night will enhance your "psychic energy" and give you "inner peace." Pseudoscientific claims like this:

In Dr. Foster's study one group is given a new medication that is believed to reduce anxiety. Another group is given a medication that looks like the real medication but has none of the active ingredients in it to affect anxiety. In this experiment the experimental group is the:

Six-year-old Gary could not stop throwing up after being hit on his head. To help detect possible damage or brain swelling, doctors took a detailed image of the boy's brain structures using a powerful, non-invasive technique that involves harmless magnetic fields. What instrument was used?

The ethical requirement of informed consent means that:

"I believe that consciousness should be studied to help us understand the adaptive and practical functions of human behavior." Such a statement is MOST likely to have been made by: