Deck 2: Research Methods

Question 1

Amanda asks a group of research participants to estimate whether more people die each year from homicide or from diabetes.She finds that higher numbers choose homicide,because they are more vivid examples,though over twice as many die from complications related to diabetes.This is one example of the dangers of ________ in our judgments and decision making.

A)the availability heuristic
B)confirmation bias
C)hindsight bias
D)the representativeness heuristic

Answer 1

the availability heuristic

Question 2

One reason that we are susceptible to the representativeness heuristic is that we

A)are fooled by information that comes to our mind most easily.
B)fail to consider how probable an outcome is within the general population.
C)mistake confidence for certainty.
D)overestimate our cognitive abilities and processes.

Answer 2

fail to consider how probable an outcome is within the general population.

Question 3

If you polled some friends about the number of murders in New York City and other friends about the number of murders in the state of New York,you'd likely find that the average number of murders estimated for New York City is more than for the entire state.This impossible finding is best explained by the

A)availability heuristic.
B)confirmation bias.
C)hindsight bias.
D)tendency toward overconfidence.

Answer 3

availability heuristic.

Question 4

The __________ heuristic involves estimating the likelihood of an occurrence based on the ease with which it comes to our minds.

A)availability
B)hindsight
C)base rate
D)representativeness

Question 5

Dr.Fortner is discussing cognitive psychology with his introductory psychology class and says that we act as cognitive misers when making decisions or judgments about others.What does Dr.Fortner mean with this statement?

A)We are frequently incorrect in our judgments and decision making.
B)We value accuracy in our judgments and decisions.
C)We value simplicity in understanding our social world.
D)We will use heuristics only as long as they give us the correct answer.

Question 6

A key idea that emerged from Kahneman and Tversky's research is that people often behave

A)irrationally.
B)logically and reasonably.
C)rationally.
D)in an unbiased fashion.

Question 7

An important danger of heuristics and cognitive biases is that they lead us to

A)become anxious or depressed about our place in the world.
B)believe in observations about our world that are not true.
C)doubt our intuition and gut feelings in important real-life circumstances.
D)underestimate our general levels of cognitive abilities and skills.

Question 8

What is the main take-home message from the authors' discussion of autism and facilitated communication?

A)Autistic children want to communicate with their parents but need someone to facilitate the process.
B)Even in the face of overwhelming evidence,some people won't abandon their erroneous beliefs.
C)Psychological research is dangerous because it allows anyone to find support for any idea or opinion.
D)The scientific method is not an effective means for finding solutions for persons who live with autism and other psychological disorders.

Question 9

When confronted with an overwhelming number of facts and figures,most people simply make decisions based on "gut" feelings.For example,when buying a car,many people will bypass the process of comparing and contrasting all the particular cars from a certain category and buy the one that "feels" right.This tendency is best explained by which concept?

A)Logistics
B)Hierarchial thinking
C)Intuition
D)Heuristics

Question 10

Ted,who watches a lot of sporting events on television,assumed that nearly all commercials on the air focused on the sale of beer.He was surprised to hear that his girlfriend,who watches primarily soap operas,had rarely seen a beer commercial.Ted's erroneous assumption that nearly all commercials focused on the sale of alcohol is an example of which concept?

A)Representativeness heuristic
B)Illusory correlation
C)Availability heuristic
D)Negative correlation

Question 11

When judging people,we often focus on how closely they fit with our stereotypes of particular groups.This tendency is called the

A)availability heuristic.
B)hindsight bias.
C)overconfidence phenomenon.
D)representativeness heuristic.

Question 12

A base rate refers to

A)how close a characteristic or behavior is to the mode.
B)how valuable a heuristic is.
C)how common a characteristic or behavior is.
D)how close a characteristic or behavior is to the mean.

Question 13

Johnny assumes that because Lola enjoys reading and spends considerable time in the library,she probably isn't going to the football game on Saturday.Why might Johnny be wrong?

A)He has fallen prey to the hindsight bias.
B)He is relying on the availability heuristic.
C)He considered only the base rate in making his assumption.
D)He is relying too heavily on the representativeness heuristic.

Question 14

When a psychologist is discussing heuristics,he or she is referring to

A)biased information processing strategies.
B)mental decision-making strategies.
C)mental techniques to improve memory recall.
D)mental techniques to increase deliberation in our decision making.

Question 15

The discussion on the topic of facilitated communication demonstrated the importance of

A)developing falsifiable hypotheses.
B)parsimonious theories.
C)replication of earlier research findings.
D)ruling out rival hypotheses.

Question 16

What is an important limitation of using common sense to understand human behavior and mental processes?

A)Common sense is almost always impossible to state as testable hypotheses.
B)Common sense is always wrong in its explanations about human behavior.
C)Common sense is extremely limited in its ability to test hypotheses.
D)Common sense is needlessly complicated in its explanations about human behavior.

Question 17

A mental shortcut that helps us to streamline our thinking and make sense of our world is called a

A)theory.
B)heuristic.
C)schema.
D)mental reference.

Question 18

Marty is convinced that there are more ice cream cones sold in August than December,yet statistics tell us something different.Which heuristic may explain Marty's error?

A)Representativeness
B)Availability
C)Sharpening
D)Leveling

Question 19

The __________ heuristic is one that involves judging the probability of an event by its superficial similarity to a prototype.

A)availability
B)representativeness
C)confirmation
D)hindsight

Question 20

If a person makes a judgment based on how easy it is for an instance to come to mind,he or she is using the

A)availability heuristic.
B)belief perseverance effect.
C)hindsight bias.
D)representativeness heuristic.

Question 21

This research design involves an extremely deep and detailed information gathering from a single individual over a long period of time.

A)Case study design
B)Correlational design
C)Experimental design
D)Naturalistic observation design

Question 22

When Louisa and Burt were married,their friends were unsure of whether the marriage would last or end in divorce.However,after the two divorced,many of their friends commented to each other about how certain they had been that things would not work out from the beginning.This is an example of

A)the availability heuristic.
B)confirmation bias.
C)hindsight bias.
D)the representativeness heuristic.

Question 23

A student researcher wishes to maximize the external validity of her research design.What research method should you recommend to her?

A)Case study
B)Correlational
C)Experimental
D)Observational

Question 24

A research design that examines one person or a small number of people in depth,often over an extended time period is called

A)naturalistic observation.
B)an experiment.
C)a survey.
D)a case study.

Question 25

Professor Williams wants to know if "real" college students exhibit the same kinds of behaviors in class that subjects who were paid to act like college students do.She decides to have someone come in once a week to her classes to record the types of nonverbal behaviors that students engage in while listening to her lectures.This would be an example of which kind of study?

A)Real-world observation
B)Naturalistic observation
C)Classroom observation
D)Social observation

Question 26

The __________ bias is the tendency to overestimate how well we could have successfully forecasted known outcomes.

A)hindsight
B)confirmation
C)cognitive
D)availability

Question 27

Dr.Jones wants to make sure that the findings from his most recent observational study on facial expressions can be generalized to real-world settings.Dr.Jones is concerned about what concept?

A)External validity
B)Internal validity
C)Overconfidence
D)Placebo effects

Question 28

People's tendency to be more certain about the correctness of their beliefs than they should be based on their actual level of accuracy is what psychologists call

A)the availability heuristic.
B)the confirmation bias.
C)overconfidence.
D)the representativeness heuristic.

Question 29

A group of student researchers divides up the different times of day and night and the buildings on their campus in order to determine when people will hold a door open for another person.These researchers are most likely using which research method design when conducting their study?

A)Case study
B)Correlational
C)Experimental
D)Naturalistic observation

Question 30

Although Professor Smith went to great lengths to conduct a study using naturalistic observation and has confidence in his findings,he should be most concerned with which limitation of this research technique?

A)The generalizibility of results
B)Whether the correlations will be significant
C)An inability to draw cause-and-effect conclusions
D)External validity

Question 31

"Joe knew that the Patriots were going to lose the Super Bowl.Despite their perfect record,and all the experts expecting them to win,they never really had a chance." Joe's overconfidence after the fact is an example of what concept?

A)Critical thinking
B)Confirmation bias
C)Hindsight bias
D)Heuristics

Question 32

Each year,psychics make predictions about events they believe will occur,though few of these events ever do.Psychics are quite certain of their claims despite their frequent,later inaccuracy.This finding would be consistent with the psychological phenomenon known as

A)the availability heuristic.
B)confirmation bias.
C)hindsight bias.
D)overconfidence.

Question 33

Jerome was uncertain of the correctness of his answers to many of the questions on his General Psychology exam.After seeing his score,an A,he subsequently told his friends about how he knew he aced the exam as soon as he had taken it.This demonstrates the influence of ________ on our judgments.

A)the availability heuristic
B)belief perseverance
C)confirmation bias
D)hindsight bias

Question 34

When a researcher tests a hypothesis,he or she is often hoping to gather information that is consistent with a particular theory.When,more specifically,is a researcher able to say that he or she has "proven" a theory?

A)Any time a hypothesis is confirmed
B)Any time a hypothesis confirms one theory and simultaneously disconfirms at least one other theory
C)Any time a hypothesis confirms one theory and simultaneously disconfirms all other theories
D)None of these; a researcher is never able to say that he or she has "proven" a theory.

Question 35

Watching behavior in real-world settings is known as

A)case study.
B)correlation design.
C)naturalistic observation.
D)existence proof.

Question 36

A researcher is interested in determining how frequently bullying behavior occurs in real-life settings.This researcher would best be advised to use the

A)case study design.
B)correlational design.
C)experimental design.
D)naturalistic observation design.

Question 37

Dr.Watson wanted to know which gender was better at sharing at the sixth-grade level,so he went to the local middle school to observe lunch periods.This is a form of

A)case study.
B)naturalistic observation.
C)experimental design.
D)confirmation bias.

Question 38

__________ biases are systematic errors in thinking.

A)Confirmation
B)Hindsight
C)Cognitive
D)Functional

Question 39

The study of a rare or unusual phenomenon is most easily done through the use of the ________ design.

A)case study
B)correlational
C)experimental
D)observational

Question 40

The __________ bias is our natural tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and to downplay or distort evidence that doesn't.

A)cognitive
B)confirmation
C)hindsight
D)researcher

Question 41

There tends to be a negative correlation between the amount of television watched and students' grades.Based on this information alone,which conclusion is legitimate?

A)Students who watch a lot of television do not like school.
B)Watching television causes students' grades to drop.
C)Watching more television may lead to a drop in grades.
D)Watching more television may improve students' grades.

Question 42

Two variables are said to have a correlation when scores on one variable

A)are unrelated to the scores on the second variable.
B)are related to scores on the second variable.
C)cause the scores on the second variable.
D)are different from the scores on the second variable.

Question 43

Mr.Jones,a sixth grade science teacher,has tried to predict his students' end-of-the-year grades by looking at their end-of-the-year 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

A)near zero.
B)positive.
C)negative.
D)near 1.0.

Question 44

Which is NOT a correlational research method?

A)Case study
B)Survey
C)Experiment
D)Naturalistic observation

Question 45

As the average daily temperature decreases,the number of persons who are observed wearing sweaters in the workplace increases.This is an example of a ________ correlation.

A)causal
B)negative
C)positive
D)zero

Question 46

Authorities have noted that there is an increased number of teen pregnancies among high schools that offer day care to their students.We can draw which of the following conclusions?

A)The presence of day care is causing students to become sexually active.
B)High schools that provide day care are also offering sexual education.
C)There is a negative correlation between teen pregnancies and day care in the high schools.
D)There is a positive correlation between teen pregnancies and day care in the high schools.

Question 47

It would be LEAST advisable to attempt to apply the results gathered from a(n)________ design to a larger population of interest.

A)case study
B)correlational
C)experimental
D)observational

Question 48

Hopefully the amount of time a student spends studying would show a(n)__________ correlation with the student's grades.

A)negative
B)spurious
C)positive
D)illusory

Question 49

Which of the following correlations represents the WEAKEST degree of relation between two variables?

A)Daily calcium intake and bone mass density,r = +.11
B)Degree of exposure to lead and IQ scores in children,r = -.12
C)Hours of exposure to media violence and aggressive behavior,r = +.31
D)Number of cigarettes smoked per day and incidence of lung cancer,r = +.39

Question 50

A correlational value will always range between

A)0 and 1.
B)-10 and +10.
C)0 percent and 100 percent.
D)-1.0 and +1.0.

Question 51

Sarah,a graduate student in psychology,just heard about a five-year-old child who has already learned calculus.She is thinking about doing an in-depth study of the child for her dissertation.Sarah is considering which research method?

A)Naturalistic observation
B)Experiment
C)Independent study
D)Case study

Question 52

You are interested in examining the relationship between the number of class days missed and one's subsequent semester grade point average.The most appropriate research design to study this question would be a(n)

A)case study.
B)correlational design.
C)experiment.
D)naturalistic observation design.

Question 53

If we discover that there is a perfect positive correlation r = +1.0 between the percent of brain damage a person suffered and the number of errors he makes on a test of memory,what conclusion can we draw?

A)An increase in the percentage of brain damage causes one to make more errors on tests of memory.
B)People suffering from brain damage shouldn't be given tests of memory.
C)An increase in the percentage of brain damage is not a predictive factor in tests of memory.
D)Increases in the percentage of brain damage are strongly associated with increases in the number of errors made on tests of memory.

Question 54

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest degree of relation between two variables?

A)+.19
B)-.25
C)+.43
D)-.47

Question 55

Which correlation coefficient is most likely to describe the relationship between brushing one's teeth and the number of cavities one gets?

A)r = -.62
B)r = .83
C)r = -.08
D)r = .45

Question 56

A major criticism of Freud's theory was that most of the information he gathered came from individual case histories of his patients.Why might this have caused Freud's views to be biased?

A)Most of Freud's patients had mental problems and were not a representative sample of the population.
B)Dealing with mentally disturbed patients all day altered Freud's perception of reality.
C)All of his theories are correct and the criticism is unjustified.
D)Freud's emphasis on sexual and aggressive drives caused people to reject his theories outright.

Question 57

There is a negative correlation between wearing one's seat belt and the severity of injuries received during an accident.Which statement correctly illustrates this correlation?

A)The more often you wear your seat belt,the more serious the injury you are likely to receive in an accident.
B)The more often you wear your seat belt,the less likely you are to suffer serious injuries in an accident.
C)Wearing your seatbelt prevents you from being injured in an accident.
D)Failing to wear your seat belt increases the likelihood that you will sustain serious injuries in an accident.

Question 58

If there is no discernible relationship between scores on students' homework assignments and their exam scores in an introductory biology class,we would say that a(n)________ correlation exists.

A)inverse
B)negative
C)positive
D)zero

Question 59

A research design that examines the extent to which two variables are associated is called

A)a case study.
B)a correlational design.
C)naturalistic observation.
D)an experiment.

Question 60

Which of these is NOT a correlational measure?

A)Positive
B)Parallel
C)Zero
D)Negative

Question 61

Conclusions over cause-and-effect relationships are only possible when the __________ method is used.

A)correlational
B)experimental
C)case study
D)empirical

Question 62

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 confounding variables,she should be sure to do which of the following?

A)Use random assignment when forming her groups.
B)Include an independent variable.
C)Include a dependent variable.
D)Assign boys to the experimental group and girls to the control group.

Question 63

A researcher wants to see whether she can make the typical administrative assistant job more motivating at Acme,Inc.To experimentally investigate this possibility,she randomly assigns administrative assistants to one of the following conditions: doing the job as it has always been done,having a computer performance monitoring device installed,receiving feedback about one's performance on a weekly basis,or being given a say in how one's workload is structured and completed.Which of the preceding conditions would be assigned to the control group?

A)Doing the job as it has always been done
B)Having a computer performance monitoring device installed
C)Receiving feedback about one's performance on a weekly basis
D)Being given a say in how one's workload is structured and completed

Question 64

The only research design that allows one to make cause-and-effect inferences is

A)the case study.
B)the correlational design.
C)the experiment.
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 65

In an experiment,the __________ group receives no manipulation.

A)control
B)dependent
C)independent
D)experimental

Question 66

A key aspect of an experiment that is missing in other research designs is

A)description of the phenomena of interest.
B)possible explanation for why a relationship exists.
C)prediction of the effects of differences in one variable on another variable.
D)random assignment to conditions/groups.

Question 67

The perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists is known as

A)confirmation bias.
B)illusory correlation.
C)existence proof.
D)type I error.

Question 68

Six-year-old Scotty comes running in the door and yells triumphantly to his mother,"Today is my lucky day; I found a four-leaf clover!" Many superstitions,like this one,likely began as which of the following?

A)Imaginary correlation
B)Anecdotal stories
C)Coincidence
D)Illusory correlation

Question 69

In an experiment,the group that receives the manipulation is called the

A)control group.
B)dependent group.
C)experimental group.
D)independent group.

Question 70

Ryan,a professional bass fisherman,is trying to determine which lure is most effective on Wakeby Lake: the plastic worm he normally uses or the new minnow-style lure he bought yesterday.Based on this scenario,what would constitute the control?

A)The new minnow lure
B)The plastic worm
C)Neither the minnow lure nor the plastic worm
D)There is no control.

Question 71

Several years ago the NBA (National Basketball Association)introduced a new style of basketball to the players.After several months,many players complained that they did not like the "feel" of the new ball.Based on this scenario,what constitutes the control?

A)There is no control condition.
B)The new ball that was introduced
C)The original ball the players were used to
D)Both the new and old balls are part of the control condition.

Question 72

A graph that can be used to represent the pattern of relationship between scores from two variables is called a

A)bar graph.
B)frequency polygon.
C)histogram.
D)Scatterplot.

Question 73

Correlational research designs are NOT appropriate for purposes of

A)determining causation.
B)providing description.
C)offering predictions.
D)any of the above.

Question 74

For many years,newspapers often mentioned the race of criminal suspects who were NOT white in the articles detailing their crimes.This often led people who were not obviously biased or prejudiced to conclude that there was a relationship between race and criminal behavior.This is one example of

A)the confirmation bias.
B)the hindsight bias.
C)illusory correlation.
D)the representativeness heuristic.

Question 75

The notion of illusory correlation describes how we pay too much attention to situations that support our beliefs about the world (e.g.,the superstitious belief that full moons are associated with increases in deviant behavior).Illusory correlation is similar to which decision-making error or bias?

A)The availability heuristic
B)Confirmation bias
C)Hindsight bias
D)The representativeness heuristic

Question 76

Dr.Stanhope is trying to determine which type of correlation is represented on his scatterplot,in which nearly all of his data are clustered along a diagonal line running from higher numbers on the left down to lower numbers on the right.Which type of correlation is represented by this pattern?

A)Positive
B)Zero
C)Negative
D)We need more information to draw a conclusion

Question 77

Dr.Schott's scatter plot reveals no real patterns or clusters.In fact,the data seems to fall randomly on the graph.This pattern of results is most likely from which type of correlation?

A)Positive
B)Zero
C)Negative
D)None of the above

Question 78

In an experiment,the __________ group receives the manipulation.

A)control
B)independent
C)experimental
D)dependent

Question 79

A research design characterized by random assignment of participants to conditions and manipulation of an independent variable is called a(n)

A)case study.
B)naturalistic observation.
C)experiment.
D)survey.

Question 80

When asked if there are more ice cream cones sold in November or July,Mary answers July immediately.She is surprised to find out that there is little to no difference between the two months in terms of ice cream cone sales.Mary's error is most clearly an example of

A)imaginary correlation.
B)common sense.
C)Superstitions.
D)illusory correlation.