Deck 3: A: Research Strategies

Question 1

To verify the reliability of a new scientific finding, psychological researchers are most likely to engage in

A) naturalistic observation.
B) random sampling.
C) replication.
D) positive correlation.

Answer 1

replication.

Question 2

Professor Bolden claims that his experimental research demonstrates that eating an apple every day improves children's reading skills. How might he best offer further support for the reliability of this finding?

A) replication
B) naturalistic observation
C) case studies
D) correlational research

Answer 2

replication

Question 3

Replication involves

A) the selection of random samples.
B) randomly assigning research participants to different groups.
C) repeating an earlier research study.
D) rejecting ideas that cannot be scientifically tested.

Answer 3

repeating an earlier research study.

Question 4

To study the development of relationships, Dr. Rajiv carefully observed and recorded patterns of verbal and nonverbal behaviors among men and women in singles bars. Which research method did Dr. Rajiv employ?

A) naturalistic observation
B) the survey
C) the case study
D) experimentation

Question 5

Hypotheses are best described as

A) assumptions.
B) replications.
C) explanations.
D) predictions.

Question 6

In reporting the effect of drinking alcohol on self-consciousness, psychological researchers would specify exactly how they measured self-consciousness. They are thereby providing a(n)

A) experimental hypothesis.
B) case study.
C) double-blind procedure.
D) operational definition.

Question 7

Those who rely on the case-study method need to be especially alert to the dangers of

A) confounding variables.
B) replication.
C) random assignment.
D) false generalization.

Question 8

Which research method would be most effective for identifying the mating rituals of North American deer?

A) survey research
B) naturalistic observation
C) experimentation
D) the double-blind procedure

Question 9

To describe the behavior of animals in their native habitats, researchers are most likely to make use of

A) survey research.
B) random assignment.
C) experimental methods.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 10

The survey is a research method in which

A) individuals are carefully observed in their natural environments.
B) a representative, random sample of individuals are questioned regarding their attitudes or behaviors.
C) an individual is studied in great depth.
D) an investigator determines the extent to which two variables influence each other.

Question 11

To better understand how brain malfunctions influence behavior, Dr. Mosher extensively and carefully observes and questions two stroke victims. Which research method is Dr. Mosher using?

A) random sampling
B) the survey
C) the case study
D) experimentation

Question 12

According to Professor Fayad, we like people who like us because their affection for us boosts our own self-esteem. His idea is an example of

A) an operational definition.
B) hindsight bias.
C) replication.
D) a theory.

Question 13

Naturalistic observation is most useful for

A) describing behaviors.
B) predicting attitudes.
C) explaining complex emotions.
D) detecting cause-effect relationships.

Question 14

Which of the following techniques would be the most effective way of investigating the relationship between the political attitudes and the economic status of North Americans?

A) the survey
B) naturalistic observation
C) experimentation
D) the case study

Question 15

Researchers make no effort to manipulate or control variables when they engage in

A) naturalistic observation.
B) the double-blind procedure.
C) replication.
D) experimentation.

Question 16

Jean Piaget developed his ideas about children's thinking after carefully observing and questioning only a few children. Which research method did he use?

A) the survey
B) the double-blind procedure
C) the case study
D) experimentation

Question 17

After carefully studying how three single parents dealt with the loss of their jobs, Dr. Phong began to overestimate the national rate of unemployment. In this instance, Dr. Phong should be warned that ________ may be misleading.

A) surveys
B) case studies
C) dependent variables
D) random samples

Question 18

A statement describing how a researcher manipulates an independent variable is known as a(n)

A) control condition.
B) replication.
C) operational definition.
D) hypothesis.

Question 19

Operational definitions are most likely to facilitate

A) replication.
B) positive correlations.
C) random sampling.
D) the placebo effect.

Question 20

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events is called a(n)

A) independent variable.
B) hypothesis.
C) theory.
D) scatterplot.

Question 21

The whole group from which samples may be drawn is called a(n)

A) control condition.
B) population.
C) case study.
D) independent variable.

Question 22

Which procedure helps to ensure that the participants in a survey are representative of a larger population?

A) random assignment
B) replication
C) naturalistic observation
D) random sampling

Question 23

A correlation coefficient is a statistical measure of the

A) difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.
B) extent to which two factors vary together.
C) statistical significance of a difference between two sample means.
D) frequency of scores at each level of some measure.

Question 24

A majority of respondents in a national survey agreed that "classroom prayer should not be allowed in public schools." Only 33 percent of respondents in a similar survey agreed that "classroom prayer in public schools should be banned." These differing findings best illustrate the importance of

A) statistical significance.
B) the placebo effect.
C) random assignment.
D) wording effects.

Question 25

To learn about the political attitudes of all students enrolled at Arizona State University, Professor Marlow randomly selected 800 of these students to complete a questionnaire. In this instance, all the students enrolled at Arizona State University are considered to be a(n)

A) independent variable.
B) representative sample.
C) control condition.
D) population.

Question 26

A correlation coefficient can range in value from

A) 0 to 100.
B) 0 to 1.00.
C) 1 to 99.
D) -1.00 to +1.00.

Question 27

A random sample of a large group of people is one in which

A) the number of people included in the sample is determined by chance.
B) every person in the large group has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
C) personality differences among those in the sample are practically nonexistent.
D) all of these situations are true.

Question 28

A scatterplot graphically depicts the

A) standard deviation of a distribution of scores.
B) arithmetic average of a distribution of scores.
C) total population from which samples may be drawn.
D) degree of relationship between two variables.

Question 29

Researchers observe random samples because they are likely to be

A) vivid.
B) homogeneous.
C) representative.
D) statistically significant.

Question 30

Website polls and call-in phone surveys often yield unrepresentative results because they fail to use

A) operational definitions.
B) random sampling.
C) scatterplots.
D) double-blind procedures.

Question 31

Which of the following statistical measures is most helpful for indicating the extent to which high school grades predict college or university grades?

A) standard deviation
B) median
C) correlation coefficient
D) range

Question 32

A researcher would be MOST likely to discover a negative correlation between

A) body height and body weight.
B) self-esteem and depression.
C) education and personal wealth.
D) intelligence and academic success.

Question 33

Which of the following correlations expresses the strongest degree of relationship between two variables?

A) +0.10
B) -0.67
C) -0.10
D) +0.59

Question 34

If the points on a scatterplot are clustered in a pattern that extends from lower left to upper right, this would suggest that the two variables depicted are

A) normally distributed.
B) positively correlated.
C) negatively correlated.
D) not correlated.

Question 35

Mrs. Blair concludes that boys do not read as well as girls because most of the students in her remedial reading classes are boys. Mrs. Blair's conclusion best illustrates the danger of

A) not calculating statistical significance.
B) generalizing from select cases.
C) confusing correlation with causation.
D) random sampling.

Question 36

A correlation between levels of impulsiveness and annual income of -0.75 would indicate that

A) lower levels of impulsiveness are associated with lower levels of annual income.
B) higher levels of annual income are associated with lower levels of impulsiveness.
C) it is impossible to predict annual income levels from knowledge of impulsiveness levels.
D) impulsiveness has no causal influence on annual income.

Question 37

To assess the extent to which mortality rates increase as people age, researchers would most likely make use of

A) the double-blind procedure.
B) case studies.
C) experimentation.
D) correlation.

Question 38

Which of the following correlations between annual income and education level would best enable you to predict annual income on the basis of level of education?

A) +0.05
B) -0.01
C) +0.10
D) +0.50

Question 39

If university graduates typically earn more money than high school graduates, this would indicate that level of education and income are

A) positively correlated.
B) independent variables.
C) dependent variables.
D) negatively correlated.

Question 40

The children in Mrs. Shashoua's neighborhood make fun of her limp. She concludes that today's kids are typically cruel and insensitive. Mrs. Shashoua ought to remind herself that reasonable generalizations depend on

A) observing representative samples.
B) recognizing that correlation does not mean causation.
C) confusing causation with correlation.
D) the elimination of confounding variables.

Question 41

To minimize the extent to which placebo effects contribute to outcome differences between experimental and control groups in a drug-treatment study, researchers are likely to make use of

A) random sampling.
B) replication.
C) operational definitions.
D) the double-blind procedure.

Question 42

Incorrectly interpreting a correlation between two factors as evidence of causation is best avoided by making use of

A) experiments.
B) survey research.
C) case studies.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 43

In a drug-treatment study, participants given a pill containing no actual drug are receiving a

A) random sample.
B) double blind.
C) replication.
D) placebo.

Question 44

The double-blind procedure is most likely to be used in ________ research.

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

Question 45

Experimentation is more useful than correlational research for testing the claim that

A) children who view a great deal of television violence are also likely to be unusually aggressive.
B) people who exercise frequently are less likely to suffer from depression than infrequent exercisers.
C) people's friendliness and feelings of happiness are increased by the consumption of alcohol.
D) people who consume excessive amounts of coffee experience higher-than-normal levels of anxiety.

Question 46

Following the scientific discovery that a specific brain structure is significantly larger in violent individuals than in those who are nonviolent, a news headline announced: "Enlarged Brain Structure Triggers Violent Acts." The headline writer should most clearly be warned about the dangers of

A) the placebo effect.
B) subjective observations.
C) confusing association with causation.
D) generalizing from unrepresentative samples.

Question 47

To study the effects of noise on worker productivity, researchers have one group of people work in a noisy room and a second group work in a quiet room. To be sure that any differences in the productivity of the two groups actually result from the different noise levels, the researcher should use

A) the case study.
B) correlational measurement.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) random assignment.

Question 48

If psychologists discovered that people who live at the poverty level have more aggressive children than do wealthy people, this would clearly indicate that

A) poverty has a negative influence on children's behavior.
B) the factors that lead to poverty also cause aggressive behavior.
C) people's economic status and the aggressiveness of their children are negatively correlated.
D) all of these statements are correct.

Question 49

A research method in which an investigator manipulates factors that potentially produce a particular effect is called a(n)

A) survey.
B) experiment.
C) case study.
D) correlation.

Question 50

If those with low self-esteem are also particularly likely to suffer from depression, this would not necessarily indicate that low self-esteem triggers negative emotions because

A) sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations.
B) a placebo effect may be operating.
C) association does not prove causation.
D) confounding variables may have an effect.

Question 51

To minimize any differences between participants who are in the control and experimental groups, psychologists make use of

A) random assignment.
B) replication.
C) random sampling.
D) correlation.

Question 52

Random sampling is to ________ as random assignment is to ________.

A) correlational studies; case studies
B) surveys; experiments
C) replication; correlation
D) description; prediction

Question 53

Which of the following research methods would most effectively demonstrate that watching TV violence causes children to act aggressively?

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

Question 54

A psychologist wants to be sure that her research findings do not result from age or personality differences between participants in the experimental and control groups. She should use

A) replication.
B) random assignment.
C) operational definitions.
D) the double-blind procedure.

Question 55

The experiment is a research method in which

A) a random sample of individuals are questioned about their opinions and behaviors.
B) individuals are carefully observed in their natural environment.
C) a researcher manipulates one or more factors that might affect behavior.
D) an individual is studied in great depth.

Question 56

Unlike correlational studies, experiments involve

A) operationally defining research procedures.
B) manipulating the factors of interest.
C) studying observable behaviors.
D) replication of previous research.

Question 57

The most effective way of assessing the impact of hormone replacement therapy on women's health is by means of

A) case studies.
B) experiments.
C) correlational measurement.
D) naturalistic observations.

Question 58

To maximize control over the factors they are studying, researchers engage in

A) case studies.
B) correlation research.
C) experimentation.
D) surveys.

Question 59

Random assignment is most likely to be used in ________ research.

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

Question 60

A positive correlation between self-esteem and academic success would indicate that

A) a positive self-concept contributes to academic success.
B) academic success contributes to a favorable self-image.
C) those with high self-esteem are more academically successful than those with low self-esteem.
D) all of these statements are correct.

Question 61

Six different students spent $10, $13, $2, $12, $13, and $4, respectively, on entertainment. The mode of this group's entertainment expenditures is

A) $9.
B) $11.
C) $12.
D) $13.

Question 62

The dependent variable in an experiment is the factor

A) that is directly manipulated by the investigator.
B) that may be influenced by the experimental treatment.
C) whose effect is being studied.
D) that causes the behavior being studied.

Question 63

The percentage of students whose average grades fall into various performance levels could be represented by a

A) standard deviation.
B) bar graph.
C) scatterplot.
D) correlation coefficient.

Question 64

The healing power of positive expectations is best illustrated by

A) the double blind.
B) positive correlations.
C) the placebo effect.
D) hypothesis testing.

Question 65

Measures of central tendency are most useful for

A) random sampling.
B) summarizing data.
C) random assignment.
D) constructing scatterplots.

Question 66

Research participants drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages in a study of the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels. Those who received the caffeinated drinks were assigned to the ________ group.

A) survey
B) experimental
C) correlational
D) control

Question 67

Distinguishing between an experimental group and a control group is most relevant to specifying the nature of

A) random sampling.
B) confounding variables.
C) a standard deviation.
D) independent variables.

Question 68

To provide a baseline against which they can evaluate the effects of a specific treatment, experimenters make use of a(n)

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

Question 69

In an experimental study of the extent to which sexual arousal is stimulated by laughter, sexual arousal would be the

A) control condition.
B) experimental condition.
C) independent variable.
D) dependent variable.

Question 70

The mode, median, and mean are measures of

A) central tendency.
B) variation.
C) correlation.
D) statistical significance.

Question 71

The mode of a distribution of scores is the

A) score exceeded by 50 percent of all the scores.
B) most frequently occurring score.
C) arithmetic average of all the scores.
D) difference between the highest and lowest scores.

Question 72

Conducting a case study best illustrates

A) random sampling.
B) the correlational method.
C) the double-blind procedure.
D) the descriptive method.

Question 73

In a test of the effects of cigarette smoking on physical health and development, groups of monkeys were raised in either a smoke-free or smoke-infested environment. Monkeys in the smoke-infested environment were assigned to the _______ group.

A) correlational
B) survey
C) control
D) experimental

Question 74

In a psychological experiment, researchers are interested in studying the potential effects of the ________ variable.

A) dependent
B) confounding
C) independent
D) random

Question 75

To study some effects of alcohol consumption, Dr. Chu tested the physical coordination skills of 21-year-old men who had just drunk either 4, 2, or 0 ounces of alcohol. In this study, the independent variable consisted of

A) the age of the research participants.
B) the physical coordination skills of the research participants.
C) the amount of alcohol consumed.
D) the effects of alcohol consumption.

Question 76

Abdul has volunteered to participate in an experiment evaluating the effectiveness of aspirin. Neither he nor the experimenters know whether the pills he takes during the experiment contain aspirin or are merely placebos. The investigators are apparently making use of

A) naturalistic observation.
B) the normal curve.
C) the double-blind procedure.
D) random sampling.

Question 77

The arithmetic average of a distribution of scores is the

A) mode.
B) median.
C) standard deviation.
D) mean.

Question 78

To assess the effectiveness of flu vaccine for county residents, Mr. Carlson wants to administer vaccine injections to all county residents rather than give half of them a placebo injection. Mr. Carlson is most clearly underestimating the importance of

A) testing a large sample.
B) operationally defining his procedures.
C) replicating observations of other researchers.
D) creating a control group.

Question 79

Which procedure is most likely to be used to control for possible confounding variables?

A) statistical significance
B) the double-blind procedure
C) random assignment
D) standard deviation

Question 80

In an experiment designed to study the effectiveness of a new drug for treating diabetes, research participants who receive a placebo have been assigned to the ________ group.

A) dependent variable
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) control