Deck 2: Stage Theories of Development

Question 1

If you wanted to study play behavior in preschool children, the ideal approach would most likely be:

A) modeling.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) the retrospective method.
D) the experimental method.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

If we were interested in the relationship between caffeine and heart disease, our most likely approach would be:

A) naturalistic observation.
B) the correlational approach.
C) the experimental method.
D) modeling.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

An approach that emphasizes the subjective aspects of experience uses:

A) qualitative methods.
B) quantitative methods.
C) the retrospective method.
D) modeling.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Behavior is to experience as ____ is to ____.

A) correlational; experimental
B) experimental; qualitative
C) quantitative; qualitative
D) naturalistic; experimental

Question 5

Naturalistic observation tends to be:

A) theoretical rather than empirical.
B) concerned with determining causes of behavior.
C) descriptive rather than explanatory.
D) deductive rather than inductive.

Question 6

A formally stated expectation concerning the outcome of an experiment is called:

A) a theory.
B) induction.
C) a hypothesis.
D) empiricism.

Question 7

Professor Campbell is studying memory by using mathematical operations. She is using:

A) a correlational approach.
B) modeling.
C) a post hoc approach.
D) a retrospective approach.

Question 8

In naturalistic observation, the participant ____, whereas in the experimental method, the participant ____.

A) is passive; is active
B) is restricted; is not restricted
C) is not restricted; is restricted
D) interacts with the experimenter; does not interact with the experimenter

Question 9

Which of the following best describes naturalistic observation?

A) You calculate internal and external validity.
B) You look for an association between two variables.
C) You just watch.
D) You determine if there is a cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 10

In naturalistic observation, the experimenter ____, whereas in the experimental method, the experimenter ____.

A) is passive; is active
B) is active; is passive
C) observes; does not observe
D) influences the participant's behavior; does not influence the participant's behavior

Question 11

If we were interested in understanding the association between two variables, we would use:

A) the experimental method.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) the correlational approach.
D) modeling.

Question 12

If little is known about a psychological phenomenon, then ____ is the most appropriate method to use to study it.

A) the correlational approach
B) the experimental approach
C) the post hoc approach
D) naturalistic observation

Question 13

In the ____ approach, individuals are videotaped discussing a particular topic. They then watch the video separately and comment on how they thought or felt during specific segments.

A) naturalistic
B) quantitative
C) action-project
D) film interview

Question 14

To engage in a scientific approach to the study of human behavior, we would use:

A) the experimental method.
B) the correlational approach.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) any of these

Question 15

If you learn about the world through observation and experimentation, you are relying upon:

A) a hypothesis.
B) inference.
C) deduction.
D) empiricism.

Question 16

Dr. Nathan wants to study how pythons behave in their native habitat. He sets up hidden cameras in the rain forest to observe the snakes while he remains undetected. Dr. Nathan is using the ____ method of conducting research.

A) experimental
B) inferential
C) correlational
D) naturalistic observation

Question 17

If we were interested in knowing whether early childhood experiences contributed to the later development of personality disorders, we would likely use:

A) the experimental method.
B) exploratory research.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) the retrospective method.

Question 18

A scientific approach that attempts to establish an artificial system which can produce behaviors similar to those observed in humans or other animals is called:

A) exploratory research.
B) the correlational approach.
C) the experimental method.
D) modeling.

Question 19

A scientist will evaluate a hypothesis by using:

A) empiricism.
B) a theory.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) exploratory research.

Question 20

Tim is conducting naturalistic observation. He finds that the behavior of his subjects changes when they notice his presence. Which statement best describes this situation?

A) The situation is good since the manipulation of the independent variable was successful.
B) The situation is good since that was the focus of the study.
C) The situation is not good since Tim did not record his subjects' behavior.
D) The situation is not good since Tim's behavior interfered with his subjects.

Question 21

If there is a low correlation between two variables, we can say that they are:

A) not causally related.
B) probably confounded variables.
C) causally related.
D) both independent variables.

Question 22

The two types of operational definitions are:

A) inductive and deductive.
B) measured and experimental.
C) independent and dependent.
D) structured and unstructured.

Question 23

When trying to determine the causal factors underlying behavior, we select an approach called:

A) the experimental method.
B) the post hoc method.
C) the correlational approach.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 24

Eye color and intelligence are ____ correlated.

A) not
B) positively
C) negatively
D) sometimes

Question 25

If we were to find that the correlation between height and anxiety was negative, we would predict that:

A) taller people would tend to be more anxious.
B) shorter people would tend to be more anxious.
C) shorter people would tend to be less anxious.
D) height and anxiety are unrelated.

Question 26

Consider this: As the price of gasoline drops, people drive more miles. What type of correlation does this describe?

A) a positive correlation
B) a negative correlation
C) a perfect correlation
D) a confounding correlation

Question 27

The dependent variable is:

A) the treatment.
B) manipulated by the experimenter.
C) the cause of the behavior.
D) affected by the treatment.

Question 28

The control group should be treated exactly like the experimental group, except for the:

A) dependent variable.
B) confounding variables.
C) factor being studied.
D) level of measurement.

Question 29

If we were to find that the correlation between eating high-fat food and heart attack was positive, we would conclude that:

A) eating high fat foods causes heart attack.
B) eating lots of high fat food is associated with high incidence of heart attack.
C) eating lots of high fat food is associated with low incidence of heart attack.
D) people who have heart attacks do not eat many foods with high fat content.

Question 30

Correlational research is:

A) concerned with how one variable influences another variable.
B) concerned with whether one variable influences another variable.
C) concerned with the degree to which one variable influences another variable.
D) concerned with whether there is an association between two variables.

Question 31

The group in an experiment that is getting the special treatment is called the:

A) correlational group.
B) experimental group.
C) control group.
D) naturalistic group.

Question 32

Operational definitions are used to specify:

A) dependent variables.
B) independent variables.
C) confounding variables.
D) both independent and dependent variables.

Question 33

An unspecified variable that may have influenced the two variables in a correlational study is called a:

A) positive correlation.
B) predictor variable.
C) third variable.
D) negative correlation.

Question 34

The independent variable is:

A) affected by the dependent variable.
B) not operationally defined.
C) manipulated by the experimenter.
D) measured.

Question 35

Professor Zeeman has conducted experiments that suggest a new study technique can enhance memory. However, the new technique does not work for students taking real classes. The experimental finding:

A) lacks internal validity.
B) lacks external validity.
C) is not reliable.
D) is probably due to chance.

Question 36

Which of the following questions would be most appropriately answered by the correlational method?

A) What is the most effective treatment for depression?
B) Why do people tend to help in emergency situations if there are few eyewitnesses?
C) What can be done to help learning disabled students learn?
D) Does high school GPA predict college GPA?

Question 37

In an experimental design, the manipulated variable that is the presumed cause is called the ____ and the behavior that is the presumed effect is called the ____.

A) treatment; control
B) independent variable; dependent variable
C) independent variable; dependent variable
D) experimental variable; confound variable

Question 38

A psychologist wants to know if classical music enhances memory. Subjects are assigned to two groups and instructed to study a list of 20 words. One group listens to a Bach sonata and the other group hears popular music. In this simple experiment the independent variable is:

A) the word list.
B) subsequent recall on a memory test.
C) music type.
D) the amount of time each group studied.

Question 39

The treatment effect is measured as:

A) the difference between the experimental and control groups on the independent variable.
B) the difference between the independent variable and the dependent variable.
C) the difference between the scores of the experimental and control groups on the dependent variable.
D) the difference between the independent variable and the confounding variables.

Question 40

In the experimental method, the experimenter ____ the independent variable, ____ the dependent variable, and ____ the confounding variables.

A) manipulates; measures; eliminates
B) observes; manipulates; measures
C) measures; manipulates; eliminates
D) manipulates; measures; observes

Question 41

____ is the process by which we examine evidence and then use reason to reach a conclusion.

A) Exploration
B) Inference
C) Empiricism
D) Validation

Question 42

In the hypothesis, "People feel more depressed in the winter," ____ is the independent variable and ____ is the dependent variable.

A) season of the year; depression
B) depression; season of the year
C) depression; winter
D) people; depression

Question 43

Induction involves reasoning from:

A) data to theory.
B) theory to data.
C) premise to conclusion.
D) hypotheses to outcomes.

Question 44

If you reason that a false premise leads to a false consequent, you will have engaged in a(n) ____ argument that is called ____.

A) invalid; affirming the consequent
B) invalid; denying the antecedent
C) valid; denying the antecedent
D) valid; modus tollens

Question 45

To test the hypothesis, "Anxiety hurts performance," anxiety would be the ____ variable and performance would be the ____ variable.

A) dependent; independent
B) independent; dependent
C) confounding; depending
D) independent; confounding

Question 46

In the hypothesis, "psychology majors with high grade point averages are excited during final exam week," ____ is the independent variable.

A) major
B) grade point average
C) time of the semester
D) excitement

Question 47

An experiment is internally valid if:

A) the outcome can be attributed to the independent variable only.
B) the results generalize to other settings.
C) the results may be attributed to either the independent variable or a confounding variable.
D) the internal variables are operationally defined.

Question 48

The difference in magnitude between the control and the experimental groups on the dependent variable is called the:

A) treatment effect.
B) independent effect.
C) confound effect.
D) dependent effect.

Question 49

A recent experiment found that 7th graders who were taught math using a computer scored 25% higher on an exam than those 7th graders taught with the traditional lecture format. What is the treatment effect?

A) how the students were taught math
B) those students who were taught with the computer
C) the 25% higher scores among those taught with the computer
D) those students who were taught with the traditional format

Question 50

In conducting research, one should try to:

A) maximize internal validity and minimize external validity.
B) minimize internal validity and maximize external validity.
C) minimize both internal and external validity.
D) maximize internal validity, external validity, or both, depending on the research questions.

Question 51

An experiment is externally valid if:

A) the outcome can be attributed to the independent variable only.
B) the results generalize to other settings.
C) the results are attributed only to external variables.
D) there are no alternative explanations of the findings.

Question 52

Giving one group of subjects an experimental treatment and then informally observing the effects without a control group is best described as:

A) correlational.
B) exploratory.
C) factorial.
D) single-subject.

Question 53

Confirmatory reasoning is to disconfirmatory reasoning as ____ is to ____.

A) modus ponens; modus tollens
B) antecedent; consequent
C) independent variable; dependent variable
D) consequent; antecedent

Question 54

An experiment was conducted to test a new drug for anxiety. What would be a good dependent variable for this experiment?

A) heart rate
B) the amount of drug given to each subject
C) score on a standardized anxiety test
D) heart rate and/or score on a standardized anxiety test

Question 55

A difference between the performance of an experimental and a control group may be caused by:

A) the independent variable.
B) the dependent variable.
C) a confounding variable.
D) either the independent or a confounding variable.

Question 56

Karl Popper's theory of science is consistent with:

A) modus tollens.
B) disconfirmatory reasoning.
C) both modus tollens and disconfirmatory reasoning.
D) paradigm shift.

Question 57

Deduction involves reasoning from:

A) data to theory.
B) theory to concept.
C) premise to conclusion.
D) theory to data.

Question 58

Confounding variables are:

A) unintended dependent variables.
B) unintended independent variables.
C) unintended control variables.
D) correctional rather than casual.

Question 59

In an experiment to study the effects of caffeine on performance, an experimenter asked the male students in an introductory psychology class to drink two regular Pepsis before a test and the female students to drink two caffeine-free Pepsis. She then compared performance of the two groups on the test. A confounding variable in this study is:

A) whether participants had studied for the test.
B) the type of drink.
C) the gender of the participants.
D) the amount of caffeine in the Pepsi.

Question 60

To investigate the effects of alcohol on driving, an experimenter gave people different amounts of alcohol and then placed them in a driving simulator with instructions to press the brake whenever they saw a red light. In this study, the independent variable was ____ and the dependent variable was ____.

A) whether they saw the red light; time taken to press brake
B) amount of alcohol; whether they saw the red light
C) whether they saw the red light; amount of alcohol
D) amount of alcohol; time taken to press brake

Question 61

For each of the following hypotheses, identify the independent and dependent variables:

Question 62

The assertion that scientists should attempt to falsify theories is most closely associated with:

A) Karl Popper.
B) Aristotle.
C) Isaac Newton.
D) Thomas Kuhn.

Question 63

Describe an operational definition for the following variables:

Question 64

In the experimental method, what is the principal reason for using a control group? How does the control group differ from the experimental group?

Question 65

What are the limitations of the naturalistic observation and correlational approaches?

Question 66

Define internal and external validity. In which situations does internal validity tend to be highest? In which situation does external validity tend to be highest?

Question 67

What is a paradigm and how is it important in the advancement of science, according to Thomas Kuhn?

Question 68

A particular way of seeing the world is called a:

A) logical inference.
B) construct.
C) prediction.
D) paradigm.

Question 69

Why is treatment effect such an important consideration? What does it mean if treatment effect is small even if the independent variable is thought to have an effect?

Question 70

Contrast qualitative methods and quantitative methods.

Question 71

Describe the types of questions that would be appropriate for the correlational approach and experimental method.

Question 72

The example presented in the chapter regarding negative reinforcement reveals the importance of:

A) common words may have special meanings in science.
B) negative correlations in research.
C) falsification.
D) paradigm shifts.

Question 73

The notion that science advances through paradigm shifts is attributed to:

A) Karl Popper.
B) Galileo.
C) Thomas Kuhn.
D) Isaac Newton.

Question 74

According to Karl Popper, science should attempt to ____ theories.

A) prove
B) support
C) falsify
D) discard

Question 75

What role does empiricism play in the methods of science?

Question 76

Conclusions in science should be viewed from the perspective of:

A) the scientist.
B) the research participant.
C) the witness.
D) all of these.

Question 77

Contrast the naturalistic observation approach to science with the experimental method. In what ways do the two approaches differ?

Question 78

What is modus tollens? How is it involved in science and why is it important? Which philosopher of science is most closely associated with the role of modus tollens in science?

Question 79

Distinguish between confirmatory reasoning and disconfirmatory reasoning. According to Karl Popper, which is the more useful in science?

Question 80

In what way is a scientist like a child?