Deck 2: Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research

Question 1

According to the authors of your text, the hindsight bias is __________.

A) the tendency for people to exaggerate how much they could have predicted an outcome after knowing that it occurred
B) the level of agreement between two or more people who independently observe and code a set of data
C) a form of the observational method in which the researcher examines the accumulated documents of a culture
D) the extent to which results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people

Answer 1

the tendency for people to exaggerate how much they could have predicted an outcome after knowing that it occurred

Question 2

Ethnography can be defined as the method by which researchers attempt to understand a group or culture by __________.

A) independently observing and coding a set of data
B) examining the accumulated documents of that culture, such as newspapers
C) asking questions of a representative sample of people by means such as telephone interviews
D) observing it from the inside, without imposing any preconceived notions

Answer 2

observing it from the inside, without imposing any preconceived notions

Question 3

A researcher has recorded that, in the classroom, girls are more likely than boys to ask questions during a lesson. This researcher most likely employed a(n) __________ research method.

A) observational
B) archival
C) experimental
D) interview

Answer 3

observational

Question 4

After Lyla's husband was injured in a car accident, she said, "I woke up with a bad feeling in my stomach-I knew something was off about that day." Lyla is exhibiting __________.

A) accessibility
B) thought suppression
C) counterfactual thinking
D) the hindsight bias

Question 5

If a scientist believes that another person's theory is wrong, the best approach for that scientist to take is to __________.

A) write an essay explaining why the other theory is wrong
B) ignore the other's research because it is irrelevant to the scientist's theory
C) design a study making specific predictions to test the alternate explanation
D) work in another country

Question 6

Which of the following is the best example of the observational method?

A) Chris puts a glass to the wall so that he can hear his parents argue.
B) Elaine parks her car near a traffic light and records how many drivers run red lights.
C) Gary stops people on the street to ask them how they voted in the last election.
D) Twyla videotapes her sister's wedding, focusing on sentimental and silly moments.

Question 7

A researcher wants to investigate the subculture of snowboarders. He begins hanging out with the snowboarders but does not impose his own ideas on the group. He merely records his observations of the group. This is an example of a(n) __________.

A) ethnography
B) correlation
C) experimental design
D) archival design

Question 8

Which of the following situations is LEAST likely to result in diffusion of responsibility?

A) An entire neighborhood hears screams coming from the street.
B) While attending a baseball game at the stadium, several people witness a woman punch a friend in the mouth.
C) Several people observe two men fighting.
D) Jim and Bob observe a young woman being abused in a parking lot.

Question 9

The authors of your text discuss the idea that social psychology progresses through the process of theory refinement. Which of the following is the best summary of theory refinement?

A) Theories are developed and debated by experts in the field.
B) When hypotheses are proven, they become theories.
C) Theories are developed, hypotheses are proposed and tested, and then theories are revised.
D) Hypotheses are proposed and tested at least three times by different researchers before altering a theory.

Question 10

Many social problems of interest to social psychologists can be studied __________.

A) in children
B) in animals
C) scientifically
D) anecdotally

Question 11

In many respects, reality television shows are similar to observational research in social psychology. In what crucial respect are reality TV shows most different from observational research?

A) They do not use a representative sample of people who confronted strange situations.
B) The people filmed did not provide informed consent.
C) The observations were not conducted in a systematic, scientific manner.
D) The kind of situations that are filmed are not relevant to social psychologists.

Question 12

Dissonance research resulted from Festinger's skepticism about the behaviorist approach. In recent years, new researchers have explored alternatives to dissonance explanations for social phenomena. These events illustrate __________.

A) that behaviorist folk wisdom and dissonance folk wisdom are incorrect
B) the influence of researchers' personal experiences in shaping their research questions
C) that old theories can inspire new research
D) the shortcomings of science as a cumulative enterprise

Question 13

According to the authors of your text, when Bibb Latané and John Darley began to seriously consider why no one helped Kitty Genovese during her brutal attack, they hypothesized that the explanation was that __________.

A) New Yorkers are all apathetic
B) no one witnessed the attack
C) witnesses knew they would not be reinforced for reporting the crime
D) when many witness a crime, people assume someone else will call for help

Question 14

Observational research allows a researcher to __________.

A) make statements about causality
B) make predictions about one variable based on knowledge of another
C) provide a description of a phenomenon
D) randomly assign participants to conditions of an experiment

Question 15

When Jakim, a social psychologist, observes that a woman is more likely to open a door for a man than a woman, he may use this information to __________.

A) prove hypotheses that were based on previous theory
B) develop a hypothesis and design studies to test it
C) engage in theoretical debates about human behavior
D) get more doors opened for him

Question 16

In the 1950s, Leon Festinger arrived at a theory of attitude change that was at odds with the psychological "wisdom" of the day. The genesis of this theory-cognitive dissonance theory-demonstrates the author's point that many ideas in social psychology are __________.

A) best viewed as "common sense"
B) the result of dissatisfaction with current theories
C) based on researchers' personal experiences
D) applicable only to the current historical era

Question 17

The more people who witness an emergency, the less likely it is that witnesses will help. This is a phenomenon known as __________.

A) witness avoidance
B) social loafing
C) diffusion of responsibility
D) social avoidance

Question 18

Professor Weems is interested in the reaction of students to a new university policy of required attendance at all classes. Professor Weems inconspicuously listens to student conversations when the topic comes up and records the students' opinions. This represents __________ research.

A) observational
B) experimental
C) correlational
D) archival

Question 19

A hypothesis is most like a(n) __________.

A) brilliant insight
B) experiment
C) theory
D) hunch

Question 20

Survivor is a reality TV show on which a group of contestants are stranded on a remote island with very few resources. Reality TV shows are most like __________ research in social psychology.

A) observational
B) archival
C) experimental
D) cross-sectional

Question 21

According to the authors of your text, archival research can tell researchers about __________.

A) causes of behavior
B) the values and beliefs of a culture
C) the past, but probably isn't good at predicting the future
D) the relationship between two or more variables

Question 22

What have archival analyses of sexually explicit materials revealed about pornography usage?

A) Women are more likely to subscribe to pornography sites.
B) Liberals in "blue" states are the largest subscribers to pornography sites.
C) Residents of "blue" and "red" states are equally likely to subscribe to pornography sites.
D) Residents of "red" states are the largest subscribers to pornography sites.

Question 23

Whereas observational research is designed to __________ behavior, correlational research is designed to __________.

A) systematically describe; explain behavior
B) systematically describe; determine what causes behavior
C) explain; assess relations between variables
D) systematically describe; assess relations between variables

Question 24

__________ research involves systematic examination of the documents or records of a culture.

A) Systematic
B) Archival
C) Participant observational
D) Cross-sectional

Question 25

Professor Rothman is interested in tracking changes in racial stereotypes in the U.S. If he decides to conduct an archival analysis, he should __________.

A) interview multiple generations in families of different races and ethnicities
B) record how minorities are portrayed in cartoons in the New Yorker magazine from 1940 to 2010
C) ask his students to report their impressions of how different ethnic groups are portrayed on television
D) compare the results of opinion polls taken over five decades

Question 26

Professor Yarnofsky wonders whether recent acts of airline terrorism have made the public more fearful of airline flight. He secures records of the amount of flight insurance that people have purchased via machines at the airport, and compares the records of insurance purchases before the last hijacking to purchases after the last hijacking. Professor Yarnofsky has employed a(n) __________ research method.

A) participant observation
B) systematic observation
C) archival
D) experimental

Question 27

Dr. Nash wants to conduct research on spousal abuse. Why would Dr. Nash be unwise to use observational methods for this topic?

A) Participants will lie to him about being abused.
B) Abuse is usually something that occurs privately.
C) There actually are no drawbacks to using observational methods.
D) He will be unable to remain neutral.

Question 28

The primary strength of correlational research is that it can be used to __________.

A) determine the causes of behavior
B) explain a behavior
C) predict behavior
D) manipulate a behavior

Question 29

A cult in the 1950s believed that the world was coming to an end very soon. Researcher Leon Festinger and his colleagues studied this cult by joining the group and pretending to share these beliefs. What research method were they using?

A) Archival analysis
B) Ethnography
C) Correlational study
D) Field experiment

Question 30

A researcher is interested in the changing nature of sex roles in contemporary society. If she were to employ an archival analysis, what would she be most likely to do?

A) Record how boys and girls are portrayed in children's books
B) Observe both men and women in "non-traditional" occupations
C) Interview both male and female doctors to determine how they are treated by colleagues
D) Participate in the daily activities of a family in which the woman works and the man stays home

Question 31

In order to examine the importance of loving relationships in several different generations of Americans, a researcher decides to collect the lyrics from the fifty most popular songs of each decade from 1940 through 2010, and to code those lyrics for how often love-related themes are present. Which of the following methods is this researcher using?

A) Correlational
B) Observational
C) Archival
D) Cross-sectional

Question 32

In 200 years, after watching our TV commercials and Internet advertising, it is possible that researchers will conclude that we had all sorts of medical problems and only ate food in our cars. These conclusions would be based on __________ research.

A) ethnographic
B) experimental
C) correlational
D) archival

Question 33

A researcher wants to determine if there is any relationship between gender and the tendency to run stop signs. The best method to ask this question is __________.

A) archival analysis
B) correlational
C) observational
D) experimental

Question 34

What do observational and correlational research have in common?

A) They cannot answer causal questions.
B) They can describe social behavior.
C) They cannot predict behavior.
D) They can use random assignment.

Question 35

Which of the following represents a limitation of observational methods?

A) The coding of the data by judges is always high in reliability.
B) Many behaviors of interest occur only in private.
C) Causal conclusions may require multiple observations.
D) There can always be a third variable in mind.

Question 36

Dr. Williams wants to understand the motivations behind school shootings. To begin answering her questions, she examines the social media posts and blogs by identified school shooters. She also reads all the media reports she can find about the school shooters. Doing research in this manner is __________.

A) ethnography
B) cognitive dissonance
C) correlational method
D) archival analysis

Question 37

A researcher wants to see if there is a relationship between a person's birth order and his or her leadership ability. The best method for answering this question would be __________.

A) experimental
B) correlational
C) observational
D) archival analysis

Question 38

A researcher hired by a department store wants to examine whether manipulating the room temperature to be hotter as opposed to cooler affects sales of air conditioners. The best method for answering this question would be __________.

A) experimental
B) correlational
C) observational
D) archival analysis

Question 39

Which research method allows the researcher to focus on causality?

A) Observational
B) Correlational
C) Experimental
D) Archival analysis

Question 40

The primary strength of the observational method is that it can be used to __________.

A) describe behavior
B) predict and explain behavior
C) determine the cause of behavior
D) understand the nature of behavior

Question 41

If height and weight have a positive correlation, what does this tell you about the relationship between these variables?

A) Height and weight are unrelated.
B) Taller people are almost never heavier, but there are exceptions to the rule.
C) Shorter people tend to be heavier.
D) Taller people are usually heavier, but there are exceptions to the rule.

Question 42

Before Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine to prevent polio, people noticed a correlation between outside temperature and the incidence of polio: The warmer the temperature over the course of the year, the more outbreaks of polio. This relationship is an example of a(n) __________ correlation.

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

Question 43

If two variables have no correlation with each other, this means that __________.

A) you can only predict one of the two variables
B) when one is higher, the other is lower
C) they are probably very similar
D) you cannot predict one from the other

Question 44

A researcher investigates the relationship between socioeconomic status and the likelihood of going on to college after high school. This research represents a(n) __________.

A) ethnography
B) observational design
C) experimental design
D) correlation

Question 45

If a researcher is interested in learning about people's attitudes about environmental issues, the research method he should employ is __________.

A) ethnography
B) survey research
C) a field experiment
D) an experiment

Question 46

You are reading a paper about how to do well in college and it presents several correlation coefficients. These correlation coefficients indicate __________.

A) that this study compared three or more groups of students
B) how well you can predict one variable from the other
C) the causal relationship between the variables
D) the reliability of the variables

Question 47

A researcher is interested in the relationship between the age of a person and their degree of job satisfaction. To determine this, the researcher should use the __________ method.

A) longitudinal
B) correlational
C) observational
D) behavioral

Question 48

Which of the following questions would a researcher be most likely to investigate with a survey?

A) How often do people run a red light at the intersection of Main St. and Holland Ave.?
B) What aspects of an intersection cause people to run a red light more often?
C) In the past thirty years, has there been an increase of drivers running red lights?
D) What are people's attitudes about drivers who run red lights?

Question 49

According to information from the registrar's office, Lee has discovered that people who score higher on the SAT tend to have a higher GPA in their first year of college. Lee has used a(n) __________ research method.

A) ethnographic
B) correlational
C) experimental
D) field study

Question 50

Complete the following analogy about research methods in social psychology: observational is to __________ as __________ is to causality.

A) description; correlational
B) prediction; experimental
C) description; experimental
D) prediction; correlational

Question 51

A researcher conducted a study and found a positive correlation between age and income level. In other words, this researcher found that as age __________, income level tends to __________.

A) increases; decrease
B) increases; increase
C) increases; stay the same
D) decreases; increase

Question 52

Are people who are better educated more or less prejudiced than people who have less education? This question is most appropriately answered by using __________.

A) archival analysis
B) experimental research
C) ethnography
D) correlational research

Question 53

One of the greatest advantages of surveys is that researchers __________.

A) can examine variables that are difficult to observe directly
B) do not have to worry about whether their samples are representative
C) can be confident that respondents answered honestly
D) can be biased but still collect objective information

Question 54

When researchers say that there is a relationship between two variables, this means that __________.

A) you can predict one from the other
B) they are very similar to each other
C) one is causing the other
D) they are equal to each other

Question 55

Which of the following pairs of variables are most likely to be negatively correlated?

A) Education; income
B) Amount of practice; quality of performance
C) Calories consumed; weight loss
D) Effort; success

Question 56

Research in which a representative sample of people are asked questions about their attitudes or behavior is called __________.

A) ethnography
B) archival analysis
C) field experiments
D) survey research

Question 57

Assume that instead of conducting experiments, Latané and Darley had used a correlational method to study the relationship between the number of bystanders who witness an emergency and how quickly a victim receives help. Assume that the correlational data were compatible with results from experiments: the more bystanders, the more time it took bystanders to help. What type of correlation is this between time and number of bystanders?

A) Nonlinear correlation
B) Positive correlation
C) Negative correlation
D) Nominal correlation

Question 58

Surveys are instruments most often used by social psychologists who conduct __________ research.

A) archival
B) observational
C) correlational
D) experimental

Question 59

A researcher conducted a survey and found a negative correlation between education and the tendency to resort to violence during disputes. In other words, this researcher found that as education level __________, the tendency to use violence __________.

A) decreases; also decreases
B) increases; decreases
C) increases; also increases
D) increases; remains the same

Question 60

Tony has been doing research on age and aggression. He has discovered that the older a person gets, the less likely he or she is to aggress against another person. What kind of relationship best describes Tony's findings?

A) Positive correlation
B) Negative correlation
C) Curvilinear correlation
D) No correlation

Question 61

Consider the following survey item: "If you found yourself on an airplane with engine problems, would you __________?" Most social psychologists would not include such an item on their survey because most respondents would __________.

A) be offended at such a personal question
B) never have experienced that situation, yielding too small a sample
C) find it difficult to accurately imagine what they would actually do
D) avoid flying in the future, instead opting for trains

Question 62

Which of the following best defines the term "sample"?

A) The group of people about whom the results of a study are intended to generalize
B) A group of people who are representative of the population as a whole
C) The people actually measured in a study
D) A small group of people used to pilot test a study

Question 63

Why is it unwise to conclude that if two variables are correlated, one must have caused the other?

A) Variables can never be measured with complete accuracy.
B) Any single variable is bound to have multiple causes.
C) Some unmeasured third variable might make them appear related when in fact they are not.
D) It is impossible to conclude that two variables are related unless one can measure them perfectly.

Question 64

Which of the following is a serious shortcoming of the correlational approach?

A) It is difficult for social psychologists to secure a random sample.
B) Causal inferences based on correlational data are often faulty.
C) There is always some third variable that accounts for the correlation.
D) Surveys are often poorly designed, leading to erroneous conclusions.

Question 65

The idea of "telling more than you can know" (Nisbett & Wilson, 1977) is the premise that people may report why they respond a certain way, but that their reports about causes of behavior reflect __________.

A) subconscious conflicts between implicit and explicit attitudes
B) their theories and beliefs about what should have influenced them
C) what people believe most other people would report
D) what people think the researcher wants them to say

Question 66

Carlos, the president of a fraternity on campus, randomly sampled 500 students, asked them if they belonged to a fraternity or sorority, and asked them about their current GPA. He discovered that the GPAs of those people in fraternities and sororities were higher than those of people who were not involved in the Greek system. Gleefully, he presented his findings to the dean, saying that being involved in a fraternity or sorority leads to higher grades. What rule of research methods is Carlos breaking?

A) Correlation does not prove causation.
B) College students are not representative of the whole sample of people in the world.
C) His sample size of 500 is too small to make such a generalization.
D) Correlational data do not provide any practical information on a topic.

Question 67

Imagine that researchers have found a positive correlation between the frequency of disagreements that couples have and how long they stay together. Based on this correlation, would you start arguments with your significant other in order to sustain your relationship?

A) Yes, because the correlation is positive.
B) No, because the correlation is positive.
C) No, because although the two may be correlated, causation has not been established.
D) No, because in your group of friends, the correlation is negative.

Question 68

Researchers Baron and Straus (1984) found a positive correlation between the number of sexually explicit magazines sold in different states and the number of reported rapes in each of those states. They refrained from concluding that exposure to pornography caused men to rape because of the potential influence of a third variable. Which of the following might constitute that third variable?

A) Sales of explicit magazines in those states
B) Number of reported rapes in those states
C) Exposure to pornography in those states
D) A hypermasculine culture in those states

Question 69

Recall the description of the political poll taken by Literary Digest about the Landon vs. Roosevelt election. This is an example of a potential error that can be made when doing survey research involving political polls. What is the lesson that survey researchers learned from this error?

A) Although people may report one opinion, they are likely to behave differently.
B) Surveys are not useful tools for predicting human behavior.
C) It is important to ask mostly hypothetical questions.
D) It is important to use random selection to obtain a representative sample.

Question 70

There is a moderately strong correlation between the number of ice cream cones sold in a day and the number of criminal acts occurring in a day. It seems more likely that it is really hot temperatures that are associated with the ice cream sales and crime than that criminals treat themselves to ice cream after committing their crimes. This observation would indicate that correlations are __________.

A) unreliable
B) no guarantee of causation
C) subject to a third variable
D) indicative of causation

Question 71

Complete the analogy: correlation is to __________ as experiment is to __________.

A) predict; relate
B) relate; observe
C) hypothesis; theory
D) relate; cause

Question 72

A researcher concludes that frustrating people by giving them a task that is impossible to complete causes them to behave more aggressively. Only __________ warrants this type of conclusion.

A) correlational research
B) observational research
C) experimental research
D) an archival analysis

Question 73

The only way to be certain that the results of a survey represent the behavior of a particular population is to ensure that the respondents are __________ that population.

A) randomly assigned to
B) randomly selected from
C) conveniently accessible in
D) normally distributed in

Question 74

Rosenberg and his colleagues (1992) conducted a study that found that women who relied on the diaphragm or contraceptive sponge had fewer STDs than women who used condoms. The media jumped to the conclusion that condom use contributes to STDs. Of the limitations of this study, which one should have prevented the media from drawing a causal conclusion?

A) Women who use public clinics are not representative of women in the U.S.
B) The researchers did not study women who were on the pill.
C) The choice to use condoms may have stemmed from STD contraction rather than the reverse.
D) No such relationship between birth control device and STDs exists for men.

Question 75

The experimental method always involves __________.

A) one experimental group and one control group
B) a direct intervention on the part of the researcher
C) psychological realism
D) mundane realism

Question 76

In which of the following types of research is the researcher most concerned with the representativeness of the sample used?

A) Naturalistic observation
B) Archival analysis
C) Survey research
D) Experiments

Question 77

Your text discusses the fact that there are three causal interpretations of correlations. If there is a correlation such as that the more milk a child drinks, the more weight he or she gains, which of the following is not a possible causal interpretation of the finding?

A) Drinking milk makes children gain weight.
B) Gaining weight makes children drink more milk.
C) A third variable: onset of a growth spurt makes both more likely.
D) Obesity is caused by calcium intake.

Question 78

Based on the error in sampling in political polls that was described in your text, how would you recommend obtaining a representative sample for a poll (survey) about political candidates?

A) Conduct phone surveys using home phone numbers.
B) Poll people at the local office that provides food stamps and other forms of assistance.
C) Give the poll face-to-face on college campuses nationwide.
D) Give the poll face-to-face at an average supermarket or post office.

Question 79

The problem with a survey that is not representative is that __________.

A) it is unfair not to give everyone an equal chance to participate
B) the data will be limited in its reliability
C) the rules governing random assignment have been violated
D) the researcher will not be able to draw valid conclusions about the population

Question 80

A researcher interested in testing a __________ hypothesis would be most likely to conduct an experiment.

A) descriptive
B) correlational
C) causal
D) theoretical