Deck 2: Techniques, Tools, and Tactics

Question 1

Which of the following is not a requirement of psychological research?

A)objective observation
B)control
C)duplication and verification
D)experiments

Answer 1

experiments

Question 2

In the experimental method, the variable being investigated is the dependent variable.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A technique for averaging the results of a large number of studies is meta-analysis.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Psychological research requires which of the following?

A)a laboratory
B)technical equipment
C)control
D)intuition

Question 5

The central tendency of a distribution is measured by the standard deviation.

Question 6

The widespread use of cell phones has created problems for telephone surveys.

Question 7

Research suggests that Web-based surveys are more expensive and less reliable than telephone surveys

Question 8

The generalizability of findings in laboratory settings is unlimited.(F, p.26

Question 9

Fixed-alternative survey questions limit respondents to a few choices.

Question 10

In a normal curve, 68 percent of the population falls within plus or minus one standard deviation from the mean.

Question 11

In the experimental method, the behavior that results is the dependent variable.

Question 12

Quota sampling attempts to pick a sample that reflects the proportions of particular traits in a relevant population.

Question 13

The novelty of change may affect behavior more than the actual change itself.

Question 14

Assigning subjects at random to the experimental and control groups is brought about by matched group design.

Question 15

The act of observing some behaviors may interfere with them.

Question 16

A negative correlation coefficient depicts an inverse relationship between two variables.

Question 17

Some problems are too complex to investigate by psychological research methods.

Question 18

Survey questions must be objective.

Question 19

Management sometimes solicits employee opinions with Web-based surveys just because it's easy to do.

Question 20

Survey research involves observing behavior in its every day setting.

Question 21

Because management may not always allow a psychologist to experiment with various work procedures, researchers may have to use which of the following?

A)double-blind procedure
B)simulated job environment
C)monetary incentives to increase the participation rate
D)none of the above

Question 22

According to the text, which of the following is the best experimental method of psychological research?

A)Experiments
B)Naturalistic observations
C)Polls and surveys
D)None of the above

Question 23

If I-O psychologists came into a manufacturing plant and made changes in lighting which then resulted in a positive change in worker productivity, what might we conclude caused the increase?

A)The change in the independent variable
B)The boss was nicer given the presence of the psychologists
C)The Hawthorne effect
D)All the above are possible correct answers

Question 24

Three requirements of scientific research are observation, control, and .

A)artificial settings
B)verification
C)employees as subjects
D)objective data

Question 25

When subjects in one group are matched with subjects in the other group on characteristics that could affect their performance, the psychologist is using .

A)random group design
B)matched group design
C)both a and b
D)neither a nor b

Question 26

is the scientific way to determine the effect or influence of a variable on the subject's performance or behavior.

A)Naturalistic observation
B)Experimental method
C)Surveys and polls
D)Web-based research

Question 27

If psychologists want to ensure that the control group is as similar as possible to the experimental group, which method should be used?

A)random group design
B)matched group design
C)either a or b
D)neither a nor b

Question 28

In an experiment designed to identify the effect of different levels of lighting on the productivity of employees with the same pay and experience, the dependent variable is _.

A)lighting
B)productivity
C)pay
D)experience

Question 29

A review of five leading journals showed that of the studies published used students as subjects.

A)25 percent
B)37 percent
C)77 percent
D)87 percent

Question 30

In an experiment, the variable that is the resulting behavior is called the _.

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

Question 31

The group of research participants that psychologists do not expose to the independent variable is known as the .

A)working group
B)experimental group
C)control group
D)training group

Question 32

In an experiment designed to identify the effect of different levels of lighting on the productivity of employees with the same pay and experience, the independent variable is .

A)lighting
B)productivity
C)pay
D)experience

Question 33

In an experiment, the effect we are interested in determining (and which we manipulate) is called the _.

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

Question 34

The change in an employee's behavior in response to some changes in the workplace refers which of the following?

A)Independent variable
B)Zeigarnic effect
C)Hawthorne effect
D)Fixed-alternative variable

Question 35

Although some I-O psychologists argue that research conducted in can be applied to personnel and organizational issues, others maintain that the differences are so great that only the most cautious generalization is acceptable.

A)archival settings
B)field locations
C)university laboratories
D)control groups

Question 36

The group of research participants that psychologists expose to the independent variable is known as the _.

A)working group
B)experimental group
C)control group
D)training group

Question 37

is a controlled, objective, and systematic approach to research.

A)Scientific method
B)Standardization
C)Hawthorne effect
D)None of the above

Question 38

Which of the following is a limitation of psychological research?

A)objective observation
B)Hawthorne effect
C)control
D)duplication and verification

Question 39

The fact that the act of observation of behavior can change that behavior is .

A)a requirement of psychological research
B)the Herzberg effect
C)a method of psychological research
D)a limitation of psychological research

Question 40

Psychologists use to investigate the influence of a variable on performance or behavior.

A)survey research
B)meta-analysis
C)the experimental method
D)descriptive statistics

Question 41

The major disadvantage of paper and pencil questionnaires is that .

A)the response rate is poor
B)they are expensive
C)they are not effective in assessing opinions
D)the require computer assisted personal interviewing

Question 42

A pollster poses the following question to you: "If I told you that Mr.Smith had been arrested for DUI, would that make you change your vote?" Mr.Smith had not, if fact, been arrested for DUI.This is an example of .

A)pull poll
B)politically correct poll
C)push poll
D)political poll

Question 43

Because surveys provide an avenue for airing complaints, they have the potential to cause all of the following except .

A)raise morale
B)increase turnover
C)avoid costly union grievance procedures
D)assess reactions to change

Question 44

The involves assigning subjects at random to experimental and control groups.

A)double-blind technique
B)random group design
C)matched group design
D)Schultz 4-group design

Question 45

According to research by Thompson, Surface, Martin, and Sanders (2003), which method is generally preferred by respondents - paper and pencil questionnaires or web-based surveys?

A)paper and pencil questionnaires
B)web-based surveys questionnaires
C)neither is preferred
D)both are more popular than face-to-face interviews

Question 46

Which method of data collection requires a face-to-face meeting with the respondent?

A)questionnaire
B)survey
C)personal interview
D)experimental method

Question 47

In a study using naturalistic observation of store clerks, Sutton and Rafaeli (1988) found .

A)no relationship between courteous behaviors and sales
B)a positive relationship between courteous behaviors and sales
C)a negative relationship between courteous behaviors and sales
D)none of the above

Question 48

Research suggests that people are more likely to be honest in their responses to questions when .

A)they were able to complete the survey in private
B)they were asked the question in a face-to-face interview
C)they were asked to place their name on the survey
D)the phrasing of the question influences the response

Question 49

In a study conducted by J.Lefkowitz (1970) in a lingerie production factory to determine the effects of training on productivity and turnover, the researcher found .

A)the longer the training received in the training facility, the lower the rate of turnover
B)the longer the training received in the training facility, the higher was the average daily rate of production
C)the level of training was the dependent variable
D)the production rate and turnover were the independent variables

Question 50

In a study conducted by J.Lefkowitz (1970) in a lingerie production factory to determine the effects of training on productivity and turnover, the researcher concluded that was the most profitable training condition for the company.

A)1 day of on the job training
B)2 days training in the facility
C)3 days training in the facility
D)3 days training in the facility and on the job

Question 51

Some public opinion polls purposefully provide information to distort a voter's perception.These polls are known as .

A)pull polls
B)politically correct polls
C)push polls
D)political polls

Question 52

Which of the following is not a characteristic of naturalistic observation?

A)It avoids artificiality.
B)It is difficult to conclude what brought about change.
C)The observation cannot be repeated.
D)It brings the relevant variables under the researcher's control.

Question 53

The following is a limitation of on-line surveys.

A)It's possible to conduct large scale surveys.
B)They may be delivered quickly.
C)Research may be conducted 24/7.
D)"Ballot-stuffing" is a possibility.

Question 54

Which of the following is not a problem with surveys?

A)difficult to measure precisely opinions and attitudes
B)some people deliberately lie
C)it's difficult to find people to respond
D)all of the above are problems

Question 55

Compared to other techniques, the matched group design is .

A)desirable
B)costly
C)cumbersome
D)all of the above

Question 56

Most surveys use either , in which respondents state their views in their own words, or , in which respondents must limit their answers to the alternatives presented.

A)closed-end questions; fixed-alternative questions
B)open-end questions; fixed-alternative questions
C)open-end questions; closed-end questions
D)fixed-alternative questions; open-end questions

Question 57

Which research method allows psychologists to observe behavior without the artificiality of the experimental method?

A)naturalistic observation
B)surveys and polls
C)web-based research
D)matched group design

Question 58

The wording of survey questions presents a challenge to I-O psychologists because of the U.S.workforce is functionally illiterate.

A)15%
B)25%
C)35%
D)50%

Question 59

The advantage(s) of personal interviews include:

A)higher response rates than questionnaires
B)some people feel uncomfortable responding
C)they can reach persons who are unable to read
D)both a and c

Question 60

Which of the following experimental methods focuses on what people say they will do?

A)experimental method
B)naturalistic observation
C)surveys and polls
D)behaviorism

Question 61

is/are used to compare performance levels of the experimental group and the control group.

A)Descriptive statistics
B)Inferential statistics
C)Meta-analysis
D)Normal curve

Question 62

In a study by Rogelberg, Luong, Sederburg, and Cristol (2000), when compared to those employees who indicated they would complete a survey, those who stated they would not fill out the company survey .

A)had a greater intention of quitting
B)were more satisfied with the company
C)had no intention of quitting
D)valued the response the company made to their responses on previous surveys

Question 63

A measure of central tendency is the .

A)graph
B)median
C)correlation
D)standard deviation

Question 64

A level of analysis higher than significance testing is _.

A)t-test
B)meta-analysis
C)Soloman 4-group design
D)inferential statistics

Question 65

In dealing with a negatively skewed distribution, which is the most useful measure of central tendency?

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

Question 66

To construct a sample that is a duplicate-in-miniature of the larger population, the psychologist would use which technique?

A)probability sampling
B)quota sampling
C)double-blind sampling
D)experimental sampling

Question 67

When presented with the following data - 2, 2, 3, 4, 5 - the mode is _.

A)3.2
B)3
C)2
D)5

Question 68

If the scores on a calculus test were normally distributed, what percentage would fall within two standard deviations of the mean?

A)68 percent
B)95 percent
C)99 percent
D)34 percent

Question 69

The idea that the difference between the means of two groups have occurred by chance is _.

A)probability
B)statistical significance
C)meta-analysis
D)correlation

Question 70

A bar graph is one way to present _.

A)descriptive statistics
B)inferential statistics
C)meta-analysis
D)normal curve

Question 71

The basic measure of the variability of a distribution is the .

A)correlation
B)standard deviation
C)normal curve
D)mean

Question 72

With the , we can determine the percentage of scores that fall above or below a particular raw score.

A)mean
B)correlation
C)standard deviation
D)median

Question 73

A measure of the direction and strength of a relationship between two variables is called the .

A)mean
B)normal curve
C)median
D)correlation

Question 74

Which correlation coefficient reflects the strongest relationship?

A)+.05
B)+.25
C)-.13
D)-.33

Question 75

The highest point on a normal curve is the .

A)mean
B)median
C)mode
D)all the above

Question 76

To select a representative sample for a study that gives everyone in the population a known chance of being included in the sample, a psychologist would use .

A)probability sampling
B)quota sampling
C)double-blind sampling
D)experimental sampling

Question 77

Critics of web-based research point out that .

A)college students are not representative of the general population
B)the respondents are representative of the population as a whole
C)it is impossible to assess the accuracy of responses on many important criteria
D)this method saves time and money

Question 78

Ways of describing data in a concise and meaningful manner is also known as .

A)descriptive statistics
B)inferential statistics
C)meta-analysis
D)normal curve

Question 79

A probability value of .001 indicates there is chance that the difference between two means occurred by chance.

A)1 in 10
B)1 in 100
C)1 in 1000
D)1 in 10,000