Deck 4: Research Methods

Question 1

Any factor in a research study that makes the results uninterpretable is called a(n)

A)independent variable.
B)confound.
C)dependent variable.
D)confluence.

Answer 1

confound.

Question 2

Dr Smith uses a sample of participants in his memory study.Any conclusions that can be drawn from the results may be applied to the general population if there is a high degree of

A)internal reliability.
B)external reliability.
C)internal validity.
D)external validity.

Answer 2

external validity.

Question 3

Of the following, which hypothesis would NOT be appropriate given the concept of testability:

A)Behaviour is influenced by the rewards that follow the behaviour.
B)Children who view aggression are more likely to act in an aggressive manner.
C)Invisible forces influence our behaviour every day.
D)Personality traits can be influenced by genetics.

Answer 3

Invisible forces influence our behaviour every day.

Question 4

The reason that researchers cannot allow participants to decide whether to be in the control or treatment group is that this procedure may result in differences between the treatment and control group participants that

A)have nothing to do with the independent variable.
B)are a direct result of the independent variable.
C)have nothing to do with the dependent variable.
D)are a direct result of the dependent variable.

Question 5

Internal validity is defined as

A)the extent to which the results of a study can be explained by the dependent variable.
B)the degree to which the hypothesis is supported by the study.
C)the overall quality of the research.
D)the extent to which the results in a study can be explained by the independent variable.

Question 6

A hypothesis is defined as a(n)

A)theory.
B)empirical conclusion.
C)research study.
D)educated guess.

Question 7

Your friend has trouble making commitments in relationships.You believe that this is because her parents had a bitter divorce when she was young.Your belief that a child who lives through a bitter parental divorce will have trouble making commitments in relationships as an adult would be considered a(n)

A)hypothesis.
B)independent variable.
C)empirical conclusion.
D)applied theory.

Question 8

External validity refers to the

A)degree that the dependent variable was changed in the study.
B)power of the independent variable to cause a change in the dependent variable.
C)extent to which findings apply to individuals or situations other than those studied.
D)overall quality of the study.

Question 9

The independent variable in a research study is the variable that

A)is expected to be changed or influenced in the study.
B)is expected to influence or change the dependent variable.
C)is the empirical result of the study.
D)forms the most important component of the hypothesis.

Question 10

Studies that have significant confounds are said to be low in

A)external validity.
B)internal validity.
C)fidelity.
D)empirical validity.

Question 11

A researcher separates participants into two groups.Group A receives an active medication and Group B receives an empty capsule that looks and feels like the real medication.Group B is the ______ group.

A)treatment
B)analogue
C)control
D)experimental

Question 12

While studying the impact of nutrition on intelligence, a researcher has one group of rats on a vitamin-rich diet and the other group eating Big Macs.While observing the rats run a complicated maze, the researcher notes that the vitamin-enhanced rats' maze is more brightly lit than the Big Mac rats' maze.The difference in lighting in this study is a(n)

A)confound.
B)independent variable.
C)dependent variable.
D)hypothesis.

Question 13

The purpose of randomisation is to make sure that

A)each research participant spends an equal amount of time in the treatment and control groups.
B)each research participant has an equal chance of being in the treatment or control group.
C)everyone in each group is exactly the same on the independent variable.
D)everyone in each group is exactly the same on the dependent variable.

Question 14

With regard to research design, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT that

A)independent variables are hypothesised to have an impact on dependent variables.
B)independent variables are generally manipulated by the researcher.
C)dependent variables are hypothesised to have an impact on independent variables.
D)dependent variables are generally measured by the researcher.

Question 15

In an experimental study

A)the independent variable is manipulated.
B)the dependent variable is manipulated.
C)both the independent variable and the dependent variable are manipulated.
D)the environment is manipulated.

Question 16

The dependent variable in a research study is the variable that

A)is expected to influence or change the variable being studied.
B)is the empirical result of the study.
C)is expected to be changed or influenced in the study.
D)forms the most important component of the hypothesis.

Question 17

A researcher studies the impact of stress on college students' exam scores.Whether the results of this study help us to understand the relationship between job performance and stress level of real-life organisational workers is a question of

A)internal validity.
B)study confounds.
C)external validity.
D)the original research hypothesis.

Question 18

In a study to investigate the effects of alcohol on reflexes, some students were given three bottles of beer and some were given three bottles of non-alcoholic beer, and reaction time was measured.The group that received the non-alcoholic beer is the

A)treatment group.
B)dependent variable.
C)control group.
D)confound.

Question 19

A researcher is testing the effects of sunlight on depression.The dependent variable is_________ and the independent variable is _________________.

A)sunlight; depression
B)depression; sunlight
C)sunlight; mood
D)depression; mood

Question 20

If a study of a medication is conducted using only 25-year-old white males, the results would be limited in their

A)generalisabiity.
B)internal validity.
C)concurrent reliability.
D)usefulness.

Question 21

The correlation between the amount of time a college student studies and the student's height in inches is

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

Question 22

Statistical significance determines whether an observed difference between a treatment and control group is likely due to

A)random assignment.
B)external validity.
C)chance.
D)confounds.

Question 23

Every incremental increase in variable A is associated with an exactly equal increase in variable B.The correlation between these two variables is

A)+1.00
B)-1.00
C)0.00
D)causal

Question 24

In well-designed research studies, medications that enhance serotonin functioning have been found to help patients recover from episodes of depression.Given the realities of the patient uniformity myth, it would be a mistake to conclude that

A)most depressed patients will be helped substantially by these medications.
B)all depressed patients will be helped by these medications.
C)research can help us determine which treatments should be used for specific disorders.
D)medication can be an appropriate treatment for a psychological disorder.

Question 25

If you observe that umbrellas cause rain since they always occur together, you may be confusing

A)correlation with causation.
B)confounds with correlations.
C)independent variable with dependent variable.
D)statistical and clinical effects.

Question 26

A researcher studying the effect of a dietary supplement on sleep finds that research participants who take the supplement sleep an average of 7 hours and 25 minutes per night, while participants who were given a placebo pill with no active ingredients in it sleep for an average of 7 hours and 20 minutes.These findings are clearly

A)statistically significant.
B)not clinically significant.
C)not valid.
D)clinically significant.

Question 27

The type of study that generally does not follow the scientific method and typically contains many confounds is the

A)case study.
B)correlation model.
C)true experiment.
D)longitudinal study.

Question 28

As a child's age increases, so does her height.This is an example of a(n) _______ correlation.

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

Question 29

It has been demonstrated that the amount of time watching violent shows on TV is correlated with aggressiveness in children.However, we cannot say that watching violence on TV causes children to be aggressive because

A)we do not know if children watch violent TV shows because they are aggressive.
B)we do not know if violent TV shows cause children to act violently.
C)both variables may be related to another factor such as violent parents.
D)all of the above

Question 30

In research, the term 'clinical significance' refers to

A)whether the effects observed in the study are due to chance.
B)the external validity of the study.
C)whether the treatment was meaningful for those affected.
D)randomisation of the sampling procedure.

Question 31

The more time one spends exercising, the less one generally weighs.The correlation between time on a treadmill each month and overall body weight would represent a(n) ______ correlation.

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

Question 32

When studying family functioning, it has been observed that marital discord often increases as child behaviour problems increase in the family.Using the correlational model,

A)it is possible to determine that marital problems generally cause child behaviour problems.
B)it is not possible to determine whether marital discord causes child behaviour problems, whether child behaviour problems cause marital discord, or whether both may be true.
C)it is possible to determine whether marital problems cause child behaviour problems or whether child behaviour problems cause marital problems, but it is not possible to determine whether both may be true.
D)it is possible to determine whether any or all observed effects may be causing changes on any of the variables being studied.

Question 33

Joe is suffering from a severe anxiety disorder.His psychiatrist prescribes a medication that has been found in many research studies to help reduce anxiety.Joe takes the medication, but his anxiety level does not improve at all.Since the anxiety medication did not work, Joe concludes that his psychiatrist must be wrong and he must be suffering from some other disorder.The problem with Joe's conclusion is that he is failing to consider the

A)patient uniformity myth.
B)internal validity of the research studies.
C)lack of clinical significance of many research findings.
D)external validity of the prior research.

Question 34

The patient uniformity myth refers to the tendency to

A)see all study participants as homogenous.
B)see all study participants as heterogeneous.
C)emphasise patient symptoms and uniformity.
D)give all patients the same medications.

Question 35

Randomisation is used to assign research participants to groups in order to

A)prevent assembling groups that differ in a way that may influence the research outcome.
B)make sure that all participants in the study are the same with respect to the dependent variable when the study is concluded.
C)make sure that all participants are the same with respect to the independent variable before the study begins.
D)prevent any differences in the way the independent variable is manipulated for all research subjects.

Question 36

One of the major problems with the case study method is that it is too easy to make false conclusions based on

A)statistical significance.
B)unreliable measures.
C)poorly defined dependent variables.
D)coincidence.

Question 37

Epidemiology is the study of

A)the effectiveness of the correlational model in determining cause.
B)research methods.
C)various forms of therapy.
D)incidence, distribution and consequences of a problem in a population.

Question 38

Matilda designed a study in which she had a treatment group and a control group.She then took 100 participants and flipped a coin with each one to determine which group they would be in.This assigning of participants is called

A)randomisation.
B)generalisation.
C)experimentation.
D)uniformity.

Question 39

The Surgeon General gathered data that demonstrated that the more people smoked, the more likely they were to develop lung cancer, heart disease and other dangerous illnesses.This data demonstrates

A)that there is a positive correlation between smoking and serious illnesses such as lung cancer.
B)that there is a negative correlation between smoking and serious illnesses such as lung cancer.
C)that smoking causes lung cancer and other serious illnesses.
D)there is no relationship between smoking and lung cancer or other serious illnesses.

Question 40

The most accurate description of the correlational model is

A)manipulation of an independent variable to measure the effects on a dependent variable.
B)in-depth examination of many variables associated with a small number of individuals.
C)statistical examination of the relationships between variables.
D)statistical examination of the cause of changes in a dependent variable.

Question 41

While trying to discover the nature of the relationship between stress and blood pressure, a researcher asks participants to complete a difficult task.The researcher monitors the participants' blood pressure, while some are exposed to noisy distractions and others stay in a quiet environment.This type of research study is a(n)

A)correlational study.
B)experiment.
C)analogue study.
D)placebo control study.

Question 42

One of the problems of using a withdrawal design as part of a single-case experiment is the

A)difficulty of measuring changes that are associated with removal of a treatment.
B)confounding factor of the placebo effect when the treatment is removed.
C)ethical issue of removing treatment that appears to be helping the patient.
D)impossibility of removing the treatment equally for the treatment and control subjects.

Question 43

Epidemiologists study _____________ of a particular problem in one or more populations.

A)the distribution
B)the incidence
C)the consequences
D)all of the above

Question 44

Which of the following is an example of treatment outcome research?

A)examining the changes in serotonin levels from taking Prozac
B)determining whether the active ingredients in a medication actually have any impact on the function of the brain
C)exploring the parts of cognitive-behavioural therapy homework that are most difficult for patients to perform
D)examining the impact of Prozac on depression

Question 45

The basis of an experiment is

A)the manipulation of a dependent variable.
B)examining the relationship between an independent and a dependent variable.
C)the manipulation of an independent variable.
D)in-depth fact-gathering regarding many variables.

Question 46

Epidemiological researchers such as DeLisi and colleagues (2003), who assessed men and women in Manhattan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, generally use the research method called the

A)correlational model.
B)case study.
C)experiment.
D)longitudinal study.

Question 47

Single-case experimental designs utilise several strategies, such as ____________, to improve their internal validity.

A)repeated measurement
B)process measures
C)random assignment
D)placebo controls

Question 48

The purpose of a control group in experimental research is to

A)control for the expectation of some research subjects that they will improve just because they are in a research study.
B)determine whether a treatment or independent variable actually influenced change in the independent variable.
C)determine statistical significance.
D)control the dependent variable.

Question 49

The advantage of using a withdrawal design as part of a single-case experiment is that the researcher can

A)counterbalance the research design with additional measures to improve internal and external validity.
B)control for the placebo effect.
C)conduct a true double-blind experiment.
D)determine whether improvements gained with treatment are lost when the treatment is withheld.

Question 50

When a control group is used in experimental research, the members of the control group will be treated exactly the same as the

A)treatment group, except that they will be exposed to the independent variable.
B)treatment group in every way.
C)control group in any other psychology study.
D)treatment group, except that they will not be exposed to the independent variable.

Question 51

The single-case experimental design

A)always uses a single case.
B)is not concerned with external validity.
C)is not concerned with internal validity.
D)often incorporates several people at once.

Question 52

In a double-blind study,

A)participants are not aware of who is in the treatment and control groups, but the researcher providing the treatment does know.
B)neither the researcher providing the treatment nor the participants are aware of who is in the treatment and who is in the control group.
C)neither the researcher providing the treatment nor the research participants can ever be made aware of the research findings.
D)participants are not aware that they are participating in a research study.

Question 53

It can be important to use a double-blind procedure in a research study to prevent the

A)independent variable from influencing the dependent variable.
B)researcher's expectations from biasing the outcome.
C)participants' expectations from biasing the expectations of the researcher.
D)both b and c

Question 54

Single-case experimental designs are sometimes criticised because they tend to

A)always involve a single case.
B)decrease internal validity.
C)have lower external validity.
D)have very poor reliability estimates.

Question 55

A researcher manipulates an independent variable and observes the effects on a dependent variable in a(n)

A)correlational study.
B)analogue study.
C)experiment.
D)epidemiological study.

Question 56

Placebos are used in experiments to

A)control for the variability of individuals who tend to volunteer for research studies.
B)control for the expectations of some research participants that they will improve just because they are in a research study.
C)help determine whether an independent variable actually causes a statistically significant change in a dependent variable.
D)make certain that the treatment and control group are randomly selected.

Question 57

One important difference between a typical case study and the single-case experiment is that the single-case experiment attempts to

A)increase the number of confounding variables.
B)improve external validity.
C)improve internal validity.
D)utilise a single strategy to reduce confounds.

Question 58

In a typical drug study, some research participants are given an active medication and others are given a sugar pill.The subjects given the sugar pill are in the _______ group.

A)placebo control
B)treatment
C)independent variable
D)dependent variable

Question 59

Which of the following is an example of treatment process research?

A)examining the impact of Prozac on depression
B)determining how many therapy sessions it takes for most anxiety patients to feel better
C)examining the impact of Prozac on serotonin levels
D)determining which treatment reduces patients' anxiety in the fewest number of sessions

Question 60

Researchers use _____________ to attempt to control for the phenomenon called the 'allegiance effect', which occurs when experimenter bias influences research outcomes.

A)correlation studies
B)double-blind control
C)epidemiological studies
D)placebo pills

Question 61

Monozygotic twins allow for unique genetic studies because they

A)have identical genes.
B)always share the same environment.
C)share approximately 50% of the same genes.
D)are usually raised in similar ways.

Question 62

If a match is found between the inheritance of a disorder and a genetic marker, the genes for both are probably

A)on different chromosomes.
B)on different ends of the same chromosome.
C)identical.
D)close together on the same chromosome.

Question 63

One of the major problems of using family studies to determine the genetic components of psychological disorders is that family members may have similar disorders due to

A)shared genes.
B)common diet factors.
C)physical similarities.
D)the fact that they live together.

Question 64

A child is having temper tantrums at home, at school and at his grandparents' house.After working with the parents for a while, the therapist believes that the child is being rewarded for his tantrums in each setting because his teacher, parents and grandparents generally give him what he wants just to make him stop yelling.The therapist devises a plan to stop his tantrums, but first implements the plan at home, then the following week at school and finally at the grandparents' home several weeks later.From a research perspective, this is an example of

A)withdrawal method.
B)multiple baseline.
C)placebo control.
D)external validity.

Question 65

Given what we know about the effects of genes and the environment, which of the following pairs of children would be expected to be most similar in terms of overall personality, psychological disorders and intelligence?

A)Monozygotic twins, one raised in a wealthy family living in a modern city and the other raised in poverty in a developing nation
B)Adopted children from different biological families raised in the same home
C)Biological siblings raised in the same house
D)Biological siblings, each adopted immediately after birth, one raised in Chicago and the other raised in New York City

Question 66

Combining the monozygotic and adoption study methods, researchers often study monozygotic twins raised in different families.Using this method, similarities in behaviours, traits and psychological disorders between monozygotic twins raised apart helps researchers determine

A)the effects of adoption on a child's psychological functioning.
B)whether it is detrimental to separate twins at birth.
C)whether genes or adoption impact psychopathology.
D)the effects of genes.

Question 67

In family studies, scientists simply examine a behavioural pattern or emotional trait in the context of the family.The member with the trait singled out for study is called the

A)sibling.
B)prototype.
C)genetic marker.
D)proband.

Question 68

Which of the following patterns is typical for a disorder that is influenced by genetics?

A)Siblings of the person with the disorder are more likely to have the disorder than cousins, and cousins are just as likely to have the disorder as the general public.
B)Siblings of the person with the disorder will almost always have the same or similar disorders, and cousins are more likely than the general public to have disorders.
C)Siblings of the person with the disorder are more likely than cousins to have the disorder, and cousins are more likely to have the disorder than the general public.
D)Siblings will almost always have the same or similar disorders, though cousins may have a similar rate of the disorder as the general public.

Question 69

A genotype is defined as an individual's

A)unique genetic makeup.
B)recessive genes.
C)hidden characteristics.
D)observable features and behaviour.

Question 70

At this point, the human genome project has

A)been successful in producing a complete listing of each human gene and its function.
B)had little if any success in mapping the structure and location of human genes.
C)produced a rough draft of the mapping of all human genes.
D)had some success in mapping the structure of human genes, but little success in mapping gene locations.

Question 71

The implication of the fact that genetic linkage studies frequently fail to replicate when subsequent researchers repeat the study in different families is that

A)the human genome is not well mapped.
B)researchers need to be more careful with their methods.
C)the environment is a more powerful influence on most forms of complex psychopathology than genetics.
D)it is doubtful that there are single gene causes for complex disorders.

Question 72

An important advantage of the multiple baseline design over the withdrawal design for evaluating treatments is that multiple baseline

A)has greater internal validity.
B)has greater external validity.
C)does not require the removal of a potentially helpful treatment.
D)does not require the artificial intervention of the researcher.

Question 73

A phenotype is defined as an individual's

A)hidden characteristics.
B)observable characteristics.
C)genetic influences.
D)unique genetic makeup.

Question 74

While conducting a family study, a researcher determines that the siblings and parents of the person with a disorder are much more likely than the general public to have the disorder, although cousins, uncles and grandparents are only moderately more likely to have the disorder than the general public.This is an example of a disorder with

A)no genetic component.
B)a single gene influence.
C)a genetic component.
D)strong environmental and very weak genetic components.

Question 75

The genetic mechanisms that ultimately contribute to the underlying problems causing the symptoms and difficulties experienced by people with psychological disorders are called

A)genotypes.
B)phenotypes.
C)endophenotypes.
D)causal types.

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT a component of withdrawal designs?

A)Establishing a baseline
B)Manipulating the independent variable
C)Withdrawing the dependent variable
D)Returning to baseline

Question 77

Adoption studies can be used to study the influence of genetic influences on psychopathology

A)without the typical confound of common biological parents.
B)using more sophisticated statistical techniques.
C)through direct examination of genetic causes.
D)without the typical confound of siblings raised in the same environment.

Question 78

At this point, we know much more about the __________ of psychological disorders than the ___________ of psychological disorders.

A)genotype; phenotype
B)phenotype; genotype
C)behavioural causes; social influences
D)social influences; behavioural causes

Question 79

Family, twin and adoption studies can identify all of the following EXCEPT

A)whether a particular form of psychopathology is influenced by genes.
B)whether a particular form of psychopathology is influenced by the environment.
C)identification and location of a gene associated with psychopathology.
D)approximate degree of influence of genetics for a specific psychological disorder.

Question 80

Mary looks nothing like her mother, but Mary's daughter grows up to look exactly like Mary's mother.In other words, grandmother and granddaughter look alike.The fact that Mary's daughter looks like her (Mary's) mother but she herself doesn't is a good example of the

A)difference between genotype and phenotype.
B)influence of environment on genes.
C)fact that we really have no idea of how genes work.
D)diathesis-stress model.