Deck 2: Research Ideas and Hypotheses

Question 1

A potential drawback of secondary sources is that they ____.

A) typically do not contain detailed information about any specific study
B) often cover a decade or more of research in a given area
C) provide detailed information about research methods but little about results
D) offer no statistical analysis in support of their conclusions

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A ____ source contains original research reports.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) premier
D) germinal

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Finding out why clients diagnosed with schizophrenia do not consistently take their medication would be an example of ____.

A) basic research
B) applied research
C) pseudoresearch
D) common sense research

Answer 3

B

Question 4

You can safely assume that ____.

A) any publication in a journal is a primary source
B) secondary sources do not contain any statistical analyses
C) any publication with a section describing methodology is a primary source
D) primary sources contain descriptions of research by those who conducted it

Question 5

While driving, you notice that you seem to encounter more impatient and rude people on the road than you do in person, and you wonder why that would be the case. This is an example of getting research ideas from ____.

A) theory
B) casual observation
C) systematic observation
D) second-hand information

Question 6

When using PsycINFO for a literature search, it is most common to enter a(n) ____ into the database.

A) subject word
B) description of the article
C) journal name
D) article title

Question 7

Research studies that are intended to answer practical problems would be classified as ____.

A) basic
B) applied
C) systematic
D) statistically significant

Question 8

After you have scanned through a list of titles to determine which articles might be relevant to your research question, you should then read the ____ of each article to determine whether to keep it in your literature review.

A) introduction
B) abstract
C) discussion section
D) results section

Question 9

The review of the literature in the introduction section of a research report is an example of a ____ source.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) premier
D) germinal

Question 10

Suppose you are looking for reliable psychological information about a specific keyword. What tool will be most effective?

A) Yahoo
B) Wikipedia
C) PsycINFO
D) About.com

Question 11

A researcher is intrigued by an explanation of children's problem-solving strategies found in a journal article and develops a research study to determine whether the article's ideas are correct. This study can be classified as ____ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) systematic
D) necessary

Question 12

While watching your kids play in the backyard, you get some ideas about what factors may be causing them to compete or collaborate. This is an example of getting research ideas from ____.

A) theory
B) casual observation
C) systematic observation
D) second-hand information

Question 13

A newspaper article discussing someone's research is an example of a ____ source.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) premier
D) germinal

Question 14

A researcher initiates a study to determine whether playing organized sports helps children with anxiety feel less anxious. This study can best be classified as ____ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) systematic
D) necessary

Question 15

Which type of source summarizes information from sources of original research reports?

A) primary
B) secondary
C) premier
D) germinal

Question 16

Combat veterans may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You wonder about the best way to treat PTSD. This is an example of getting research ideas from ____.

A) theory
B) random thoughts
C) practical problems
D) systematic observation

Question 17

The database that contains brief summaries of psychology articles and information on where to find the original publication is ____.

A) Social Citation Index
B) MedLine
C) PsycINFO
D) ERIC

Question 18

An empirical journal article is an example of a ____ source.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) premier
D) germinal

Question 19

Your PsycINFO search has yielded several hundred articles. The most efficient next step is to ____.

A) read the abstracts to determine if you want to read the articles
B) cross-check the references with the lists obtained with other, related subject words
C) print off the articles so that you can read them at your convenient
D) scan through the titles to see which ones seem most suited to your interests

Question 20

A study that aims to modify existing psychological theory related to personality traits would be considered ____ research.

A) basic
B) applied
C) systematic
D) statistically significant

Question 21

The discussion section of a research article typically ____.

A) provides interpretation of the findings
B) describes the overall purpose and rationale of the research
C) includes the results of statistical analyses
D) provides the details of the methodology used in the study

Question 22

The advantage of full-text databases is that they contain ____.

A) only a fraction of the publications in an area
B) too many publications to be useful
C) word-for-word copies of each publication
D) secondary sources only

Question 23

Which section of a research article can help you to develop ideas for studies by changing the characteristics of the participants or modifying the procedures for your own study?

A) introduction
B) method
C) results
D) abstract

Question 24

What is the most relevant question you should ask when reading an introduction?

A) Is the literature review up to date?
B) Does the statistical analysis seem adequate?
C) Is the participant selection reasonable?
D) Are the conclusions supported by the results?

Question 25

The results section of a research article typically ____.

A) provides interpretation of the findings
B) describes the overall purpose and rationale of the research
C) includes the outcome of statistical analyses
D) provides the details of the methodology used in the study

Question 26

What is the most relevant question you should ask when reading a method section?

A) Were the appropriate statistics used?
B) Are the effects large enough to be meaningful?
C) Are the conclusions justified by the results?
D) Would different participants produce different results?

Question 27

Which hypothesis is problematic because it cannot be tested?

A) People worry too much about stress.
B) Children can learn to decrease their stress levels faster than adults.
C) There would be less stress today if 9/11 had never occurred.
D) People use stress as an excuse to be rude.

Question 28

The introduction section of a research article typically ____.

A) provides interpretation of the findings
B) describes the overall purpose and rationale of the research
C) includes the results of statistical analyses
D) provides the details of the methodology used in the study

Question 29

Which statement is the best example of a hypothesis?

A) There is no relationship between fatigue and reaction time.
B) Sugar consumption is not related to level of activity.
C) Smaller class size is related to better academic performance.
D) Self-esteem does not affect persistence on a difficult task.

Question 30

Which section of a research article is most likely to provide suggestions for additional research?

A) introduction
B) method
C) results
D) discussion

Question 31

When you identify a gap in the literature, you ____.

A) have found a poorly conceived study
B) have found a potential research idea
C) are dealing with a topic that cannot be studied
D) are wise to switch topics

Question 32

The method section of a research article typically ____.

A) provides interpretation of the findings
B) describes the overall purpose and rationale of the research
C) includes the results of statistical analyses
D) provides the details of how the research was conducted

Question 33

Which section of a research article is most likely to provide a complete list of all the publications cited in the article?

A) bibliography
B) citation list
C) reference
D) discussion

Question 34

A(n) ____ is a brief summary of a psychology article.

A) abstract
B) running head
C) key word summary
D) introduction

Question 35

What is the most relevant question you should ask when reading a results section?

A) Do the results have real-world applications?
B) Do the conclusions follow logically from the results?
C) Are appropriate statistics used?
D) Do the predicted outcomes follow from the hypothesis?

Question 36

Why should a hypothesis contain a positive statement?

A) Scientists tend to be pessimistic, which decreases productivity and analytical skills.
B) The scientific method assumes something does not exist unless it is proven to exist.
C) Researchers should not assume that a relationship exists between two entities or actions.
D) Researchers should not assume that a relationship exists between two entities or actions.

Question 37

The disadvantage of full-text databases is that they contain ____.

A) predominantly nonrefereed publications
B) too many publications to be useful
C) secondary sources only
D) only a fraction of the publications in an area

Question 38

Which of the following words or phrases makes the best subject word(s) for a database search?

A) extroverts
B) party animals
C) people who like socializing
D) people with outgoing personalities

Question 39

A refutable hypothesis must ____.

A) refer to variables that can be observed or measured
B) make a positive statement about the existence of an effect or a relationship
C) allow for the possibility that the observations will not support the hypothesis
D) state at least one conclusion that has already been proven

Question 40

A good hypothesis must ____.

A) involve a hypothetical situation
B) leave some variables unobserved
C) allow for all variables to be measured
D) only allow for data that supports it

Question 41

Basic research is intended to answer practical problems.

Question 42

Magazine articles that describe previous research are primary sources.

Question 43

PsycINFO provides broader coverage of journals than PsycARTICLES.

Question 44

The review of the literature in an introduction of a research article should form the foundation for the study.

Question 45

Before searching in PsycINFO, it is wise to identify the correct subject terms for the topics you have identified.

Question 46

Secondary sources are a great place to start a literature search, but you should include primary sources to get the whole story.

Question 47

A good way to come up with a research idea is to look in the discussion section of a research article, and find the discussion of ideas for future research.

Question 48

All journal articles are primary sources.

Question 49

It is a good idea to start with a specific idea and then make that idea more general as you conduct your literature review.

Question 50

A literature search is successfully ended when you stop uncovering new leads.

Question 51

The discussion section of an APA-style research report often contains a description of the limitations of the research.

Question 52

The most complete coverage of existing journals is provided by full-text databases.

Question 53

Applied research is intended to answer theoretical questions.

Question 54

A problem with primary sources is that they may provide an incomplete or misinterpreted description of a research study or a research result.

Question 55

Secondary sources must contain complete reports of research.

Question 56

A textbook is a primary source.

Question 57

After reading a discussion section of a research article, asking if there are alternative explanations for the results is a good way to come up with an idea for a future study.

Question 58

Ideas for research can come from casual observation of the people around you.

Question 59

A good hypothesis should make a positive statement about the existence of a relationship, a difference, or a treatment effect.

Question 60

Ideas for research can come from reading a magazine.

Question 61

Describe what you can expect to see in each of the five sections of a research article.

Question 62

Describe the steps involved in conducting a literature search.

Question 63

Compare and contrast applied and basic research and describe how the two types of research can often overlap.

Question 64

Describe the four elements that are essential for a good hypothesis.

Question 65

Describe how developing a research idea is largely a weeding out process.

Question 66

Describe why the best strategy for finding a research idea is to begin with a general topic area.

Question 67

What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?