Deck 2: The Science of Social Psychology

Question 1

Researchers conducting a study in the US find that college-aged students in the Northeast tend to support same-sex marriages. They then decide to conduct the exact same study on college-aged students in the south and find similar results. This process of repeating a study to corroborate original results is known as ________________.

A) validity
B) reliability
C) replication
D) peer review

Answer 1

replication

Question 2

Which of the follow should a good hypothesis involve?

A) It should not be falsifiable, to ensure the claim cannot be disproven.
B) It should be broad and abstract, so that results are generalizable.
C) It should include an operational definition so that measures are valid.
D) It should be a replication of previous research, to ensure the claim can be proven.

Answer 2

It should include an operational definition so that measures are valid.

Question 3

You hypothesize that lack of sleep impairs cognitive ability. In order to test your hypothesis, you will have to determine how to define and measure 'lack of sleep' and 'cognitive ability.' This is another way of saying that you will have to:

A) develop a research question.
B) develop a theory.
C) develop a hypothesis.
D) create an operational definition.

Answer 3

create an operational definition.

Question 4

When experts in a field review and comment on their colleagues' work, this is known as _______________.

A) expert review
B) scientific review
C) search and review
D) peer review

Question 5

According to your textbook, what is considered the first step in the research process?

A) Creating a research question
B) Creating a hypothesis
C) Defining your variables
D) Colleting the data for your study

Question 6

A researcher formed the following hypothesis: Good children receive more positive attention from their parents than bad children. The main problem with this hypothesis is:

A) The hypothesis is too specific.
B) The hypothesis does not define the sample of interest.
C) 'Good children' and 'bad children' are too vague and abstract.
D) There is no problem with the hypothesis.

Question 7

Which of the following is true regarding steps in the research process?

A) Social psychologists may state their predictions only after they have been tested.
B) Social psychologists cannot ethically deceive experiment participants for any reason.
C) Researchers must take cultural variables into consideration to ensure experimental validity.
D) Wikipedia and personal blogs are good sources of reliable and accurate information.

Question 8

Luri decides to conduct a study to examine whether pre-school boys and girls spend more time talking to same-sex or opposite sex children. In this example, preschool children represent_____________.

A) the variable
B) the hypothesis
C) the population
D) the sample

Question 9

Daniel cheated on his college history exam and believes that, like himself, almost every student cheats on an exam at least once or twice. Assuming he is incorrect, Daniel's tendency to overestimate the extent to which others cheat is known as _______________.

A) hindsight bias
B) the false consensus effect
C) the 'I knew it all along' phenomenon
D) the overestimation effect

Question 10

Which adage best illustrates the concept of hindsight bias?

A) The early bird gets the worm.
B) Hindsight is 20/20.
C) Birds of a feather flock together.
D) You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Question 11

Gender and level of self-esteem can be considered examples of ______________.

A) hypotheses
B) research questions
C) theories
D) variables

Question 12

A _____________ is a general framework for understanding a concept that allows us to describe, predict, and explain events.

A) research question
B) hypothesis
C) variable
D) theory

Question 13

The tendency to view events that have already occurred in the past as more predictable than they were before they took place is called _____________.

A) hindsight bias
B) observational bias
C) the false consensus effect
D) retrospection

Question 14

You have reservations about taking an advanced chemistry class but you decide to register anyway. After you receive a D on your first exam you think to yourself, "I knew this class was going to be too hard! I never should have signed up." Your belief that you knew the outcome all along refers to what phenomenon?

A) Regret
B) The false uniqueness effect
C) Hindsight bias
D) The false consensus effect

Question 15

You routinely stop at a nearby restaurant every Friday to pick-up your favourite tuna-melt sandwich. During your latest visit, you are shocked to learn that the sandwich you love so much has been taken off the menu because it is not very popular among customers. Your surprise can best be explained by _____________.

A) the 'I knew it all along' phenomenon
B) hindsight bias
C) the false uniqueness effect
D) the false consensus effect

Question 16

Prior to beginning your search for literature on your research topic, you should do which of the following?

A) Search Wikipedia for preliminary information on your topic
B) Identify key words relevant to your topic
C) Search personal blogs to familiarize yourself with the topic
D) Collect the data for your study

Question 17

Which of the following hypotheses is currently stated in the LEAST testable form?

A) Good parenting leads to better behaved children.
B) Watching more than five hours of television a day is related to weight gain.
C) Teenagers who join gangs are more likely to have criminal records.
D) Individuals in relationships will report higher life satisfaction.

Question 18

The measurement of a variable is considered valid when:

A) it produces the same result over and over again.
B) it measures what it is supposed to measure.
C) it can be supported as true.
D) none of the above.

Question 19

Consistent measurement refers to ______________.

A) validity
B) reliability
C) replication
D) sampling

Question 20

Which of the following would NOT represent a formal step in the research process?

A) Searching personal blogs and websites like Wikipedia for information on your topic
B) Gathering past research and background information on a topic
C) Developing a research question
D) Developing a hypothesis

Question 21

A different factor that could be responsible for an observed effect between two other variables is defined as _____________.

A) a matched sample
B) a third variable
C) the directionality problem
D) both a third variable and the directionality problem

Question 22

You conduct a study on university students and find that there is a positive correlation between exercise and happiness. What can you conclude based on your findings?

A) If university students exercise, they will be happy.
B) An increase in exercise is associated with an increase in happiness.
C) An increase in happiness is associated with an increase in exercise.
D) Both an increase in exercise is associated with an increase in happiness and an increase in happiness is associated with an increase in exercise.

Question 23

Which of the following is true regarding correlational studies?

A) Results may be misleading due to a third variable.
B) Results rarely offer useful or interesting informaiton.
C) Researchers are able to isolate causal factors.
D) Observations rarely apply to the general population.

Question 24

Which of the following statements represents a major difference between experimental methods and descriptive methods?

A) Experimental methods do not involve manipulation of variables.
B) Experimental methods do not involve controlling potential third variables.
C) Experimental methods allow for identification of cause and effect.
D) Both methods do not involve manipulation of variables or controlling potential third variables.

Question 25

Which of the following is most true regarding self-report methods?

A) They are appropriate for studying behaviours people tend to lie about.
B) The results are an accurate reflection of people's behavior.
C) They are an unethical way to conduct research.
D) They are a good tool to investigate what individuals think.

Question 26

Joel conducts a correlational study on the relationship between alcohol intake and self-perceived attractiveness. His results indicate a negative correlation, which means that:

A) there was no relationship between alcohol intake and self-perceived attractiveness.
B) as alcohol consumption increased, self-perceived attractiveness increased
C) as alcohol consumption increased, self-perceived attractiveness decreased.
D) as alcohol consumption decreased, self-perceived attractiveness decreased.

Question 27

Kristen is interested in studying how heat influences crime. Using data from weather reports and police records of crime reports she tests the hypothesis that crime is higher on days that are hot. Kristen has conducted a(n):

A) survey study.
B) observational study.
C) experiment.
D) archival study.

Question 28

Which of the following can be considered a major limitation of correlations?

A) Correlations cannot tell you if two variables are related.
B) Correlations are only studied in small samples.
C) Correlations cannot tell you how much two variables are related.
D) Correlations do not allow researchers to assess cause and effect between two variables.

Question 29

In an attempt to determine whether noise interferes with performance, Marc randomly assigns participants to take a math test either while listening to loud music or in silence. In this study, performance is considered the:

A) independent variable.
B) predictor.
C) dependent variable.
D) the control group.

Question 30

Laurie hypothesizes that women will be more likely than men to hold a door open for others. She decides to watch people coming in and out of a local coffee shop, recording the sex of each individual who holds the door open for another person. Laurie is conducting what type of research?

A) Experimental research
B) Naturalistic observation
C) Archival research
D) Correlational research

Question 31

In an attempt to determine whether noise interferes with performance, Marc randomly assigns participants to take a math test either while listening to loud music or in silence. In this study, the presence of absence of noise would be considered the:

A) independent variable.
B) subject variable.
C) dependent variable.
D) random variable.

Question 32

A research design in which two or more groups of individuals are identical, or matching, on a third variable is known as ____________.

A) an archival design
B) a correlational design
C) a matched samples design
D) a survey method design

Question 33

Field experiments are considered to be high in which of the following?

A) Internal validity
B) External validity
C) Participant bias
D) Experimental bias

Question 34

Which of the following is a form of data collection in which participants are asked to rate or describe their own behaviour or mental state?

A) Experimental research
B) Naturalistic observation
C) Survey method
D) Archival research

Question 35

Experimental research involves which of the following?

A) Demonstrating correlations between variables
B) Random assignment of participants to experimental conditions
C) Manipulation of the dependent variable
D) Both random assignment of participants to experimental conditions and manipulation of the dependent variable

Question 36

A researcher who wants to know whether drinking caffeine causes increased energy would be most likely to conduct what type of study?

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

Question 37

A researcher finds that there is a relationship between the amount of time university students spend at the library and performance on tests. Specifically, the more time spent at the library, the higher students scored on their exams. This relationship represents what type of correlation?

A) A positive correlation
B) A negative correlation
C) No correlation
D) An illusory correlation

Question 38

What type of research involves exploring the relationship between two variables?

A) Correlational research
B) Naturalistic observation
C) Survey method
D) Archival research

Question 39

An experimenter finds that students in a morning class perform better on a math test after being taught with a new teaching method compared with students in an afternoon class who are taught with a standard teaching method. He concludes that the new teaching method is superior to the old method. The main problem with this experimenter's conclusion is:

A) he did not find a random sample of participants.
B) he did not consider the importance of external validity.
C) he did not consider the possible influence of participant bias.
D) he did not consider the time of day that students were being taught.

Question 40

Daniel conducts a study looking at the relationship between exercise and depression and finds there is a negative correlation. Daniel concludes that exercise causes people to become less depressed. However, a colleague points out the possibility that less depressed people may simply be more likely to exercise. This represents a problem in interpreting correlations best known as ____________.

A) the problem of direction
B) the third variable problem
C) experimenter bias
D) confounding

Question 41

In an experimental research design, the group that receives the main treatment or manipulation is called ____________.

A) the experimental group
B) the control group
C) the research group
D) the manipulated group

Question 42

One reason random assignment is considered important in experimental research is because:

A) it allows researchers to determine which two variables are correlated to one another.
B) it allows a more representative sample of participants to be chosen for the study .
C) it allows researchers the ability to infer cause and effect.
D) it both allows a more representative sample of participants to be chosen for the study and it allows researchers the ability to infer cause and effect.

Question 43

A measureable improvement that is found in a participant that cannot be attributed to any treatment given by the experimenter is known as ___________.

A) the placebo effect
B) participant bias
C) error
D) confounding

Question 44

A subject in your study correctly assumes that you are interested in whether people behave in a prejudicial way towards people of a homosexual orientation. She then goes out of her way to act friendly and nice. This represents an example of ______________.

A) the placebo effect
B) participant bias
C) error
D) experimenter bias

Question 45

Which of the following statements about random assignment is NOT true?

A) Random assignment is important for inferring cause and effect.
B) Random assignment ensures that participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the experiment.
C) Random assignment is most relevant for ensuring external validity.
D) Random assignment ensures that each group contains the same type of participants.

Question 46

Subjects are told at the beginning of a study as much information as possible so that they can determine if they would like to participate. This is termed _______________.

A) debriefing
B) justice
C) informed consent
D) internal validity

Question 47

Internal validity refers to ________, while external validity refers to ________.

A) the dependent variable; the independent variable
B) causality; generalizability
C) descriptive research; experimental research
D) observation; manipulation

Question 48

Stanley Milgram conducted a famous study where he led participants to believe that they were administering increasingly painful electric shocks to another participant when that person answered a question incorrectly. The false information provided to participants is known as ______________.

A) participant bias
B) deception
C) manipulation
D) experimenter bias

Question 49

At the end of a study, researchers are required to provide information to a participant about the hypothesis being tested, any deception that was used, and reasons for the use of deception. This process is termed _____________.

A) deceptive disclosure
B) informed consent
C) debriefing
D) autonomy

Question 50

All of the following can be considered a descriptive method EXCEPT:

A) experimental research.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) archival research.
D) correlational research.

Question 51

As your book describes, Rosenthal and Jacobson conducted a study in 1969 which showed that teachers' expectations about the intelligence level of students influenced their subsequent behaviour and treatment of the students. This study illustrates a potential problem known as ____________.

A) experimenter bias
B) placebo effect
C) participant bias
D) subject bias

Question 52

According to your text, what type of study is considered the 'gold standard' in research because it offers the least threat of bias from participants or the experimenter?

A) An observational study
B) A field experiment
C) A single-blind study
D) A double-blind study

Question 53

A researcher gives half of her participants a new anti-anxiety pill and the other half a placebo pill. She does not tell participants whether they have received an active treatment pill or a sugar pill. This is an example of what type of study?

A) A prospective study
B) A single-blind study
C) A double-blind study
D) A observational study

Question 54

In an experimental research design, the group that does not receive the main treatment, and is used for comparison to the treatment group, is called ____________.

A) the experimental group
B) the control group
C) the research group
D) the manipulated group

Question 55

In order to avoid the problem of the placebo effect, a researcher could do which of the following?

A) Find a random sample of participants
B) Inform participants that they are not receiving the active treatment pill
C) Conduct a single-blind study
D) Inform participants that they are not receiving the sugar pill

Question 56

When a participant's suspicions, expectations, or assumptions about the study influence the results this is known as ______________.

A) confounding
B) participant bias
C) deception
D) invalidity

Question 57

Research ethics boards (REBs) evaluate proposed research to ensure that it meets which three ethical guidelines?

A) Justified anonymity, maximum benefit, and cost efficiency
B) Causal investigation, legal equity, and detached concern
C) Certifiable accordance, deliberation, and impartiality
D) Respect for persons, concern for welfare, and justice

Question 58

When every participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in an experiment this is termed:

A) random assignment.
B) random sampling.
C) participant bias.
D) manipulation of the independent variable.

Question 59

Christine conducted a study looking at how images of thin female bodies influenced participants' views of their own bodies. She told participants as much as she could before the study began but had to use some deception. Participants were told that their job was to look at a series of images of women and rate the appeal of the clothing being worn. Afterwards she had participants fill out questionnaires, including a measure of body dissatisfaction. Once participants filled out the questionnaires, she thanked them and sent them on their way. What ethical guideline did Christine fail to follow?

A) She did not use a double-blind study.
B) She did not tell her participants the exact reason for her study before it began.
C) She did not follow the principle of autonomy.
D) She did not debrief her participants.

Question 60

When neither the experimenter nor the participant knows who is in the experimental group and who is in the control group, this is known as ______________.

A) a single-blind study
B) experimenter bias
C) a double-blind study
D) participant bias

Question 61

Peggy does not provide research participants with a full explanation of her hypothesis after her study is complete. Peggy has failed to obtain what is known as informed consent.

Question 62

A single-blind study would be used to reduce experimenter bias.

Question 63

Replication is key to validating research findings.

Question 64

You want to conduct a study looking at the relationship between exercise and stress. You hypothesize that people who report exercising more will also report lower levels of stress. Using this example, describe how you would operationally define the variables of interest for this study.

Question 65

Experimental methods do not allow researchers to identify causes of behaviours and events.

Question 66

An experimenter who decides not to tell participants whether they are receiving a treatment pill or a sugar pill is conducting a double-blind study.

Question 67

Briefly outline the steps involved in the research process.

Question 68

Participant bias occurs when the researcher subconsciously shows bias in his/her evaluation of the results in order to reach a desired conclusion.

Question 69

It is usually the case that if you increase the internal validity of your study, then you will be decreasing the external validity at the same time.

Question 70

In some cases it has been found that a sugar pill produces the same result as an active treatment pill.

Question 71

When an operational definition is valid this suggests that it measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 72

What is descriptive research? Briefly define two types of descriptive research.

Question 73

A negative correlation between stress and job performance suggests that higher stress levels cause poorer job performance.

Question 74

When a hypothesis is not supported by the data this means that it false.

Question 75

Random assignment is not necessary for researchers to be able to infer cause and effect in experimental studies.

Question 76

If an experimenter seeks to learn the effects of music on anxiety and manipulates the type of music participants listen to, music is considered the independent variable.

Question 77

Identify the major problem with the following hypothesis: "Bad parenting leads children to behave rudely." Briefly describe how you would re-phrase this hypothesis to make it testable.

Question 78

A study that asks participants to rate their level of satisfaction with life is an example of a naturalistic observational study.

Question 79

If it is necessary for the integrity of a study, researchers are allowed to utilize deception.

Question 80

Distinguish between positive and negative correlations. Provide an example of each one.