Deck 1: C: Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods

Question 1

You go to Africa to study elephants.You follow one particular group,and one day you observe the other members of the group gather around a sick and dying elephant.The healthy elephants shuffle and trumpet and act in an agitated manner.You conclude that they are sad because one of their members is dying.Without any other evidence,you have just

A) committed the anthropomorphic error.
B) become involved in the observer effect.
C) engaged in research participant bias.
D) created an empirical fallacy.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The graph shown depicts a __________ correlation.

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

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A teacher states that the students who made the highest grades on the English test also made the highest grades on the history test and the ones that made the lowest on one test made the lowest on the other.She was probably able to make this statement because she

A) conducted a controlled experiment with the class.
B) correlated the scores on the two tests.
C) surveyed the students.
D) observed the students as they took the test to make sure no one cheated.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The temptation to attribute human thoughts,feelings,and motives to animals is called the __________ error.

A) ratomorphic
B) empirical
C) anthropomorphic
D) comparative

Question 5

The existence of a consistent,systematic relationship between two events,measures,or variables is known as a(n)

A) survey.
B) case study.
C) correlation.
D) observational record.

Question 6

A correlation coefficient of 0.00 means that there is

A) a strong negative relationship between the two variables.
B) a strong positive relationship between the two variables.
C) a perfect positive relationship between the two variables.
D) no relationship between the two variables.

Question 7

A psychologist notes an association between the IQs of parents and their children,or between beauty and social popularity,or between anxiety and test performance.In each case,two
Events are correlated,which means

A) both events are randomly occurring.
B) both events are really unrelated.
C) one event caused the other.
D) the events are linked together in an orderly way.

Question 8

A correlational coefficient is best characterized as a(n)

A) measure of the extent of the relationship between two existing traits, behaviors, or events.
B) index of the causal direction between an independent and dependent variable.
C) indication of the likelihood that an experimental finding will be replicated by others.
D) measure of the likelihood that observed differences may be attributed to chance.

Question 9

The anthropomorphic error would pose the greatest problem for which of the following?

A) clinical psychologist
B) Freudian psychologist
C) humanist
D) comparative psychologist

Question 10

My cat knows when I am upset and comes and comforts me.In psychology this is an example of

A) psychological personification.
B) the observer effect.
C) the biopsychology effect.
D) the anthropomorphic error.

Question 11

The graph shown depicts a __________ correlation.

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

Question 12

Correlation coefficients can be expressed in numbers ranging from

A) 0.00 to 3.00.
B) -1.00 to +1.00.
C) -2.00 to +2.00.
D) -3.00 to +3.00.

Question 13

A researcher observes the play activities of children at recess.The videotape of these play activities serves as the

A) experimental effect.
B) observation record.
C) observational empiricism.
D) scientific record.

Question 14

Which of the following is an appropriate use of naturalistic observation?

A) to raise questions and suggest hypotheses
B) to develop formal psychological theory
C) to test hypotheses derived from theory
D) to answer questions about cause-and-effect relationships

Question 15

Correlations allow us to

A) control behavior.
B) explain behavior.
C) predict behavior.
D) establish causal relationships.

Question 16

Helen ties a frilly blue bow around the neck of her husband's bulldog,Bruiser.When her husband sees Bruiser trying to take the bow off,he explains to his wife that Bruiser is embarrassed to be seen wearing "the frilly little bow." Her husband's comment illustrates the

A) observer effect.
B) anthropomorphic error.
C) Barnum effect.
D) animalistic relativity error.

Question 17

If a correlational relationship is perfect,the coefficient would

A) be zero.
B) be a +1.00 or a -1.00.
C) always be a negative correlation.
D) always be a positive correlation.

Question 18

A nonexperimental study designed to measure the degree of relationship (if any)between two or more events or variables is called a __________ study.

A) naturalistic observation
B) correlational
C) clinical
D) survey

Question 19

To estimate the degree of the relationship between birth order and achievement motivation,a researcher would do a(n)__________ study.

A) naturalistic observation
B) inventory
C) correlational
D) experimental

Question 20

Psychologists conducting naturalistic studies make a special effort to minimize bias by keeping a detailed summary of data and observations known as a(n)

A) experimental diary.
B) observation record.
C) empirical recording.
D) scientific journal.

Question 21

A negative correlation means that as one variable increases the other

A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains constant.
D) increases then decreases.

Question 22

Decreases in one measure are matched by increases in the other measure in a

A) nonexistent relationship.
B) positive correlation.
C) negative correlation.
D) zero correlation.

Question 23

The more you study,the fewer errors you will make on the next exam is an example of a __________ correlation.

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

Question 24

The boys in Ms.Jones' third grade class were lined up according to height and were then weighed in this order beginning with the shortest.Each succeeding boy was found to weigh more than the preceding one.These data were plotted on a graph with weight on the horizontal axis and height on the vertical axis and revealed a

A) zero correlation.
B) positive correlation.
C) negative correlation.
D) horizontal line.

Question 25

If the correlations between one's self-concept and academic performance were positive,we could say that

A) academic performance and self-concept are largely unrelated.
B) academic performance is an important cause of one's self-concept.
C) one's self-concept is an important cause of academic performance.
D) a self-concept and academic performance are related, but no causal relationship has been established.

Question 26

Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the STRONGEST relationship between two sets of variables?

A) -0.80
B) -.10
C) +1.25
D) +.90

Question 27

Students who do better in high school tend to do better in college.This is an example of a __________ correlation.

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

Question 28

An observation that the higher the air temperature,the lower the activity of test animals would be an example of a

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

Question 29

A researcher studying sleep deprivation finds that as the amount of sleep decreases,there is a proportional decrease in one's immune system.This illustrates a __________ correlation.

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

Question 30

The graph shown depicts a __________ correlation.

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

Question 31

A correlation coefficient of 1.36 would be

A) impossible.
B) a sign that the two variables are positively related.
C) a sign that the two variables are negatively related.
D) a sign that the two variables are not related.

Question 32

As gas prices increase,we see a decline in the number of travelers on the highway.This is an example of a __________ correlation.

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

Question 33

The correlation between shoe size and intelligence would be

A) -1.00.
B) +1.00.
C) 0.00.
D) impossible to calculate.

Question 34

Decreases in one measure are matched by decreases in the other measure in a

A) nonexistent relationship.
B) positive correlation.
C) negative correlation.
D) zero correlation.

Question 35

A correlation coefficient of -1.09 indicates a(n)

A) strong positive correlation.
B) strong negative correlation.
C) cause/effect relationship.
D) error in computation.

Question 36

Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the WEAKEST relationship between two sets of variables?

A) 0.08
B) -0.29
C) 0.48
D) -1.00

Question 37

A correlation coefficient of -.89 indicates a(n)

A) weak negative correlation.
B) strong negative correlation.
C) cause and effect relationship.
D) error in computation.

Question 38

Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the STRONGEST relationship between two sets of variables?

A) -0.98
B) 0.90
C) 0.00
D) 1.20

Question 39

Abdul is listening to a radio talk show and hears the announcer talk about "a high correlation between crime and poverty." The announcer concludes that since there was a high correlation,poverty must cause crime.Abdul is taking psychology and is skeptical of what he just heard.He knows that

A) correlation does not indicate causation.
B) to properly evaluate the statement, he needs to know the magnitude of the correlation.
C) poverty and crime rates are difficult to measure.
D) the research indicates that crime causes poverty and not vice versa.

Question 40

A positive correlation means that as one variable increases,the other variable

A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains constant.
D) is unpredictable.

Question 41

An advantage of the clinical method is that it

A) provides identification of clear cause-and-effect relationships.
B) allows information about large numbers of people to be gathered.
C) allows prediction.
D) allows investigation of rare or unusual problems or events.

Question 42

One of the disadvantages of the correlational method is that

A) correlations may be weak.
B) correlations may be negative or zero.
C) it can only be used in laboratory settings.
D) the relationships observed between variables may be caused by some unknown third factor.

Question 43

One of the advantages of the correlational method is that

A) greater control is possible over the phenomenon in question.
B) cause-and-effect relationships can be confirmed.
C) it allows prediction.
D) it can only be used in the laboratory.

Question 44

Since accidents,such as gunshot wounds,or natural events,such as disasters,can provide psychological data,case studies,such as these,may sometimes be thought of as

A) field experiments.
B) meta-analyses.
C) natural clinical tests.
D) naturalistic observations.

Question 45

The clinical method would most likely be used to study

A) the attitudes of the public concerning sex education being taught in the schools.
B) the behaviors of adolescents in the mall.
C) the effects of Vitamin E on cholesterol.
D) the behaviors of amnesia patients.

Question 46

An in-depth focus on a single individual best describes the

A) single-blind experiment.
B) double-blind experiment.
C) correlational method.
D) case study.

Question 47

An analysis of your medical records would be similar to which research method?

A) naturalistic observation
B) survey
C) experimental method
D) case study

Question 48

According to the text,case studies

A) lack formal control groups.
B) produce results that generalize better than survey results.
C) are the most scientific of the research methods.
D) are generally superior to experiments.

Question 49

Which of the following would most likely be investigated by use of a case study?

A) the extent of marijuana usage in the general population
B) the effects of caffeine on memory
C) a rare psychological problem such as multiple personality
D) the correlation between hours of sleep per night and the grade-point averages of college students

Question 50

The town of Indianola,Mississippi wants to know what the community thinks about building a high-tech movie theatre.Increased taxes will be used to pay for the new theatre.Therefore,elected officials are mailing out questionnaires to determine public opinion about the theatre and the use of increased taxes to pay for it.Which type of research method are they using?

A) correlation
B) experiment
C) survey
D) case studies

Question 51

The Gallup and Harris Polls,which are reports that contains the responses of several hundred people to questions such as how good a job is the president doing with foreign affairs,are both
Examples of the use of the

A) naturalistic observation technique.
B) survey method.
C) field experiment.
D) curvilinear relationship hypothesis.

Question 52

Rare conditions,such as cases involving brain tumors,accidental brain injuries,childhood "geniuses," or "rampage" school shootings,are often studied using which method?

A) survey
B) case study
C) correlational study
D) experimental method

Question 53

A psychologist discovers that the blood of patients with schizophrenia contains a certain chemical not found in the general poputlation.This means that

A) this chemical causes a person to develop schizophrenia.
B) having schizophrenia causes this chemical to form in a person's blood.
C) both schizophrenia and the chemical are caused by some unknown third factor, such as
The typical diet in mental hospitals.
D) the chemical and schizophrenia are related, but no causal relationship has been
Established.

Question 54

The survey method involves

A) an in-depth study of the opinions and attitudes of a selected individual.
B) an overview of the attitudes and backgrounds of selected groups.
C) direct observation and recording of a representative sample of behavior.
D) careful questioning of a representative sample of people.

Question 55

An educator who wants to explore all the different factors that might affect the motivation of a particular student would most likely use

A) a controlled experiment.
B) the clinical method
C) the survey method.
D) naturalistic observation.

Question 56

The use of public polling techniques to answer questions about the opinions and behaviors of large groups of people describes the use of the __________ method.

A) clinical
B) case study
C) survey
D) correlational

Question 57

Which of the following can be thought of as a "natural" clinical test?

A) survey
B) case study
C) correlational study
D) double-blind study

Question 58

In-depth studies of the brain injuries of Phineas Gage and Michael Melnick are examples of

A) correlational studies.
B) field experiments.
C) natural clinical tests.
D) surveys.

Question 59

Both the hereditary as well as environmental influences on the development of schizophrenia in the Genain quadruplets was documented using which research method?

A) case study
B) experimental method
C) survey method
D) correlational study

Question 60

If a researcher finds a negative correlation between the number of hours that students play computer games and grades,this means that

A) computer game playing causes a decrease in grades.
B) computer game playing causes an increase in grades.
C) lower grades causes a student to be disinterested in studying and more interested in playing computer games.
D) an experiment would have to be performed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between video game playing and grades.

Question 61

Concerning Internet surveys,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Web-based research has been disadvantaged because of its high cost in time and money.
B) Web-based research can reach very large groups of people.
C) Biased samples can limit Web-based research because it is not easy to control who
Actually answers online questionnaires.
D) Internet studies have provided interesting information about topics, such as anger, prejudice, religion, and other attitudes.

Question 62

An entire group of animals or people belonging to a particular category is called a

A) biased sample.
B) representative sample.
C) population.
D) natural clinical test.

Question 63

Meridian Community College has a total of 4,000 students.One hundred of these students are surveyed about the programs offered at the college.These 100 students surveyed would constitute the

A) population.
B) representative sample.
C) control group.
D) independent group.

Question 64

Incredible but false stories posted on the Internet,such as "the health department in Oregon looking for someone fluent in the fictional language of Klingon," illustrates the need for readers to always

A) be skeptical.
B) be wary of overly complex explanations.
C) remember that truth is often stranger than fiction.
D) consider that numerous postings of information on the Internet are required to establish proof.

Question 65

Two researchers want to determine the opinion of the average U.S.citizen regarding gun control.One conducts his survey at a national fishing and hunting convention,while the other
Researcher surveys participants at a animal rights convention.Regarding the accuracy of
These survey results in determining the viewpoint of the average U.S.citizen,

A) the survey conducted at the animal rights convention would be more accurate.
B) the survey conducted at the national fishing and hunting convention would be more accurate.
C) the combination of the two surveys would produce a balanced and accurate set of
Results.
D) both samples would be considered biased.

Question 66

One of the limitations of the survey method is

A) observer bias.
B) that it sets up an artificial situation.
C) that replies may reflect social desirability.
D) that results cannot be generalized.

Question 67

When newspaper or magazine articles claim the effectiveness of some product or service,it is wise to

A) realize that the authenticity of the report has been thoroughly checked by the media.
B) be wary of overly complex explanations.
C) remember that truth is often stranger than fiction.
D) consider the source of the information.

Question 68

The modern media,and especially the Internet,function as a giant "echo chamber" awash with rumors,hoaxes,half-truths,and urban legends like the one about giant alligators living in
New York sewers.Therefore,as a critical thinker,you should

A) be skeptical.
B) be wary of overly complex explanation.
C) remember that truth is often stranger than fiction.
D) that numerous postings of information on the Internet are required to establish proof.

Question 69

Senior seminar in psychology is open only to psychology majors,and all psychology majors at this college must complete the seminar to graduate.A random sample of students in this seminar is representative of all

A) college students in the U.S.
B) students at the college where the seminar is offered.
C) seniors at the college where the seminar is offered.
D) senior psychology majors at the college where the seminar is offered.

Question 70

We can draw conclusions about a larger group of people by randomly selecting a smaller group.The entire larger group of people is known as the

A) natural clinical trial.
B) representative sample.
C) population.
D) conglomerate.

Question 71

A common method for selecting representative samples is to select them

A) randomly from the larger population.
B) strictly from volunteers.
C) independently by placing the surveys in popular magazines and newspapers.
D) from the confidential lists generated from mail order firms.

Question 72

A small,randomly selected part of a larger population that accurately reflects characteristics of the whole population is known as a

A) correlation group.
B) control group.
C) representative sample.
D) balance-bias sample.

Question 73

A researcher has surveyed several thousand introductory psychology students across the country regarding their views of dating.Because all of his participants were introductory
Psychology students,this researcher's findings

A) are totally invalidated.
B) will have limitations regarding their meaning.
C) are completely valid because all college students have to take introductory psychology.
D) cannot be published until they have been replicated at least two more times.

Question 74

Researchers conducting web-based research have trouble controlling who actually answers their on-line questionnaires,which places limits on their research due to

A) researcher bias.
B) research participant bias.
C) biased samples.
D) the Barnum effect.

Question 75

The tendency of persons being surveyed to give polite or socially desirable answers is known as the

A) Barnum effect.
B) courtesy bias.
C) experimenter bias.
D) self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 76

In survey studies,answers to questions regarding sex,drinking,drug use,income,and church attendance tend to be less than truthful,indicating a distinct

A) courtesy bias.
B) actor-observer bias.
C) halo effect.
D) Barnum effect.

Question 77

In conducting a survey on computer use,the fact that many people do not want to admit that they don't know how to use a computer is called a(n)

A) observer bias.
B) researcher bias.
C) non-representative sample.
D) courtesy bias.

Question 78

We can draw conclusions about a larger group of people by randomly selecting a smaller group known as the

A) natural clinical trial.
B) representative sample.
C) population.
D) balanced-based segment.

Question 79

A local television station conducts what they refer to as "surveys," in which they ask viewers to call in their opinions to various topics.These "surveys" are not considered a scientific poll because the television station

A) does not allow subjects to e-mail their responses.
B) is using a biased sample.
C) limits the response to only 20 minutes.
D) does not separate the responses according to gender or race.

Question 80

Meridian Community College has a total of 4,000 students.One hundred of these students are surveyed about the programs offered at the college.All of the students at the college would be the

A) population.
B) representative sample.
C) control group.
D) independent group.