Deck 2: A: The Research Enterprise in Psychology

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a case of scientific misconduct reported within the profession of psychology

A) falsifying and/or fabricating data 
B) fraud in the reporting of research, procedures or methodology 
C) using unwitting participants in experiments 
D) striving for a representative sample

Answer 1

 striving for a representative sample

Question 2

A researcher is measuring the heart rate of subjects in a study about anxiety,because heart rate changes in a predictable way when people are anxious.In this study,what is heart rate

A) negatively correlated with anxiety 
B) independent variable 
C) confounded variable 
D) operational definition of anxiety

Answer 2

 operational definition of anxiety

Question 3

What is a hypothesis

A) a conclusion drawn from an experiment 
B) a system by which an experiment is designed 
C) a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations 
D) a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Answer 3

 a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Question 4

Dr.Marqueta predicts that people who have received bad news will seek out other people because "misery loves company." Which term characterizes Dr.Marqueta's prediction about the behaviour of people

A) theory 
B) hypothesis 
C) analysis 
D) application

Question 5

What is a theory

A) a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations 
B) a preliminary proposal that has yet to be tested 
C) a statement of research results that have been proven correct 
D) a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Question 6

There are multiple goals in science,and researchers move between goals at various points in their research.If a researcher has a lot of data about the measurement of fear reactions and uses those data to generate a theory about fear,how have the researcher's goals changed

A) from application to control 
B) from control to description 
C) from description to understanding 
D) from understanding to application

Question 7

Which goal of science is most closely associated with determining how to measure fear or identify lying

A) understanding and prediction 
B) measurement and description 
C) application and control 
D) testing and reporting

Question 8

Several researchers are working on different experiments that are designed to test whether a person's confidence can be changed over time.They want to be able to compare their results when they are done.They agree that they will all use the same test in order to measure confidence.What have the researchers done

A) They agreed to use the same independent variable. 
B) They agreed to use the same hypothesis. 
C) They agreed on an operational definition of confidence. 
D) They agreed to remove a confounding variable.

Question 9

Dr.Malm predicts that if teachers ignore students who act up in class,fewer students will act up in class.What is the scientific term for Dr.Malm's prediction

A) operational definition 
B) inferential statistics 
C) hypothesis 
D) theory

Question 10

Forensic profilers use information about known serial killers to make statements about the likely next steps of a new killer and to anticipate a pattern of behaviour.Which goal of the scientific enterprise does this reflect

A) application and control 
B) measurement and description 
C) testing and reporting 
D) understanding and prediction

Question 11

Dr.Dieringer wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families.She plans to define the strength of attachment as the time it takes for the parent to respond when the infant starts to cry.Why is this operational definition important

A) It allows others to understand exactly what Dr. Dieringer means by "attachment." 
B) It allows Dr. Dieringer to generate a scientific hypothesis. 
C) It prevents research assistants from violating ethical guidelines for psychological research. 
D) It requires a double-blind research design.

Question 12

In the United States,from 1932 to 1972,a group of black men who had syphilis were enrolled in a study but were never told they had the disease,nor were they ever treated for it.This was a case of ethical abuse in the history of clinical research.What was the name of the study

A) Georgia STD Experiment 
B) Tulsa Syphilis Investigation 
C) Tuskegee Syphilis Study 
D) New York Longitudinal STD Study

Question 13

Dr.Licciardi predicts that if people are observed while they perform a complex task,they will make more errors.Which term is Dr.Licciardi's prediction an example of

A) theory 
B) inferential statistics 
C) hypothesis 
D) operational definition

Question 14

Which of the following is a testable hypothesis

A) Fear is defined as an emotional reaction to a change in stimuli. 
B) Fear is an adaptive response that keeps us safe. 
C) Fearful children are less likely to be injured when playing at school. 
D) There are likely differences in how people experience fear.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a primary ethical consideration for psychologists

A) Psychologists should not participate in torture. 
B) Researchers should tell the truth 
C) Researchers should only cause harm if deemed scientifically necessary. 
D) Researchers should present their findings accurately.

Question 16

If Dr.Patry has tested a hypothesis and the findings have failed to support the hypothesis,what influence will this have on Dr.Patry's theory

A) It will support the theory because hypotheses attempt to disprove theories. 
B) It will have little effect on the theory because hypotheses are merely predictions based on the theory. 
C) It will require that the theory be reconsidered because hypotheses allow the theory to be tested. 
D) It will cause the theory to be rejected because the hypothesis, and therefore the theory, is unsupported.

Question 17

Which of the following is an operational definition of aggression

A) Aggression is an emotional response rather than a cognitive response. 
B) Aggression is caused by fear. 
C) Aggression will lead victims to become more aggressive. 
D) Aggression is measured by the number of times one person hits another person.

Question 18

What do we call any measurable conditions,events,characteristics,or behaviours that are controlled or observed in a study

A) confounds 
B) variables 
C) correlations 
D) hypotheses

Question 19

What is an underlying goal typical of theory construction

A) to guide future research by generating new hypotheses 
B) to obtain concrete findings that are accepted by other scientists 
C) to initiate a standard step-like process that quickly moves toward the truth 
D) to complete a circular process that is self-fulfilling

Question 20

Which goals of science are reflected in the use of reinforcement principles to modify a child's unruly behaviour

A) understanding and prediction 
B) application and control 
C) measurement and description 
D) testing and reporting

Question 21

What does a researcher do when conducting an experiment

A) in-depth investigation of an individual subject through detailed documentation 
B) observation of behaviour as it occurs in its natural environment 
C) systematic observation or measurement of two variables to see whether there is an association between them 
D) manipulation of a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observation of whether there are changes in a second variable as a result

Question 22

Researchers who were studying memory had participants learn a list of words after consuming a soft drink with caffeine or a decaffeinated version of the same soft drink.The researchers then counted the number of words that were recalled from the list.In this study,what would you call the type of beverage (caffeinated or decaffeinated)

A) extraneous variable 
B) dependent variable 
C) confounding variable 
D) independent variable

Question 23

A group of researchers investigates the effects of a vitamin supplement on animal memory.During the first part of the study,the animals learn to run a maze while they are not receiving the supplement; in the second part of the study,the animals learn to run a different maze while they are receiving the supplement.In each case,the researchers count how many trials it takes before the animals can run the maze pattern without making any errors.What is the independent variable in this study

A) the number of trials it takes to run the maze without making any errors 
B) the trials in which the supplement is used 
C) the presence or absence of the supplement in the animal's diet 
D) the two different mazes used

Question 24

Researchers who were studying plant growth raised plants in two separate rooms.One room had taped conversations playing 24 hours a day; the other room was silent.The researchers found that the plants grew better in the room that had the conversations playing.In this study,what would you call the type of room (silent versus conversation)

A) placebo 
B) independent variable 
C) dependent variable 
D) extraneous variable

Question 25

What is a scientific journal

A) a personal diary kept by a scientist 
B) a detailed record of the daily procedures followed in conducting a study 
C) a periodical that publishes technical and scholarly articles 
D) a collection of biographies of famous scientists

Question 26

A group of students are administered a series of written questions designed to assess their attitudes,opinions,and behaviour related to studying.What is this method called

A) a psychological test 
B) a questionnaire 
C) a paper-based interview 
D) a direct observation

Question 27

What is an independent variable in an experiment

A) a variable that provides an alternative explanation for the results of the experiment 
B) a variable that is held constant across experimental conditions 
C) a variable that the experimenter believes will change in value because of systematic correlations that exist in the experiment 
D) a variable deliberately manipulated by the experimenter

Question 28

A group of researchers wanted to determine if people will eat more food in a room that is decorated with red than in a room that is decorated with blue.Half the participants in this study ate in a red room and half ate in a blue room.The researchers then measured how much food was consumed in each of the two rooms.What is the independent variable in this study

A) the colour of the decorations in the room 
B) the amount of food consumed in the red room 
C) the amount of food consumed in the blue room 
D) the participants in each group

Question 29

Canadian Olympic athletes wear red.What do some studies suggest about this colour

A) It provides a performance disadvantage compared to other colours. 
B) It causes more aggressive behaviour as compared to other colours. 
C) It inhibits aggressive behaviour as compared to other colours. 
D) It provides a performance advantage over other colours.

Question 30

Which term refers to how a researcher collects empirical data

A) statistical procedures 
B) hypothesis testing 
C) research methods 
D) archival recording

Question 31

During which stage of the scientific method would a researcher provide data to the general public

A) analyzing the data 
B) drawing conclusions 
C) reporting the findings 
D) debriefing participants

Question 32

Jackson is working with a company to help it develop more effective training programs for its employees.He has spent a great deal of time reviewing all the documentation the company has about previous training opportunities it has provided for its employees.What research technique is Jackson using

A) meta-analysis 
B) direct observation 
C) psychological testing 
D) archival research

Question 33

Dr.Hessels is examining how different people respond to frightening events.She will have participants walk through a haunted house at a local amusement park,and each participant will be outfitted with a heart monitor.She will use the changes in heart rate as a measure of stress.What are two ways that such changes in heart rate can be described

A) an operational definition and an independent variable 
B) confounded variable and a physiological recording 
C) a physiological recording and an independent variable 
D) an operational definition and a dependent variable

Question 34

In an experiment,which term refers to the variable that is controlled or manipulated by the researcher

A) stimulus variable 
B) dependent variable 
C) control variable 
D) independent variable

Question 35

Ling answered a series of written questions that asked about her attitudes and opinions on a number of current issues.What is this method of data collection called

A) a questionnaire 
B) archival research 
C) a standardized psychological test 
D) direct observation

Question 36

Ted uses a personality test as one of the dependent measures in his study.What data-collection technique is Ted using

A) direct observation 
B) survey 
C) case study 
D) psychological test

Question 37

Which approach is defined by manipulating a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observing the changes in a second variable

A) experimental approach 
B) survey approach 
C) testing approach 
D) correlational approach

Question 38

A psychologist monitors changes in the subject's heart rate as the subject watches a violent movie.What is this data-collection technique called

A) archival records 
B) direct observation 
C) psychological testing 
D) physiological recording

Question 39

Terry has a theory and has formulated a testable hypothesis.What is the next step that Terry needs to take in the scientific method

A) choosing the statistical procedures 
B) selecting the research methods 
C) refining the theory based on the hypothesis 
D) collecting the data

Question 40

Of the following pairs,which pair contains two data-collection techniques that are most likely to involve direct contact between the researcher and the research participant

A) direct observation and interviews 
B) questionnaires and interviews 
C) archival research and questionnaires 
D) archival research and psychological testing

Question 41

If we view an experiment as an attempt to establish a cause-effect relationship,which of the following can be viewed as the "cause" in an experiment

A) the independent variable 
B) the dependent variable 
C) the hypothesis 
D) the theory

Question 42

A researcher wants to see if a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats.One group of rats is fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to receive standard rat food.What types of groups are represented in this study

A) The high-protein group is an experimental group; the standard food group is a control group. 
B) Both groups are experimental groups. 
C) Both groups are control groups. 
D) The high-protein group is a control group; the standard food group is an experimental group.

Question 43

A group of researchers wanted to determine whether children would behave more aggressively after watching television programming.One third of the children in the study watched a violent television show and one third of the children watched a non-violent television program.If the remaining children are in a control group,what should happen to them

A) Half should watch a violent show and half should watch a non-violent show. 
B) They should listen to the radio. 
C) They should be the group monitored for violent behaviour. 
D) They should not watch a television show.

Question 44

A group of researchers wants to determine if people are more likely to follow directions if the person giving the directions is in a uniform.Half the participants are directed to a parking spot by a uniformed security guard; the other half are directed to a parking spot by an individual wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt.In this study,what is the dependent variable

A) the parking lot 
B) the number of participants who park in the spot they are directed to 
C) the type of clothing worn by the person giving the directions 
D) the directions given

Question 45

Researchers tested the physical coordination skills of 25-year-old males who had been sleep deprived for 24,36,or 48 hours.In this study,what is the dependent variable

A) the length of time the participants had been sleep deprived 
B) the physical coordination of the control group 
C) the male-only group of participants 
D) the physical coordination skills of participants

Question 46

What is a dependent variable

A) a variable that changes value because of the systematic manipulation in an experiment 
B) a variable deliberately manipulated by an experimenter 
C) a variable that the experimenter is depending on to cause something to happen in an experiment 
D) a variable held constant across experimental conditions

Question 47

Phong and Mikaela both take part in a research study that is investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on reaction time.Phong is kept awake for 24 hours straight,while Mikaela follows her normal sleep routine.Which group is Phong in

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

Question 48

What is an extraneous variable

A) the same thing as a dependent variable 
B) a variable, other than the independent variable, that may influence the dependent variable 
C) a variable that is completely irrelevant to both the independent and dependent variables 
D) a variable that affects the control group but not the experimental group

Question 49

In an experiment designed to test memory processes,one group was asked to group the items on a list into categories while trying to memorize them.A second group was told to rhyme each of the words on the list.In this study,which group is the control group

A) the group that was told to categorize 
B) the group in which the participants remember the most items from the list 
C) the group that was told to rhyme 
D) a third group that was not given special instructions

Question 50

Mandy thinks that people who work hard will always succeed.She grew up in a very wealthy neighbourhood and noticed that all of her friends who worked hard became successful.In this example,which statement best describes wealth and hard work

A) They are correlated. 
B) They are confounded. 
C) They are independent. 
D) They are dependent.

Question 51

What is the purpose of the control group

A) to isolate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable 
B) to correlate the dependent variable with the independent variables 
C) to make statistical significance more likely 
D) to make the experiment more complex

Question 52

A researcher found that clients who were randomly assigned to same-gender groups participated more in group therapy sessions than clients who were randomly assigned to mixed-gender groups.In this experiment,what is the dependent variable

A) whether or not the group was mixed-gender 
B) how much the clients' mental health improved 
C) the clients' attitudes toward group therapy 
D) the amount of participation in the group therapy sessions

Question 53

Jack believes that patrons in his bar will be more likely to leave a tip if the tip jar already has some money in it.To test this belief,he has the tip jar empty about half the time when a customer approaches the bar; the rest of the time he ensures there is at least $5.00 in the jar when a customer approaches.In Jack's experiment,which is the control group

A) the patrons who see an empty tip jar 
B) all the patrons who leave the bar without tipping 
C) the patrons who see a tip jar that contains at least $5.00 
D) all the patrons who leave a tip when they leave the bar

Question 54

What differs between an experimental group and a control group

A) The characteristics of the participants. 
B) Only the experimental group is measured for the dependent variable. 
C) Nothing except the experience of the independent variable. 
D) Only the control group experiences the independent variable.

Question 55

A researcher has children watch 30 minutes of violent television,and then counts the number of times they hit each other afterward in a one-hour play period as a measure of aggression.What can you conclude from this study

A) TV violence causes violent behaviour in children. 
B) TV violence is correlated with violent behaviour in children. 
C) You can't conclude anything until you know the rates of violence displayed by children. 
D) You can't conclude anything because you have nothing to compare to the aggression after the TV viewing.

Question 56

Dr.Prutherow believes that people who are under stress will develop more colds than people who are not under stress.When he randomly selected ten participants and exposed them to high levels of stress,he found that nine of the participants developed colds.What critical piece is missing from Dr.Prutherow's study

A) a dependent variable 
B) a testable hypothesis 
C) a group without stress 
D) a group without colds

Question 57

A group of researchers conducts a study to determine if a child's performance is affected by the presence of other children.First,the children are taken to a room with no other children and timed while they complete a puzzle.Later,the same children are taken to a room with four other children and timed while they complete a similar puzzle.In this study,what do you call the length of time it takes to complete the puzzle

A) extraneous variable 
B) control variable 
C) dependent variable 
D) independent variable

Question 58

Nula is conducting a study in which one group is exposed to loud music while completing a writing assignment and the other group has quiet conditions.Further,Nula examines the effect of gender within these groups.Therefore,she is examining the effects of both noise and gender on participants' performance on a writing task.Which of the following reflects the type of variables present in this study

A) one independent variable and two dependent variables 
B) one control variable and two independent variables 
C) one independent variable, one control variable, and one dependent variable 
D) two independent variables and one dependent variable

Question 59

In a study designed to test the effects of a new drug developed to treat Alzheimer's disease,half the patients were given the actual drug while the other half of the patients were given a placebo (sugar pill).In this study,which group is the control group

A) the group that showed no evidence of an improvement in their memory 
B) the group that received the actual drug 
C) the group that received the placebo 
D) no control group in this study

Question 60

An industrial designer wants to determine if the new design for a piece of office equipment will result in fewer errors.The designer sets up a machine with the old design in one room,and a machine with the new design in a second room.He counts how many errors are made using each of the two machines.In this study,what do you call the number of errors made

A) extraneous variable 
B) dependent variable 
C) independent variable 
D) control variable

Question 61

A researcher goes to a playground for an hour each day for two weeks and makes notes when children are playing together.He records the number of times that a girl and a boy are playing together,when boys play only with other boys,and when girls play only with other girls.Which research method is the researcher using

A) experiment 
B) naturalistic observation 
C) correlation 
D) case study

Question 62

What does it mean when there is an interaction between two variables

A) The measurement of the dependent variable depends on the effect of the independent variable. 
B) The measurement of one dependent variable gets added to the measurement of another. 
C) The effects of one independent variable get added to the effects of another. 
D) The effects of one independent variable depend on the effects of another.

Question 63

Which research method gives researchers the ability to infer a cause-and-effect relationship

A) correlational 
B) experimental 
C) case history 
D) empirical

Question 64

What is most important for reducing the likelihood of extraneous variables

A) experimental methods 
B) correlational methods 
C) random assignment 
D) random sampling

Question 65

What do naturalistic observation,case studies,and surveys all have in common

A) They can show causal relationships. 
B) The results obtained cannot be analyzed statistically. 
C) They do not directly observe behaviour. 
D) They do not manipulate the variables under study.

Question 66

Diaz conducts a decision-making experiment to determine if people reason more logically when they have more time to decide.All the participants who are under 40 are allowed 15 minutes to reach a decision about a problem; all the participants who are over 40 are allowed 20 minutes to reach a decision about the same problem.What is the problem with this experimental design

A) The age of the participants is confounded with the independent variable. 
B) There are two control groups and no experimental group. 
C) There is no dependent variable in the experiment. 
D) The time allowed for the decision is confounded with the independent variable.

Question 67

What do researchers do when conducting descriptive or correlational research

A) They simultaneously manipulate two or more independent variables. 
B) They systematically describe patterns of behaviour and discover relationships among variables. 
C) They manipulate a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observe whether there are changes in a second variable as a result. 
D) They expose subjects to two closely related treatment conditions.

Question 68

What is a disadvantage of the experimental method

A) Experiments often can't be done for practical or ethical reasons. 
B) Only one variable can be studied at a time. 
C) Length of time necessary to complete the study. 
D) Inability to generate cause-and-effect conclusions.

Question 69

A group of researchers wanted to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on a company's assembly line.To make their observations,the researchers took jobs working on the assembly line and pretended to be new employees.What type of research is being conducted in this example

A) correlational research 
B) case study 
C) unethical research 
D) naturalistic observation

Question 70

What is the main advantage associated with the experimental method

A) its precise control 
B) its ability to be generalized to multiple contexts 
C) its ability to duplicate real life in the laboratory 
D) its appeal to participants

Question 71

A researcher is studying two groups of children.One group includes children who are 10 years old and the other group includes children who are 5 years old.Which variable would be confounded with age in this study

A) gender 
B) height 
C) aggression 
D) income

Question 72

Shelley is a researcher who studies disabilities resulting from head injuries.She has chosen to use non-experimental methods because of some of the limitations of experiments.Which limit would most likely cause problems for Shelley's research

A) It is not ethical to conduct experiments with people with disabilities. 
B) People cannot be randomly assigned to a group that experiences a head injury. 
C) Disability cannot be operationally defined. 
D) Experiments cannot be used to study interaction effects.

Question 73

What do we call recording all instances of an event for a particular time period (such as how many times an older brother strikes his younger brother during a given week)without the subjects' awareness

A) naturalistic observation 
B) compiling a case study 
C) creating an archive 
D) correlational research

Question 74

Donnie wants to know whether attractive waiters make more tips.He has a group of people rate the attractiveness of five different waiters,and he gets the waiters to tell him how much money they make in tips every night for a month.What type of research design has Donnie used

A) quasi-experimental design 
B) correlational design 
C) experimental design 
D) case study design

Question 75

Braeden received a poor performance evaluation in his job last year.Since then,Braeden has started working through his lunch hour,taken on four special projects,and enrolled in night classes to upgrade his computer skills.Why will it be hard for Braeden to figure out the cause if he receives a better evaluation at his next performance

A) He failed to use a double-blind procedure to test his hypothesis. 
B) None of the actions he took are likely to be related to his overall job performance. 
C) The three actions he took are confounded with each other. 
D) He didn't formulate a research hypothesis before implementing the changes.

Question 76

Dr.Shingwauk designed an experiment in which participants listened to a persuasive speech delivered either by a very tall person or a person of average height.In addition,the speeches were delivered by people wearing either business clothes or casual clothes.Dr.Shingwauk asked listeners to fill out a survey about impressions of the speaker's credibility.In this study,what is Dr.Shingwauk looking to determine

A) Does a double-blind procedure lead to greater credibility of speakers, independent of the effects of appearance? 
B) Do height and clothing style interact to influence judgments of credibility? 
C) Does persuasion interact with any other factors? 
D) Does persuasion influence our perception of height and clothing?

Question 77

Dr.Kalmagura plans on introducing a new exam review procedure in his chemistry classes.To check the effectiveness of the new procedure,he is going to have half his students try the new technique for one semester,while the remaining students review in the way they have always done in the past.He asks each student to decide whether they would like to use the new technique or the standard technique.What procedure is illustrated in this example

A) a double-blind research design 
B) informed consent in research 
C) the use of non-random assignment 
D) naturalistic observation

Question 78

You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their sex. What type of research method are you using? 

A) naturalistic observation 
B) case study 
C) correlation 
D) casual observation

Question 79

What is random assignment

A) Subjects are free to choose which group or condition they would like to be in. 
B) All variables have an equal chance of being assigned to the experimental condition. 
C) All people have an equal likelihood of being selected from the study. 
D) All subjects have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the groups or conditions.

Question 80

In a study of the effect of fatigue on task performance,participants were asked to complete a series of puzzles.One day,all participants completed puzzles after 24 hours without sleep.On another day,the same participants completed puzzles after sleeping for at least eight hours.What research design is used in this study

A) between-subjects design 
B) within-subjects design 
C) single-blind design 
D) interaction design