Deck 1: Section 5: Introduction and Research Methods

Question 1

While watching television late one evening, Marla tuned into an infomercial that claimed you could lose at least 5 pounds of fat each week by simply taking a natural herbal supplement. Suspicious, Marla conducted some research on the supplement and found that the sponsors of the infomercial were accused of presenting an irrefutable or nonfalsifiable claim. This means that the weight loss claim:

A)is supported by empirical evidence.
B)cannot be disproved or tested in any meaningful way.
C)is true, but only for certain people, such as those who are already physically fit.
D)has been tested in the laboratory.

Answer 1

cannot be disproved or tested in any meaningful way.

Question 2

A hypothesis is a(n):

A)clearly defined independent variable.
B)theory that is supported by research evidence.
C)tentative statement that describes the relationship between two or more variables.
D)operational definition assigned to the independent variable.

Answer 2

tentative statement that describes the relationship between two or more variables.

Question 3

Researchers at the United Family Therapy Center are conducting a study to determine how quickly symptoms of anxiety are reduced by different forms of psychotherapy. What is the dependent variable in this study?

A)the change in the symptoms of anxiety
B)the method used to recruit participants for the study
C)the type of psychotherapy used to treat anxiety
D)the number of participants receiving each type of psychotherapy

Answer 3

the change in the symptoms of anxiety

Question 4

Professor Newberg decided to study preferences of living senior adults, so he visited a local retirement village and invited residents to participate in a lengthy survey. Professor Newberg's survey results are probably invalid because he did not use:

A)a valid hypothesis.
B)an operational definition.
C)independent and dependent variables.
D)random selection of participants.

Question 5

Which of the following specialty areas is the MOST popular choice for psychologists who have recently received their doctorates?

A)counseling psychology
B)educational psychology
C)forensic psychology
D)clinical psychology

Question 6

As one of the advocates of _____, _____ developed a theory of motivation that emphasized psychological growth.

A)functionalism; G. Stanley Hall
B)psychoanalysis; Sigmund Freud
C)humanistic psychology; Abraham Maslow
D)structuralism; Edward B. Titchener

Question 7

According to the Science Versus Pseudoscience box, which of the following items is NOT one of the strategies used by proponents of pseudoscience to give credibility to their claims?

A)shifting the burden of proof
B)use of irrefutable or nonfalsifiable claims
C)combining unfounded claims with established scientific findings
D)use of the scientific method and replication of their findings by other scientists

Question 8

The term _____ refers to the tendency to use your own culture as the standard for judging other cultures.

A)ethnocentrism
B)expectancy effect
C)empiricism
D)collectivism

Question 9

Which of the following titles would MOST likely be found in a research journal for neuroscience?

A)"Increased levels of the hormone testosterone cause increased aggressive behavior in laboratory rats."
B)"Compliments increase frequency of helping behavior."
C)"Decreases in intellectual functioning can be reversed through increased mental activities in aging adults."
D)"Spacing rehearsals during learning improves long-term memory for nonsense syllables."

Question 10

Wilhelm Wundt focused on:

A)the nature versus nurture issue and interactive dualism.
B)how brain damage contributes to mental illness.
C)fundamental psychological processes, such as mental reaction times in response to visual and auditory stimuli.
D)the effects of mental illness on families.

Question 11

The first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology was:

A)Mary Whiton Calkins.
B)Francis C. Sumner.
C)Edward B. Titchener.
D)G) Stanley Hall.

Question 12

Who wrote On the Origin of Species?

A)Sigmund Freud
B)John B. Watson
C)B) F. Skinner
D)Charles Darwin

Question 13

Norris strives to identify and understand consistent patterns of behavior. She is willing to consider new or alternative explanations of behavior and mental processes. Dr. Norris is demonstrating:

A)open-mindedness.
B)skepticism.
C)lawful understanding.
D)cautious interpretation.

Question 14

Of the following correlation coefficients, which represents the WEAKEST relationship between two factors or variables?

A)-)67
B)+)53
C)+)32
D)-)12

Question 15

Rodella is very interested in your dream interpretation, blocked memories, and slips of the tongue. Which approach to psychology best fits Dr. Rodella's interests?

A)the evolutionary perspective
B)psychoanalysis
C)behaviorism
D)humanism

Question 16

_____ became the first major school of thought in psychology and relied on a method called introspection.

A)Functionalism
B)Psychoanalysis
C)Behaviorism
D)Structuralism

Question 17

The _____ perspective contended that psychology should focus its scientific investigations strictly on observable conducts that could be objectively measured and verified.

A)psychodynamic
B)humanistic
C)behavioral
D)biological

Question 18

_____ dominated American psychology for the first half of the twentieth century.

A)Behaviorism
B)Psychoanalysis
C)Humanism
D)Structuralism

Question 19

In a study described in Chapter 1, psychologist Paul Solomon and his colleagues investigated the effects of the herb Gingko Biloba on memory, concentration, and other mental tasks. All participants in the study took a battery of tests at the beginning and end of the six-week study. The results showed that:

A)test scores increased by about the same amount for the participants in the experimental group and for the participants in the placebo control group.
B)test scores actually decreased for the participants in the experimental group and increased slightly for the participants in the no-treatment control group.
C)test scores were virtually identical both times the participants were tested.
D)although test scores stayed about the same, participants in the study subjectively rated their memory and concentration as being significantly improved.

Question 20

Correlational research:

A)can indicate causality in either a positive or a negative direction.
B)provides the most compelling evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables.
C)can reveal the degree to which two factors are related or co-vary in a systematic way.
D)has been banned by the American Psychological Association since the 1960s, but it is still allowed in other countries.

Question 21

To verify the validity of a scientific claim, one must follow the follow four steps:

A)formulate a hypothesis, design a study to collect data, analyze the data, and report the results.
B)identify an operational definition, analyze the variables, evaluate the statistical significance, and ensure replication.
C)identify the independent variable, measure the dependent variable, consider confounding variables, and determine cause-and-effect relationships.
D)identify the claim, evaluate the evidence, consider alternative explanations, and consider the source of the research or claim.

Question 22

_____ scans provide color-coded images of the brain's activity.

A)MRI
B)fMRI
C)PET
D)EEG

Question 23

According to the Psych For Your Life: Successful Study Techniques box in your textbook:

A)multi-tasking while studying greatly enhances retention of content.
B)taking notes on your laptop enhances retention of content, whereas taking notes by hand reduces retention.
C)practice tests must be multiple choice or short answer in order to enhance retention of material.
D)distributed practice has a greater impact on retention and recall than massed practice.

Question 24

Which of the following terms refers to a procedure that assures that all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the experimental conditions?

A)the double-blind technique
B)random assignment
C)the single-blind technique
D)random selection

Question 25

Psychologists are expected to abide by ethical principles regulating research with human participants; these principles include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)informed consent.
B)deception.
C)confidentiality.
D)compulsory participation.