Deck 7: Doing Psychological Research From Start to Finish

Question 1

What is the MOST commonly used and widely available of the psychology databases?

A) PsycINFO
B) PsyARTICLES
C) MEDLINE
D) CogNET

Answer 1

PsycINFO

Question 2

What size font is considered to be standard in psychology formats?

A) 8 point
B) 10 point
C) 12 point
D) 14 point

Answer 2

12 point

Question 3

What do psychologists mean when they express enthusiasm for empirical research?

A) They prefer complex experiments over simple ones.
B) They respect personal testimony as a valid explanation for behavior.
C) They appreciate hands-on investigations of behavioral phenomena.
D) They participate in IRB procedures.

Answer 3

They appreciate hands-on investigations of behavioral phenomena.

Question 4

What do we call a psychology term paper that summarizes what is known on a psychological topic?

A) a grant proposal
B) an experimental report
C) literature review
D) a technical report

Question 5

If your own library does not have a copy of what you need, what is the MOST efficient strategy for tracking down the source?

A) Ask your instructor to find you a copy.
B) Hold a sit-in until the library can borrow or buy what you need.
C) File a request with interlibrary loan.
D) Write to the author and ask for a copy to be mailed to you.

Question 6

In general, one should use resources that have been published:

A) by the American Psychological Association.
B) by famous psychologists.
C) within the last five years or so.
D) by seasoned authors.

Question 7

Of the choices offered, which is the only suitable source for a scholarly paper in psychology?

A) Psychology Today
B) Huffington Post
C) Onion
D) American Psychologist

Question 8

What's the BEST strategy for preventing stress later in the research process?

A) Don't erase or delete call numbers on your sources.
B) Always carry a sharpened pencil.
C) Make photocopies of everything you read.
D) Wash your hands before working with library materials.

Question 9

The preferred writing convention for psychological research is:

A) Modern Language Association.
B) Turabian.
C) APA.
D) Chicago.

Question 10

What is the order of the sections in an experimental paper?

A) Introduction, Discussion, Results, Method
B) Discussion, Introduction, Methods, Results
C) Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion
D) Discussion, Methods, Results, Introduction

Question 11

Where do key words appear in a psychology manuscript?

A) on the title page
B) on the abstract page
C) on the first page of the Method section
D) at the top of Introduction section

Question 12

Why must you be especially careful in citing research on the Internet?

A) It is often unclear what should be the date of publication.
B) Many websites advocate a particular point of view, rather than presenting objective evidence.
C) It may not be clear who is responsible for the ideas being presented.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 13

How do case notes compare with other kinds of writing in psychology?

A) Case notes require confidential treatment, which does not usually apply to other forms.
B) Case notes must be signed and approved by supervisors.
C) Case notes, like other forms, must be executed using APA format.
D) Case notes cannot be recorded in digital formats.

Question 14

What's the difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

A) Psychologists manipulate and measure variables in experiments but only measure variables in correlational studies.
B) Psychologists use random selection in experiments and random assignment in correlational studies.
C) Psychologists pay participants in experiments but do not pay participants in correlational studies.
D) Psychologists must secure IRB approval for experiments but not correlational studies.

Question 15

When psychology instructors restrict your literature reviews to journal articles, they mean that you should include _____ in your research.

A) insights from personal journals
B) only peer-reviewed scholarship
C) research posted on the Internet
D) research cited in major newspapers and journals

Question 16

A control group is to an experiment as _____ is to a clinical trial.

A) a placebo group
B) random assignment
C) an independent variable
D) a literature review

Question 17

What should you do if someone in your audience asks a question to which you don't know the answer?

A) Stall.
B) Bluff.
C) Say, "I don't know."
D) Ignore the question.

Question 18

An outcome variable is the same as a _____ variable.

A) control
B) dependent
C) independent
D) manipulated

Question 19

What is the value of looking at the reference section of articles you have decided to include in your research review?

A) It allows you to verify the spelling of the names of authors you will be citing.
B) It provides clues to other published sources that may be helpful in developing your ideas.
C) It inspires future directions in research.
D) It helps you figure out what hasn't been published yet.

Question 20

Where will you find the hanging-indent format used in a psychology manuscript?

A) the abstract
B) tables
C) statistical results
D) references

Question 21

What are some ways to identify research topics?

Question 22

List some of the qualities that should be considered when evaluating psychological sources.

Question 23

What are the five main sections of an APA style paper or lab report?

Question 24

What sources do psychological researchers rely on to build their ideas and theories?

Question 25

What are the recommended steps for searching the psychological literature?

Question 26

Why is it important to be careful when using research material or findings obtained via the Internet?

Question 27

Besides APA style papers, list some of the other writing formats that researchers use.

Question 28

Briefly define experimental research.