Deck 2: B: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research

Question 1

_______________assumes that there are facts about the world that can be observed and tested independently from the individual who describes them.

A)Subjectivity
B)Objectivity
C)Validity
D)Generalizability

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Before beginning a study on the health effects of obesity,a group of researchers agree that,for the purposes of their research,anyone with a Body Mass Index greater than 30 kg/m² will be considered obese.This is an example of _______________.

A)a confounding variable
B)an operational definition
C)convenience sampling
D)an appeal to common sense

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to your text,which of the following have researchers concluded about the "Mozart effect"?

A)Listening to classical music,but not other types of music,causes a long-lasting improvement in several types of thinking and reasoning.
B)Listening to all types of music causes a long-lasting improvement in several types of thinking and reasoning.
C)Listening to classical music appears to have only a small,short-lasting effect on spatial reasoning.
D)Listening to classical music has no effect on any type of thinking or reasoning.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is one of the five characteristics of quality research listed in the textbook?

A)using subjective measurements
B)keeping sensitive results secret
C)making sure results can be replicated
D)avoiding generalizing results

Question 5

In research,the object,concept,or event being measured is called a ____________.

A)data unit
B)population
C)variable
D)sample

Question 6

__________ is the extent to which a measure assesses what it claims to measure.

A)Operationalization
B)Reliability
C)Validity
D)Control group

Question 7

Which of the following is true?

A)Researchers typically study populations because it is often too difficult to study samples.
B)Researchers typically study samples because it is often too difficult to study populations.
C)Researchers typically include both samples and populations in their research.
D)Researchers typically avoid studying both populations and samples.

Question 8

Which of the following is subjective?

A)the height of a tree
B)the speed of a reflex
C)the weight of a soil sample
D)the value of a painting

Question 9

A group of researchers are studying depression in a sample of patients.Each researcher independently assesses the level of depression in each patient,but their assessments do not match.The problem with the research is that

A)depression cannot be studied scientifically.
B)the researchers do not have an objective measure of depression.
C)there are too many researchers.
D)the patients are not really depressed.

Question 10

______________ is a method where researchers typically use interviews,phone surveys,and questionnaires to directly collect responses from the people being studied.

A)Generalizing
B)Random sampling
C)Self-reporting
D)Blind sampling

Question 11

In order to make objective measurements,psychologists generally measure ___________.

A)behaviour
B)introspection
C)thoughts
D)feelings

Question 12

Dr.Sparks is concerned because he gave Julie a new intelligence test that he personally designed and her scores do not seem very consistent.Which aspect of psychological testing is Dr.Sparks concerned with?

A)validity
B)self-report measures
C)reliability
D)falsifiability

Question 13

Jasmine took a self-administered online intelligence test three times yesterday and obtained scores of 124,128,and 125.This made her feel great because the score she received from the psychologist last month at school was only a 95.What characteristic might the online test be lacking?

A)reliability
B)validity
C)both reliability and validity
D)Nothing.The test appears to have both reliability and validity.

Question 14

The degree to which one set of results can be applied to other situations,individuals,or events is called __________.

A)objectivity
B)reliability
C)validity
D)generalizability

Question 15

One way to increase the possibility that research results will generalize is to study a ____________ sample.

A)small
B)large
C)single-person
D)convenience

Question 16

Brittany,a softball player who plays catcher for the local university,has thrown out base stealers at the rates of 42,39,and 41 percent over her three years.Her performance could be considered which of the following?

A)valid
B)invalid
C)reliable
D)not reliable

Question 17

__________ is consistency of measurement.

A)Random assignment
B)Validity
C)Reliability
D)Confounding variable

Question 18

The purpose of operational definitions in science is to

A)keep participants from knowing which treatment group they are in.
B)reduce demand characteristics.
C)increase ecological validity.
D)carefully define terms and variables so they can be objectively studied.

Question 19

A researcher uses a blood pressure cuff (technically called a sphygmomanometer)to measure the blood pressure of participants while they are shown sexual,violent,or relaxing videos.The blood pressure measurement in this study is an example of ______________.

A)a variable
B)a sample
C)self-reporting
D)a demand characteristic

Question 20

When assessing patients' personalities using an "ink blot" test that she created,Dr.Hardcastle is gaining confidence in the test's reliability.Which of the following is likely to be happening?

A)Her patients are enjoying being tested every day.
B)The test is generating approximately the same results each time.
C)The test is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring.
D)The test is likely to be uninformative.

Question 21

In a single-blind study,who is "blind" to the treatment?

A)the peer reviewers
B)the participants
C)the experimenters
D)both the experimenters and participants

Question 22

Ecological validity refers to

A)whether the results of a laboratory study can be applied to the real world.
B)the impact of a scientific study on the environment.
C)the degree to which animal research can be applied to humans.
D)the degree to which naturalistic research techniques are used.

Question 23

The most important factor to ensure that one's results apply to other people in other settings is to use

A)a convenience sample.
B)extremely small sample sizes.
C)random assignment.
D)a random sample.

Question 24

Alex,a university student,wants to know how many of her dorm mates have tried marijuana,so she decides to survey everyone on her floor.Despite rumours to the contrary,the results suggest that fewer than ten percent of her classmates have tried the drug.What is the most likely explanation for her findings?

A)People being interviewed often change their answers to increase the chances that they will be viewed favourably.
B)Her dorm mates did not understand the question.
C)Alex did not calculate the findings correctly.
D)Surveys are not an acceptable means to gather new information.

Question 25

An experiment is said to be __________ when neither researchers nor participants are aware of who is in the experimental or control group.

A)single-blind
B)unfalsifiable
C)a placebo
D)double-blind

Question 26

Lisa,a university student,had a great time at the party last night.She danced,sang karaoke,and even played the "Rock Band" video game-all behaviours that she had never exhibited in public before.She had been drinking the "punch" all night long,which she was told contained high levels of alcohol.Lisa was quite surprised to find out the next morning that the punch did NOT contain any alcohol.What concept may explain Lisa's behaviour?

A)the Rosenthal effect
B)illusory correlations
C)the noce bo effect
D)the placebo effect

Question 27

An important danger of the various types of research bias discussed in Chapter 2 is that they lead us

A)to become anxious or depressed about our place in the world.
B)to draw incorrect conclusions and then become convinced that they are accurate.
C)to doubt our intuition and gut feelings in important real-life circumstances.
D)to underestimate our general levels of cognitive abilities and skills.

Question 28

Eila is participating in a psychological experiment for one of the graduate students at her university.She is pretty confident that she knows the true intent of the study and is trying to answer the questions accordingly.A common pitfall in experiments,Eila is falling prey to ______________.

A)intentionality
B)the Rosenthal effect
C)observer bias
D)demand characteristics

Question 29

Louis is participating in a survey on undergraduate drug use.When the interviewer asks Louis whether he has used illegal drugs in the last 6 months,he lies and says 'no' because he doesn't want the interviewer to have a poor opinion of him.Louis's response is an example of ________________.

A)socially desirable responding
B)sampling bias
C)peer review
D)an appeal to authority

Question 30

The term demand characteristics refers to

A)a set of personality traits that most good scientists share.
B)unintended cues that suggest how study participants should behave.
C)statements that describe the specific measures that are used to record observations.
D)claims based on anecdotal evidence.

Question 31

When people report feeling better after taking medication even though it hasn't had time to be effective,they are experiencing _________________.

A)the experimenter bias effect
B)low reliability
C)the placebo effect
D)confirmation bias

Question 32

How does conducting a double-blind study attempt to remedy the effect of bias?

A)The experimenter does not know but the participant does know what condition the participant is assigned to.
B)The experimenter and the participant both know what condition the participant is assigned to.
C)The experimenter knows but the participant does not know what condition the participant is assigned to.
D)Neither the experimenter nor the participant knows what condition the participant is assigned to.

Question 33

A mechanism by which experts in a field carefully screen the work of their colleagues is known as ____________.

A)experimental validity
B)experimenter bias effect
C)peer review
D)peer assessment

Question 34

Dr.Wilkins randomly assigns subjects to one of two groups.He is interested in the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels.He gives subjects in the first group an extra two cups of coffee a day for six months.The second group receives an extra two cups of decaffeinated coffee a day for the same time period.Importantly,subjects do not know whether they are being given regular or decaffeinated coffee.By providing one group with decaffeinated coffee,Dr.Wilkins is trying to account for which potential element of the experiment?

A)participant fraud
B)inter-rater reliability
C)the placebo effect
D)variability

Question 35

Although not ideal,researchers often use _______________ samples,which are samples of individuals that are the most readily available.

A)random
B)confound
C)ecological
D)convenience

Question 36

Ursula works in an office.One day,her boss tells her that researchers will be in the office to observe productivity.Because she knows she is being observed,Ursula finds that she is working harder than she normally does.What is this an example of?

A)the placebo effect
B)the Heisenberg principle
C)a single-blind study
D)the Hawthorne effect

Question 37

One difficulty in conducting medical research is that participants often assume that any treatment will be effective in alleviating their symptoms.Therefore,a researcher has to design an experiment that measures the influence of ____________.

A)random selection
B)medical confounds
C)the Rosenthal effect
D)the placebo effect

Question 38

Without the process of replication as part of the scientific process,what would happen?

A)Incorrect results would often go uncorrected.
B)Demand characteristics would have larger effect on data.
C)The Hawthorne effect would increase.
D)Samples would be less representative of the populations they came from.

Question 39

The peer review process is designed to

A)block alternative therapies from being made available to the general public.
B)identify flaws in a research study's methods,findings,and conclusions.
C)make researchers feel bad when their article is not published.
D)place obstacles in front of people whose theories differ from mainstream science.

Question 40

What is the best way to reduce the social desirability bias in research?

A)use random sampling
B)provide anonymity and confidentiality
C)use random assignment
D)submit the research to peer review

Question 41

Watching behaviour in real-world settings is known as ___________.

A)a case study
B)a correlation design
C)naturalistic observation
D)a self-report

Question 42

Two variables are said to have a correlation when scores on one variable

A)are unrelated to the scores on the second variable.
B)are related to scores on the second variable.
C)cause the scores on the second variable.
D)are different from the scores on the second variable.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT a descriptive research method?

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

Question 44

Dr.Watson wanted to know which gender was better at sharing at the sixth-grade level,so he went to the local middle school to observe lunch periods.This is a form of ____________.

A)case study
B)naturalistic observation
C)experimental design
D)confirmation bias

Question 45

If you are interested in examining the relationship between the number of class days missed and one's subsequent semester grade point average,you would be best served to use a(n)________ to study this relationship.

A)case study design
B)correlational design
C)experimental design
D)naturalistic observation design

Question 46

The main purpose of replicating studies is to

A)keep the scientific community aware of the results.
B)renew drug and technology patents based on the research.
C)ensure that the results are correct.
D)secure extra funding.

Question 47

Why is it difficult to make generalizations based on the results of case study research?

A)Case study research is,by definition,immune to the error of making generalizations.
B)Case studies involve far too many people to allow for generalizations.You would be better off using a research design that uses fewer participants.
C)Because a case study involves only one or a few subjects,their actions may be atypical and not representative of a larger group of people or population.
D)The statistics involved in case study research do not allow one to draw larger conclusions about a population.

Question 48

Dr.Potter,an English professor,is curious about his students' attitudes toward one of his favourite books.What research method is he most likely to use to gather this information?

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

Question 49

A researcher is interested in determining how frequently bullying behaviour occurs in real-life settings.This researcher would best be advised to use the _________________.

A)case study design
B)correlational design
C)experimental design
D)naturalistic observation design

Question 50

Which of the following statements is true about naturalistic observation?

A)It recreates natural conditions in the laboratory as closely as possible to make an experiment more valid.
B)It involves observing behaviour in its natural context.
C)It is basically the same process as objective introspection.
D)It involves observing behaviour in the lab without taking formal notes or using technological equipment to measure the experimental findings.

Question 51

Which of the following is one of the questions that a researcher should ask herself before conducting a research study?

A)"How can I avoid using statistics to analyze my results?"
B)"What research strategies should I use to test my hypothesis?"
C)"Will I be able to prove my hypothesis?"
D)"How can I guarantee that I obtain subjective results?"

Question 52

Kia and her friend are discussing why so many child actors become troubled adults.Kia says,"Obviously they were spoiled as children,which made them unprepared to become adults." From a scientific point of view,what is wrong with Kia's statement?

A)It is based on anecdotal evidence.
B)It is an appeal to authority.
C)It is an appeal to common sense.
D)Nothing;it is a well-supported conclusion.

Question 53

_____________ research does not attempt to explain how or why something happened,but instead it is an opportunity to present observations about the characteristics of the subject.

A)Descriptive
B)Quasi-experimental
C)Experimental
D)Subjective

Question 54

Chen believes that red cars are more likely to be stolen than non-red cars because one week after she bought a red car,it was stolen.This is an example of which type of evidence?

A)anecdotal
B)falsified
C)common-sense
D)authoritative

Question 55

Claims based on common sense

A)should be considered true.
B)should be considered false.
C)may be true,but cannot be evaluated by this standard alone.
D)should be considered true,but only if offered by an expert in the subject.

Question 56

Appeals to authority are generally considered a(n)____________ kind of evidence because _______________________.

A)reliable;experts know a lot about their subjects
B)reliable;experts don't want to ruin their reputations by being wrong
C)unreliable;most experts don't know what they are talking about
D)unreliable;expertise is not actually evidence

Question 57

In general,which of the following is true about anecdotal evidence?

A)It is reliable as long as the facts are correct.
B)It takes a long time to collect.
C)It is the basis for most scientific conclusions.
D)It is poor and unreliable.

Question 58

Sarah,a graduate student in psychology,just heard about a five-year-old child who has already learned calculus.She is thinking about conducting an in-depth study of the child for her dissertation.Sarah is considering which research method?

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

Question 59

Support for a claim that is based on a story about an individual or event is called ___________ evidence.

A)anecdotal
B)narrative
C)objective
D)authoritative

Question 60

A(n)____________ involves an extremely deep and detailed information-gathering from a single individual over a long period of time.

A)case study design
B)correlational design
C)experimental design
D)naturalistic observation design

Question 61

One key aspect of an experiment that is missing in other research designs is

A)the ability to test predictions.
B)the use of variables.
C)the use of operational definitions.
D)random assignment.

Question 62

A graph that can be used to represent the pattern of relationship between scores from two variables is called a ____________.

A)bar graph
B)frequency polygon
C)histogram
D)scatterplot

Question 63

Which of the following correlations represents the weakest degree of relation between two variables?

A)Daily calcium intake and bone mass density,correlation coefficient = +.11
B)Degree of exposure to lead and IQ scores in children,correlation coefficient = -.12
C)Hours of exposure to media violence and aggressive behaviour,correlation coefficient = +.31
D)Number of cigarettes smoked per day and incidence of lung cancer,correlation coefficient = +.39

Question 64

There is a negative correlation between wearing one's seat belt and the severity of injuries received during an accident.Which statement correctly illustrates this correlation?

A)The more often you wear your seat belt,the more serious the injury you are likely to receive in an accident.
B)The more you wear your seat belt,the less likely you are to suffer serious injuries in an accident.
C)Wearing your seatbelt prevents you from being injured in an accident.
D)Failing to wear your seat belt increases the likelihood that you will sustain serious injuries in an accident.

Question 65

The only research design that allows one to make inferences on cause- effect is the ________ design.

A)case study
B)correlational
C)experimental
D)naturalistic observation

Question 66

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest degree of relation between two variables?

A)+.19
B)-.25
C)+.43
D)-.47

Question 67

Dr.Schott's scatterplot reveals no real patterns or clusters.In fact,the data seems to fall randomly on the graph.This pattern of results is most likely from which type of correlation?

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

Question 68

Correlational research designs are NOT appropriate for purposes of _______________.

A)causation
B)description
C)prediction
D)describing relationships

Question 69

Which correlation coefficient is most likely to describe the relationship between brushing one's teeth and the number of cavities one gets?

A)-.62
B)+.83
C)-.08
D)+.45

Question 70

A research design characterized by random assignment of participants to conditions and manipulation of an independent variable is called a(n)________________.

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

Question 71

When asked if there are more ice cream cones sold in November or July,Mary answers "July" immediately.She is surprised to find out that there is little to no difference between the two months in terms of ice-cream-cone sales.Mary's error is most clearly an example of ___________________.

A)imaginary correlation
B)common sense
C)superstitions
D)illusory correlation

Question 72

A correlation coefficient will always range between:

A)0 and 1.
B)-10 and +10.
C)0 percent and 100 percent.
D)-1.0 and +1.0.

Question 73

The perception of a statistical association between two variables where none exists is known as ______________.

A)confirmation bias
B)illusory correlation
C)existence proof
D)type II error

Question 74

As the average daily temperature in Edmonton,Alberta,decreases the number of persons who are observed wearing sweaters in the workplace increases.This is an example of a(n)________ correlation.

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

Question 75

Dr.Stanhope is trying to determine which type of correlation is represented on his scatterplot,in which nearly all of his data are clustered along a diagonal line running from higher numbers on the left down to lower numbers on the right.Which type of correlation is represented by this pattern?

A)positive
B)zero
C)negative
D)We need more information to draw a conclusion.

Question 76

One hopes that the amount of time a student spends studying would show a(n)__________ correlation with the student's grades.

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

Question 77

Professor Golder is studying hyperactivity in preschool-age children.She is concerned that differences in child rearing,diet,and so forth may affect her results.To minimize these potential preexisting variables,she should be sure to do which of the following?

A)Use random assignment when forming her groups.
B)Include an independent variable.
C)Include a dependent variable.
D)Assign boys to the experimental group and girls to the control group.

Question 78

What is the main difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

A)A correlational study involves the manipulation of variables,while an experiment does not.
B)An experiment uses random sampling,while a correlational study uses random assignment.
C)A correlational study looks at the relationship between independent and dependent variables,while an experiment looks at the relationship between confounding variables.
D)An experiment involves the manipulation of variables,while a correlational study does not.

Question 79

Mr.Jones,a sixth-grade science teacher,has tried to predict his students' end-of-the-year grades by looking at their grades from the previous year.Unfortunately,there does not seem to be any systematic relationship between these two variables.The correlation between these two variables is probably ____________.

A)near zero
B)positive
C)negative
D)near 1.0

Question 80

Which of these is a type of correlation discussed in your text?

A)normal
B)parallel
C)skewed
D)negative