Deck 2: Multiple Choice

Question 1

Which statement is an attribute of a good theory?

A)It can be proven correct.
B)It cannot be tested.
C)It does not lead to hypotheses.
D)It makes falsifiable predictions.

Answer 1

It makes falsifiable predictions.

Question 2

Which statement is TRUE about the scientific method?

A)The scientific method takes a dogmatic approach to knowledge acquisition.
B)The scientific method limits empirical observations to those consistent with a theory.
C)The scientific method emphasizes the importance of nonempirical sources of information when constructing new theories.
D)The scientific method uses empirical evidence to uncover new facts about the world.

Answer 2

The scientific method uses empirical evidence to uncover new facts about the world.

Question 3

Margot wonders if people behave more aggressively when there is a full moon.To attempt to find out,she categorizes arrest records and emergency room admissions by the cycle of the moon.Margot is taking a(n)_____ approach to the question.

A)empirical
B)dogmatic
C)hypothetical
D)deductive

Answer 3

empirical

Question 4

_____ involves making direct observations of the world,whereas _____ involves relying on assumptions and beliefs about the world.

A)Methodology;empiricism
B)Dogmatism;empiricism
C)Empiricism;dogmatism
D)Empiricism;methodology

Question 5

Aaron trusts what he himself observes,not claims by others.Aaron takes a(n)_____ approach to knowledge acquisition.

A)correlational
B)dogmatic
C)empirical
D)parsimonious

Question 6

Juliana wonders if males or female college students spend more time on social media.After obtaining university approval,Juliana develops and administers a survey to a random sample of students in an attempt to answer this question.Juliana is taking a(n)_____ approach to the question.

A)empirical
B)dogmatic
C)hypothetical
D)deductive

Question 7

Holding to Ptolemy's theories that the earth is the center of the universe,despite contradictory observations made by Galileo upon the invention of the telescope,illustrates:

A)hypothesis testing.
B)dogmatism.
C)empiricism.
D)experimentation.

Question 8

_____ is defined as a hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon.

A)Theory
B)Science
C)Hypothesis
D)Logic

Question 9

Throughout most of human history,people have tended to trust _____ to answer important questions.

A)logic
B)science
C)authority
D)philosophers

Question 10

_____ involves holding onto previous assumptions and beliefs about the world,whereas _____ involves basing believes on objective observations of the world.

A)Methodology;empiricism
B)Dogmatism;empiricism
C)Empiricism;dogmatism
D)Empiricism;methodology

Question 11

The _____ is BEST defined as a procedure for finding facts by using empirical evidence.

A)introspective technique
B)scientific method
C)double-blind control
D)dogmatic approach

Question 12

Henri suspects that the amygdala is involved in emotional memories.He asks participants to recall emotionally charged events while in a brain-scanning machine and makes the specific prediction that amygdala activation will be observed during the task.This testable prediction is termed a(n):

A)experiment.
B)empirical method.
C)hypothesis.
D)theory.

Question 13

Dan believes that happiness has little to do with material possessions.He makes a specific prediction that people who win the lottery will not be any happier than they were before winning.This testable prediction is termed a(n):

A)experiment.
B)conclusion.
C)theory.
D)hypothesis.

Question 14

A testable prediction derived from a theory is termed a(n):

A)experiment.
B)operational definition.
C)hypothesis.
D)valid measure.

Question 15

Eyes and ears is to _____ as knowledge from elders is to _____.

A)hypothesis;theory
B)theory;hypothesis
C)dogmatism;empiricism
D)empiricism;dogmatism

Question 16

The belief that one can obtain accurate knowledge about the causes of human behavior by observing people behaving in different situations exemplifies:

A)pragmatism.
B)dogmatism.
C)empiricism.
D)parsimony.

Question 17

Which statement is an attribute of a good theory?

A)It can be proven correct.
B)It cannot be tested.
C)It is no more complicated than necessary.
D)It makes unfalsifiable predictions.

Question 18

Given two theories that are equally consistent with observations about the world,the _____ theory is preferred,illustrating the principle of _____.

A)simpler;parsimony
B)more complex;parsimony
C)simpler;falsifiability
D)more complex;falsifiability

Question 19

The belief that accurate knowledge of the world requires observations of it is called:

A)empiricism.
B)methodology.
C)dogmatism.
D)pragmatism.

Question 20

_____ are derived from _____.

A)Hypotheses;theories
B)Theories;hypotheses
C)Empirical observations;theories
D)Empirical observations;hypotheses

Question 21

Which reason is NOT listed by the textbook as one that makes people especially difficult to study?

A)complexity
B)emotionality
C)variability
D)reactivity

Question 22

Anna's research yielded results that are consistent with a hypothesis derived from a behavioral theory of substance abuse.Which conclusion is CORRECT regarding the theory?

A)The theory is supported.
B)The theory is proven.
C)The theory is unfalsified.
D)The theory is statistically significant.

Question 23

Sofia's research yielded results that are consistent with a hypothesis derived from a cognitive account of classical conditioning.Which conclusion is CORRECT regarding the theory?

A)The theory is proven.
B)The theory may be disproven by subsequent research.
C)The theory is unfalsified.
D)The theory is statistically significant.

Question 24

Which statement is an unfalsifiable psychological claim?

A)Teenagers are more sexually active than their parents tend to believe they are.
B)People are less likely to help a stranger in need as the number of other bystanders increases.
C)The hippocampus is a brain structure critically involved in the formation of long-term memories.
D)Part of the human unconscious is the id,an unobservable entity that governs basic human drives.

Question 25

The theory that God created the universe is:

A)unfalsifiable.
B)falsifiable.
C)necessarily correct.
D)necessarily incorrect.

Question 26

Carolina wants to determine if preschoolers are more or less likely to initiate play with same or opposite gender peers.She is trying to devise a plan in which the children will not know that they are being observed.Carolina seeks a(n):

A)empirical method.
B)parsimonious theory.
C)experimental hypothesis.
D)research question.

Question 27

A set of rules and techniques for observation is termed an empirical:

A)theory.
B)study.
C)definition.
D)method.

Question 28

Angela wants to determine if male or female college students are more likely to pay with cash versus a credit card while at a restaurant.She is undecided if she should observe their actions at a restaurant or rather questions to participants about this topic using a survey.Angela is trying to decide on the best _____ to address her research question.

A)statistical technique
B)parsimonious theory
C)experimental hypothesis
D)empirical method

Question 29

Which statement is TRUE regarding the principle of parsimony?

A)Parsimonious theories are less likely to be falsified.
B)The world is elegantly simple and demands simple theories.
C)Simple theories are more likely to be correct than more complicated ones.
D)Theories should only be as complex as they need to be.

Question 30

According to the textbook,what three things make people especially difficult to study?

A)shyness,moodiness,and unpredictability
B)complexity,reactivity,and unpredictability
C)variability,reactivity,and complexity
D)reactivity,variability,and stubbornness

Question 31

The theory that ancient aliens seeded the planet with life millions of years ago and then disappeared is:

A)unfalsifiable.
B)completely falsifiable.
C)necessarily correct.
D)necessarily incorrect.

Question 32

Cruella would not describe herself as the type of person who cares about animal rights,but she says that she does when filling out a survey for a psychologist.This illustrates that people can be highly _____ when studied.

A)dogmatic
B)variable
C)complex
D)reactive

Question 33

Drugs of abuse activate the reward pathway in the brain.This pathway consists of multiple brain structures,many neurotransmitters,and millions of interconnected neurons.Determining the brain changes that underlie the transition from casual drug use to addiction is a difficult process due to the _____ of the system.

A)reliability
B)parsimony
C)complexity
D)reactivity

Question 34

People are difficult to study because they often behave differently when they know that they are being observed,a phenomenon known as:

A)unpredictability.
B)variability.
C)complexity.
D)reactivity.

Question 35

Octavia's research yielded results that are consistent with a hypothesis derived from a developmental account of decision making.Which conclusion is CORRECT regarding the theory?

A)The theory is proven.
B)The theory is necessarily unfalsifiable.
C)The theory may be refuted by other investigators.
D)The theory is statistically significant.

Question 36

Aleskey's research yielded results that are consistent with a hypothesis derived from a cognitive account of language development.Which conclusion is CORRECT regarding the theory?

A)The theory is strengthened.
B)The theory is proven.
C)The theory is unfalsified.
D)The theory is statistically significant.

Question 37

Sue becomes tired when it gets really hot outside and Frank becomes angry.Their different reactions to the heat illustrate the challenge of _____ to the study of human behavior.

A)confounds
B)variability
C)complexity
D)reactivity

Question 38

Which question is an unfalsifiable research question?

A)Are people who pray daily happy than those who do not?
B)Does God answer prayers?
C)Do people who pray while in the hospital recover faster than those who do not?
D)Is prayer associated with charitable giving?

Question 39

When participating in psychological research,participants sometimes report not their true beliefs but rather what they feel to be the socially acceptable answer.This illustrates that people can be highly _____ when studied.

A)empirical
B)variable
C)complex
D)reactive

Question 40

An empirical method refers to:

A)the logical steps by which a hypothesis is derived from a theory.
B)a set of rules and techniques for observation.
C)the process of theory falsification.
D)the collection of statistical techniques that can be applied to a data set.

Question 41

Describing length as "change in the location of light over time" is an example of a(n):

A)measurement device.
B)casual observation.
C)unit of measurement.
D)operational definition.

Question 42

A device that can detect the events to which an operational definition refers is a(n):

A)tool.
B)gadget.
C)demand characteristic.
D)instrument.

Question 43

Mike wants to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of his all-day sucker.He tells his friends that "one full gyration of the tongue around the outer surface of the lollipop" is what constitutes a "lick." In an informal way,Mike is offering a(n)_____ but lacks a reliable _____ to answer the question.

A)measurement instrument;operational definition
B)theory;measurement instrument
C)theory;operational definition
D)operational definition;measurement instrument

Question 44

Using one's senses to learn about the properties of an event refers to:

A)reactivity.
B)operational definitions.
C)observation.
D)experimentation.

Question 45

Ideally,a measurement should have validity,reliability,and _____ in order to be useful to scientists.

A)definition
B)accuracy
C)power
D)consistency

Question 46

A reliable measure is one that:

A)tends to produce the same result whenever it is used to measure the same thing.
B)tends to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate data.
C)compensates for a weak operational definition of a property under study.
D)is necessarily an accurate measure of an underlying property.

Question 47

Because males are more _____ than are females on a wide range of cognitive abilities,they tend to be _____ among great scientists.

A)variable;overrepresented
B)variable;underrepresented
C)complex;overrepresented
D)reactive;underrepresented

Question 48

The tendency for a measure to produce the same result whenever it is used to measure the same thing is known as:

A)consistency.
B)power.
C)validity.
D)reliability.

Question 49

On a wide range of cognitive abilities,males are more _____ than are females.

A)empirical
B)variable
C)complex
D)reactive

Question 50

A bathroom scale is broken and always weighs 150 pounds,no matter who steps on it.As a measure of weight,the broken scale lacks:

A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)consistency.
D)parsimony.

Question 51

To correctly measure a specific property of an object,the property must be _____ and _____.

A)defined;detected
B)identified;researched
C)real;measurable
D)visible;specific

Question 52

Which statement is TRUE regarding casual observations?

A)They form the heart of the empirical method.
B)They are inadequate for doing science.
C)They generally are consistent from one observer to the next.
D)They represent a dogmatic approach to science.

Question 53

Mike wants to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of his all-day sucker.He tells his friends that "one full gyration of the tongue around the outer surface of the lollipop" is what constitutes a "lick." In an informal way,Mike is offering a(n):

A)measurement instrument to answer his question.
B)way to eliminate the reactivity sometimes associated with observation.
C)operational definition for the behavior he wants to measure.
D)naturalistic observation.

Question 54

An operational definition is:

A)a description of a property in measurable terms.
B)the way sciences tend to operate when forming hypotheses.
C)the consensus scientists reach when defining their terms.
D)a set of rules and techniques for making observations.

Question 55

The extent to which a concrete event defines a property is referred to as:

A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)power.
D)measurement.

Question 56

The extent to which the frequency of smiling really defines the property called happiness is an issue of measurement:

A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)power.
D)instrumentation.

Question 57

Describing time based on the duration it takes the earth to revolve around the sun is an example of a(n):

A)measurement instrument.
B)demand characteristic.
C)operational definition.
D)reactive observation.

Question 58

A description of a property in concrete measurable terms is a(n):

A)theory.
B)naturalistic observation.
C)operational definition.
D)hypothesis.

Question 59

Mike wants to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of his all-day sucker.He tells his friends that "one full gyration of the tongue around the outer surface of the lollipop" is what constitutes a "lick." Unfortunately,he has not developed a reliable,mechanized way to measure licks.Mike's problem deals with:

A)definition.
B)a third variable.
C)falsifiability.
D)detection.

Question 60

The tendency for a measure to produce different results when the quantity measured changes only slightly is known as:

A)differentiation.
B)power.
C)validity.
D)reactivity.

Question 61

Which statement is an example of a demand characteristic in everyday life?

A)Carmen weights the pros and cons of breaking up with her boyfriend.
B)Adelaide has a hard time getting out of bed on rainy mornings.
C)Dylan is asked by his girlfriend if her new jeans make her look fat.
D)Roberto's dog barks every time a person walks by the window.

Question 62

Which technique is NOT used to reduce demand characteristics?

A)ensuring participant anonymity
B)studying behavior not under voluntary control
C)clearly identifying the purpose of the study to participants
D)observing people without their knowledge

Question 63

What is one reason why naturalistic observation alone cannot solve the problem of demand characteristics?

A)It is impossible not to be detected.
B)Some information requires direct interaction with participants.
C)People become angry if they discover that someone has been watching them.
D)Recording devices are too expensive for scientists to purchase.

Question 64

Which statement is an example of a demand characteristic in everyday life?

A)Self-report measures of every day mood tend to fluctuate unsystematically.
B)People tend to evaluate physically attractive strangers as more positive on a plethora of dimensions than less attractive strangers.
C)College students who receive good grades in a course tend to rate that course higher than do students who receive low grades in the course.
D)School children are much less rowdy on the bus after a noticeable video camera is mounted in the front of the bus.

Question 65

Roger wants to study whether the level of personal income predicts happiness.He operationally defines income as "the gross amount of money a person earns in a calendar year." He operationally defines happiness as "the ability of that person to stand on one leg for longer than 3 minutes." What is glaringly wrong with Roger's study?

A)It lacks validity;income can be measured,but happiness cannot.
B)It lacks reliability;the operational definitions of the properties under study produce inconsistent measurements.
C)It lacks validity;the operational definition of happiness is unrelated to the underlying property of happiness.
D)It lacks reliability;it is difficult to precisely measure both income and happiness.

Question 66

What is the BEST way to make it less likely that people will be influenced by demand characteristics?

A)pay them for their participation
B)randomly select them from the population
C)require that they sign their name to each survey that they complete
D)keep them from knowing the true purpose of the observation

Question 67

A researcher using naturalistic observation will gathering scientific information by:

A)measuring participants on at least two variables.
B)unobtrusively watching people in their normal environments.
C)manipulating a variable and then measuring any effect on behavior.
D)administering surveys to participants which ask questions about their daily lives.

Question 68

What do the following have in common: a microphone concealed in the ceiling of a laboratory,filler items on a psychological survey meant to distract from a study's true purpose,and a misleading explanation told to participants about the purpose of a study?

A)They all are forms of experimenter bias.
B)They all are examples of unethical research.
C)They all are examples of naturalistic observation.
D)They all are ways of avoiding demand characteristics.

Question 69

Which measure lacks both reliability and validity?

A)scholastic aptitude as measured by the score on an SAT test
B)happiness as measured by heart beats per minute
C)intelligence as measured in terms of birth order
D)class performance as measured by randomly picking a grade out of a hat

Question 70

A bathroom scale cannot detect the difference in weights between Jorge and Carlos,because the two men only differ by 0.2 pounds.As a measure of weight,the scale is limited in terms of its:

A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)consistency.
D)power.

Question 71

Which description is the BEST example of naturalistic observation research methodology?

A)recording the attractiveness level of women approached by men at the bar
B)asking men to rate the attractiveness level of female faces while either sober or intoxicated
C)surveying college students about the qualities that they find attractive in a possible romantic partner
D)randomly assigning participants on first dates to either a hike in the woods or a city tour and then surveying their attitudes toward their partner

Question 72

Which description is the BEST example of naturalistic observation research methodology?

A)a second-grade teacher manipulating reading materials to determine which promotes the greatest literacy
B)a psychologist measuring symptoms of depression using a survey
C)an inconspicuous economist observing the buying habits of shoppers at a grocery store
D)a professor evaluating the degree of student learning through exam performance

Question 73

Reggie is curious about how many women versus men shake the handle of the gas pump after they finish fueling their automobiles.Reggie positions himself inside a minimart,where he appears to be a shopper,but all the while he is casually looking out a large window and recording the pump behavior of women and men at the fueling stations.What type of research is Reggie conducting?

A)double-blind observation
B)naturalistic observation
C)an experiment
D)a case study

Question 74

Vanessa and Jenny take a reaction-time test.Vanessa's reaction time is 0.23 seconds,and Jenny's reaction time is 0.25 seconds.Suppose that the stopwatch the psychologist used only measured to a tenth of a second.The psychologist concludes that Vanessa and Jenny have equal reaction times of 0.2 seconds.As a measure of reaction time,the stopwatch lacks:

A)reliability.
B)validity.
C)power.
D)reactivity.

Question 75

Which statement is an example of a demand characteristic in everyday life?

A)Laura enjoys reading tabloids in her free time.
B)Mark acts more polite than normal while on a date.
C)Seth buys a certain brand of candy because it appears that there are only a few left.
D)Lacey speeds so that she won't be late to her next class.

Question 76

When aspects of a setting cause participants to behave the way they think an observer wants them to behave,the problem of _____ is present.

A)demand characteristics
B)complexity
C)validity
D)variability

Question 77

Which statement is an example of a demand characteristic in everyday life?

A)Professor Emanuel is much more passionate and engaging with his class when he knows that his teaching is being evaluated.
B)Alfreda turns down dessert because she is trying to lose weight as part of an overall plan to improve her health.
C)Rick takes a new running route because it is flatter and his knees have been hurting him in recent weeks.
D)Leanna signs up for courses outside her major that she feels will make her better prepared for graduate school.

Question 78

A psychologist poses as a grounds keeper at a local golf course and records any instances of cheating.She finds that golfers in twosomes are less likely to cheat then golfers in foursomes.What type of research is the psychologist conducting?

A)double-blind observation
B)naturalistic observation
C)an experiment
D)a case study

Question 79

A technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively watching people in their normal environments is termed:

A)the case study approach.
B)descriptive statistics.
C)naturalistic observation.
D)experimentation.

Question 80

What is one reason why naturalistic observation alone cannot solve the problem of demand characteristics?

A)Some things of interest to psychologists do not occur naturally.
B)It is impossible not to be detected.
C)People become angry if they discover that someone has been watching them.
D)Recording devices are too expensive for scientists to purchase.