Deck 2: Section 4: Methods in Psychology

Question 1

A researcher's expectations about a study's outcome can influence measurements of that outcome.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In a double-blind observation, the researcher but not the participant knows the purpose of the study.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

It is possible for a measure to be reliable but not valid.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Scientific theories can be proven correct.

Question 5

A theory is a testable prediction made by a hypothesis.

Question 6

Measuring intelligence in terms of eye color lacks reliability.

Question 7

When participants in an experiment behave in a way they think the experimenter wants them to behave, the problem of demand characteristics has developed.

Question 8

Double-blind observations are a way of controlling for experimenter bias.

Question 9

Unobtrusive naturalistic observation helps minimize the problem of demand characteristics.

Question 10

People are creatures of habit and usually behave the same way regardless of whether or not they are being observed in a psychological study.

Question 11

Empiricists believe that accurate knowledge about the world requires observation of it.

Question 12

Dogmatism is a desired characteristic of science.

Question 13

Naturalistic observation is a method for determining causal relationships between variables.

Question 14

Scientists tend to judge more complex theories as preferable to simpler theories.

Question 15

Validity is the tendency of a measure to produce the same result whenever it is used to measure the same thing.

Question 16

With respect to why people are difficult to study, variability refers to the fact that people behave differently when they are being studied.

Question 17

Defining and detecting are the two tasks that allow us to measure physical and psychological properties.

Question 18

A measure is unreliable if it yields different results when it is used to measure different things.

Question 19

An operational definition is a description of a property in measurable terms.

Question 20

Reliability is the tendency of an operational definition and a property to have a clear conceptual relation.

Question 21

Net worth is a variable that tends to be positively skewed in the population.

Question 22

A negative correlation between two variables means that as the score on one variable decreases, the score on the other variable also will decrease.

Question 23

A normal distribution is symmetrical around its peak.

Question 24

Cause and effect can NOT be demonstrated by observing natural correlations.

Question 25

A positive correlation between smoking and mental illness is evidenced by the fact that people who smoke are more likely to have a mental illness.

Question 26

The observation that the more college students drink alcohol the greater the number of class absences represents a negative correlation.

Question 27

A correlation coefficient (r) can range from 0 to 100.

Question 28

A correlation coefficient of 1 indicates that two variables are causally related.

Question 29

A correlation coefficient of 1 indicates that two variables co-vary perfectly.

Question 30

One feature of a normal distribution is that it is usually positively skewed.

Question 31

One feature of a normal distribution is that the mean is usually greater than the median.

Question 32

The matched samples technique attempts to eliminate the third-variable problem by holding it constant for each participant.

Question 33

Matched samples effectively rule out specific third-variable correlations, but matched pairs do not.

Question 34

One feature of a negatively skewed distribution is that the mean is less than the median.

Question 35

In a frequency distribution, the average score for each group is plotted on the vertical axis.

Question 36

In a skewed distribution, the peak of the frequency distribution will correspond to the modal score.

Question 37

When a correlation is observed between two variables, it is possible that one variable is causing the other.

Question 38

Correlation is a method for determining causal relationships between variables.

Question 39

The standard deviation is a measure of central tendency.

Question 40

A positive correlation between two variables is stronger than a negative correlation between two variables.

Question 41

Random assignment of participants to groups generally is an effective way of eliminating the third-variable problem.

Question 42

Identifying a group of children who watch violent television and a group of children who do not is an example of manipulating exposure to violent television.

Question 43

If a study lacks external validity, it necessarily lacks internal validity.

Question 44

In an internally valid experiment, the properties under study necessarily cause one another in the world at large.

Question 45

Third variables are not adequately controlled when random assignment fails to create equivalent groups.

Question 46

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment is the independent variable.

Question 47

Self-selection by participants to experimental conditions is an effective way of eliminating the third-variable problem.

Question 48

A common strategy in experimentation is to allow participants to choose if they would like to be studied in the experimental group or the control group.

Question 49

When the odds are high that random assignment failed to create equivalent groups, the results are said to be statistically significant.

Question 50

External validity means an experiment defines operational variables in a normal, typical, or realistic way.

Question 51

An experimental group should be identical to a control group in every way except one: the manipulation of the independent variable.

Question 52

To conduct a true experiment, a variable must be manipulated by the experimenter.

Question 53

Experimental psychologists seeking to determine cause and effect relations between variables tend to view external validity as more important than internal validity.

Question 54

The third-variable problem means that the possibility of a third, causal variable is always present in correlational measurements.

Question 55

An internally valid experiment means that accurate conclusions can be drawn about the causal relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable.

Question 56

The dependent variable is manipulated by the experimenter.

Question 57

It is common to assign experimental participants to groups by random assignment.

Question 58

When an independent variable is manipulated, at least two groups are created.

Question 59

The matched samples technique eliminates the third-variable problem associated with correlational research.

Question 60

A sample taken from a population is signified by a lowercase n.

Question 61

A random sample means that every participant has an equal chance of being assigned to the treatment group or the control group.

Question 62

Deception is NOT allowable in psychological research.

Question 63

Most participants in psychological research are volunteers not selected randomly.

Question 64

If people in favor of the death penalty are given mixed evidence about its effectiveness at deterring crime, they generally become less supportive of it.

Question 65

Ethical guidelines allow coercion to participate in a psychological study in certain circumstances.

Question 66

Random assignment to groups is common when using the case method.

Question 67

Skepticism is an important component of science and critical thinking.

Question 68

Research suggests that most people engage in critical thinking most of the time.

Question 69

Research participants should be told the nature and purpose of a study after it is completed.

Question 70

In the case method, only one individual is studied.

Question 71

People typically search for evidence that confirms their existing beliefs.

Question 72

Once participants give their informed consent, they are contractually bound to finish their participation; they cannot quit at any time.

Question 73

A random sample means that every member of the population has an equal chance of being included for study.

Question 74

The function of an Institutional Review Board is to help ensure that research is in compliance with the law and ethical guidelines.

Question 75

Participants may not be exposed to risk in an experiment, no matter how small.

Question 76

Most psychological research does not utilize random sampling.

Question 77

Psychologists conducting experiments rarely use random assignment.

Question 78

Participants must give their informed consent before participating in psychological research.

Question 79

Critical thinking involves the relentless search for evidence that confirms existing beliefs.

Question 80

The scientific method was first formally described by Francis Bacon.