Deck 2: Section 2: Methods in Psychology

Question 1

_____ 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

Answer 1

Empiricism; dogmatism

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

It is no more complicated than necessary.

Question 3

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

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

Answer 3

authority

Question 4

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)way to use casual observation to answer his question.
B)way to eliminate the reactivity sometimes associated with observation.
C)operational definition for the property he wants to measure.
D)excuse for eating a lot of candy.

Question 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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

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

Question 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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

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

Question 14

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 15

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 16

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

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

Question 17

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 18

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

Question 19

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.

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

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 22

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.

Question 23

The tendency for an operational definition to be conceptually related to the underlying property under investigation is referred to as:

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

Question 24

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 25

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

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

Question 26

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 27

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 28

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 29

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

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

Question 30

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 31

Which technique is NOT used to reduce demand characteristics?

A)ensure participant anonymity
B)study behavior not under voluntary control
C)clearly identify the purpose of the study to participants
D)observe people without their knowledge

Question 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

Which statement is an example of a demand characteristic?

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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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)case study

Question 41

A graphical representation of the measurements of a sample that are arranged by the number of times each measurement was observed is a:

A)Gaussian distribution.
B)frequency distribution.
C)normal distribution.
D)scatter plot.

Question 42

In a classic experiment, psychology students were assigned to work either with "bright" rats or with "dull" rats, described as such by the experimenter. After a series of tests, the students' results showed that the "bright" rats had outperformed the "dull" rats. However, in fact, all the rats were of the same strain and breed; there were no preexisting differences between the groups. What caused the difference in their performance?

A)By chance, the rats in one group actually were brighter than those in the other group.
B)Demand characteristics in the experiment cued the rats about how to perform in the mazes.
C)The students' expectations about the rats' performance influenced their observations and behaviors.
D)The students looked at average scores rather than at each rat's individual score.

Question 43

Dr. Gomez is investigating a new drug designed to reduce anxiety. Patients with an anxiety disorder are treated with either the drug or a sugar pill (placebo) for some time, and Dr. Gomez records their anxiety levels at weekly appointments. If a double-blind procedure is used:

A)only Dr. Gomez will know which patients actually received the drug.
B)the patients will know if they are receiving the drug or the placebo.
C)Dr. Gomez will not be told the operational definition of anxiety.
D)Dr. Gomez will not know which patients actually received the drug.

Question 44

If an odd number of scores are put in order from lowest to highest, the score in the middle position is the:

A)mode.
B)mean.
C)median.
D)range.

Question 45

An experiment in which the true purpose is hidden from the researcher as well as from the participant is called a:

A)blind experiment.
B)double-blind experiment.
C)controlled experiment.
D)correlational study.

Question 46

Five extremely tall members of the college basketball team are among 30 students in an introductory psychology class. If a frequency distribution is taken of height, the distribution probably will be:

A)normal.
B)positively skewed.
C)negatively skewed.
D)bimodal.

Question 47

A frequency distribution in which most measurements are concentrated around the mean and fall off toward the tails, and where the two sides of the distribution are symmetrical, is called a:

A)normal distribution.
B)positively skewed distribution.
C)negatively skewed distribution.
D)standard distribution.

Question 48

Professor Kim creates a frequency distribution of exam scores from her class of 300 students. Possible scores on the exam ranged from zero to 100. What should be displayed on the vertical axis?

A)the number of times each possible score occurred
B)each possible score
C)the mean of the 300 scores
D)the name of each student

Question 49

Half the measurements in a positively skewed frequency distribution are greater than or equal to the _____, and half are less than or equal to it.

A)mode
B)mean
C)median
D)range

Question 50

The arithmetic average of the measurements in a frequency distribution is the:

A)mode.
B)mean.
C)median.
D)range.

Question 51

What is the mean of the following number sequence: 1 1 2 4?

A)4
B)3
C)1
D)2

Question 52

Professor Kim creates a frequency distribution of exam scores from her class of 300 students. Possible scores on the exam ranged from zero to 100. What should be displayed on the horizontal axis?

A)the number of times each possible score occurred
B)each possible score
C)the mean of the 300 scores
D)the name of each student

Question 53

A clinical psychologist is evaluating a client recovering from a substance abuse disorder to evaluate his likelihood of relapse. Which measure is LEAST susceptible to demand characteristics?

A)measuring differences in blood pressure when exposed to drug paraphernalia
B)asking the client if he has used alcohol or drugs since their last session
C)asking the client to rate the severity of his daily cravings on a 10-point scale
D)showing the client pictures of drug paraphernalia and asking him if the pictures are triggering cravings

Question 54

Which characteristic describes a normal distribution?

A)It is symmetrical around a single peak in the middle.
B)It has a peak at each end of the distribution.
C)It is skewed to one side or the other.
D)It resembles a straight line.

Question 55

In a normal distribution, the peak of the distribution corresponds to which measurement(s)?

A)mode only
B)mean only
C)median only
D)mode, mean, and median

Question 56

In the number sequence 1 1 2 3 4 5, which number is the mode?

A)4
B)3
C)1
D)2

Question 57

In the number sequence 3 6 1 1 9, which number is the median?

A)4
B)3
C)1
D)6

Question 58

A double-blind study:

A)necessarily has sufficient power to detect group differences.
B)usually lacks reliability.
C)minimizes expectancy effects.
D)cannot be used to determine cause and effect.

Question 59

The "most frequent" measurement in a frequency distribution is the:

A)mode.
B)mean.
C)median.
D)range.

Question 60

Which technique helps reduce bias due to prior expectations?

A)the case method
B)double-blind observation
C)use of a correlation coefficient
D)random sampling

Question 61

The numerical difference between the smallest and largest measurements in a frequency distribution is the:

A)mode
B)mean
C)median
D)range

Question 62

Intelligence tends to be normally distributed, and studies have shown that men and women have the same mean intelligence (IQ) score. However, intelligence scores in women tend to have a smaller range and standard deviation than those in men. Based on these statements, which statement is true?

A)The modal score in men is greater than the modal score in women.
B)The modal score in women is greater than the modal score in men.
C)Men are more likely to have extremely low scores.
D)Women are more likely to have extremely high scores.

Question 63

Which statement describes a negative correlation?

A)Increased time studying is associated with a higher GPA.
B)Life expectancy increases as body weight decreases.
C)Body weight tends to increase with increases in height.
D)People who eat more tend to weigh more.

Question 64

A property with a value that can vary or change is called a(n):

A)variable.
B)modifier.
C)adaptation.
D)outlier.

Question 65

The statistic that describes the average distance between the measurements in a frequency distribution and the mean of that distribution is the:

A)mode
B)standard deviation.
C)median
D)range.

Question 66

In a negatively skewed distribution, the peak of the distribution corresponds to which measurement(s)?

A)mode only
B)mean only
C)median only
D)mode, mean, and median

Question 67

The grade distribution of an "easy" course, in terms of overall percentage score (0-100), is best described by a:

A)normal distribution with a large standard deviation.
B)normal distribution with a small standard deviation.
C)negatively skewed distribution.
D)positively skewed distribution.

Question 68

A _____ correlation is associated with a less-is-more relationship.

A)negative
B)positive
C)strong
D)weak

Question 69

Increases in illegal drug use are associated with a higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. This is MOST clearly an example of:

A)a positive correlation.
B)a negative correlation.
C)an experiment.
D)the double-blind technique.

Question 70

A college dean is interested in measuring the research productivity of the seven members of the Psychology department. The dean obtains the number of publications for each faculty member. They are as follows: 5, 10, 15, 15, 20, 25, and 180. If the dean wants to describe these data, which measure of central tendency would paint a misleading picture of the research productivity of the department?

A)mean
B)median
C)mode
D)standard deviation

Question 71

Correlations detect:

A)the power of a measure.
B)patterns of variation in a series of measurements.
C)patterns of selection in a varied population.
D)sources of unsystematic error in a data set.

Question 72

Studies have shown that men and women have the same mean intelligence (IQ) score, but that men have a larger range and standard deviation of scores. Based on this statement, which statement is true?

A)IQ scores are not normally distributed in men.
B)Men are more likely to have extremely high scores.
C)The modal IQ score between genders differs.
D)Women are more likely to have extremely low scores.

Question 73

A _____ correlation is associated with a less-is-less relationship.

A)negative
B)positive
C)strong
D)weak

Question 74

The less children watch violent television programming, the less aggressive children will tend to be. This is an example of:

A)a positive correlation.
B)a negative correlation.
C)cause and effect.
D)an experiment.

Question 75

Which number represents the strongest correlation coefficient (r)?

A)-.8
B).7
C)-.1
D)0

Question 76

People who drink more alcohol tend to have lower personal incomes. This is an example of:

A)a positive correlation.
B)a negative correlation.
C)cause and effect.
D)an unreliable measure.

Question 77

The statement "Eating less spinach is associated with a shorter life span" is an example of:

A)a correlation.
B)a causal relationship.
C)variation.
D)an estimate.

Question 78

Which statement is true if scores on an examination are negatively skewed?

A)The modal score is the same as the median score.
B)The median score is greater than the mean score.
C)The mean score is greater than the modal score.
D)The peak of the frequency distribution corresponds to the mean score.

Question 79

The pattern of covariation between two variables, each of which has been measured several times, is referred to as:

A)variance.
B)power deviation.
C)a correlation.
D)an operational definition.

Question 80

In the number sequence 3 6 1 1 9, what is the range?

A)4
B)6
C)1
D)8