Deck 1: C: Psychology As Science: Thinking Like a Researcher

Question 1

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario III
Scenario III is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Sikorski,A.M. ,Hebert,N.& Swain,R.A.(2008).Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)inhibits new vessel growth in the mammalian brain.Brain Research,1213,35-40
Exercise and Angiogenesis
Sikorski,Hebert,and Swain (2008)examined whether physical activity led to vascular changes in the cerebellum of rats.To that end,animals were randomly assigned to an exercise condition or to an inactive control condition.Animals that exercised had free access to a running wheel attached to their home cage.Animals in the inactive condition were housed in a cage of a similar size,but they had no access to physical activity beyond the confines of the cage.To examine vascular changes the researchers removed the brains of animals after 30 days in their respective condition.The cerebellums were then sliced and stained to visualize the lumen of the blood vessels.Stereology was used to quantify vasculature.The results showed that animals permitted to voluntarily exercise had a significantly greater blood vessel density than their inactive counterparts.This suggests that exercise has a direct effect on the structure of the brain.These morphological changes may underlie a variety of exercise-mediated cognitive enhancements.
(Scenario III)After hearing about this study Kevin takes up swimming in hopes it will improve his memory.Kevin appears to have used _____ to come up with the idea to swim.

A) a heuristic
B) introspection
C) applied research
D) a bias

Answer 1

a heuristic

Question 2

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario I
Scenario I is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Witte,V. ,Kerti,L. ,Marguelies,D.S.& Floel,A.(2014).Effects of resveratrol on memory performance,hippocampal function connectivity,and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults.The Journal of Neuroscience,34(23),7862-7870.
Red Wine and Chocolate Improve Memory
Studies from animal models suggest resveratrol,a compound found in things like chocolate and red wine,improves cognitive function.In 2014,Witte and colleagues examined whether this was also true for humans.To that end,they conducted a study to assess memory in 46 older adults before and after a 13-week treatment that involved taking a pill daily that contained either 200 mg of resveratrol (experimental group)or an inactive ingredient (control group).Before performing a t-test to determine whether memory differed between the two groups,descriptive statistics were conducted.The researchers examined each participant's score relative to the mean score of their group.They identified one participant in the experimental group whose memory performance was four standard deviations above the mean and decided to remove his score from the inferential analysis.The t-test revealed that memory recall and recognition was statistically greater in those who had received resveratrol than in those who received the placebo.These results suggest that red wine and chocolate may improve memory.
(Scenario I)Dawn was recently arrested for public intoxication and was ordered by the judge to research alcohol abuse.During her research she stumbled upon an article in her local newspaper based on the study described in Scenario I.She presents the information to her lawyer who uses it as evidence for the importance of alcohol on physical and mental health and argues that Dawn's public intoxication charges should be dropped.Which flaw in thinking is apparent in this situation?

A) overconfidence
B) confirmation bias
C) introspection
D) pleasure paradox

Answer 2

confirmation bias

Question 3

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario III
Scenario III is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Sikorski,A.M. ,Hebert,N.& Swain,R.A.(2008).Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)inhibits new vessel growth in the mammalian brain.Brain Research,1213,35-40
Exercise and Angiogenesis
Sikorski,Hebert,and Swain (2008)examined whether physical activity led to vascular changes in the cerebellum of rats.To that end,animals were randomly assigned to an exercise condition or to an inactive control condition.Animals that exercised had free access to a running wheel attached to their home cage.Animals in the inactive condition were housed in a cage of a similar size,but they had no access to physical activity beyond the confines of the cage.To examine vascular changes the researchers removed the brains of animals after 30 days in their respective condition.The cerebellums were then sliced and stained to visualize the lumen of the blood vessels.Stereology was used to quantify vasculature.The results showed that animals permitted to voluntarily exercise had a significantly greater blood vessel density than their inactive counterparts.This suggests that exercise has a direct effect on the structure of the brain.These morphological changes may underlie a variety of exercise-mediated cognitive enhancements.
(Scenario III)Jenny cites four reasons why she believes exercise promotes cognitive function.Which of the following reasons is NOT anecdotal?

A) Since she began exercising,Jenny's GPA has improved significantly.
B) An article in Psychology Today described that actress Mayim Bialik,who earned her Ph.D.in Neuroscience from UCLA,runs five miles each day.
C) A recent paper in Cognitive Psychology reported that the mean IQ of 10^th graders from schools that include daily physical activity in its curriculum is greater than the IQ of 10^th graders whose curriculum does not include PE.
D) A local elementary school board refused to eliminate physical education from its curriculum on grounds it would affect the academic performance of their students.

Answer 3

A recent paper in Cognitive Psychology reported that the mean IQ of 10^th graders from schools that include daily physical activity in its curriculum is greater than the IQ of 10^th graders whose curriculum does not include PE.

Question 4

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario II
Scenario II presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Scheele,D. ,Striepens,N. ,Gunturken,O. ,et al.(2012).Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females.The Journal of Neuroscience,32(46),16074-16079.
Oxytocin and Attraction Study
The purpose of this study was to examine whether oxytocin (OXT)affects the way in which single men and committed men respond to an unfamiliar woman.To that end,men received either OXT or a placebo via intranasal administration after which they were introduced to a woman.The researchers measured the distance men kept from the woman and hypothesized that shorter distances indicated interest in her.The results showed that the distance between the men and women differed based on the treatment men received.Specifically,committed men who received OXT kept a significantly greater distance from the woman compared with not only committed men who received the placebo,but also single men who received either the placebo or OXT.This study suggests that OXT may contribute to monogamy in males.
(Scenario II)Alissa just found out her boyfriend,Jake,cheated on her.After her friend suggested Jake may be deficient in oxytocin,Alissa replied "It doesn't matter.Even if he took oxytocin he'd still probably cheat on me." Alissa's perception of the relationship between oxytocin and monogamy reflect which natural flaw in thinking:

A) belief perseverance.
B) what you see is all there is.
C) focusing effect.
D) hindsight bias.

Question 5

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario I
Scenario I is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Witte,V. ,Kerti,L. ,Marguelies,D.S.& Floel,A.(2014).Effects of resveratrol on memory performance,hippocampal function connectivity,and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults.The Journal of Neuroscience,34(23),7862-7870.
Red Wine and Chocolate Improve Memory
Studies from animal models suggest resveratrol,a compound found in things like chocolate and red wine,improves cognitive function.In 2014,Witte and colleagues examined whether this was also true for humans.To that end,they conducted a study to assess memory in 46 older adults before and after a 13-week treatment that involved taking a pill daily that contained either 200 mg of resveratrol (experimental group)or an inactive ingredient (control group).Before performing a t-test to determine whether memory differed between the two groups,descriptive statistics were conducted.The researchers examined each participant's score relative to the mean score of their group.They identified one participant in the experimental group whose memory performance was four standard deviations above the mean and decided to remove his score from the inferential analysis.The t-test revealed that memory recall and recognition was statistically greater in those who had received resveratrol than in those who received the placebo.These results suggest that red wine and chocolate may improve memory.
(Scenario I)Although the results of the study described in Scenario I suggest that that drinking red wine is beneficial to cognitive function,you are cautious of beginning to drink heavily because other studies have associated heavy alcohol intake with alcohol dependence,dementia,and cirrhosis of the liver.This type of thinking is best described as:

A) problem solving.
B) critical thinking.
C) analytical skills.
D) interpretive skills.

Question 6

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario II
Scenario II presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Scheele,D. ,Striepens,N. ,Gunturken,O. ,et al.(2012).Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females.The Journal of Neuroscience,32(46),16074-16079.
Oxytocin and Attraction Study
The purpose of this study was to examine whether oxytocin (OXT)affects the way in which single men and committed men respond to an unfamiliar woman.To that end,men received either OXT or a placebo via intranasal administration after which they were introduced to a woman.The researchers measured the distance men kept from the woman and hypothesized that shorter distances indicated interest in her.The results showed that the distance between the men and women differed based on the treatment men received.Specifically,committed men who received OXT kept a significantly greater distance from the woman compared with not only committed men who received the placebo,but also single men who received either the placebo or OXT.This study suggests that OXT may contribute to monogamy in males.
(Scenario II)After learning of the study described in Scenario II,an herbal remedy company developed a product called the Love Drug.In their marketing campaign for this product they said it contains an ingredient that has been clinically proven to enhance monogamy in adults.This is a classic example of how consumers are bombarded by _____ on a daily basis.

A) nonempirical research
B) overconfidence
C) pseudoscience
D) hindsight bias

Question 7

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario II
Scenario II presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Scheele,D. ,Striepens,N. ,Gunturken,O. ,et al.(2012).Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females.The Journal of Neuroscience,32(46),16074-16079.
Oxytocin and Attraction Study
The purpose of this study was to examine whether oxytocin (OXT)affects the way in which single men and committed men respond to an unfamiliar woman.To that end,men received either OXT or a placebo via intranasal administration after which they were introduced to a woman.The researchers measured the distance men kept from the woman and hypothesized that shorter distances indicated interest in her.The results showed that the distance between the men and women differed based on the treatment men received.Specifically,committed men who received OXT kept a significantly greater distance from the woman compared with not only committed men who received the placebo,but also single men who received either the placebo or OXT.This study suggests that OXT may contribute to monogamy in males.
(Scenario II)The researcher who administered the intranasal spray to participants in Scenario II did not know whether the spray contained OXT.This procedure was probably implemented in order to enhance:

A) open-mindedness.
B) objectivity.
C) empiricism.
D) communication.

Question 8

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario I
Scenario I is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Witte,V. ,Kerti,L. ,Marguelies,D.S.& Floel,A.(2014).Effects of resveratrol on memory performance,hippocampal function connectivity,and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults.The Journal of Neuroscience,34(23),7862-7870.
Red Wine and Chocolate Improve Memory
Studies from animal models suggest resveratrol,a compound found in things like chocolate and red wine,improves cognitive function.In 2014,Witte and colleagues examined whether this was also true for humans.To that end,they conducted a study to assess memory in 46 older adults before and after a 13-week treatment that involved taking a pill daily that contained either 200 mg of resveratrol (experimental group)or an inactive ingredient (control group).Before performing a t-test to determine whether memory differed between the two groups,descriptive statistics were conducted.The researchers examined each participant's score relative to the mean score of their group.They identified one participant in the experimental group whose memory performance was four standard deviations above the mean and decided to remove his score from the inferential analysis.The t-test revealed that memory recall and recognition was statistically greater in those who had received resveratrol than in those who received the placebo.These results suggest that red wine and chocolate may improve memory.
(Scenario I)The score removed from the data set prior to analysis is called an:

A) anomaly.
B) irregularity.
C) outlier.
D) abnormality.

Question 9

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario I
Scenario I is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Witte,V. ,Kerti,L. ,Marguelies,D.S.& Floel,A.(2014).Effects of resveratrol on memory performance,hippocampal function connectivity,and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults.The Journal of Neuroscience,34(23),7862-7870.
Red Wine and Chocolate Improve Memory
Studies from animal models suggest resveratrol,a compound found in things like chocolate and red wine,improves cognitive function.In 2014,Witte and colleagues examined whether this was also true for humans.To that end,they conducted a study to assess memory in 46 older adults before and after a 13-week treatment that involved taking a pill daily that contained either 200 mg of resveratrol (experimental group)or an inactive ingredient (control group).Before performing a t-test to determine whether memory differed between the two groups,descriptive statistics were conducted.The researchers examined each participant's score relative to the mean score of their group.They identified one participant in the experimental group whose memory performance was four standard deviations above the mean and decided to remove his score from the inferential analysis.The t-test revealed that memory recall and recognition was statistically greater in those who had received resveratrol than in those who received the placebo.These results suggest that red wine and chocolate may improve memory.
(Scenario I)USA Today is going to run a story based on the study described in Scenario I.The following four headlines have been proposed.Which do you hope they use?

A) Wine and Chocolate Improve Brain Health
B) Researchers Advocate Alcohol Consumption
C) Compound Found in Food Associated with Brain Health
D) Researchers Uncover Mechanisms Associated with Memory Formation

Question 10

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario III
Scenario III is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Sikorski,A.M. ,Hebert,N.& Swain,R.A.(2008).Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)inhibits new vessel growth in the mammalian brain.Brain Research,1213,35-40
Exercise and Angiogenesis
Sikorski,Hebert,and Swain (2008)examined whether physical activity led to vascular changes in the cerebellum of rats.To that end,animals were randomly assigned to an exercise condition or to an inactive control condition.Animals that exercised had free access to a running wheel attached to their home cage.Animals in the inactive condition were housed in a cage of a similar size,but they had no access to physical activity beyond the confines of the cage.To examine vascular changes the researchers removed the brains of animals after 30 days in their respective condition.The cerebellums were then sliced and stained to visualize the lumen of the blood vessels.Stereology was used to quantify vasculature.The results showed that animals permitted to voluntarily exercise had a significantly greater blood vessel density than their inactive counterparts.This suggests that exercise has a direct effect on the structure of the brain.These morphological changes may underlie a variety of exercise-mediated cognitive enhancements.
(Scenario III)Even after reading the paper described in Scenario III,Jeffrey still has serious questions about whether exercise does,in fact,alter brain vasculature.He therefore decides to conduct the study himself to see if he obtains similar results.Jeffrey is conducting a:

A) reenactment.
B) replication.
C) recreation.
D) remediation.

Question 11

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario II
Scenario II presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Scheele,D. ,Striepens,N. ,Gunturken,O. ,et al.(2012).Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females.The Journal of Neuroscience,32(46),16074-16079.
Oxytocin and Attraction Study
The purpose of this study was to examine whether oxytocin (OXT)affects the way in which single men and committed men respond to an unfamiliar woman.To that end,men received either OXT or a placebo via intranasal administration after which they were introduced to a woman.The researchers measured the distance men kept from the woman and hypothesized that shorter distances indicated interest in her.The results showed that the distance between the men and women differed based on the treatment men received.Specifically,committed men who received OXT kept a significantly greater distance from the woman compared with not only committed men who received the placebo,but also single men who received either the placebo or OXT.This study suggests that OXT may contribute to monogamy in males.
(Scenario II)Knowing that the divorce rate is at an all-time high,Scheele and colleagues (2012)teamed up with a clinical psychologist to determine whether intranasal administration of OXT may be an effective means to prevent divorce.Of the following career skills,which best characterizes what the researchers did?

A) project management
B) problem solving
C) critical thinking
D) analytical skills

Question 12

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario II
Scenario II presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Scheele,D. ,Striepens,N. ,Gunturken,O. ,et al.(2012).Oxytocin modulates social distance between males and females.The Journal of Neuroscience,32(46),16074-16079.
Oxytocin and Attraction Study
The purpose of this study was to examine whether oxytocin (OXT)affects the way in which single men and committed men respond to an unfamiliar woman.To that end,men received either OXT or a placebo via intranasal administration after which they were introduced to a woman.The researchers measured the distance men kept from the woman and hypothesized that shorter distances indicated interest in her.The results showed that the distance between the men and women differed based on the treatment men received.Specifically,committed men who received OXT kept a significantly greater distance from the woman compared with not only committed men who received the placebo,but also single men who received either the placebo or OXT.This study suggests that OXT may contribute to monogamy in males.
(Scenario II)This study is best described as:

A) applied research.
B) basic research.
C) correlational research.
D) descriptive research.

Question 13

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario I
Scenario I is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Witte,V. ,Kerti,L. ,Marguelies,D.S.& Floel,A.(2014).Effects of resveratrol on memory performance,hippocampal function connectivity,and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults.The Journal of Neuroscience,34(23),7862-7870.
Red Wine and Chocolate Improve Memory
Studies from animal models suggest resveratrol,a compound found in things like chocolate and red wine,improves cognitive function.In 2014,Witte and colleagues examined whether this was also true for humans.To that end,they conducted a study to assess memory in 46 older adults before and after a 13-week treatment that involved taking a pill daily that contained either 200 mg of resveratrol (experimental group)or an inactive ingredient (control group).Before performing a t-test to determine whether memory differed between the two groups,descriptive statistics were conducted.The researchers examined each participant's score relative to the mean score of their group.They identified one participant in the experimental group whose memory performance was four standard deviations above the mean and decided to remove his score from the inferential analysis.The t-test revealed that memory recall and recognition was statistically greater in those who had received resveratrol than in those who received the placebo.These results suggest that red wine and chocolate may improve memory.
(Scenario I)This study is best described as:

A) applied research.
B) basic research.
C) correlational research.
D) descriptive research.

Question 14

Use the following to answer questions
Scenario I
Scenario I is presents fabricated data inspired by the following study:
Witte,V. ,Kerti,L. ,Marguelies,D.S.& Floel,A.(2014).Effects of resveratrol on memory performance,hippocampal function connectivity,and glucose metabolism in healthy older adults.The Journal of Neuroscience,34(23),7862-7870.
Red Wine and Chocolate Improve Memory
Studies from animal models suggest resveratrol,a compound found in things like chocolate and red wine,improves cognitive function.In 2014,Witte and colleagues examined whether this was also true for humans.To that end,they conducted a study to assess memory in 46 older adults before and after a 13-week treatment that involved taking a pill daily that contained either 200 mg of resveratrol (experimental group)or an inactive ingredient (control group).Before performing a t-test to determine whether memory differed between the two groups,descriptive statistics were conducted.The researchers examined each participant's score relative to the mean score of their group.They identified one participant in the experimental group whose memory performance was four standard deviations above the mean and decided to remove his score from the inferential analysis.The t-test revealed that memory recall and recognition was statistically greater in those who had received resveratrol than in those who received the placebo.These results suggest that red wine and chocolate may improve memory.
(Scenario I)You notice that the research study described in Scenario I was funded by the E & J Gallo Winery,one of the largest wine companies in the United States.After learning this,you question the study's:

A) -mindedness.
B) empiricism.
C) creativity.
D) objectivity.