Deck 2: C: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research

Question 1

Dr.Sparks gave Julie a new intelligence test that he personally designed,but her scores are different each time he tests her.These results suggest that Dr.Sparks' intelligence test has poor

A)validity.
B)generalizability.
C)reliability.
D)social desirability.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Brittany,a hockey player who plays for the local university,has finished the last three years with 8,32,and 14 points.Considering her performance,what type of player would Brittany be considered?

A)a valid player
B)an objective player
C)a reliable player
D)not a reliable player

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In an effort to ensure objectivity,psychologists typically measure

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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 5

To increase the generalizability of their results,researchers try to study a ________ sample of participants.

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

Question 6

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 7

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 be both reliable and valid

Question 8

The most important factor to ensure that results from one study will generalize in other settings,is to use

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

Question 9

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

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

Question 10

__________ refers to the consistency of a measurement.

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

Question 11

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

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

Question 12

Dr.Hashmi is assessing patients' personalities using an "ink blot" test that she created,and is gaining confidence in the test's reliability.Which of the following is likely leading her to have increased confidence about the test's reliability?

A)Her patients are reporting high levels of enjoyment with daily testing.
B)Patients are generating approximately the same results each time they are tested
C)The test seems to be measuring what it is supposed to be measuring (personality).
D)The test appears to be objective.

Question 13

A group of researchers are studying depression in a sample of patients.Each researcher independently assesses the level of depression in each patient,but find that their assessments are not the same.This suggests that

A)depression cannot be studied scientifically.
B)the researchers are not using a reliable measurement.
C)the results are generalizable.
D)the patients likely do not have depression.

Question 14

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)Researchers typically study whole populations because it the most efficient method for gathering data.
B)Researchers typically study samples because it is often too difficult to study whole populations.
C)Researchers typically aim to include both samples and populations in their research.
D)Researchers typically avoid studying both populations and samples to avoid researcher bias.

Question 15

_______________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

Question 16

According to the textbook,what have researchers concluded about the "Mozart effect"?

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

Question 17

A researcher measures participants' blood pressure 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 18

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

A)using subjective measurements
B)protecting the public from distressing results and keeping them secret
C)making sure results can be replicated
D)avoiding generalizing results

Question 19

Before beginning a study on the health effects of obesity,a group of researchers agree that,for the purposes of their study,anyone with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m² will be considered obese.This is an example of a(n)

A)control variable.
B)operational definition.
C)convenience sample.
D)dependent variable.

Question 20

In science,operational definitions are used to

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

Question 21

The risk of bias in a research study is that biases can lead us

A)to become anxious or depressed about our knowledge of 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 22

Elle,a university student,had a great time at a party last night.She danced,sang karaoke,and 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 a lot of alcohol.Elle was quite surprised to find out the next morning that the punch did NOT contain any alcohol.What may explain Elle's behaviour at the party?

A)the Hawthorne effect
B)confirmation bias
C)the nocebo effect
D)the placebo effect

Question 23

Eila is participating in a psychological experiment for one of the graduate students at her university.She is fairly certain that she knows the true intent of the study and is trying to answer the questions accordingly.Eila is adjusting her responses based on

A)the Hawthorne effect.
B)social desirability bias.
C)observer bias.
D)demand characteristics.

Question 24

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)the Hawthorne effect
B)generalizability
C)the placebo effect
D)variability

Question 25

Bandar is participating in a survey on undergraduate drug use.When the interviewer asks Bandar whether he has used illegal drugs in the last 6 months,he lies and says "no" because he knows drug use is frowned upon by many people.Bandar's response is an example of

A)socially desirable responding.
B)the Hawthorne effect.
C)experimenter bias.
D)over-generalization.

Question 26

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 27

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)the specific set of instructions for an experiment.

Question 28

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)generalizable
C)peer-reviewed
D)double-blind

Question 29

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 30

The main purpose of replicating research is to

A)keep the scientific community up-to-date on current findings.
B)renew drug and technology patents based on the research.
C)ensure that the findings are correct and not statistical flukes.
D)increase a researcher's number of publications.

Question 31

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 a larger effect on data.
C)The Hawthorne effect would increase.
D)Samples would be less representative of the populations they came from.

Question 32

One difficulty in conducting medical research is that participants often assume that the treatment will be effective in alleviating their symptoms,hence they report that their symptoms are alleviated.Therefore,a researcher must design an experiment that accounts for the possible influence of

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

Question 33

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 34

Ursula works in an office.One day,her boss tells her that upper-management will be in the office to observe employee productivity.Because she knows she is being observed,Ursula works harder than she normally does,a phenomenon known as

A)the placebo effect.
B)the Heisenberg principle.
C)ecological validity.
D)the Hawthorne effect.

Question 35

When people report feeling better after taking medication even though it hasn't had time to exert any physical effects,they are experiencing

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

Question 36

Priya,a university student,wants to know how many of the students living in her residence have tried cannabis,so she decides to interview everyone in her building.Despite rumours to the contrary,the results suggest that fewer than five percent of her classmates have tried the drug.What is the most likely explanation for her findings?

A)The student responses were influenced by social desirability.
B)Priya's question was unclear.
C)Priya miscalculated the results.
D)Interviews often lead to exaggerated results.

Question 37

Researchers at Universities often use Psychology students as their participants because they are readily available and eager to volunteer.This form of a sample is referred to as a(n)____________ sample.

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

Question 38

The peer review process is designed to

A)limit alternative therapies from being made available to the general public.
B)identify potential flaws in a research study's methods,findings,and conclusions.
C)eliminate the placebo effect.
D)translate scientific journal articles into easy-to-understand articles for social media.

Question 39

The process by which experts in a field carefully critique the work of their colleagues prior to publication,is known as

A)ecological validation.
B)social desirability.
C)peer review.
D)replication

Question 40

Dr.Leblanc is conducting a clinical drug trial.She wants to reduce bias as much as possible,so she has her assistant label the different drug doses as A,B,or C.Neither Dr.Leblanc or her patients know which dose of the drug the patients are receiving.This experimental design is known as a _________ study.

A)single-blind
B)placebo
C)peer-reviewed
D)double-blind

Question 41

_____________ 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)Correlational

Question 42

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 ecologically valid.
B)It involves observing behaviour of organisms in their natural environment.
C)It focuses on environmental research.
D)It involves observing behaviour in the lab without the use of technological instruments.

Question 43

A(n)____________ involves describing a single individual's behaviour in great detail,rather than testing a specific hypothesis.

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

Question 44

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

A)Naturalistic observation
B)Random sampling
C)Self-reporting
D)Blind sampling

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT a descriptive research method?

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

Question 46

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

A)reliable;expertise is equivalent to evidence
B)reliable;experts would not present erroneous information
C)unreliable;experts are unable to assess the quality of their research
D)unreliable;expertise is not equivalent to evidence

Question 47

Measuring or recording behaviour in a real-world setting is known as

A)a case study.
B)a correlational study.
C)naturalistic observation.
D)a self-report.

Question 48

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

A)Case studies are typically conducted over a very short period of time,making generalizations about long-term effects difficult.
B)Case studies are conducted in strict laboratory environments,which reduces ecological validity.
C)Since 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 49

If you are interested in examining the relationship between a student's grade and the number of classes they missed,you would likely use a(n)________ to study this relationship.

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

Question 50

Dr.Potter,a psychology professor,is curious about his students' attitudes toward marginalized populations.What research method is he most likely to use to gather information about this topic?

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

Question 51

When designing a study,researchers must take into account all of the following factors EXCEPT

A)how to best organize the stimuli to test the hypothesis.
B)how to analyze the data to prove the hypothesis.
C)how they will gather the data.
D)how they will analyze and interpret the results.

Question 52

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

A)It is reliable as long as it comes from an expert.
B)It is an efficient method for gathering complex data.
C)It is the basis for most scientific conclusions.
D)It is poor and unreliable evidence.

Question 53

Dr.Deska was interested in social hierarchies in teenagers,so he went to the local high school and observed students' interactions during break periods.Dr.Deska is using ____________ to gather his data.

A)a case study
B)naturalistic observation
C)an experimental design
D)a peer review process

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

Fudah,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 thesis.What research method is Fudah considering?

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

Question 56

A researcher is interested in determining how frequently bullying behaviour occurs in real-life settings.This researcher would best be advised to use a(n)_______ design.

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

Question 57

Kia and her friend are discussing why so many child actors become troubled adults.Kia says,"Everyone knows that if a child is spoiled,they will not develop the coping skills needed in adulthood." 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 58

Claims based on common sense

A)are high in ecological validity.
B)should be considered false,unless stated by a scientist.
C)may be true,but require scientific evidence for support.
D)should be considered true,but only if the majority of the public supports the claim.

Question 59

Two variables are said to be correlated when scores on one variable

A)do not increase or decrease with the scores on the second variable.
B)increase or decrease with the scores on the second variable.
C)directly cause the scores on the second variable.
D)differ from the scores on the second variable.

Question 60

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)socially desirable

Question 61

When asked if there are more ice cream cones sold in November or July,Mary answers "July" immediately.Then,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 exemplifies

A)an imaginary correlation.
B)a negative correlation.
C)a positive correlation.
D)an illusory correlation.

Question 62

A research design characterized by the random assignment of participants to conditions is called a(n)

A)quasi-experimental design.
B)random sample.
C)experimental design.
D)correlational design.

Question 63

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

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

Question 64

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

A)bar graph.
B)line graph.
C)pie chart.
D)scatterplot.

Question 65

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

A)confirmation bias
B)an illusory correlation
C)a negative correlation
D)a third variable problem

Question 66

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 67

"As one variable increases,the other decreases." This statement describes a ________ correlation.

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

Question 68

As the average daily temperature in Edmonton,Alberta,decreases the number of persons who are observed drinking iced coffee decreases.This is an example of a(n)________ correlation.

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

Question 69

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

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

Question 70

Dr.Schott's scatterplot reveals no real patterns or clusters.In fact,the data points appear completely random on the graph.This pattern of results is most likely from which type of correlation?

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

Question 71

Dr.Janusz conducts a correlational study and finds a strong negative relationship between behavioural issues in children and the amount of time the parents spend with the child.Dr.Janusz immediately holds a press conference warning parents that spending less time with their children will cause behavioural issues.Was this the appropriate conclusion for Dr.Janusz to draw?

A)Yes,researchers can conclude causation as long as it is a strong correlation.
B)Yes,Dr.Janusz's results were strong and are in agreement with common sense.
C)No,a third variable might be impacting both variables (e.g. ,poverty).
D)No,Dr.Janusz is reporting on an illusory correlation.

Question 72

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 73

Mr.Gauthier,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.Which of the following coefficients best fits this scenario?

A)+.01
B)-.92
C)-.36
D)+.89

Question 74

____________ are the only form of research that allow one to make inferences about causation.

A)Descriptive designs
B)Correlational designs
C)Experimental designs
D)Naturalistic observations

Question 75

Correlational research designs are NOT appropriate for purposes of

A)determining causation.
B)describing relationships.
C)predicting possible outcomes.
D)understanding the association between two variables.

Question 76

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 77

Dr.Oickle is trying to determine which type of correlation is represented on her scatterplot.She notes that nearly all the data are clustered along a diagonal line running from top left to bottom-right.What would be the correct interpretation of the data?

A)There appears to be a positive correlation.
B)There appears to be no correlation.
C)There appears to be a negative correlation.
D)We need more information to draw a conclusion.

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

A correlation coefficient will always range between

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

Question 80

Often,the amount of time a student spends studying is __________ correlated with the student's grades.

A)negatively
B)not
C)positively
D)inversely