Question 1

A hypothesis test is conducted after an experiment to:

Accepted Answer

A)  determine whether the two groups in the study are exactly the same. 
B)  determine how well the two groups are correlated. 
C)  see if the groups are significantly different, as opposed to being different due to chance. 
D)  summarize the distribution using a single score.

Question 2

Lisa, a college student, had a great time at the party last night. She danced, sang karaoke, and even played the "Rock Band" video game-all behaviors that she had never exhibited in public before. She had been drinking the "punch" all night long, which she was told contained high levels of alcohol. Lisa was quite surprised to find out the next morning that the punch did NOT contain any alcohol. What concept may explain Lisa's behavior?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Rosenthal effect 
B)  Illusory correlations 
C)  The nocebo effect 
D)  The placebo effect

Question 3

After completing a naturalistic observation study, a researcher does not quite have enough evidence to support her hypothesis. If she decides to go back to her records and slightly alter a few of the observations to fit her hypothesis, she is engaged in _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  scientific forgery 
B)  scientific misconduct 
C)  correcting the data 
D)  ethical behavior

Question 4

In order to make objective measurements, psychologists generally measure ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)  behavior 
B)  introspection 
C)  thoughts 
D)  feelings

Question 5

Which of these is a type of correlation discussed in your text?

Accepted Answer

A)  Normal 
B)  Parallel 
C)  Skewed 
D)  Negative

Question 6

Conceptually, the standard deviation for a distribution can be thought of as:

Accepted Answer

A)  the center of the distribution. 
B)  the average frequency for each category. 
C)  the average distance from the mean. 
D)  the distance between the highest and lowest value.

Question 7

A researcher wished to study the relationship between high school grades and college grades. Of the following research methods, which would be the most appropriate?
a. case study
b. correlation
c. experiment
d. survey

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher wished to study the relationship...

Question 8

What is the main difference between an experiment and a correlational study?

Accepted Answer

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 9

In an experiment, four groups of college students used different memorizing strategies to learn the material in one chapter of a textbook. Then each group was given the same multiple-choice test on the material. What was the dependent variable in this study?
a. the students' performance on the test
b. the four different groups
c. the four different memorizing strategies
d. manipulation of memorizing strategies

Accepted Answer

The answer of In an experiment, four groups of college...

Question 10

The most important factor to ensure that one's results apply to other people in other settings is to use

Accepted Answer

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

Question 11

You overheard someone claiming that 12-step programs are the only way to really quit abusing alcohol "Because my brother is a doctor and so he should know." Regardless of the accuracy of the claim, this and other appeals to authority do not qualify as good evidence because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they always lack common sense. 
B)  authority figures are likely to distort the truth. 
C)  authority does not mean that the claim is based on sound, scientific evidence. 
D)  authority is typically based on anecdotal evidence.

Question 12

The _____ is a measure of variability around the mean of a distribution.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

The term demand characteristics refers to:

Accepted Answer

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)  claims based on anecdotal evidence.

Question 14

When assessing patients' personalities using an "ink blot" test that she created, Dr. Hardcastle is gaining confidence in the test's reliability. Which of the following is likely to be happening?

Accepted Answer

A)  Her patients are enjoying being tested every day. 
B)  The test is generating approximately the same results each time. 
C)  The test is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring. 
D)  The test is likely to be uninformative.

Question 15

To obtain objective information, researchers sometimes must deceive their subjects. Ethically, research involving deception must always _________.
a. pay participants
b. maintain subject anonymity
c. use double-blind control
d. explain the deception to the subjects after the data are collected and obtain their informed consent to use the information obtained

Accepted Answer

The answer of To obtain objective information, researchers sometimes must...

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 17

Kendra serves on a committee whose job is to review proposed psychology studies. The committee refuses to approve one study because they feel the possible benefit from the research is too little given the potential risk to the participants. Kendra's committee is most accurately called an _________________.

Accepted Answer

A)  ethics commission 
B)  inquisition 
C)  academic safety advisory committee 
D)  institutional review board

Question 18

Hopefully, the amount of time a student spends studying would show a(n) __________ correlation with the student's grades.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of demand characteristics affecting an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  An experimenter draws the wrong conclusions from a study because she did not use the correct statistical analysis. 
B)  A participant changes his response to a question because he has the feeling that the experimenter wants him to do so. 
C)  An experimenter stops using a test because it does not appear to be reliable. 
D)  A participant in a double-blind experiment believes she is in the control group.

Question 20

The right to give informed consent stays with a volunteer throughout the entire study, and they should be able to withdraw at any point.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 2: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research