Question 1

When entering data into a statistical computer program like SPSS, the key difference between experimental data and survey data is:

Accepted Answer

A)   the inclusion of a column for the independent variable.
B)   the inclusion of a column for the dependent variable.
C)   the inclusion of a row for the independent variable.
D)   the inclusion of a row for the dependent variable. A

Question 2

For which of the following test statistics would a score of .00 indicate significance?

Accepted Answer

A)   p value
B)   effect size d
C)   degrees of freedom
D)   t score A

Question 3

Jace is interested in examining whether productivity is improved when people wear noise-cancelling headphones. To test his hypothesis he decides to bring people into a research laboratory and have them complete an anagram task while either wearing noise-cancelling headphones or not. Jace can _____ the independence and _____ the control of his study by conducting participants one at a time.

Accepted Answer

A)   decrease; increase
B)   increase; increase
C)   decrease; decrease
D)   increase; decrease B

Question 4

How might a researcher ensure that a study has independence?

Accepted Answer

A)   Run participants one at a time.
B)   Use a convenience sample.
C)   Replicate previous findings.
D)   Run a pilot study.

Question 5

How would you increase the mundane realism of a study examining the effect of alcohol consumption on driving ability?

Accepted Answer

A)   Use self-report measures of drinking and driving.
B)   Get feedback from informants on past driving ability while impaired.
C)   Test participants in a driving simulator after drinking alcohol.
D)   Have participants drive real cars while pretending to be under the influence of alcohol.

Question 6

Costanza conducts a true experiment examining the effect of energy drinks on work performance. Costanza productivity is monitored prior to and after the use of energy drinks. As such, you know that her experiment has _____ internal validity.

Accepted Answer

A)   no
B)   low
C)   adequate
D)   too much

Question 7

In an experiment examining whether taking care of a plant leads to greater longevity in an elderly nursing home population, taking care of a plant would be considered the _____ variable and longevity of life would be considered the _____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A)   independent; dependent
B)   dependent; independent
C)   dependent; control
D)   control; independent

Question 8

If Dr. Ryan, a social psychologist, was investigating the relationship between temperature and participants' moods, an example of an extraneous variable would be:

Accepted Answer

A)   how hot it is in the study room.
B)   how cold it is in the study room.
C)   self-reports of how happy or sad one feels.
D)   the time of day the study takes place.

Question 9

Veronica was thrilled to discover that her experimental manipulation resulted in a significant difference between conditions. Now, she is interested in knowing about the magnitude of the difference between the groups. To determine this, she should look at which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)   p-value
B)   t-value
C)   degrees of freedom
D)   effect size d

Question 10

If a personality psychologist was interested in examining the relationship between people's educational level and extraversion, the best operational definition of educational level would be:

Accepted Answer

A)   participants' self-reported IQ.
B)   how much time participants spend reading books compared to watching TV.
C)   observers' rating of how intelligent participants appeared.
D)   the highest degree earned by each participant.

Question 11

Charles works at a newspaper as a fact-checker. His job is to verify claims to ensure that any conclusions made by the reporters are, based on a given set of ever-changing daily news events, correct. Charles is the metaphorical _____ of the newspaper.

Accepted Answer

A)   manipulation check
B)   measure of effect size
C)   internal validity
D)   check of mundane realism

Question 12

(Scenario II) Which of the following is NOT critically required to establish causality?

Accepted Answer

A)   temporal precedence
B)   covariation
C)   experimental realism
D)   extraneous variables

Question 13

Gordon and Jeannette were paired to work as a team on their research methods project. They are very interested in examining the variable of test anxiety, with specific attention paid to the extent the study resembles test anxiety in the classroom or natural environment. Gordon and Jeannette are primarily interested in their study's:

Accepted Answer

A)   mundane realism.
B)   control group.
C)   internal validity.
D)   concurrent validity.

Question 14

(Scenario I) Let's say you are skeptical of the results of this study. You set out to replicate it to determine for yourself whether group therapy improves self-awareness in individuals with a TBI. Since you don't have access to any of the instruments the authors used to measure self-awareness, you decide to measure it by simply asking participants how they see themselves. In doing this, you have changed:

Accepted Answer

A)   the research design.
B)   the levels of your independent variable.
C)   the operational definition of your dependent variable.
D)   the way in which you will analyze the results.

Question 15

In a study examining the effect of ignoring text messages on distraction, trying to ignore text messages is the _____ variable, whereas the amount of distraction is the _____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A)   dependent; independent
B)   independent; dependent
C)   independent; experimental
D)   dependent; experimental

Question 16

Aya is a developmental psychologist who is interested in studying children's acrophobia (i.e., fear of heights). In her experimental study, she randomly assigns some infants to crawl to their mothers on the floor. Other infants must crawl across a glass table (allowing them to see how high they were off of the ground) to get to their mothers. In Aya's study, who is in the control condition?

Accepted Answer

A)   participants who crawl on the floor
B)   participants who crawl on the glass table
C)   participants who show a fear of heights
D)   participants who do not show a fear of heights

Question 17

Which of the following is the typical order of operations for conducting an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)   interpret your data, conduct the study, develop a hypothesis, and review previous literature
B)   conduct the study, interpret your data, review previous literature, and develop a hypothesis
C)   develop a hypothesis, conduct the study, interpret your data, and review previous literature
D)   review previous literature, develop a hypothesis, conduct the study, and interpret your data

Question 18

The independent samples t-test compares:

Accepted Answer

A)   the variance of the control group with the variance of the experimental group.
B)   the standard deviation of the control group with the standard deviation of the experimental group.
C)   the mean of the control group with the mean of the experimental group.
D)   the mean of the control group with the mean of the null group.

Question 19

The _____ sensitive a measure is, the _____ ability it has to detect a difference between the experimental and control group.

Accepted Answer

A)   more; less
B)   less; greater the
C)   more; more
D)   less; more

Question 20

Which of the following is a disadvantage of experimental study designs as compared to nonexperimental study designs?

Accepted Answer

A)   Experiments can only be used to examine phenomena in a research laboratory.
B)   Experimental designs focus on why something happens, not how.
C)   Experiments establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
D)   Experimental designs fail to establish covariation.

Exam 8: Two-Group Design: Texting: I Cant Get You Out of My Mind