Question 1

Researchers found that "the widespread and highly publicized stereotype about female talkativeness is unfounded." For this conclusion to be considered as science, it would need to rely primarily on

Accepted Answer

A)  strongly held beliefs. 
B)  subjective evidence. 
C)  observable, repeatable evidence. 
D)  laboratory experiments.

Question 2

During the peer review process, whose work is most likely to be accepted rapidly into the body of scientific knowledge?

Accepted Answer

A)  Dr. Gupta's, whose research led to unexpected and unique results 
B)  Dr. Koch's, whose results fit with existing knowledge in the field 
C)  Dr. Anton's, who used novel research methods and produced unconventional findings 
D)  Dr. Dunn's, whose results are unreplicated in previous reports in the field

Question 3

The text described a survey that asked a representative sample of middle-school students to respond to 17 motives for playing violent video games on a four-point scale. Surprisingly, about 20% of boys indicated that they liked to play these games in order to

Accepted Answer

A)  compete and win. 
B)  help get their anger out. 
C)  reduce boredom. 
D)  make friends and teach others.

Question 4

Using the data set regarding the stress levels of domestic workers with green cards, Cali has calculated the standard deviation of their housing expenses in two ways, with and without the workers who have zero housing expense. When Cali includes all workers, the standard deviation is

Accepted Answer

A)  smaller. 
B)  larger. 
C)  the same. 
D)  scattered.

Question 5

The ability to think clearly, rationally, and independently is called

Accepted Answer

A)  naturalistic observation. 
B)  authoritative reasoning. 
C)  free thinking. 
D)  critical thinking.

Question 6

Cali's data set regarding the stress levels of workers with green cards contains housing expenses. The mean housing expense is surprisingly low, but then Cali realizes that a small cohort of workers are live-in employees and report zero housing expenses. A more useful measure of central tendency that would not be as influenced by these extremely low, outlying scores would be  the

Accepted Answer

A)  median. 
B)  frequency. 
C)  normal distribution. 
D)  mean.

Question 7

Jadea, a medical school student, is assisting a psychology professor with a research study on the physiological and psychological reactions to violence in blockbuster films. After a participant views a film clip, she administers some basic tests. Which of the following is the most subjective result?

Accepted Answer

A)  The participant's blood pressure is 140/90. 
B)  The participant describes the level of film violence as 8 on a scale of 0 to 10. 
C)  The participant's heart rate is 75. 
D)  The participant has perspiration on her brow and her pupils are dilated.

Question 8

Dr. Crane is studying patients who are in the residual phase of schizophrenia. His colleague, Dr. Mellus, takes detailed notes during a series of interviews and interactions that Dr. Crane has with one such patient for later analysis. What research method are these doctors employing?

Accepted Answer

A)  Experimental study 
B)  Case study 
C)  Correlational study 
D)  Experiential study

Question 9

Describe the basic structure of a research experiment. Include the definition and purpose of the hypothesis, independent variable, dependent variable, control group, experimental group, and random assignment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the basic structure of a research...

Question 10

Dr. Segal is studying the effects of television watching on the language development of children under the age of 2. Because of room scheduling issues, the children in the experimental group underwent testing in the morning and the children in the control group underwent testing in the afternoon. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  random assignment. 
B)  a situational confounding factor. 
C)  a confounding factor due to individual differences. 
D)  randomization error.

Question 11

When a hypothesis is demonstrated to be false using appropriate research methods, what must be done?

Accepted Answer

A)  Another researcher must replicate the research. 
B)  The hypothesis must be modified or discarded. 
C)  Different statistical analyses should be conducted to find support for the hypothesis. 
D)  Research should be repeated with the opposite hypothesis.

Question 12

Participants in an experiment on stress management are given stress reduction techniques and then measured for the effect. What is the role of the control group in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  They receive no stress management techniques, and they are not measured. 
B)  They receive a random stress management technique. 
C)  They receive no stress management techniques, but they are measured. 
D)  They receive the same stress management techniques as the experimental group, but they are not measured.

Question 13

A method for assessing age-related changes that combines the cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches by observing a cross-section of participants over a relatively limited period of time is called a

Accepted Answer

A)  mixed longitudinal study. 
B)  longitudinal study. 
C)  cohort study. 
D)  limited longitudinal study.

Question 14

Which of the following is an advantage of survey research?

Accepted Answer

A)  Survey participants are easy to recruit since the typical sample is small. 
B)  Survey participants are more likely to be truthful than participants of other research methods. 
C)  Surveys provide insight into real-world behaviors in their natural setting. 
D)  Surveys provide large amounts of data quickly, usually without great expense.

Question 15

Within a research study, Reese is exposed to the independent variable, which means that Reese is part of the

Accepted Answer

A)  control group. 
B)  experimental group. 
C)  random group. 
D)  nonexperimental group.

Question 16

A group that experiences all experimental procedures with the exception of exposure to the independent variable is called a

Accepted Answer

A)  control group. 
B)  random group. 
C)  variable group. 
D)  dynamic group.

Question 17

An experimental study focuses on the effects that the amount of exercise has on the number of calories consumed per day. The number of calories that a participant consumes is the

Accepted Answer

A)  independent variable. 
B)  confounding variable. 
C)  continuous variable. 
D)  dependent variable.

Question 18

The consistency of a measure, including test-retest, interrater, inter-method, and internal consistency, is called

Accepted Answer

A)  significance. 
B)  reliability. 
C)  validity. 
D)  testability.

Question 19

Which term describes a research design in which neither the participant nor the experimenter observing the participant knows which participants were given an active substance and which were given a placebo?

Accepted Answer

A)  Clinical trial 
B)  Open trial 
C)  Double-blind procedure 
D)  Prospective cohort study

Question 20

How frequently can scientists prove that their hypotheses are true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Never 
B)  Always 
C)  Sometimes 
D)  Often

Exam 2: The Measure of Mind Methods of Psychology