Question 1

Dr.Gates was studying memory in young children.Five children were asked to remember a list of words.Judd and Caroline each remembered 7 words.Byron remembered 6 words, Eve remembered 5 words, and Gunther remembered 4 words.For these five children, the median number of words that were recalled was:

Accepted Answer

A) 6.5 words 
B) 6.0 words 
C) 7.0 words 
D) 5.8 words

Question 2

Imagine that the personality traits of openness and extroversion have a strong positive correlation.If Thaddeus has a score in openness that is extremely low:

Accepted Answer

A) he will probably have a score in extroversion that is quite high 
B) he will probably also have a low score in extroversion 
C) It is impossible to predict how he is likely to score on the extroversion scale without more information. 
D) his extroversion score will probably be about average (neither high nor low)

Question 3

Loss of external validity can occur when:

Accepted Answer

A) clairvoyance is observed 
B) participant observed is implemented 
C) behavior is observed indirectly 
D) people react to being observed

Question 4

The score representing the middle of a data set or ____________________ is a commonly used measure of central tendency.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The score representing the middle of a...

Question 5

Defining wealth in terms of total value of assets minus total value of debts would:

Accepted Answer

A) represent an operational definition of wealth 
B) be a testable hypothesis about wealth 
C) provide empirical verification of wealth 
D) violate general research ethics

Question 6

Dr.Sanchez predicts that if the noise level in a room is increased, then individuals are more likely to make errors on a complex task.Dr.Sanchez's prediction is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A) an independent variable 
B) an operational definition 
C) a hypothesis 
D) a dependent variable

Question 7

Participant observation occurs when:

Accepted Answer

A) a representative sample of individuals is asked for their opinion 
B) participants in a research study observe and record the behavior of the researcher 
C) an observer attempts to become part of the activities being studied 
D) a single individual is studied in depth

Question 8

The range for a data set is:

Accepted Answer

A) the difference between the largest and smallest scores 
B) the arithmetic average of the set of scores 
C) the most frequently occurring score 
D) the middle point in the set of scores

Question 9

What is informed consent as it applies to psychological research involving human participants?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is informed consent as it applies...

Question 10

Inferential statistics help researchers:

Accepted Answer

A) describe the data obtained in a research study 
B) determine the likelihood that the pattern in the collected data occurred by chance 
C) measure a person's potential for success in a given area 
D) measure an individual's current level of knowledge in a particular area

Question 11

Explain what "random assignment" is, and what purpose it serves.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what "random assignment" is, and what...

Question 12

One of the most important functions of an experiment allows a researcher to establish causality.This factor is:

Accepted Answer

A) variance 
B) correlation 
C) reactivity 
D) control

Question 13

Researchers studying the effects of alcohol consumption tested the physical coordination skills of 21-year-old men who were first assigned to drink a beverage with 4, 2, or 0 ounces of alcohol in the laboratory.In this study, the dependent variable would be:

Accepted Answer

A) the age of the research participants 
B) the amount of alcohol consumed 
C) the physical coordination skills of the research participants 
D) the length of time that elapses between drinking the alcohol and taking the test

Question 14

Debriefing involves:

Accepted Answer

A) explaining any significant factors that might influence a participant's willingness to participate in a study 
B) protecting the right to privacy of all the participants in a research study 
C) asking participants to sign a waiver form at the beginning of a study 
D) fully disclosing and explaining all aspects of a research study, once the study is over

Question 15

Representative samples are achieved through ____________________, which means that everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being selected for the research.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Representative samples are achieved through ____________________, which...

Question 16

The case study is a research method in which:

Accepted Answer

A) the research effort focuses on a single individual 
B) a representative sample of individuals is asked for their opinions 
C) selected individuals are carefully observed in their natural environments 
D) a researcher tries to determine the extent to which two variables influence each other

Question 17

Researchers use inferential statistics to decide whether the behaviors recorded in a sample are representative of some larger population.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

In an experimental study, the group of participants exposed to the experimental treatment or the changed conditions is:

Accepted Answer

A) the control group 
B) the random group 
C) the dependent variable group 
D) the experimental group

Question 19

Researchers who were studying the effects of music on plant growth raised plants in two different rooms.One room had soft music playing 24 hours a day; the other room had no music.In this study, the control group is:

Accepted Answer

A) the plants in the room with no music 
B) the plants in the room with the music 
C) the plants that grow the most during the study 
D) all the plants used during the study

Question 20

An experiment that does not effectively control for confounding variables lacks:

Accepted Answer

A) operational validity 
B) external validity 
C) central validity 
D) internal validity

Exam 2: The Tools of Psychological Research