Question 1

In generalizing from a sample to the population, it is important that

Accepted Answer

A)  the sample be representative. 
B)  the sample be nonrandom. 
C)  the sample not be too large. 
D)  all of these conditions exist.

Question 2

Dr. Jones' research centers on the relationship between changes in our thinking over the life span and changes in moral reasoning. Dr. Jones is most likely a

Accepted Answer

A)  clinical psychologist. 
B)  personality psychologist. 
C)  psychiatrist. 
D)  developmental psychologist.

Question 3

Professor Kim suggests that young children from all cultures can distinguish between singular and plural nouns because the concept of quantity is inborn. The professor's suggestion would have been most readily accepted by

Accepted Answer

A)  Plato. 
B)  John B. Watson. 
C)  B. F. Skinner. 
D)  Ivan Pavlov.

Question 4

To balance historic psychology's focus on human problems and negative emotions, Martin Seligman called for the development of

Accepted Answer

A)  behavior genetics. 
B)  cognitive neuroscience. 
C)  positive psychology. 
D)  psychiatry.

Question 5

Who would be most likely to agree with the statement, "Psychology should investigate only behaviors that can be observed"?

Accepted Answer

A)  Wilhelm Wundt 
B)  Sigmund Freud 
C)  John B. Watson 
D)  William James

Question 6

To assess the extent to which mortality rates increase as people age, researchers would most likely make use of

Accepted Answer

A)  the double-blind procedure. 
B)  case studies. 
C)  experimentation. 
D)  correlational measures.

Question 7

Psychologists' personal values

Accepted Answer

A)  have little influence on how their experiments are conducted. 
B)  do not influence the interpretation of experimental results because of the use of statistical techniques that guard against subjective bias. 
C)  can bias both scientific observation and interpretation of data. 
D)  have little influence on investigative methods but a significant effect on interpretation.

Question 8

To minimize the extent to which outcome differences between experimental and control groups can be attributed to placebo effects, researchers make use of

Accepted Answer

A)  random sampling. 
B)  the double-blind procedure. 
C)  random assignment. 
D)  operational definitions.

Question 9

A negative correlation between people's work-related stress and their marital happiness would indicate that

Accepted Answer

A)  work-related stress has a negative impact on marital happiness. 
B)  marital unhappiness promotes work-related stress. 
C)  higher levels of marital happiness are associated with lower levels of work-related stress. 
D)  marital happiness has no causal influence on work-related stress.

Question 10

Alexandra is told that research supports the value of cosmetic surgery for boosting self-esteem. Belinda is told that the esteem-enhancing value of cosmetic surgery has been refuted by research. Both women consider the research findings to be common sense. This best illustrates the power of

Accepted Answer

A)  the placebo effect. 
B)  hindsight bias. 
C)  random assignment. 
D)  the double-blind procedure.

Question 11

Which perspective would be most helpful for understanding the role of retrieval practice on long-term memory of information?

Accepted Answer

A)  psychodynamic 
B)  social-cultural 
C)  cognitive 
D)  behavior genetics

Question 12

In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills, research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights. This research is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  naturalistic observation. 
B)  survey research. 
C)  a case study. 
D)  an experiment.

Question 13

One research team randomly assigned some newborns and their mothers either to a breast-feeding promotion group or to a normal pediatric care group. Which research method did they use?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

Who emphasized that behavioral characteristics are inherited?

Accepted Answer

A)  Aristotle 
B)  John B. Watson 
C)  Charles Darwin 
D)  B. F. Skinner

Question 15

Functionalism is to structuralism as ________ is to Edward Titchener.

Accepted Answer

A)  John Locke 
B)  B. F. Skinner 
C)  William James 
D)  John B. Watson

Question 16

Conducting a case study best illustrates

Accepted Answer

A)  random sampling. 
B)  informed consent. 
C)  the double-blind procedure. 
D)  the descriptive method.

Question 17

The scientific attitude requires an open-minded humility because it involves a willingness to

Accepted Answer

A)  perceive order in random events. 
B)  reject any ideas that can't be scientifically tested. 
C)  recognize the errors in our own ideas. 
D)  respect political beliefs that contradict our own.

Question 18

Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses?

Accepted Answer

A)  evolutionary 
B)  neuroscience 
C)  behavioral 
D)  behavior genetics

Question 19

A research method in which an investigator manipulates factors that potentially produce a particular effect is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  survey. 
B)  experiment. 
C)  case study. 
D)  correlation.

Question 20

Which type of research would allow you to determine whether students' grades accurately predict later income?

Accepted Answer

A)  case study 
B)  naturalistic observation 
C)  experimentation 
D)  correlation

Exam 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science