Deck 4: The Psychologists Toolbox: Tools for Building Better Designs

Question 1

Dr. Murphy is examining factors associated with retention in a smoking cessation group. Dr. Murphy wants to focus on the impact of quasi-independent variables in his research design. Which of the following should Dr. Murphy focus on?

A) gender
B) anxiety
C) depression
D) happiness

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an experimental design?

A) survey research
B) two-group research design
C) repeated-measures
D) mixed designs

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is a quasi-experimental design?

A) a research design where the researcher manipulates all of the dependent variables
B) a research design where the researcher manipulates all of the independent variables
C) a research design where random assignment cannot be used
D) a research design where the researcher treats variables as if they are dependent variables even though the variables cannot be manipulated

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Each of the following is a nonexperimental research design, EXCEPT:

A) interview.
B) factorial design.
C) survey research.
D) observation.

Question 5

Gael is interested in examining people's feelings toward the works of art in her new exhibition. In order to assess their feelings and opinions, she should use:

A) an informant report.
B) a behavioral measure.
C) archival data.
D) a self-report measure.

Question 6

Which of the following study variables would NOT be appropriately addressed by using a self-report measure?

A) perceptions of a political candidate
B) feelings of love
C) memories
D) eye blink response

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a quasi-independent variable?

A) gender
B) amount of sleep
C) ethnicity
D) intelligence

Question 8

Advantages of self-report measures include all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) they are inexpensive.
B) they are easy to administer.
C) they are relatively fast to complete.
D) they accurately predict behavior.

Question 9

Which of the following study variables would be best addressed using a self-report measure?

A) degree of happiness
B) heart rate
C) respiration rate
D) reflexes

Question 10

Dr. Pinh is examining factors associated with relapse in an alcoholism support group. Dr. Pinh wants to focus on the impact of independent variables that he can manipulate in his research design. Which of the following should Dr. Pinh focus on?

A) previous substance use
B) stress level
C) gender
D) ethnicity

Question 11

What is a true experiment?

A) a research design where the researcher manipulates all of the dependent variables
B) a research design where the researcher manipulates all of the independent variables
C) a research design where the researcher treats variables as if they are independent variables even though the variables cannot be manipulated
D) a research design where the researcher treats variables as if they are dependent variables even though the variables cannot be manipulated

Question 12

Which of the following is a quasi-independent variable?

A) medication dosage
B) sleep deprivation
C) stress level
D) gender

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic steps in designing research?

A) determine the best measures
B) choose the right research design for the question
C) recruit research participants
D) identify the independent and dependent variables

Question 14

Tristan is interested in understanding the study habits of college freshmen. He hypothesizes that males are more likely than females to procrastinate when stressed. For his study, Tristan assigns male and female participants to different stress conditions and measures their behavior. What type of study design is Tristan using?

A) correlation
B) quasi-experimental design
C) interview
D) true experiment

Question 15

The foundation for any research design is:

A) the ability to measure participants' experiences in a way that provides useful information to answer questions.
B) developing studies that can be examined using multiple research designs.
C) investigating questions that can be applied to solve a problem.
D) whether it is relevant to current cultural norms.

Question 16

A nonexperimental research design can answer all of the following questions, EXCEPT:

A) what takes place.
B) who is affected.
C) how much effect something has.
D) why something takes place.

Question 17

_____ is any measurement technique that directly asks participants how they feel or think.

A) Self-report
B) Informant report
C) Behavioral trace
D) Observation

Question 18

On which of the following topics would a researcher most want to use a self-report measure?

A) heart rate
B) height
C) confidence
D) athleticism

Question 19

Which is the correct order of steps in the research process?

A) select a research design, obtain results, share findings
B) obtain results, share findings, select a research design
C) share findings, select a research design, obtain results
D) select a research design, share findings, obtain results

Question 20

If a researcher is interested in assessing participants' private thoughts, then he would be best served to use:

A) self-report measures.
B) behavioral measures.
C) informant reports.
D) archival data.

Question 21

As a psychology professor who is also a researcher, you notice that your own students sometimes end up as participants in your research studies. Assuming that they want to impress you, which of the following should you worry about?

A) retrospective bias
B) participant reactivity
C) demand characteristics
D) behavioral trace

Question 22

Colette is a private investigator hired by many families whose loved ones have disappeared. Colette typically tries to learn as much about the missing person as possible and after speaking with their loved ones typically examines the missing person's immediate environments (e.g., home, work, etc.). Colette is likely looking for which type of information during these searches?

A) behavioral observations
B) self-report
C) physiological data
D) behavioral traces

Question 23

What are demand characteristics?

A) the tendency for respondents to give answers that make them look good
B) variables that cannot be manipulated but that are treated like independent variables
C) when the range of a dependent measure is set too high and all participants select the lowest alternative
D) cues that make participants potentially aware of what the experimenter expects

Question 24

Each of the following are potential disadvantages of self-report measures, EXCEPT:

A) social desirability bias.
B) demand characteristics.
C) experimenter bias.
D) retrospective bias.

Question 25

Dr. Meija eagerly waited in the conference room for the participants to complete the biofeedback portion of his study. Upon the participants' arrival into the room, with a large smile on her face, she immediately asked "Did you have fun with that?" The majority of the participants realized that Dr. Meija wanted them to report that they had fun during the study. The participants' awareness of Dr. Meija's expectations best demonstrates which of the following?

A) demand characteristics
B) social desirability bias
C) retrospective bias
D) scorer bias

Question 26

Dr. Yolanda's previous studies were negatively affected by the social desirability bias. Dr. Yolanda plans to do which of the following to minimize the likelihood of social desirability bias among participants in her current study?

A) provide adequate compensation for participation
B) design the study in accord with the ethical principle of justice
C) ensure confidentiality
D) have participants sign their name to each page of the questionnaire

Question 27

What is retrospective bias?

A) when participants interpret past events in overly optimistic ways
B) when participants interpret past events in inaccurate ways
C) when participants interpret past events in overly negative ways
D) when participants interpret past events in highly accurate ways

Question 28

Which mode of data is affected the LEAST by interpretation by the reporter of the data?

A) behavioral trace
B) archival
C) informant
D) self-report

Question 29

A primary advantage of self-report measures over behavioral measures is:

A) that they are more tedious to administer.
B) the ability to accurately predict actions.
C) the ability to get firsthand information from the source.
D) the need to consider social desirability bias.

Question 30

When people remember their past behavior or events, they often do so in a way that:

A) is not always accurate.
B) makes them look worse.
C) is representative of the truth.
D) is purposefully deceitful.

Question 31

_____ is/are a performance measure that relies on evidence left behind by a participant who is no longer present.

A) Interviews
B) Focus groups
C) Observation
D) Behavioral trace

Question 32

Caelen fondly remembers his senior prom as he recounts the details to his daughter many years later. However, Caelen does not mention the flooding rains or his date leaving early with the flu. Caelen's more positive recollection of that evening may be the result of:

A) probability sampling.
B) retrospective bias.
C) demand characteristics.
D) scorer bias.

Question 33

Aliza is conducting an independent study examining cultural influences on family traditions. Based on the level of accuracy of most self-report data, Aliza would gain the most accurate information from her participants if she were to ask questions about:

A) the past.
B) the present.
C) the future.
D) sensitive topics.

Question 34

Research suggests that most individuals have an inability to accurately assess how others may perceive them and therefore demonstrate:

A) "hindsight."
B) "snowballing."
C) "sensitivity."
D) "blind spots."

Question 35

Given the tendency of participants to engage in the social desirability bias, behavioral observation should provide _____ responses than self-report measures, particularly on sensitive topics.

A) less genuine
B) more genuine
C) less detailed
D) more detailed

Question 36

A behavioral measure is:

A) a measure of participants' feelings during a research study.
B) an accounting of a participant's motivation given by a close other.
C) a measure of participants' actions in a research design.
D) what participants think they will do in a hypothetical situation.

Question 37

What is social desirability bias?

A) the tendency for participants to give responses that are politically incorrect
B) the tendency for participants to give responses that are socially acceptable
C) the tendency for participants to give responses that are unique
D) the tendency for participants to give responses that are arousing

Question 38

A drawback of using behavioral trace is that it:

A) requires expensive machinery to measure.
B) is often influenced by demand characteristics.
C) relies on inferences made by the experimenter.
D) is subject to social desirability bias.

Question 39

To minimize the impact of demand characteristics, an experimenter should:

A) ensure confidentiality.
B) make the real purpose of the study difficult for participants to figure out.
C) only use behavioral measures.
D) have participants respond one at a time.

Question 40

Drs. Patrick and Malone are conducting a study examining the effectiveness of a new migraine medication. They hope participants provide accurate responses to their questions. Drs. Patrick and Malone aim to _____ retrospective bias and _____ demand characteristics.

A) minimize; minimize
B) minimize; maximize
C) maximize; maximize
D) maximize; minimize

Question 41

Raw score =

A) true score + error
B) true score + reliability
C) validity + error
D) error + quota sampling

Question 42

The _____ is the dependent measure, composed of the true score and the error, whereas the _____ is the extraneous influence that will cause the raw score to deviate from the true score.

A) raw score; error
B) raw score; true score
C) error; raw score
D) error; true score

Question 43

Participant reactivity is:

A) the tendency for participants to give responses that are politically incorrect.
B) the tendency for participants to give responses that are socially acceptable.
C) the tendency for participants to act differently when someone is watching them.
D) the tendency for participants to give responses that are arousing.

Question 44

The type of behavioral measure that involves measuring heart rate and sweat response is called:

A) behavioral trace.
B) diary study.
C) physiological measure.
D) reaction time measure.

Question 45

A behavioral choice is:

A) a measure that relies on directly seeing behavior as it occurs.
B) a measure that relies on evidence left behind by a participant who is no longer present.
C) a measurement technique that directly asks participants how they think or feel.
D) a measure that requires participants to make a purposeful selection from several options.

Question 46

_____ allow(s) for observation and assessment of participants without their awareness.

A) Behavioral choice
B) Self-report
C) Unobtrusive measures
D) Quasi-experiments

Question 47

Which of the following minimizes participant reactivity?

A) the use of questionnaires
B) answering in front of a group
C) unobtrusive measures
D) behavioral measures

Question 48

What is a behavioral observation?

A) a measure that relies on directly seeing a performed action as it occurs
B) a measure that relies on evidence left behind by a participant who is no longer present
C) a measurement technique that directly asks participants how they think or feel
D) a design where variables are treated like independent variables even though they are not able to be manipulated

Question 49

Which of the following is most true?

A) Self-report data are more accurate than behavioral data.
B) Behavioral data are more accurate than self-report data.
C) Measurements are not perfect regardless of whether they are self-report or behavioral.
D) Informant data are more accurate than self-report or behavioral data.

Question 50

Dr. Currie is interested in developing a means of diagnosing an anxiety disorder based solely on the presence of a persistently elevated heart rate and unusually high levels of cortisol. Dr. Currie is mostly interested in utilizing which of the following in his pursuit of diagnosis?

A) behavioral trace
B) behavioral observation
C) physiological measures
D) behavioral choice

Question 51

Jabari wants to understand why some people perform better in front of an audience and others do not. In order to investigate this research question he has participants run as fast as they can while alone or in the presence of an audience. What type of research design is Jabari using?

A) behavioral trace
B) self-report
C) behavioral observation
D) physiological measure

Question 52

What is one advantage of behavioral observation?

A) It requires the researcher to make assumptions.
B) It is open to social desirability biases.
C) It allows a researcher to see the behavior in its entirety so there is less need for inferences of meaning.
D) It is not vulnerable to demand characteristics.

Question 53

If a researcher wanted to minimize participant reactivity, which one of the following would he/she want to employ?

A) a one-way mirror
B) self-report measures
C) a research lab as opposed to a natural setting
D) visible recording equipment

Question 54

Reality television shows demonstrate the potential issue of _____ when observing the behavior of others.

A) observer bias
B) participant reactivity
C) behavioral trace
D) retrospective bias

Question 55

Data obtained from self-report and behavioral measures:

A) can be compared to determine if participants' self-reports are consistent with actual behavior.
B) compete with each other.
C) yield the same results.
D) cannot be compared, because they measure fundamentally different things.

Question 56

Random error is:

A) systematic.
B) organized.
C) unpredictable.
D) focused.

Question 57

Measuring how loud one yells when asked to cheer alone as compared to in a group is an example of:

A) behavioral trace.
B) behavioral observation.
C) physiological measures.
D) behavioral choice.

Question 58

Random error is:

A) the extent to which a measure will produce the same results each time it is used.
B) unsystematic influence on the true score.
C) an outside influence that affects the true score in a consistent way.
D) the extent to which a research method measures what it is intended to measure.

Question 59

Lorenzo asks his participants whether they would like to solve anagram tasks alone or with a teammate. He is using:

A) behavioral trace.
B) behavioral observation.
C) physiological measures.
D) behavioral choice.

Question 60

The goal of a psychological measure is to:

A) minimize error so that the raw score is similar to the true score.
B) minimize error so that the raw score is distinct from the true score.
C) maximize error so that the raw score is similar to the true score.
D) maximize error so that the raw score is distinct from the true score.

Question 61

School uniforms are designed to _____ the learning environment and have been shown to increase academic performance.

A) confuse
B) frustrate
C) standardize
D) humanize

Question 62

Observer bias can be minimized in behavioral data by:

A) making measures more sensitive.
B) training raters how to objectively code the variable of interest.
C) eliminating random error.
D) using a representative sample.

Question 63

Sensitivity is:

A) the range of data a researcher can gather from a particular instrument.
B) when respondents choose responses that are consistent with social values but not necessarily accurate.
C) the extent to which a research method measures what it is intended to measure.
D) the extent to which a research method will produce the same results each time it is used.

Question 64

Alec is designing a self-report measure to assess participants' feelings toward salary caps on professional athletes. Which of the following would be the optimal number of response items for each item on the measure to ensure sensitivity and flexibility, as well as meaningful distinctions?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 7
D) 15

Question 65

Bias is:

A) an extraneous influence that causes the raw score to deviate from the true score in unpredictable ways.
B) error that consistently pushes scores in a given direction.
C) the extent to which a measure will produce the same results each time it is used.
D) the extent to which a research method measures what it is intended to measure.

Question 66

Removing observer bias completely is:

A) easy.
B) difficult.
C) impossible.
D) mandatory.

Question 67

Everett set his alarm clock 20 minutes later than the real time. Everett believes this will help him be more punctual in arriving at work. Everett's thinking highlights which type of error?

A) random error
B) bias
C) social desirability error
D) demand characteristics

Question 68

The office that Martyn previously worked for had the highest efficiency rating of all the offices in the district. Martyn's office had access to multiple copiers, scanners, fax machines, computers, and a large quantity of office supplies. Martyn's office space was also open in design and did not section off staff in cubicles. The other offices in the district were upset at Martyn's office rating as their office resources are much different. The extreme variation among the various offices suggests that this study of efficiency lacked:

A) sensitivity.
B) standardization.
C) bias.
D) random error.

Question 69

Dr. Tomero asks his graduate students to code his interview tapes for the appearance of micro-expressions. If one of his graduate students believes that she sees disgust, while another rates the same micro-expression as sadness, which type of error should Dr. Tomero be concerned with?

A) random error
B) social desirability error
C) observer bias
D) demand characteristics

Question 70

The optimal number of responses for a given item on a measure should be between _____ to ensure appropriate sensitivity and flexibility of the measure.

A) 1 and 4
B) 5 and 9
C) 10 and 14
D) 15 and 20

Question 71

Researchers have _____ chance of eliminating bias as compared to random error.

A) a greater
B) a worse
C) the same
D) no

Question 72

Error can be reduced:

A) by the use of scripts.
B) by running participants in different conditions at different geographic locations.
C) when the researcher varies his treatment of participants.
D) when social desirability bias is high.

Question 73

Which of the following represents a societal example of systematic error?

A) the national debt
B) the elevated divorce rate
C) the unpredictable nature of hurricanes
D) bias SAT scores against minorities

Question 74

_____ is the process of keeping the experimental situation the same for everyone.

A) Replication
B) Social desirability
C) Standardization
D) Quota sampling

Question 75

Observer bias is:

A) the misinterpretation of an observation based on the participants' beliefs, experiences, or expectations.
B) the misinterpretation of an observation based on the researcher's beliefs, experiences, or expectations.
C) unpredictable influences that impact the true score.
D) an outside influence that affect the true score in a consistent way.

Question 76

Ollie drafted a script for his study, which should ____ in his study.

A) maximize the amount of observer error
B) minimize the amount of observer error
C) maximize the amount of bias
D) minimize the amount of bias

Question 77

Generally speaking, the _____ response options a scale has, the _____ sensitivity that measure has.

A) percentage of; less
B) fewer; more
C) more; less
D) more; more

Question 78

Which of the following is the LEAST problematic for a research study?

A) random error
B) bias
C) systematic error
D) lack of validity

Question 79

Random error:

A) can be eliminated.
B) is minimized in large datasets.
C) is minimal in small datasets.
D) does not need to be eliminated because it is not a point of concern for researchers.

Question 80

Rocco is on the championship wrestling team, and right before his match the coach must weigh him. Rocco gets on the scale the first time and it reads 175.7 lbs. He doesn't think that sounds correct so he weighs himself again, on the same scale, and it reads 176.3 lbs. Rocco's coach requests a third weigh-in and the scale reads 175.2 lbs. This unpredictable variation in Rocco's weight is best explained by:

A) standardization.
B) systematic error.
C) bias.
D) random error.