Deck 3: Research Methods in Applied Social Psychology

Question 1

A study in which a researcher manipulated the amount of smoke inhaled by laboratory rats and subsequently observed their rates of lung cancer would be an example of a ______ design,and a genetic predisposition to cancer in this research would be an example of a(n)______ variable.

A) correlational; dependent
B) correlational; extraneous
C) true experimental; dependent
D) true experimental; extraneous

Answer 1

true experimental; extraneous

Question 2

Gathering data from a 50-year-old census report is an example of what category of observation,as reported in the text?

A) historical
B) retrospective
C) indirect
D) external

Answer 2

indirect

Question 3

Which research design involves manipulation of variables?

A) descriptive
B) correlational
C) quasi-experimental
D) surveys

Answer 3

quasi-experimental

Question 4

Independent variables usually have at least ______ level(s).

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 5

With respect to data collection,which is true?

A) Compared with in-person survey respondents, Web survey respondents tend to yield higher-quality data.
B) A question such as, "Do you believe the death penalty should be legal," generally should be located near the end of a survey.
C) Collecting demographic information is not useful.
D) The more demographic information collected, the higher the quality of data attained.

Question 6

With respect to data collection,what is true?

A) Open-ended questions generally take more time to develop than closed-ended questions.
B) One form of observational data collection procedure is the use of a polygraph in the analysis of a respondent's answers during an interview.
C) A psychologist who plays in a sandbox with a group of preschoolers in order to gather data is engaged in in-group observations.
D) Data collection methods may divided into three basic and broad categories: surveys, interviews, and observations.

Question 7

In constructing surveys,it is generally advisable to

A) make assumptions about the respondent's experiences, thus directing the question content
B) use response alternatives such as "frequently" and "occasionally," thus allowing some latitude in interpretation
C) place demographic questions at the end because they tend to be boring and personal
D) place demographic questions at the beginning because then participants will respond

Question 8

A measurement that accurately reflects the meaning of a variable is said to have a form of validity called what?

A) external validity
B) internal validity
C) construct validity
D) convergent validity

Question 9

A pilot study was carried out in the experiment by Gentile et al. (2009)on the effects of video games on social behavior.The purpose of the study was to help ensure that the

A) different levels of the independent variable were appropriately constructed with respect to the nature of their social content
B) participants in the different experimental conditions were closely matched with respect to amount of experience playing video games
C) possible threats to experimental control were minimized by equating the circumstances under which the different experimental conditions were conducted
D) validity was not threatened

Question 10

A person's income and favorite color are examples of ______ and ______ variables,respectively.

A) quantitative; quantitative
B) qualitative; qualitative
C) quantitative; qualitative
D) qualitative; quantitative

Question 11

Researchers attempt to rule out possible biasing effects of extraneous variables by using the following two types of control

A) random assignment of participants and experimental control
B) experimental control and within-subjects control
C) random assignment of participants and statistical control
D) experimental control and statistical control

Question 12

______ questions are used to collect demographic data.

A) Attitude
B) Behavior
C) Constructed
D) None of these

Question 13

A rating scale is an example of a(n)______ question.

A) Likert
B) closed-ended
C) open-ended
D) nominal scale

Question 14

Suppose,as a researcher,you hypothesize that young school children engage in less cooperative play behavior when they have access to playground equipment than when playground equipment is inaccessible to them.To examine your hypothesis,which method of observation would you be best advised to use?

A) direct
B) descriptive
C) participant
D) vicarious

Question 15

In a survey,the content of a question can affect how later questions are answered.This is called a ______.

A) context effect
B) context bias
C) sequencing effect
D) sequencing bias

Question 16

The three basic types of question used in surveys are

A) factual, quantitative, and constructed
B) behavior, attitude, and factual
C) attitude, constructed, and behavior
D) quantitative, qualitative, and constructed

Question 17

"Should the county ban pit-bull terriers,despite their loving nature if properly socialized" is an example of what type of question?

A) double-barreled
B) loaded
C) unfair
D) straw man

Question 18

A true experiment allows a researcher to assess whether and to what degree ______ is affected by a change in ______.

A) an independent variable; a dependent variable
B) a dependent variable; an extraneous variable
C) a dependent variable; an independent variable
D) an independent variable; an extraneous variable

Question 19

All good research begins with a ______ that is often translated into a(n)______.

A) question; hypothesis
B) question; operational definition
C) variable; question
D) variable; hypothesis

Question 20

In the Gentile et al. (2009)experiment on the social effects of video games,the assignment of puzzles represented a(n)______ variable.

A) extraneous
B) controlled
C) independent
D) dependent

Question 21

Phenomenological research focuses on

A) gathering detailed stories and then restorying them (e.g., to produce a biography)
B) gathering stories to find out what experiences people have in common
C) formulating a theory of people's actions, interactions, and social processes
D) describing and interpreting shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and language

Question 22

The pretest-posttest design can be depicted as follows: ______ → ______ → Observations.

A) Independent Variable; Dependent Variable
B) Treatment; Observations
C) Observations; Treatment
D) Independent Variable; Observations

Question 23

Qualitative research methods,as a type of inquiry,focus on which type of analysis?

A) numerical
B) textual
C) algebraic
D) mixed methods

Question 24

With regard to correlational research,which of the following is true?

A) Correlational evidence provides stronger evidence about cause and effect than does quasi-experimental evidence.
B) A correlation coefficient of −.32 reflects a stronger degree of relation than a correlation coefficient of +.30.
C) Correlational studies involve independent samples.
D) all of these

Question 25

The weakest correlation,as expressed by the following correlation coefficients,is ______.

A) r = .35
B) r = −.95
C) r = .19
D) r = −.35

Question 26

______ control involves making sure that participants in different conditions are exposed to the same environmental stimuli,except for the ______.

A) Extraneous; dependent variable
B) Extraneous; independent variable
C) Experimental; independent variable
D) Experimental; dependent variable

Question 27

Narrative research focuses on

A) gathering detailed stories and then restorying them (e.g., to produce a biography)
B) gathering stories to find out what experiences people have in common
C) formulating a theory of people's actions, interactions, and social processes
D) describing and interpreting shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and language

Question 28

When Latané and Darly (1970)studied the reactions of bystanders to a beer store theft,they were interested primarily in examining which type of validity?

A) internal
B) external
C) construct
D) ecological

Question 29

Suppose a police department wants to evaluate the effectiveness of a neighborhood foot patrol program in reducing the incidence of crime.Which design would be most suitable to use in order to conclude whether or not the program reduces the rates of crime?

A) control time series design
B) pretest-posttest design
C) nonequivalent control group design
D) posttest only with nonequivalent control groups design

Question 30

The use of ______ groups is a common feature of quasi-experiments.

A) pre-assigned
B) equivalent
C) correlational
D) extraneous

Question 31

There is evidence to support the claim that people become more conservative in their attitudes as they age.Therefore,in an experiment that requires participants to make judgments about the content of music videos,not controlling for the age of participants would be a threat to ______.

A) external validity
B) construct validity
C) internal validity
D) internal reliability

Question 32

With respect to qualitative research methods,which is NOT true?

A) Qualitative methods are less frequently used by applied social psychologists than are quantitative methods.
B) Narrative research involves a process of collecting stories and then restorying in order to discern the commonality of people's experiences with an event.
C) To investigate the culture of a group, the most suitable method is an ethnographic study.
D) The qualitative research method that is most pertinent to the development of social psychological theory is called grounded theory.

Question 33

Chapter 3 reviews the basic dimensions of research in applied social psychology.Which is NOT one of the basic dimensions?

A) research settings
B) qualitative studies
C) research designs
D) methods of data collection

Question 34

Teachers at School A were given a substance abuse knowledge test.During the next four months,the teachers attended training sessions in substance abuse.They were then given the knowledge test again.Teachers at School B were given the substance abuse knowledge test,and four months later,they were given the test again.What kind of design was used?

A) pretest-posttest true experimental design
B) nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design
C) control time series
D) matched comparison group pretest-posttest design

Question 35

A study about the effects of peanut butter on jam preference is said to have low external validity.This means that

A) the data show a weak, negative correlation between the two variables
B) the influence of extraneous variables cloud the interpretation of the findings
C) the results cannot be generalized beyond this particular study
D) the setting and procedures were not similar to what is found in real life

Question 36

Qualitative research methods are used,in particular,to investigate

A) a topic or issue once it is understood sufficiently well as a result of quantitative analyses
B) basic issues in psychology, as opposed to more applied issues
C) topics or issues that are more validly examined in a lab setting, as opposed to a field setting
D) the meaning that people attach to a problem or issue

Question 37

Grounded theory focuses on

A) gathering detailed stories and then restorying them (e.g., to produce a biography)
B) gathering stories to find out what they have in common
C) formulating a theory of people's actions, interactions, and social processes
D) describing and interpreting shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and language

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT included in a quasi-experiment?

A) control group
B) independent variable
C) dependent variable
D) random assignment

Question 39

In their research article on video games and social behavior,Gentile et al. (2009)reported a study in which Singaporean children's exposure to prosocial video games was positively correlated with an index of their tendency to display prosocial behavior.The researchers concluded that the results were consistent with the notion that

A) prosocial behavior does not lead to increases in prosocial video game playing
B) experience playing prosocial video games leads to increases in prosocial behavior
C) a correlation exists
D) there is no relation between prosocial behavior and experience playing prosocial video games

Question 40

Research that includes both a ______ and a ______ reflects the mixed-methods approach.

A) correlational study; quasi-experiment
B) descriptive study; field experiment
C) case study; lab experiment
D) lab experiment; quasi-experiment

Question 41

External validity refers to the extent to which one can infer that an independent variable has influenced the dependent variable-that is,has caused the difference in behaviors between the participants in the different experimental conditions.

Question 42

The American Psychological Association (2010)has dealt with ethical concerns about the use of deception in research by

A) calling on researchers to guide all of their research decisions in accordance with the overriding principle of respect for the dignity of persons
B) issuing a policy that bans the employment of deception
C) issuing a policy that calls on individual researchers to use extreme discretion in protecting participants from undue risk of physical and/or psychological harm
D) permitting the use of deception if researchers carefully adhere to a specific set of guidelines

Question 43

Random assignment of participants to conditions and experimental control of extraneous variables allows researchers to infer internal validity.

Question 44

Qualitative research is the form of research that allows applied social psychologists to assess the quality of the quantitative data they gather.

Question 45

In a postscript,the authors of Chapter 3 ("Research Methods in Applied Social Psychology")cite the results of a study in which participants imagined a positive interaction with a stranger (Crisp & Turner,2009)and a study in which participants completed an IQ test (Maier,Elliot,& Lichtenfeld,2008).These studies were mentioned as a means of illustrating

A) instances in which deception may be justifiable given the potential scientific value of the research
B) the nonobviousness of experimental findings
C) the practical benefits of applying a mixed-methods approach
D) a study that is high in ecological validity and one that is low in ecological validity

Question 46

If a researcher were interested in understanding what is it like to grow up as a transgendered person and therefore wanted to gather stories from a variety of transgendered people to learn about what experiences they had in common growing up,the researcher would want to employ ethnographic research.

Question 47

What is meant by qualitative research methods? Name two types of qualitative research methods.

Question 48

With observational methods of data collection,the researcher may observe and record some aspects of the participants' functioning.In the method of participant observation,the researcher is an active participant in the social situation that he or she has chosen to observe.In some cases,the researcher may even pose as another member of the situation.

Question 49

Name the four basic research designs,and list the main features of each.

Question 50

What are quasi-experiments? Name and describe two different quasi-experimental designs.

Question 51

Experimenters rule out the possible biasing effects of extraneous variables by using two basic types of control: random assignment of participants and experimental control.

Question 52

Ethnographic research focuses on

A) gathering detailed stories and then restorying them (e.g., to produce a biography)
B) gathering stories to find out what they have in common
C) formulating a theory of people's actions, interactions, and social processes
D) describing and interpreting shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and language

Question 53

The difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable has to do with manipulation.The independent variable is manipulated,which typically causes a change in the dependent variable.

Question 54

Specific research designs (experiments and quasi-experiments)typically involve the manipulation of different variables.Name and describe the three kinds of variables relevant to experiments.

Question 55

To address specific research questions,applied social psychologists use a variety of data collection tools.Name the two basic categories of data collection,and give an example of each.

Question 56

As discussed in the text,decisions concerning how to conduct research in applied social psychology are made on the basis of three research dimensions: method of data collection,method of statistical analysis,and research question.

Question 57

Mixed-method studies tend to produce studies that are weaker than what can be achieved by relying on one method exclusively.

Question 58

Descriptive research is a qualitative research methodology in which researchers describe the characteristics of the population or phenomenon in question.

Question 59

Causal explanations cannot be derived from correlational research primarily because there could be any number of alternative explanations.

Question 60

The difference between a true experiment and a quasi-experiment is that in a quasi-experiment,participants are assigned at random to different conditions.

Question 61

Distinguish between open-ended questions and closed-ended questions,and list an advantage and disadvantage of each.

Question 62

Grounded theory and content analysis are two popular forms of qualitative analysis.Describe,in detail,these two approaches.

Question 63

Psychologists are legally bounded to follow a set of guidelines to ensure ethical conduct.Name and explain three ethical principles of psychologists or codes of conduct set for researchers.

Question 64

Research settings vary based on the type of research one is conducting.Distinguish between laboratory research and field research.List an advantage and disadvantage of each.

Question 65

What is meant by descriptive research? Describe the objective of this type of research,and explain when it is used.