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experimental psychology

Terms in this set (60)

Random error is error that
(a) isn't worth worrying about; (b) is always in the same direction;
(c) has an average of about zero;
(d) is also known as bias.
C
Broadly speaking, __________ refers to the consistency or stability of measurement.
(a) validity;
(b) modulation;
(c) reliability;
(d) invalidity
C
A researcher at Wheelock College administers a test of chronic anxiety. One month later, she administers the same questionnaire and finds that scores on the two administrations of the test correlate highly (r = .85). This outcome demonstrates the __________ of the test.
(a) internal validity;
(b) internal-consistency reliability;
(c) external validity;
(d) test-retest reliability
D
A researcher at Roosevelt University constructs a five-item measure of attitudes toward national health insurance. The average intercorrelation among the items is rii = .40. Using the Spearman-Brown equation, he calculates that R SB = .77. This researcher has calculated the __________ of the attitude scale.
(a) internal validity;
(b) internal-consistency reliability;
(c) test-retest reliability;
(d) convergent validity
B
In Question 4, in which the researcher determined that R SB = .77, what is the reliability of the scale as a whole?
(a) .77;
(b) .50;
(c) .40;
(d) cannot be determined from the information given
A
One intelligence test has two separate forms. Both measure intelligence, but they contain different questions. A researcher at Eastern University in Radnor, Pennsylvania, finds that the scores of students on Form A correlate highly with their scores on Form B (rAB = .92). This correlation demonstrates the __________ reliability of the test.
(a) internal consistency;
(b) external consistency;
(c) test-retest;
(d) alternate-form
D
In determining whether one study replicates the results of another, scientists often examine __________, which are statistics that reflect the magnitude of the relationship between X and Y.
(a) significance levels;
(b) alpha coefficients;
(c) effect sizes;
(d) data on the manipulation checks
C
"A test should correlate with theoretically related external variables; for example, the SAT should correlate with grade point average." This statement defines __________ validity.
(a) statistical-conclusion;
(b) content;
(c) consistency;
(d) criterion
D
"A test should not correlate with variables from which it is theoretically distinct." This statement defines __________ validity.
(a) convergent;
(b) content;
(c) discriminant;
(d) criterion
C
The degree of generalizability of the results of a study is referred to as the __________ of the study.
(a) internal validity;
(b) external validity;
(c) construct validity;
(d) discriminant validity
B
A researcher at Southwestern University decides to use self-report methods in his study of caffeine use. His survey contains the following item: "In the past week, did you drink any coffee? Yes or no." This item is an example of
(a) a fixed-choice question;
(b) an open-ended question;
(c) a neutrally worded question; (d) a negatively worded question.
A
A researcher at Baylor is conducting a study of the self-concept of college students. His survey contains the following item: "In your own words, please describe your self-concept. In other words, what kind of person are you?" This item is an example of
(a) a negatively worded question;
(b) an open-ended question;
(c) a neutrally worded question; (d) a fixed-choice question.
B
A researcher at Case Western Reserve gives a participant an ambiguous picture of people in a social situation and asks the participant what the people in the picture are doing, what they are thinking, and what they will be doing in the future. This is an example of a
(a) fixed-choice format question; (b) reverse-scored question;
(c) projective test;
(d) none of the above.
C
Some research participants are likely to agree with almost any question that is asked of them. This tendency is generally referred to as
(a) an acquiescent response set; (b) an affirmation bias;
(c) a nonnegation bias;
(d) an affirmation tendency.
A
To avoid problems with the "halo effect," a researcher might want to use
(a) forced-choice scales;
(b) graphic rating scales;
(c) equal-appearing interval scales;
(d) segmented graphic scales.
A
Observers often assume that, if a person is physically attractive, he or she also has many other positive qualities, including being intelligent and outgoing. This is an example of
(a) the error of central tendency; (b) the halo effect;
(c) the error of misperception; (d) none of the above.
B
According to research on the semantic differential method, which of the following is a useful dimension of subjective meaning?
(a) potency;
(b) activity;
(c) evaluation;
(d) all of the above
D
Which of the following is also known as the method of summated ratings?
(a) the semantic differential method;
(b) the Thurstone method;
(c) the Likert method;
(d) the equal-appearing intervals method
C
Which of the following is also known as the method of equal-appearing intervals?
(a) the semantic differential method;
(b) the Thurstone method;
(c) the Likert method;
(d) the graphic rating method
B
A researcher at Rhode Island College wants to ask people the following question during an interview: "Describe as fully and concretely as possible a real situation that was important to you in which you acted in some way that was a cover for your true feelings." This is an example of
(a) a self-recorded diary;
(b) the critical incident technique;
(c) the semantic differential method;
(d) an interview schedule.
B
In a classic study, several social psychologists "joined" a religious cult that believed that the world would soon end. After they were accepted as members of the group, they made careful observations of the behavior of the group. This type of research is known as
(a) a field experiment;
(b) participant observation;
(c) ethnocentric research;
(d) all the above.
B
A student at the University of Hawaii wants to study gossip and rumor among Asian cultures. In this research, interview questions must be translated from English into other languages. To ensure that the translations are accurate, the researcher must use
(a) ethnographic research;
(b) linguistic relativism;
(c) back translation;
(d) dual translation.
C
In 1935, psychologist George Hartmann ran for political office in Pennsylvania. In some areas, he distributed leaflets with an emotional appeal to voters. In other areas, he distributed leaflets with a rational appeal. He then observed the voting records for these different areas. In Chapter 2, we discussed the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable. In this study, the type of leaflet was the __________ variable, and the voting records were the __________ variable.
(a) independent, experimental; (b) experimental, independent; (c) dependent, independent;
(d) independent, dependent
D
Suppose you are conducting an observational study, and you want judges (or raters) who are very sensitive to nonverbal cues. You should choose judges who are
(a) psychiatrically unimpaired; (b) college-aged;
(c) female;
(d) all of the above.
D
A researcher at Montclair State University carefully observes whether or not people lock their car doors when parked in the university's parking lot. The people do not realize that they are being observed for a research study. This is an example of
(a) reactive observation;
(b) partial concealment;
(c) unobtrusive observation;
(d) none of the above.
C
A researcher at Florida International University conducts an observational study of job satisfaction in a large corporation. She tells the research participants that she is studying their behavior but does not tell them what aspect of their behavior she will be observing. This is an example of (a) quasi disclosure;
(b) partial concealment;
(c) unobtrusive observation;
(d) residual disclosure.
B
To determine which classrooms are used most heavily at Akron University, a researcher measures the amount of wear on floor tiles. This is an example of the use of
(a) physical traces;
(b) simple observations;
(c) contrived observations;
(d) archival records.
A
A researcher at Colby College observes how far apart people stand from each other at a party. This is an example of the use of (a) physical traces;
(b) simple observations;
(c) contrived observations;
(d) archival records.
B
A researcher at the University of Colorado at Denver reports that marriage rates are associated with the size of the city. She obtained both the marriage rates and the population estimates from government statistics available in the library. This is an example of the use of (a) physical traces;
(b) simple observations;
(c) contrived observations;
(d) archival research.
D
Which of the following is not an unobtrusive measure?
(a) physical traces;
(b) simple observations;
(c) contrived observations;
(d) interviewing people
D
Which of the following methodological procedures can cause moral conflicts?
(a) invasion of privacy;
(b) deception;
(c) withholding information from research participants;
(d) all of the above
D
Deliberately withholding information from research participants is called ; deliberately misinforming participants is called .
(a) active deception, passive deception;
(b) active deception, double deception;
(c) double deception, passive deception;
(d) passive deception, active deception
D
In the Milgram experiments, which of the following actually received electrical shocks?
(a) the "teacher";
(b) the "learner";
(c) both a and b;
(d) neither a nor b
D
Ethical questions were raised about the Milgram experiments because
(a) participants were deceived and apparently stressed;
(b) some participants received severe shocks;
(c) some participants were physically injured;
(d) all of the above.
A
The Rushton study, conducted in a mining company, raised the ethical issue of
(a) deception;
(b) fair-mindedness;
(c) invasion of privacy;
(d) all of the above.
B
The participants who objected to the Rushton study were
(a) in the control group;
(b) in the experimental group; (c) in both the experimental and control groups;
(d) subjected to severe shocks.
A
According to the decision-plane diagram in Figure 3.2, if the risks of doing a research project are equal to the benefits of doing the research, then the study is said to fall on
(a) the diagonal of ambivalence; (b) the diagonal of equality;
(c) the diagonal of indecision; (d) none of the above.
C
Research at virtually all colleges and universities has to be approved by
(a) the president of the institution;
(b) the U.S. government;
(c) professors in the psychology department;
(d) an IRB
D
The procedure of disclosing the full purpose of a study after individuals have participated is called
(a) debriefing;
(b) peer review;
(c) the Milgram procedure;
(d) double deception.
A
Which of the following help ensure that animals used as subjects in research are treated ethically?
(a) federal laws;
(b) professional codes of conduct;
(c) institutional (e.g., university) policies;
(d) all of the above
D
Paul has suffered brain damage in a car accident. Dr. Thaler, a specialist in internal medicine, studies Paul intensively, giving him many clinical interviews and tests to measure his cognitive functioning. Based on his work with Paul, Dr. Thaler comes up with a brilliant new hypothesis, which he and others can test further in empirical research. From what we know so far, we would say that the doctor's hypothesis came about primarily through
(a) serendipity;
(b) analogical thinking;
(c) an intensive case study;
(d) the examination of a paradoxical incident.
C
A researcher at the University of Colorado is interested in studying dynamics in small groups (typically consisting of two to five people). She begins by thinking that people in small groups relate to each other much as the governments of large countries relate to each other. She develops hypotheses about small-group dynamics by thinking about how people in small groups are similar to diplomats at the United Nations. Her hypothesis came about through
(a) attempting to resolve conflicting results;
(b) improving on older ideas;
(c) using analogical thinking;
(d) serendipity.
C
A researcher at Monmouth University conducts a study of high school students and finds there is no relationship between the amounts of time spent watching TV and grade point average. A researcher at Emporia University conducts a study of elementary school students and finds that those who watch a lot of TV tend to have very low grades. A third researcher, from Providence College, now develops a new theory stating that the relationship between watching TV and grade point average depends on other variables, including the age of the student. This third researcher's theory has come about through
(a) serendipity;
(b) using analogical thinking;
(c) attempting to resolve conflicting results;
(d) examining intensive case studies.
C
Dr. Pearson, a research specialist in urology, sets out to find a new treatment for cancerous tumors. By a lucky coincidence, he discovers that the new treatment he is studying might serve as a treatment for Parkinson's disease, a disease that is totally unrelated to cancer. His discovery would appear (from this limited information alone) to have come about through
(a) improving on older ideas;
(b) using analogical thinking;
(c) examining intensive case studies;
(d) serendipity.
D
Edwin H. Land was with his 3-year-old daughter when she asked him why a camera could not produce pictures instantly. Thinking about her question while out for a walk, he hit on the idea for the Polaroid Land Camera. This is an illustration of how
(a) circumstances can evoke ideas;
(b) ideas are all around us if we keep our eyes, ears, and minds open to discovery;
(c) creativity is not limited to art or music;
(d) all of the above.
D
A researcher at the Baltimore campus of the University of Maryland is studying intelligence and defines it as "a person's general ability to adapt to his or her environment." This statement is
(a) an operational definition;
(b) a theoretical definition;
(c) a dimensional definition;
(d) none of the above.
B
The same researcher will be measuring the intelligence of high school students at the Baltimore City College. For this aspect of his study, the researcher defines intelligence as "a score on the WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale)," an example of
(a) an operational definition;
(b) a theoretical definition;
(c) a dimensional definition;
(d) none of the above.
A
is to operational definition as is to theoretical definition.
(a) Construct, variable;
(b) Coherence, parsimony;
(c) Parsimony, coherence;
(d) Variable, construct
D
A researcher at Saint Anselm College conducts an experiment with volunteers. Half of them are given 1 ounce of colored water and told it is bourbon; the other half are given 4 ounces of the same liquid and told that it is bourbon. The researcher then gives all the participants a test of motor coordination. In this experiment, the test of motor coordination is the variable.
(a) control;
(b) dependent;
(c) independent;
(d) none of the above
B
A researcher at the University of South Carolina, who is collaborating with the researcher at Saint Anselm College, conducts the same experiment with high schoolers in Columbia, South Carolina. In this experiment, the colored water the participants receive is the variable.
(a) control;
(b) dependent;
(c) independent;
(d) none of the above
C
John believes that women are more emotionally expressive than men. When asked why he believes this, John says it is because he has "always" believed it, and because "everybody knows it is true." John is using the
(a) method of tenacity;
(b) scientific method;
(c) a priori method;
(d) method of authority.
A
Miles, a student at California State University at Sacramento, tells another student, Sasha, that "numbers are infinite," to which she responds, "Prove it!" Miles says, "Would you agree that any number doubled will result in a new number twice the size?" When Sasha answers yes, Miles responds, "Aha, you have just proved that numbers are infinite, because there must be a limitless number of numbers if you are correct." Miles is using the
(a) method of tenacity;
(b) scientific method;
(c) a priori method;
(d) method of authority. Julie believes that everyone dreams
C
Julie believes that everyone dreams every night, because her psychology professor told her this is true. Julie is using the
(a) method of tenacity;
(b) scientific method;
(c) a priori method;
(d) method of authority.
D
Dr. Smith believes that psychotherapy is generally very effective in treating mental disorders. She claims that her belief is based on empirical research in which therapy was given to some patients but not others, and in which the degree of mental disorder was carefully measured. Dr. Smith's belief is based on the
(a) method of tenacity;
(b) scientific method;
(c) a priori method;
(d) method of authority.
B
Which of the following is the most distinctive characteristic of science?
(a) empirical inquiry and empirical reasoning;
(b) images and metaphors;
(c) the rhetoric of science;
(d) statistical explanation.
A
Behavioral research
(a) encompasses many scientific fields;
(b) emphasizes multiple methods of observation and explanation;
(c) has seen a growth in the number of interdisciplinary fields;
(d) all of the above.
D
Which empirical approach is often considered a necessary first step in conducting research but is rarely considered sufficient by itself?
(a) relational research;
(b) experimental research;
(c) descriptive research;
(d) none of the above.
C
A researcher at the College of the Southwest conducts a research project on the study habits of students. She reports that, on average, college students study 20 hours per week. This is an example of
(a) relational research;
(b) experimental research;
(c) descriptive research;
(d) none of the above.
C
Experimental research
(a) can support cause-effect conclusions;
(b) involves the manipulation of variables;
(c) often involves randomly assigning subjects to conditions; (d) all of the above.
D
A researcher at Grand Valley State University flips a coin to decide whether each person in a sample of research participants will be assigned to the experimental group or the control group. This is an illustration of
(a) random sampling;
(b) random assignment;
(c) both random assignment and randomization because they are synonyms;
(d) none of the above.
B
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