Question 1

You meet a number of students in a graduate program studying intimate relationships. The students describe their research to you. Which of the following students is conducting descriptive research?
A) Ahmed, who is investigating whether couples who cohabit before marriage have less conflict as newlyweds than couples who do not cohabit before marriage
B) Jeremy, who is interested in marital satisfaction following the birth of the first child
C) Humpreet, who is studying whether violations of expectations about the division of household chores lead to a decline in relationship satisfaction
D) All of the students are conducting descriptive research.

Accepted Answer

Jeremy's research is focused on describing a phenomenon (marital satisfaction following the birth of the first child) without attempting to manipulate variables or establish cause-and-effect relationships, which is characteristic of descriptive research.

Question 2

You are designing an exploratory study on couples who have polyamorous relationships (i.e., they have multiple committed relationships at one time). There is very little research in this area, and not much is known about how these couples manage their relationships. What kind of measurement strategy would be the most appropriate for this new research area?
A) fixed-response scales
B) observational measures
C) global measures
D) open-ended questionnaires

Accepted Answer

Open-ended questionnaires would be the most appropriate for this new research area as very little is known about how these couples manage their relationships. The use of fixed-response scales or global measures would be restrictive and may not allow participants to fully express their experiences and perspectives. Observational measures may not provide enough depth in understanding the dynamics of polyamorous relationships.

Question 3

Andrea is studying the conditions under which people become attracted to each other. She invites male research participants to visit the lab and interact briefly with an attractive person (a paid research assistant). By flipping a coin, she places participants in one of two conditions: 1) The conversation occurs without incident, or 2) There is a brief blackout in the research lab during the conversation. At the end of each session, the attractive research assistant gives the research participant her home phone number and invites him to call her later. In this study, whether the research participant calls the number is the:
A) operationalization of the dependent variable.
B) operationalization of the independent variable.
C) control variable.
D) predictor variable.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is whether or not the research participant calls the phone number given by the research assistant. This is the outcome that is being measured and therefore is the operationalization of the dependent variable. The independent variable is the presence or absence of a brief blackout during the conversation. The control variable is any factor that is held constant throughout the experiment to avoid confounding effects, and the predictor variable is a variable that is used to predict the outcome of interest, which is not applicable in this study.

Question 4

Atiyeh is studying whether violations of expectations about the division of household chores lead to a decline in relationship satisfaction. This is an example of a(n) ________ research question.
A) descriptive
B) predictive
C) explanatory
D) conceptual

Accepted Answer

This research question is seeking to explain the relationship between violations of expectations about household chores and relationship satisfaction. It is trying to identify a cause-and-effect relationship, which is characteristic of explanatory research questions. Descriptive research questions aim to describe a phenomenon, predictive research questions seek to make predictions about future events, and conceptual research questions focus on defining and clarifying concepts.

Question 5

Jacobson and Moore (1981) found that a spouse's rating of a partner's behavior on the Spouse Observation Checklist often did not match the partner's own rating of his or her behaviors. This study suggested that the Spouse Observation Checklist may have a problem with ________.
A) construct validity
B) operationalization
C) reliability
D) reactivity

Accepted Answer

Construct validity refers to the extent to which a measure actually assesses the construct or concept it is intended to measure. In this case, if a spouse's rating of a partner's behavior on the Spouse Observation Checklist does not match the partner's own rating, it suggests that the measure may not be accurately capturing the construct of interest, indicating a problem with construct validity. The other answer choices (operationalization, reliability, and reactivity) are not as applicable to the issue raised in the study.

Question 6

Which of the following statements regarding the role of the scientific method in relationship studies is true?
A) It helps self-correct erroneous conclusions.
B) It eliminates the risk of drawing erroneous conclusions.
C) It proves previously untested hypotheses.
D) It ensures the external validity of the findings.

Accepted Answer

The scientific method helps researchers self-correct erroneous conclusions by requiring that they use objective and systematic approaches to collect and analyze data. While it does not completely eliminate the risk of drawing erroneous conclusions, it does provide a systematic way to minimize that risk. The scientific method also can test hypotheses, but it cannot prove them beyond a shadow of a doubt. Finally, while the scientific method can improve the external validity of findings, external validity is determined by the generalizability of the research findings to other populations and settings, which is not solely dependent upon the scientific method.

Question 7

Daniella wants to know if the birth of a child is linked to lower marital satisfaction. This is an example of a(n) ________ research question.
A) descriptive
B) predictive
C) explanatory
D) conceptual

Accepted Answer

The answer of Daniella wants to know if the birth...

Question 8

A researcher is interested in interpersonal attraction and the factors that affect it. She designs a study in which she looks at the effect of similarity and social warmth on interpersonal attraction. Participants in her study meet a target person who either is or is not similar to the participant (the similarity variable) and who is either friendly or aloof (the social warmth variable). After interacting with the target person under these conditions, participants are then asked to rate how attractive they think the target person is. In this study, the independent variables are:
A) similarity and interpersonal attraction.
B) similarity and social warmth.
C) social warmth and interpersonal attraction.
D) similarity, social warmth, and interpersonal attraction.

Accepted Answer

The independent variables are the factors that the researcher manipulates, in this case similarity and social warmth. Interpersonal attraction is the dependent variable, meaning it is the outcome being measured. Therefore, option A is incorrect. Option C is incorrect because social warmth is already included as one of the independent variables. Option D is incorrect because interpersonal attraction is not an independent variable, but rather the dependent variable being measured.

Question 9

Andy decides to use a measure of how many times per week research participants talk to their partners as a measure of relationship closeness. According to the chapter on research methods, ÒclosenessÓ is ________.
A) an imaginary construct
B) the operationalization of a psychological construct
C) the predictor variable
D) a psychological construct

Accepted Answer

Closeness is a psychological construct because it represents an abstract concept related to relationships that researchers aim to measure or understand.

Question 10

ÒDo couples who cohabit before marriage have less conflict as newlyweds than couples who do not cohabit before marriage?Ó This is an example of a(n) ________ research question.
A) descriptive
B) predictive
C) explanatory
D) predictive and descriptive

Accepted Answer

The answer of ÒDo couples who cohabit before marriage have...

Question 11

A researcher is interested in interpersonal attraction and the factors that affect it. She designs a study in which she looks at the effect of similarity and social warmth on interpersonal attraction. Participants in her study meet a target person who either is or is not similar to the participant (the similarity variable) and who is either friendly or aloof (the social warmth variable). After interacting with the target person under these conditions, participants are then asked to rate how attractive they think the target person is. In this study, similarity and social warmth are the ________ variables and interpersonal attraction is the ________ variable.
A) independent; dependent
B) dependent; independent
C) causal; control
D) control; outcome

Accepted Answer

In this study, the factors being manipulated are similarity and social warmth, which are the independent variables. The outcome being measured is the participants' ratings of the target person's attractiveness, which is the dependent variable. Therefore, the correct answer is A) independent; dependent.

Question 12

A researcher is interested in interpersonal attraction and the factors that affect it. She designs a study in which she looks at the effect of similarity and social warmth on interpersonal attraction. Participants in her study meet a target person who either is or is not similar to the participant (the similarity variable) and who is either friendly or aloof (the social warmth variable). After interacting with the target person under these conditions, participants are then asked to rate how attractive they think the target person is. Which of the following is most likely the hypothesis in this study?
A) People who are attractive and similar to their interaction partner will be perceived as friendlier than people who are attractive and not similar to their interaction partner.
B) People who are aloof and not similar to their interaction partner will be perceived as less attractive than people who are friendly and similar to their interaction partner.
C) People who are unattractive will be perceived as less friendly than people who are attractive.
D) People who are not similar to their interaction partner will be perceived as less friendly than people who are similar to their interaction partner.

Accepted Answer

The hypothesis of the study is focused on the effect of similarity and social warmth on interpersonal attraction. Option B clearly states that the study examines the relationship between these variables and predicts that people who are aloof and not similar to their interaction partner will be perceived as less attractive than people who are friendly and similar to their interaction partner. Option A talks about the effect of attraction and similarity on friendliness, which is not the focus of the study. Option C talks about the effect of attractiveness on friendliness, which is not relevant to the study. Option D is too general and does not specify the variables focused on in the study.

Question 13

Which of the following statements regarding the role of the scientific method in relationship studies is FALSE?
A) It eliminates the risk of drawing erroneous conclusions.
B) It proves previously untested hypotheses.
C) It ensures the external validity of the findings.
D) All of the above are false.

Accepted Answer

The scientific method does not eliminate the risk of erroneous conclusions, prove hypotheses, or ensure external validity; it helps in systematically testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions based on evidence.

Question 14

Andy decides to use a measure of how many times per week research participants talk to their partners as a measure of relationship closeness. According to the chapter on research methods, Òhow many times per week research participants talk to their partnersÓ is ________.
A) an imaginary construct
B) the operationalization of a psychological construct
C) the predictor variable
D) a psychological construct

Accepted Answer

"How many times per week research participants talk to their partners" is an operationalization of the psychological construct of relationship closeness. It is a measurable way of representing a theoretical concept.

Question 15

According to the chapter on research methods, which of the following is FALSE?
A) Operationalization refers to the translation of an abstract idea into something concrete and measurable.
B) A specific measure that does not represent a concept very well is said to lack construct operationalization.
C) If a specific measure represents an abstract concept well, it has high construct validity.
D) We cannot directly measure abstract ideas, so they must be made observable or concrete.

Accepted Answer

A specific measure that does not represent a concept very well is said to lack construct validity, not construct operationalization. Construct operationalization refers to the process of defining and measuring an abstract concept in a specific way.

Question 16

U.S. divorce rates are nearly twice as high in low-income neighborhoods as in high-income neighborhoods. To learn why this association exists, we must ask ________ research questions.
A) conceptual
B) descriptive
C) predictive
D) explanatory

Accepted Answer

To understand the reason for the association between divorce rates and income level, we need to ask explanatory research questions that would help uncover the underlying factors contributing to this trend.

Question 17

You are designing an exploratory study on couples who have polyamorous relationships (i.e., they have multiple committed relationships at one time). There is very little research in this area, and not much is known about how these couples manage their relationships. Which research approach would be the most appropriate for this new research area?
A) qualitative research
B) observational research
C) correlational research
D) experimental research

Accepted Answer

Since there is very little research in this area, a qualitative research approach would be the most appropriate. This approach allows for in-depth exploration and understanding of the topic and would be suitable for exploring the experiences, perspectives, and behaviors of individuals in polyamorous relationships. Observational research and experimental research may not be feasible or ethical in this context, and correlational research may not be the most appropriate approach since it focuses on quantifying relationships between variables rather than gaining deeper insights into experiences and behaviors.

Question 18

Specific predictions suggested by ________ are called ________.
A) theories; hypotheses
B) hypotheses; theories
C) theories; data
D) data; hypotheses

Accepted Answer

Theories generate specific predictions called hypotheses, which can then be tested through research.

Question 19

You design a questionnaire where you first ask participants to briefly describe how they met their current romantic partners and then ask them to rate how satisfied they are in their relationships on a scale of 1 to 7. The first part of the questionnaire is an example of ________ and the second part is an example of ________.
A) a fixed-response scale; open-ended questions
B) open-ended questions; a fixed-response scale
C) open-ended questions; qualitative research
D) qualitative research; correlational research

Accepted Answer

The first part of the questionnaire is an open-ended question where participants can describe their own experiences, while the second part is a fixed-response scale where participants rate their satisfaction on a predefined scale.

Question 20

A researcher is interested in interpersonal attraction and the factors that affect it. She designs a study in which she looks at the effect of similarity and social warmth on interpersonal attraction. Participants in her study meet a target person who either is or is not similar to the participant (the similarity variable) and who is either friendly or aloof (the social warmth variable). After interacting with the target person under these conditions, participants are then asked to rate how attractive they think the target person is. In this study, the dependent variable is:
A) similarity.
B) social warmth.
C) interpersonal attraction.
D) all of the above.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is interpersonal attraction. This is the outcome variable that the researcher is measuring based on the different conditions that participants were exposed to in the study. While similarity and social warmth are important variables in understanding interpersonal attraction, they are not the variables that the researcher is measuring as the dependent variable.

Quiz 2: Tools of Relationship Science

You meet a number of students in a graduate program studying intimate relationships. The students describe their research to you. Which of the following students is conducting descriptive research?

Atiyeh is studying whether violations of expectations about the division of household chores lead to a decline in relationship satisfaction. This is an example of a(n) ________ research question.

Jacobson and Moore (1981) found that a spouse's rating of a partner's behavior on the Spouse Observation Checklist often did not match the partner's own rating of his or her behaviors. This study suggested that the Spouse Observation Checklist may have a problem with ________.

Which of the following statements regarding the role of the scientific method in relationship studies is true?

Daniella wants to know if the birth of a child is linked to lower marital satisfaction. This is an example of a(n) ________ research question.

Andy decides to use a measure of how many times per week research participants talk to their partners as a measure of relationship closeness. According to the chapter on research methods, ÒclosenessÓ is ________.

ÒDo couples who cohabit before marriage have less conflict as newlyweds than couples who do not cohabit before marriage?Ó This is an example of a(n) ________ research question.

Which of the following statements regarding the role of the scientific method in relationship studies is FALSE?

Andy decides to use a measure of how many times per week research participants talk to their partners as a measure of relationship closeness. According to the chapter on research methods, Òhow many times per week research participants talk to their partnersÓ is ________.

According to the chapter on research methods, which of the following is FALSE?

U.S. divorce rates are nearly twice as high in low-income neighborhoods as in high-income neighborhoods. To learn why this association exists, we must ask ________ research questions.

Specific predictions suggested by are called .