Question 1

A state of being unaware of whether one has received an experimental treatment while participating in an experimental study is known as being ______.

Accepted Answer

Being "blind" in a study means that the participant does not know whether they have received the experimental treatment or a placebo. This is also known as "blinding" or a "double-blind study."

Question 2

One way scientists control for subjects' expectations in experimental research is by keeping subjects in a state of being unaware of whether or not they have received an experimental treatment. This is also known as keeping the subjects ______.

Accepted Answer

The term commonly used in research to describe keeping subjects in a state of being unaware of whether or not they have received an experimental treatment is "blinding." Keeping subjects blind to the experimental conditions is a strategy to minimize the risk of bias, as the subjects won't be expectant of certain outcomes based on their knowledge of the experimental conditions. "Disoriented" and "confused" are not accurate terms to describe this concept in research. "Unaware" is a more general term that can be used in different contexts and does not specifically describe the state of subjects in an experiment.

Question 3

A bogus treatment designed to look real and used in research to control for subjects' expectations is ______.

Accepted Answer

A placebo is a bogus treatment that is designed to look real and used in research to control for subjects' expectations. It is often used in experiments to test the effectiveness of a new drug or treatment, by comparing the results of the placebo group (who receive the bogus treatment) with the experimental group (who receive the actual treatment). This helps researchers determine if the treatment is actually effective or if any improvement is due to the placebo effect. A placebo can be a pill, a liquid, a cream, or an injection.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

A behavioral variable is an example of a dependent variable because it is the outcome or response that is being measured or observed in relation to the independent variable.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of an independent variable?

Accepted Answer

An independent variable is the variable that is deliberately manipulated in an experiment to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable. Treatment factors are an example of independent variables as researchers intentionally manipulate them to see their effect on the dependent variable. The other options are not typically manipulated in this way.

Question 6

A type of research in which people are periodically tested or evaluated over long periods of time is ______ study.

Accepted Answer

The type of research described in which people are periodically tested or evaluated over long periods of time is a longitudinal study.

Question 7

The research technique in which scientists seek to uncover cause-and-effect relationships by directly manipulating independent variables and observing the effects on dependent variables is the ______ method.

Accepted Answer

The experimental method is the technique in which researchers manipulate independent variables and observe the effects on dependent variables to establish cause-and-effect relationships. Correlational research examines the relationship between variables, but does not manipulate them. Psychometric research focuses on the measurement of psychological phenomena. Case-studies are a type of observational research that involves the in-depth analysis of an individual or group.

Question 8

A substance that has no psychological or physical effect of its own, but appears to have an effect because of the beliefs of the people using it is called a(n) ______.

Accepted Answer

A placebo is a substance or treatment that has no active ingredient or physiological effect, but can produce a psychological or physical response because the individual believes it will work. It is commonly used in medical studies as a control group for comparison against active treatments, but can also be used in clinical practice as a way to harness the power of the placebo effect for therapeutic benefit. The other answer choices (A) initiative substance, (B) confounding factor, and (D) neuter do not accurately describe the concept of a placebo.

Question 9

Masking the taste of an alcoholic beverage with a mixer in an experiment may keep subjects ______ as to whether or not they received the experimental treatment.

Accepted Answer

Masking the taste of alcohol with a mixer may keep subjects blind as to whether or not they received the experimental treatment, as they won't be able to tell if they were given an alcoholic beverage or not.

Question 10

One way scientists control for subjects' expectations in experimental research involving medication is by using ______.

Accepted Answer

Placebos are used to control for subjects' expectations because they look and taste like the actual medication, but do not have any active ingredients. This allows researchers to compare the effects of the medication to the effects of the placebo, and determine if any observed effects are due to the medication itself or simply the subjects' expectations.

Question 11

Longitudinal studies are ______.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal studies track participants over an extended period of time, often several years or even decades, making them both costly and time-consuming. This is necessary for measuring changes in human behaviors, attitudes, and health outcomes over time. While they may provide valuable data, they require a significant investment of resources to conduct.

Question 12

In a study on alcohol and driving ability, half the subjects are given alcohol before driving an obstacle course, while the remaining subjects drive the course while remaining
Sober. In this study, those subjects who are given the alcohol before driving the course
Comprise the ______ group.

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group that receives the treatment or intervention being studied, which in this case is the group given alcohol before driving the obstacle course.

Question 13

Jen decides to study the effects of alcohol on driving ability. She selects 200 college students and randomly divides them into two groups of 100 students each. Subjects in
Group "A" drive a car through an obstacle course while remaining sober. Subjects in
Group "B" also drive through the obstacle course, but they are given an ounce of
Whiskey before each attempt at driving the course. As expected, the driving ability of
Subjects in group "B" steadily deteriorates as they consume more alcohol. In Jen's
Study, the amount of alcohol consumed is the ______.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment. In this case, the amount of alcohol consumed is being deliberately adjusted by the experimenter, making it the independent variable. The dependent variable is the one being measured or observed in response to the independent variable. In this case, it would likely be the participants' driving ability. Codependent and reciprocal variables are not commonly used in experimental design.

Question 14

Randy is running a study on alcohol and aggressive behavior. He randomly divides his subjects into two groups because he knows that if he allows his subjects to choose their
Own groups, aggressive subjects will tend to choose the group receiving alcohol while
Non-aggressive subjects will tend to choose the group receiving no alcohol. He then
Would not be able to distinguish the effects of the alcohol from the effects of subjects'
Innate aggressiveness. This tendency of his aggressive subjects to choose the alcohol
Group is called a(n) _______.

Accepted Answer

The tendency of aggressive subjects to choose the alcohol group is a result of a selection factor, which is the process of choosing participants for different groups based on specific criteria or characteristics. The other options (placebo effect, response set, and experimental blind) do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 15

Broadly speaking, a(n) ______ is a trial or test of a hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis can only be validated through the experimental design, where a researcher manipulates one independent variable to observe the effect on the dependent variable. Correlation studies examine the association between two variables, case studies are in-depth analyses of a person or group, and surveys collect data through questionnaires.

Question 16

In a study on alcohol and driving ability, half the subjects are given alcohol before driving an obstacle course, while the remaining subjects drive the course while remaining
Sober. In this study, those subjects who drive the course while remaining sober comprise
The _______ group.

Accepted Answer

The control group is the group that does not receive any treatment or intervention and serves as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group. In this case, the subjects who drive the course while remaining sober are the control group, as they are not receiving the alcohol treatment that the experimental group is receiving. The other answer choices (B) placebo and (C) observation do not accurately describe the role of the sober drivers in this study.

Question 17

In an experiment, the observed effects on subjects' behavior resulting from experimenters manipulating suspected causal variables are called ______ variables.

Accepted Answer

Dependent variables are the observed effects or outcomes in an experiment that are influenced by changes in the independent variables (the variables that experimenters manipulate).

Question 18

The way in which scientists attempt to control for selection factors in experimental research is through the use of ______.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment is the process of assigning participants to different groups in a study in a random manner. This helps control for selection factors by ensuring that there is an equal chance of individuals with different characteristics being assigned to each group. This way, any differences observed between the groups can be attributed to the experimental manipulation rather than pre-existing differences between the groups. Experimental blinds and placebos are methods used to control for the placebo effect and experimenter bias, respectively, but they do not directly control for selection factors. "Selective selection" is not a recognized term in experimental research.

Question 19

Helen decides to study the effects of alcohol on driving ability. She selects 200 college students and randomly divides them into two groups of 100 students each. Subjects in
Group "A" drive a car through an obstacle course while remaining sober. Subjects in
Group "B" also drive through the obstacle course, but they are given an ounce of
Whiskey before each attempt at driving the course. As expected, the driving ability of
Subjects in group "B" steadily deteriorates as they consume more alcohol. In Helen's
Study, the subjects' driving ability is the ______.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable is the variable being measured or observed and is dependent on the independent variable. In this case, the driving ability of the subjects is being measured and observed, and it is dependent on whether or not they were given alcohol (the independent variable). Therefore, the driving ability is the dependent variable in Helen's study.

Question 20

In an experiment, the suspected causal variables that are manipulated by the experimenter are known as ______ variables.

Accepted Answer

Independent variables are manipulated by the experimenter and are hypothesized to cause changes in the dependent variable. The other answer choices (B, C, and D) are not commonly used terms in research methodology.

Quiz 1: Introduction and Methods of Research