Question 1

A distinction between theories and hypotheses is that:

Accepted Answer

Theories are broader and more comprehensive explanations of phenomena, while hypotheses are specific, testable predictions derived from theories.

Question 2

A psychodynamic psychologist assumes that people with unresolved childhood issues are more susceptible to stress and anxiety. This psychologist's assumption is best viewed as an example of:

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your study, and the psychologist's assumption about unresolved childhood issues leading to stress and anxiety fits this definition.

Question 3

A formal set of statements that explains why and how certain events are related to one another is called a(n) _.

Accepted Answer

A theory is a formal set of statements that explains why and how certain events are related to one another.

Question 4

What three key attitudes did John Darley and Bibb Latané display in their research on "bystander apathy"?

Accepted Answer

John Darley and Bibb Latané displayed curiosity in exploring why people do not help in emergencies, skepticism in questioning existing assumptions about human behavior, and open-mindedness in considering new explanations and conducting experiments to understand bystander apathy.

Question 5

A researcher, who is always willing to consider criticisms of his theory and to make theoretical revisions and adjustments when the evidence supports it, is demonstrating behaviour most consistent with which key scientific attitude?

Accepted Answer

Open-mindedness is the willingness to consider new ideas and evidence, even if they challenge one's own beliefs.

Question 6

Bruce notices that on the days that he eats lunch at Archie's diner, people are less likely to ask him to join them for the afternoon coffee break. Bruce wonders why this is happening and thinks that his co-workers must assume that he doesn't want coffee after a hearty lunch. If Bruce were to use the scientific process, now that he has a tentative
Explanation, he would translate this into a(n):

Accepted Answer

Bruce would translate his tentative explanation into a specific prediction to test his hypothesis.

Question 7

Many people doubted Sigmund Freud and his psychodynamic theory. They wanted to know what evidence Freud was basing his conclusions on and wondered if there might be a better explanation for the causes of human behaviour. These people's doubts are most similar to which key scientific attitude?

Accepted Answer

Skepticism involves questioning and doubting claims, seeking evidence and alternative explanations, which aligns with the doubts about Freud's theory.

Question 8

The first step in the scientific process is to:

Accepted Answer

The scientific process begins with forming a question about an observation or something interesting, which then leads to further investigation.

Question 9

Which of the following lists the steps of the scientific process in the proper order?

Accepted Answer

The scientific process typically starts with asking a question, followed by creating a hypothesis, conducting research, analyzing data, and finally building a theory.

Question 10

One of the problems of after-the-fact or "hindsight" explanations is that:

Accepted Answer

Hindsight explanations often suffer from the issue that multiple interpretations can be made about past events, and it is challenging to determine which explanation is accurate or valid.

Question 11

When presented with the findings of psychological research, it is not uncommon for people to comment that the results are trivial and obvious. This tendency illustrates one of the limitations of:

Accepted Answer

Hindsight understanding refers to the tendency to see events as having been predictable after they have already occurred. This can lead people to perceive research findings as obvious or trivial, even though they may not have been predictable beforehand.

Question 12

Sitting in class one day, Ben wonders aloud to his friend James, why the multiple-choice exams seem harder than essay exams. James, whose older sister is a college professor, tells him that research shows that it is easier to trick students with multiple-choice questions so they are in fact harder. "Wow!" Ben thinks, "So that explains it." Ben would have been better off seeking another opinion, or at least asking James about the research he is talking about. If he had, Ben would be demonstrating a healthy scientific attitude
Of:

Accepted Answer

Skepticism involves questioning and seeking evidence before accepting claims, which Ben would demonstrate by seeking more information about the research James mentioned.

Question 13

On the first day of school, Ted's fifth grade teacher asks her students to introduce themselves and tell the class what they did on their summer vacation. Ted notes that all of the smart kids had gone on great trips; so travel, he reasons, must make you smart.
Ted gathers information from the students in his school and analyzes it. Ted is testing this _.

Accepted Answer

Ted is testing a hypothesis, which is an assumption or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

Question 14

As part of their research on bystander apathy, John Darley and Bibb Latané created fake "emergencies" in their experimental laboratory and observed people's responses. When making these observations, what step of the scientific process were they engaged in?

Accepted Answer

Darley and Latané were conducting research by setting up experiments to observe and collect data on how people respond to emergencies, which is a key step in the scientific process.

Question 15

A theory is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

A theory is a set of statements that explains the relationship between various events, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding phenomena.

Question 16

According to the results of the study done by John Darley and Bibb Latané, if you are robbed at gunpoint while walking home from the grocery store, your best chance of receiving help from witnesses would be when:

Accepted Answer

The study by Darley and Latané on the bystander effect suggests that individuals are more likely to help when they are the sole witness, as responsibility is diffused among multiple witnesses in larger groups.

Question 17

A humanistic psychologist believes that people who don't have a clear sense of meaning in their lives are more vulnerable to depression and physical illness. This psychologist's beliefs are best viewed as an example of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A humanistic psychologist believes that people who...

Question 18

A hypothesis is best considered as:

Accepted Answer

The answer of A hypothesis is best considered as:
...

Question 19

John Darley and Bibb Latané made the following assumption: "diffusion of responsibility reduces the likelihood of any single bystander feeling responsible to intervene in an emergency." This assumption is an example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

This assumption is a hypothesis, as it is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon that can be tested through research and experimentation.

Question 20

John Darley's and Bibb Latané's statement, "IF an emergency occurs, THEN the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely any one bystander will be to intervene" is best considered an example of a(n):

Accepted Answer

This statement is a specific prediction about the relationship between the number of bystanders and the likelihood of intervention in an emergency, based on their research on the bystander effect.

Quiz 2: Studying Behaviour Scientifically