Question 1

In a well-designed experiment, subjects must be ________ in experimental conditions to control for other factors.
A) stratified
B) correlated
C) randomized
D) dispersed
E) controlled

Accepted Answer

Randomization helps to control for other factors by ensuring that all subjects have an equal chance of being placed in either the control or experimental group, and thus any differences between the groups can be attributed to the treatment being tested. Stratification can also be useful, but it is not always necessary or feasible. Correlation, dispersion, and control are not directly related to subject selection in experiments.

Question 2

Gina wants to conduct a study of discrimination based on looks in hiring practices. Gina selects two candidates with equivalent qualifications, one extremely attractive and the other of average attractiveness. She sends them to interview for the same job. The dependent variable in Gina's experiment is the
A) relative attractiveness of the two candidates.
B) qualifications of the two candidates.
C) type of job the candidates apply for.
D) response of the interviewer to each candidate.
E) number of candidates who interviewed for the job.

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in Gina's experiment is the response of the interviewer to each candidate. This is what she is measuring in order to see if there is discrimination based on looks in hiring practices. The other options are not the dependent variable, as they either don't change (A and B) or are not relevant to the experiment (C and E).

Question 3

Marcia believes that people have an internal set of conditions that are largely responsible for determining their actions in life. Marcia would probably be most affiliated with which school of psychological thought?
A) trait and temperament psychology
B) behavioral psychology
C) structuralism
D) functionalism
E) Gestalt psychology

Accepted Answer

The belief in an internal set of conditions that determines behavior aligns with the principles of trait and temperament psychology. Behavioral psychology focuses more on external influences on behavior, while structuralism and functionalism focus on the structure and function of the mind. Gestalt psychology is concerned with perception and cognition.

Question 4

Random assignment
A) ensures that studies can be replicated.
B) is a good way to define the dependent variable.
C) is difficult to achieve in research.
D) must be used with great caution.
E) minimizes any potential differences between the control and experimental groups.

Accepted Answer

Random assignment helps to minimize potential differences between the control and experimental groups, thus increasing the internal validity of the study. A, B, C, and D are not accurate descriptions of the purpose or nature of random assignment.

Question 5

The most important aspect of a hypothesis is that it must be a ________ idea.
A) complicated
B) relevant
C) testable
D) believable
E) logical

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis must be testable in order to be scientifically valid. Complicated, relevant, believable, and logical ideas are important too, but without testability, a hypothesis cannot be proven or disproven through scientific experimentation.

Question 6

Sally proposes the idea that one's sexual history prior to marriage may be linked to whether one ends up getting divorced. This best represents which step of the scientific method?
A) testing the hypothesis
B) observing events
C) forming a hypothesis
D) formulating a theory
E) randomizing participants

Accepted Answer

Sally is proposing a hypothesis that one's sexual history prior to marriage may be linked to whether one ends up getting divorced. This represents the step of forming a hypothesis in the scientific method.

Question 7

"Children who watch violent cartoons will become more aggressive." According to the scientific method, this statement is most likely a
A) conclusion.
B) result.
C) hypothesis.
D) fact.
E) data point.

Accepted Answer

The statement is posing a potential cause-and-effect relationship between watching violent cartoons and increased aggression in children. This is a hypothesis, as it is a testable prediction or explanation that can be supported or refuted through scientific investigation.

Question 8

Malcolm works for a major pharmaceutical company and is in charge of designing a clinical protocol to study depression. The new medication under investigation has the potential to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Malcolm needs to describe how depression as well as how the improvement of depressive symptoms will be defined in the study in order to recruit the right subjects. In other words, Malcolm needs to provide a(n)
A) hypothesis.
B) theory.
C) operational definition.
D) functional definition.
E) investigative definition.

Accepted Answer

Malcolm needs to provide an operational definition to ensure that the study's criteria for inclusion and exclusion of subjects are clear and consistent. This definition will describe how depression and improvement of depressive symptoms will be measured and identified within the study. A hypothesis is a statement that proposes a relationship between variables, while a theory is a well-established explanation for a phenomenon. A functional definition and investigative definition are not relevant to the design of this study.

Question 9

Jenna wants to learn whether men or women are better drivers. To determine this, she decides that she will measure driving ability by examining the number of automobile accidents people have been involved in as a driver. The number of accidents is the basis of
A) her control group in this study.
B) a theory of good driving.
C) the independent variable in this study.
D) the operational definition of driving ability.
E) a case study examination of driving ability.

Accepted Answer

The number of automobile accidents is the operational definition of driving ability in this study. It is the specific way in which driving ability is being measured and defined.

Question 10

A key aspect of an experiment is the requirement that researchers
A) use correlational methods.
B) manipulate one variable to see its effect on another variable.
C) replicate their findings.
D) publish their results in a scientific journal.
E) provide some sort of placebo.

Accepted Answer

Manipulating one variable and observing its effect on another variable is a key aspect of an experiment. This allows researchers to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables, which is not possible with correlational methods. Replication is also important, but not necessarily a key aspect of an experiment. Placebos may be used in certain types of experiments, but are not a requirement for all experiments. Publishing results in a scientific journal is important for dissemination of findings, but is not a requirement for conducting an experiment.

Question 11

Based on his classroom experiences and everyday observations, Dr. McGinty believes that those students sitting in the front row of a classroom get higher grades than those sitting in rows further back. His belief is an example of a
A) method.
B) theory.
C) stimulus event.
D) correlation coefficient.
E) dependent variable.

Accepted Answer

Dr. McGinty's belief is a theory, as it is based on his observations and experiences and attempts to explain a phenomenon (in this case, a correlation between seating location and grades).

Question 12

Some people believe that money can buy happiness. Dr. Goodwin wants to determine whether paying people plays a role in their happiness. The level of money given to a subject would be considered to be the ________ variable.
A) experimental
B) confounding
C) dependent
D) independent
E) control

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, the researcher is manipulating the level of money given to the subjects to determine if it has an impact on their happiness, making it the independent variable. The dependent variable would be the level of happiness reported by the subjects. Confounding variables are other factors that could potentially influence the results, but are not the focus of the study. Experimental variables and control variables are not relevant in this context.

Question 13

A scientist who is skeptical about a particular study can decide to run that study in his or her laboratory. This would represent ________ the original research study.
A) reconfiguring
B) rearranging
C) reanalyzing
D) replicating
E) referencing

Accepted Answer

Replicating a study involves running the exact same study again in a different setting or with a different sample. This allows the scientist to test the reliability and generalizability of the original study's findings.

Question 14

What is one of the major reasons that psychologists report results publicly?
A) to comply with legal requirements
B) to identify all the extraneous variables
C) to allow researchers to replicate experiments
D) to explain research results so that non-psychologists can understand them
E) to validate grant funding that supported their research

Accepted Answer

One of the major reasons that psychologists report results publicly is to allow researchers to replicate experiments, which is a crucial part of the scientific method. This ensures that the findings are reliable and can be applied to future studies or real-world situations.

Question 15

"Differences in individuals are a result of differences in persistent characteristics and internal dispositions." This is the basic premise of which psychological perspective?
A) trait and temperament psychology
B) psychodynamic theory
C) structuralism
D) functionalism
E) Gestalt psychology

Accepted Answer

The premise described is the central idea of trait and temperament psychology, which suggests that differences in individuals can be explained by their underlying, stable traits and dispositions. Psychodynamic theory focuses more on unconscious motivations and conflicts, while structuralism, functionalism, and Gestalt psychology are concerned with understanding and analyzing the structure and function of consciousness and mental processes.

Question 16

Some people believe that money can buy happiness. Dr. Goodwin wants to determine whether paying people plays a role in their happiness. The level of happiness would be considered to be the ________ variable.
A) experimental
B) confounding
C) dependent
D) independent
E) control

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study would be the level of happiness, as this is what is being measured and is expected to be influenced by the independent variable (money/payments). The experimental variable refers to the variable that is being manipulated or changed by the researcher, which in this case would be the payments. Confounding variables refer to any variables that could potentially influence the results of the study but are not being explicitly manipulated or measured. Control variables are variables that are kept constant in order to isolate the effects of the independent variable.

Question 17

A psychology teacher wants to determine whether computer-aided learning will produce higher standardized test scores than a usual lecture format. In this example, the independent variable is the
A) individual students.
B) students' previous grades in psychology.
C) test scores.
D) students' interest in psychology.
E) method of instruction.

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is being manipulated by the researcher to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable (the outcome being measured). In this case, the independent variable is the method of instruction, specifically comparing computer-aided learning to a usual lecture format. This is the variable that is being changed in order to see if it has an impact on standardized test scores. The other answer choices (individual students, previous grades, interest in psychology) are all variables that may be measured or controlled for in the study, but they are not the variable being manipulated.

Question 18

The scientific method could best answer questions about whether
A) a particular behavior is sinful.
B) men or women are more violent.
C) cats can read minds.
D) or not Elvis was a great singer.
E) it is right or wrong to spank children.

Accepted Answer

The scientific method involves conducting experiments and collecting data to test a hypothesis. Questions about measurable phenomena, such as the level of violence in men and women, can be tested using the scientific method. Questions about subjective topics, such as sinfulness, cannot be answered through the scientific method. The topics of cats reading minds or whether Elvis was a great singer are not measurable phenomena and therefore cannot be tested through the scientific method. Similarly, questions about morality, such as spanking children, may not be measurable and therefore may not be answerable through the scientific method.

Question 19

If I performed a study in the 1980s, and you wanted to see if my findings are still current in 2008, you could simply ________ my study today.
A) analyze
B) qualify
C) power
D) quantify
E) replicate

Accepted Answer

To see if a study from the 1980s is still current in 2008, the best choice would be to replicate the study and compare the results. This would allow for an accurate comparison to see if the findings still hold true today. Analyzing, qualifying, powering or quantifying the study may provide some information, but they would not necessarily confirm if the findings are still current.

Question 20

A psychology teacher wants to determine whether computer-aided learning will produce higher standardized test scores than a usual lecture format. In this example, the dependent variable is the
A) individual students.
B) students' previous grades in psychology.
C) standardized test scores.
D) students' interest in psychology.
E) method of instruction.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A psychology teacher wants to determine whether...

Quiz 1: Mind, Behavior, and Psychological Science

In a well-designed experiment, subjects must be ________ in experimental conditions to control for other factors.

Marcia believes that people have an internal set of conditions that are largely responsible for determining their actions in life. Marcia would probably be most affiliated with which school of psychological thought?

Random assignment

The most important aspect of a hypothesis is that it must be a ________ idea.

Sally proposes the idea that one's sexual history prior to marriage may be linked to whether one ends up getting divorced. This best represents which step of the scientific method?

"Children who watch violent cartoons will become more aggressive." According to the scientific method, this statement is most likely a

Jenna wants to learn whether men or women are better drivers. To determine this, she decides that she will measure driving ability by examining the number of automobile accidents people have been involved in as a driver. The number of accidents is the basis of

A key aspect of an experiment is the requirement that researchers

Based on his classroom experiences and everyday observations, Dr. McGinty believes that those students sitting in the front row of a classroom get higher grades than those sitting in rows further back. His belief is an example of a

Some people believe that money can buy happiness. Dr. Goodwin wants to determine whether paying people plays a role in their happiness. The level of money given to a subject would be considered to be the ________ variable.

A scientist who is skeptical about a particular study can decide to run that study in his or her laboratory. This would represent ________ the original research study.

What is one of the major reasons that psychologists report results publicly?

"Differences in individuals are a result of differences in persistent characteristics and internal dispositions." This is the basic premise of which psychological perspective?

Some people believe that money can buy happiness. Dr. Goodwin wants to determine whether paying people plays a role in their happiness. The level of happiness would be considered to be the ________ variable.

A psychology teacher wants to determine whether computer-aided learning will produce higher standardized test scores than a usual lecture format. In this example, the independent variable is the

The scientific method could best answer questions about whether

If I performed a study in the 1980s, and you wanted to see if my findings are still current in 2008, you could simply ________ my study today.

A psychology teacher wants to determine whether computer-aided learning will produce higher standardized test scores than a usual lecture format. In this example, the dependent variable is the