Question 1

Suppose researchers find that greater alcohol consumption is associated with poorer performance on a skills test. Which of the following fictitious correlation coefficients could possibly represent that correlation?

Accepted Answer

Correlation coefficients range from -1 to +1. A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. A correlation of -0.87 suggests a strong negative relationship, fitting the description of greater alcohol consumption being associated with poorer performance.

Question 2

As interest rates increase, house sales decline, indicating ​

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation exists between two variables when one variable increases as the other decreases. In this case, as interest rates increase, house sales decline, indicating a negative correlation.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT listed in the textbook as a descriptive research method?

Accepted Answer

Criterion-based induction is not a commonly recognized descriptive research method. Descriptive research methods typically include case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation, which are used to observe and describe the behavior of a subject without influencing it.

Question 4

A researcher tries to make sure that subjects in the experimental and control groups are very similar to each other in order to reduce the effects of _____ variables.

Accepted Answer

Extraneous variables are those that are not the focus of the study but could influence the outcome. By ensuring the experimental and control groups are similar, the researcher aims to minimize the impact of these variables.

Question 5

A researcher who has found that caffeine consumption has a greater effect on behavior in hot weather than in cold weather has detected a(n)  _____ effect.

Accepted Answer

The correct term is "interaction effect," which occurs when the effect of one variable on an outcome is different at different levels of another variable. In this case, the effect of caffeine on behavior varies depending on the temperature (hot vs. cold weather).

Question 6

Suppose a researcher discovered a strong negative correlation between the length of people's hair and the amount of money they paid for their automobile. In general, people who paid the least amount of money for their automobile also had ​

Accepted Answer

A strong negative correlation implies that as one variable increases, the other decreases. Therefore, if the amount paid for an automobile decreases, the length of hair increases, meaning people who paid the least have the longest hair.

Question 7

When studying a research question where it would be impractical to manipulate the variables of interest, a researcher would use a(n) _____ method.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive/correlational methods are used when it is impractical or unethical to manipulate variables, allowing researchers to observe and describe behaviors without influencing them.

Question 8

A disadvantage of an experiment measuring annoyance thresholds in drivers using a driving simulation may be

Accepted Answer

The primary disadvantage of using a driving simulation to measure annoyance thresholds in drivers is the artificial, contrived situations in which the experiment is conducted. This can affect the generalizability of the results to real-world driving situations.

Question 9

Dr. Macator predicts that people will act more aggressively during the heat waves of summer than they will during the cold spells of winter. This suggests that Dr. Macator believes that temperature and level of aggression are ​

Accepted Answer

Dr. Macator's prediction implies that as temperature increases (during heat waves), so does the level of aggression, indicating a positive correlation between temperature and aggression.

Question 10

Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have ​

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation of +.87 indicates a strong relationship where as one variable increases, the other also tends to increase. Therefore, people with fewer shoes would likely have smaller toes.

Question 11

Compared to the other scientific research methods, the experimental method's principal advantage is that it

Accepted Answer

The experimental method allows researchers to manipulate variables and control conditions to establish cause-and-effect relationships, unlike other methods that may only observe or describe phenomena without manipulating variables.

Question 12

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that ​

Accepted Answer

These methods do not manipulate variables; instead, they observe or ask about them as they naturally occur, aiming to describe and understand phenomena without altering the environment or conditions.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true of descriptive\correlational research methods?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive/correlational research methods are designed to identify associations between variables, not to establish cause-and-effect relationships. This is because they do not involve the manipulation of variables, which is necessary to determine causality.

Question 14

As an adult ages, his or her physical strength declines. The relationship between age and physical strength is a(n)   _____ correlation.

Accepted Answer

The relationship between age and physical strength is a negative correlation because as one variable (age) increases, the other variable (physical strength) tends to decrease.

Question 15

One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is ​

Accepted Answer

Experimental methods allow for cause-and-effect conclusions and can study multiple variables, but they are sometimes limited by practical or ethical considerations, making it difficult to conduct certain experiments.

Question 16

Dr. Barton has found that students who score higher than 85% on the first midterm tend to earn scores of 75% or better on the final exam, while students who score less than 60% on the first midterm often end up with a failing grade on the final exam. This suggests that

Accepted Answer

The information suggests that there is a positive correlation between the scores on the first midterm and the final exam, as higher scores on the midterm are associated with higher scores on the final exam.

Question 17

As the number of bystanders increases, people are less likely to help someone who is in distress. This suggests that the size of a crowd and helping behavior are ​

Accepted Answer

The statement describes a situation where as one variable (number of bystanders) increases, the likelihood of another variable (helping behavior) decreases. This is the definition of a negative correlation.

Question 18

The correlation coefficient is a measure of ​

Accepted Answer

The correlation coefficient measures the degree of relationship between two variables, indicating how one variable changes in relation to the other.

Question 19

If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that _____ scores on one variable are generally associated with _____ scores on the second variable.

Accepted Answer

A positive correlation means that as values in one variable increase, values in the other variable also increase, and vice versa.

Question 20

In descriptive\correlational research, the investigator ​

Accepted Answer

In descriptive/correlational research, the primary goal is to observe and describe the relationship between two variables without manipulating them. This approach involves systematically observing these variables to see if there is an association, which is accurately described in option A.

Quiz 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology

Suppose researchers find that greater alcohol consumption is associated with poorer performance on a skills test. Which of the following fictitious correlation coefficients could possibly represent that correlation?

As interest rates increase, house sales decline, indicating

Which of the following is NOT listed in the textbook as a descriptive research method?

A researcher tries to make sure that subjects in the experimental and control groups are very similar to each other in order to reduce the effects of _____ variables.

A researcher who has found that caffeine consumption has a greater effect on behavior in hot weather than in cold weather has detected a(n) _____ effect.

Suppose a researcher discovered a strong negative correlation between the length of people's hair and the amount of money they paid for their automobile. In general, people who paid the least amount of money for their automobile also had

When studying a research question where it would be impractical to manipulate the variables of interest, a researcher would use a(n) _____ method.

A disadvantage of an experiment measuring annoyance thresholds in drivers using a driving simulation may be

Dr. Macator predicts that people will act more aggressively during the heat waves of summer than they will during the cold spells of winter. This suggests that Dr. Macator believes that temperature and level of aggression are

Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have

Compared to the other scientific research methods, the experimental method's principal advantage is that it

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that

Which of the following is NOT true of descriptive\correlational research methods?

As an adult ages, his or her physical strength declines. The relationship between age and physical strength is a(n) _____ correlation.

One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is

Dr. Barton has found that students who score higher than 85% on the first midterm tend to earn scores of 75% or better on the final exam, while students who score less than 60% on the first midterm often end up with a failing grade on the final exam. This suggests that

As the number of bystanders increases, people are less likely to help someone who is in distress. This suggests that the size of a crowd and helping behavior are

The correlation coefficient is a measure of

If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that _ scores on one variable are generally associated with _ scores on the second variable.

In descriptive\correlational research, the investigator

Quiz 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology

Suppose researchers find that greater alcohol consumption is associated with poorer performance on a skills test. Which of the following fictitious correlation coefficients could possibly represent that correlation?

As interest rates increase, house sales decline, indicating ​

Which of the following is NOT listed in the textbook as a descriptive research method?

A researcher tries to make sure that subjects in the experimental and control groups are very similar to each other in order to reduce the effects of _____ variables.

A researcher who has found that caffeine consumption has a greater effect on behavior in hot weather than in cold weather has detected a(n) _____ effect.

Suppose a researcher discovered a strong negative correlation between the length of people's hair and the amount of money they paid for their automobile. In general, people who paid the least amount of money for their automobile also had ​

When studying a research question where it would be impractical to manipulate the variables of interest, a researcher would use a(n) _____ method.

A disadvantage of an experiment measuring annoyance thresholds in drivers using a driving simulation may be

Dr. Macator predicts that people will act more aggressively during the heat waves of summer than they will during the cold spells of winter. This suggests that Dr. Macator believes that temperature and level of aggression are ​

Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have ​

Compared to the other scientific research methods, the experimental method's principal advantage is that it

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that ​

Which of the following is NOT true of descriptive\correlational research methods?

As an adult ages, his or her physical strength declines. The relationship between age and physical strength is a(n) _____ correlation.

One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is ​

Dr. Barton has found that students who score higher than 85% on the first midterm tend to earn scores of 75% or better on the final exam, while students who score less than 60% on the first midterm often end up with a failing grade on the final exam. This suggests that

As the number of bystanders increases, people are less likely to help someone who is in distress. This suggests that the size of a crowd and helping behavior are ​

The correlation coefficient is a measure of ​

If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that _____ scores on one variable are generally associated with _____ scores on the second variable.

In descriptive\correlational research, the investigator ​

As interest rates increase, house sales decline, indicating

Suppose a researcher discovered a strong negative correlation between the length of people's hair and the amount of money they paid for their automobile. In general, people who paid the least amount of money for their automobile also had

Dr. Macator predicts that people will act more aggressively during the heat waves of summer than they will during the cold spells of winter. This suggests that Dr. Macator believes that temperature and level of aggression are

Suppose a researcher discovered a +.87 correlation between the length of a person's toes and the number of shoes the person owns. In general, people who own the fewest number of shoes would have

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that

One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is

As the number of bystanders increases, people are less likely to help someone who is in distress. This suggests that the size of a crowd and helping behavior are

The correlation coefficient is a measure of

If two variables have a positive correlation, you would expect that _ scores on one variable are generally associated with _ scores on the second variable.

In descriptive\correlational research, the investigator