Question 1

An important difference between inductive and deductive thinking is that you can prove your beliefs with the inductive method, but you can only provide support for your beliefs with the deductive method.

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations, and while it can provide strong evidence, it cannot prove beliefs with certainty. Deductive reasoning, on the other hand, starts with a general statement or hypothesis and examines the possibilities to reach a specific, logical conclusion, and if the premises are true, the conclusion is necessarily true, thus providing a form of proof.

Question 2

Sample size is an important variable in both formal scientific research and in casual observations about the nature of the world.

Accepted Answer

A larger sample size can provide more accurate and reliable results, reducing the margin of error and increasing the confidence in the findings, whether in formal scientific research or casual observations.

Question 3

A careful report from a single individual whom you know is often more reliable than a study that used many subjects.

Accepted Answer

Studies that use many subjects are generally more reliable because they can provide a broader range of data, reduce individual biases, and allow for statistical analysis, which increases the validity and reliability of the findings.

Question 4

When we make judgments about groups of people, we tend to think of people in groups that we don't belong to as being very similar to each other and people in the groups we belong to as being very different from each other.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the out-group homogeneity effect, which suggests that individuals perceive members of their own group (in-group) as more diverse and members of other groups (out-group) as more similar to each other.

Question 5

In determining cause, the most important variable is the use of correlated groups.

Accepted Answer

The most important variable in determining cause is not the use of correlated groups, but rather the establishment of a causal relationship, typically through controlled experimentation that can isolate the effect of one variable on another, ensuring that any observed correlation is indicative of causation.

Question 6

One problem with retrospective research is that memory is biased.

Accepted Answer

Retrospective research relies on participants' memories of past events, which can be inaccurate or biased, affecting the reliability of the data collected.

Question 7

A negative correlation is undesirable because it shows the negative effect that one variable has on the other.

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation simply indicates that as one variable increases, the other decreases, and it does not inherently imply a negative effect or that the relationship is undesirable.

Question 8

The Rorschach (ink blot) Test has been criticized because of the problem of illusory validity.

Accepted Answer

The Rorschach Test has faced criticism due to illusory validity, where examiners may believe they can accurately interpret ambiguous stimuli (inkblots) and make valid psychological assessments, despite the lack of empirical evidence supporting the reliability and validity of these interpretations.

Question 9

Ben Franklin never said, "Experience is the best teacher."

Accepted Answer

The quote "Experience is the best teacher" is often misattributed to Benjamin Franklin, but there is no record of him saying this exact phrase. It is a common proverb that predates Franklin and has been used by many throughout history.

Question 10

It is a good idea to find a therapist who has had the same problems as you have because this person will have especially good insight on how to overcome the problems.

Accepted Answer

While shared experiences can sometimes enhance empathy, it's not necessary for a therapist to have had the same problems as you to provide effective help. Therapists are trained to understand and treat a wide range of issues, regardless of their personal experiences.

Question 11

In scientific research, the development of sound predictive models requires a/an __________ examination of the relationships among variables.
A) diverse
B) repeated
C) intense
D) unusual

Accepted Answer

Predictive models in scientific research are improved through repeated examination of the relationships among variables, allowing for refinement and validation of the models over time.

Question 12

A team of sociologists, political scientists, and other scholars examined the political and social events leading up to a riot in a large city, in an effort to prevent such riots in the future. This is an example of
A) retrospective research.
B) a case study.
C) prospective research.
D) a correlational design.
E) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Retrospective research involves looking back at past events to understand causes and effects, which is what the team is doing by examining events leading up to the riot.

Question 13

Research has indicated that as the amount of television viewing increases, children's vocabulary decreases. These findings describe a
A) regression to the mean.
B) convergent relationship.
C) positive relationship.
D) negative relationship.

Accepted Answer

The findings describe a negative relationship because as the amount of television viewing increases, children's vocabulary decreases, indicating that one variable goes up while the other goes down.

Question 14

As people get older, the number of wrinkles on their faces increases. This is a __________ relationship between variables.
A) causal
B) convergent
C) positive
D) negative

Accepted Answer

A positive relationship between variables means that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases. In this case, as age increases (one variable), the number of wrinkles (the other variable) also increases, indicating a positive relationship.

Question 15

One reason why cause-and-effect relationships cannot be inferred from correlations is because
A) correlational relationships are usually temporary.
B) correlational relationships are always based on coincidence.
C) many other unidentified variables may be possible causes of a correlation.
D) the correlational method is not useful in determining relationships between variables.
E) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Correlations indicate a relationship between two variables, but they do not establish causation. This is because there could be other variables, not accounted for in the study, that are influencing the relationship. These are often referred to as confounding variables.

Question 16

There is a __________ relationship between the size of my research sample and the generalizability of my research results.
A) positive
B) negative
C) lack of
D) curvilinear
E) None of the above

Accepted Answer

A positive relationship exists because, generally, as the size of the research sample increases, the generalizability of the research results also increases. This is because larger samples tend to more accurately reflect the population.

Question 17

Overconfidence in judgments is called __________, and it results from
A) hypothesis framing…..positive correlations.
B) illusory correlation…..retrospective research.
C) illusory validity…..confirmation bias.
D) hypothesis confirmation…..negative correlations.
E) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Overconfidence in judgments is often due to "illusory validity," which is the belief that one's judgments are more accurate than they actually are, and this is often reinforced by "confirmation bias," where individuals favor information that confirms their preexisting beliefs.

Question 18

A researcher is interested in differences in examining the statistical relationship between parental conflict and children's depression. What would you recommend?
A) experimentation
B) a case study
C) pretest-posttest one-group design
D) a correlational design
E) None of the above, because it is unethical to investigate parental conflict

Accepted Answer

A correlational design is most appropriate for examining the statistical relationship between two variables (parental conflict and children's depression) without manipulating any variables. This design allows the researcher to identify if there is a relationship and the direction of that relationship without inferring causation.

Question 19

Dr. Johnson-Johnson invented a new measure of intelligence based on the number of telephones in a person's house. Joe has only one telephone, while Rick has sixteen telephones. Obviously, Rick is very smart. Joe and Rick were tested three times, and their scores were always the same. This test is
A) reliable and valid.
B) reliable but not valid.
C) valid but not reliable.
D) neither valid nor reliable.

Accepted Answer

The test is reliable because it produces consistent results across multiple trials (Joe and Rick's scores were always the same). However, it is not valid because the number of telephones in a person's house is not a relevant or meaningful measure of intelligence.

Question 20

Dr. Lopez is assessing how well new drivers recognize road signs from far away. He does this by testing their eyesight, as well as how they perform on a driving simulation task. Their eyesight scores are highly correlated with the number of errors they make on the driving task. Participants generally score the same on each test when they take them again. It seems that the measures Dr. Lopez is using are
A) reliable and valid.
B) reliable but not valid.
C) valid but not reliable.
D) neither valid nor reliable.

Accepted Answer

The measures are reliable because participants generally score the same on each test when they take them again, indicating consistency. They are valid because the eyesight scores are highly correlated with the number of errors made on the driving task, showing that the tests measure what they are intended to measure (ability to recognize road signs from far away).

Quiz 6: Thinking As Hypothesis Testing

An important difference between inductive and deductive thinking is that you can prove your beliefs with the inductive method, but you can only provide support for your beliefs with the deductive method.

Sample size is an important variable in both formal scientific research and in casual observations about the nature of the world.

A careful report from a single individual whom you know is often more reliable than a study that used many subjects.

When we make judgments about groups of people, we tend to think of people in groups that we don't belong to as being very similar to each other and people in the groups we belong to as being very different from each other.

In determining cause, the most important variable is the use of correlated groups.

One problem with retrospective research is that memory is biased.

A negative correlation is undesirable because it shows the negative effect that one variable has on the other.

The Rorschach (ink blot) Test has been criticized because of the problem of illusory validity.

Ben Franklin never said, "Experience is the best teacher."

It is a good idea to find a therapist who has had the same problems as you have because this person will have especially good insight on how to overcome the problems.

In scientific research, the development of sound predictive models requires a/an __________ examination of the relationships among variables.

A team of sociologists, political scientists, and other scholars examined the political and social events leading up to a riot in a large city, in an effort to prevent such riots in the future. This is an example of

Research has indicated that as the amount of television viewing increases, children's vocabulary decreases. These findings describe a

As people get older, the number of wrinkles on their faces increases. This is a __________ relationship between variables.

One reason why cause-and-effect relationships cannot be inferred from correlations is because

There is a __________ relationship between the size of my research sample and the generalizability of my research results.

Overconfidence in judgments is called __________, and it results from

A researcher is interested in differences in examining the statistical relationship between parental conflict and children's depression. What would you recommend?

Dr. Johnson-Johnson invented a new measure of intelligence based on the number of telephones in a person's house. Joe has only one telephone, while Rick has sixteen telephones. Obviously, Rick is very smart. Joe and Rick were tested three times, and their scores were always the same. This test is