Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a step in conducting an experiment?

Accepted Answer

Generalizing to a sample is not a step in conducting an experiment; it is related to applying findings to a larger population after the experiment is conducted.

Question 2

To take something that is unobservable (e.g., intelligence) and find a way of making it observable and measurable by a set of actions means to _____ that variable.

Accepted Answer

Operationalizing a variable involves defining it in terms of observable and measurable actions or behaviors.

Question 3

Turning an abstract concept or variable into a concrete form that can be defined is known as

Accepted Answer

Operationalizing a variable involves defining it in a way that makes it measurable and observable.

Question 4

To better study depression, I will count how long an individual walks with their head angled down towards the ground as well as the number of times the person talks when in a social setting. I am thinking that the more depressed a person is, the more they will walk with their head down and the less they will talk to others. What I have done in this study is _____ depression.

Accepted Answer

Operationalizing depression involves defining it in measurable terms, such as the duration of walking with the head down and the frequency of talking in social settings.

Question 5

To determine the effect of an independent variable, an experimenter will often include a _____ in their study so as to provide a baseline from which to compare the experimental group.

Accepted Answer

A control group is used to provide a baseline for comparison with the experimental group to determine the effect of the independent variable.

Question 6

I think that playing music during an exam will help students to relax. My thinking is that, if they are more relaxed, then they will perform better. One class gets to listen to rap, another to classical, another to country western, another to easy listening. I should have one more group. What group am I missing, if I want to draw conclusions about the effects of music?

Accepted Answer

A control group which does not listen to music is necessary to compare the effects of music on exam performance against a baseline where no music is played.

Question 7

A control group provides:

Accepted Answer

A control group is used to compare the results of the experimental group to determine the effect of the variable being tested.

Question 8

Cues in the experimental situation that reveal the experimenter's purpose are called:

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics are cues in the experimental situation that reveal the experimenter's purpose.

Question 9

In my experiment, there are several indicators that I am interested in how much eating chocolate helps people study for exams. These cues in the experimental situation that reveal the purpose of the experiment are known as

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics are cues in the experimental situation that reveal the purpose of the experiment.

Question 10

To avoid biasing the participant, the experimenter will often try to reduce which ONE of the following?

Accepted Answer

Demand characteristics are cues that might influence participants' behavior or responses, so reducing them helps avoid bias.

Question 11

In a single-blind experiment, who is kept unaware of crucial information, such as which condition an individual has been assigned to?

Accepted Answer

In a single-blind experiment, the participants are kept unaware of crucial information, such as which condition they have been assigned to, to prevent bias in their responses.

Question 12

In a double-blind study who is prevented from knowing crucial information?

Accepted Answer

In a double-blind study, both the subjects and the researchers are prevented from knowing which participants are receiving the treatment and which are receiving a placebo to eliminate bias.

Question 13

Which of the following is a way of reducing the amount of bias in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

All the options listed are methods to reduce bias in an experiment. A single-blind study prevents participants from knowing which group they are in, minimizing their bias. Minimizing demand characteristics reduces the chance of participants altering their behavior based on perceived expectations. A double-blind study prevents both participants and experimenters from knowing group assignments, reducing bias from both parties.

Question 14

A key element of a standardized procedure is that

Accepted Answer

Standardized procedures ensure that the only differences in an experiment are the independent variables and participants' performance, allowing for consistent and reliable results.

Question 15

Any variable, other than the independent variable, that may be influencing the dependent variable in a systematic way is referred to as a/an _____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A confounding variable is an external variable that can affect the outcome of an experiment by influencing both the independent and dependent variables, potentially leading to incorrect conclusions.

Question 16

An experiment compares student GPAs between those who eat breakfast and those who don't. After the experiment, it is found that those who eat breakfast in the cafeteria are also listening to music. Not only do the two groups differ in terms of who has breakfast, but they also differ in terms of who hears the music. Music is a:

Accepted Answer

Music is a possible confounding variable because it could influence the GPA, making it difficult to determine if breakfast alone is affecting the GPA.

Question 17

Numbers that describe the data from a study in a way that summarizes their essential features are known as

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the main features of a data set, providing simple summaries about the sample and the measures.

Question 18

Statistics for assessing whether the results obtained with a sample are likely to reflect characteristics of the population as a whole are known as

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics are used to make inferences or generalizations about a population based on data from a sample.

Question 19

If I perform some statistics on the data that I have gathered, and those statistics merely summarize the findings, I must have used:

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the main features of a dataset, providing simple summaries about the sample and the measures.

Question 20

I have conducted an experiment and I want to know if the independent variable affected the dependent variable. What kind of statistics should I use?

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics are used to determine if there is a significant effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, allowing for conclusions beyond the data collected.

Quiz 2: Research Methods in Psychology