Question 1

You are sitting on a park bench in a major metropolitan area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and you note the number of people who walk by, whether or not they litter, and their sex. What type of research method are you are engaging in?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of naturalistic observation, as the researcher is observing individuals' behavior in a natural setting without manipulating anything.

Question 2

What is one disadvantage of the experimental method?

Accepted Answer

Experiments often can't be done for practical or ethical reasons, limiting their applicability in certain situations.

Question 3

Which of the following research methods is represented in this example? A researcher goes to a playground for an hour each day for two weeks and records the number of times that a girl and a boy are playing together.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of naturalistic observation method where the researcher observes behavior in a natural setting without any manipulation or intervention.

Question 4

Estavan received a questionnaire in the mail asking about his general buying habits. He was asked to identify the specific products that he typically buys, and the amount of each product that he typically uses. Which type of research will Estavan have taken part in if he completes the questionnaire and returns it?

Accepted Answer

Estavan is taking part in the survey method, as he is completing a questionnaire about his buying habits.

Question 5

NASA wanted to know if extended periods of weightlessness would have an impact on long-term circulatory function. The agency located seven former astronauts who had spent more than one month in space under conditions of weightlessness, and tested all aspects of their cardiovascular function. What sort of research did NASA conduct in this situation?

Accepted Answer

NASA conducted a case study research by locating seven former astronauts and studying their cardiovascular function after spending more than one month in space under conditions of weightlessness.

Question 6

One of your friends is writing a research paper and wants to obtain information about the depth of personal information people typically reveal during a first date. Directly observing a large number of people during a first date will be difficult, so your friend asks for your advice on the best way to collect this type of data. What would be the best research option for your friend to use?

Accepted Answer

The best research option for this scenario would be a survey. Surveys are a great way to collect a large amount of data from a large number of people. In this case, your friend could create a survey that asks questions about personal information people reveal on first dates and distribute it to a diverse group of individuals. This way, your friend can gather data that is representative of a larger population and analyze the results to draw conclusions about the depth of personal information people typically reveal during a first date.

Question 7

Which of the following is a descriptive research method?

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation is a descriptive research method where the researcher simply observes and records behavior in its natural setting without manipulation or control. Quasi-experimental designs and experimental studies are both types of experimental research methods, while double-blind procedures are a method used to control for experimenter bias in experimental studies.

Question 8

What do naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common?

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all do not manipulate the variables under study. They are all observational methods of research.

Question 9

Jolyn believed that there were gender differences in driving habits. To test this hypothesis, she stood near a quiet intersection. Jolyn recorded the gender of each driver who approached a stop sign, and also whether the individual came to a complete stop before proceeding into the intersection. What sort of research is Jolyn conducting?

Accepted Answer

Jolyn is conducting naturalistic observation by observing and recording behaviors in a natural setting without manipulating any variables.

Question 10

Stephanie is observing a group of adolescents at the mall and documenting their rate of swearing. The group keeps looking over at Stephanie and pointing at her, and they get louder and more obnoxious the longer she observes them. Which of the following terms describes Stephanie's effect on the group?

Accepted Answer

Stephanie's effect on the group is called reactivity, which refers to how people may change their behavior when they know they are being observed. The group is reacting to Stephanie's presence and behavior by becoming more obnoxious and disruptive. Stereotyping refers to making assumptions about a group of people based on their appearance or behavior. Phenotyping is the process of identifying an individual's physical or behavioral traits based on their genotype or genetic makeup. Confounding refers to factors that may affect the results of an experiment but are not accounted for in the study design.

Question 11

Which of the following techniques is most likely to prove useful in determining why one particular child is afraid to go to school?

Accepted Answer

A case study involves in-depth analysis of a single individual or situation, and it allows researchers to gather detailed information about the particular child who is afraid to go to school. This method can provide insights into the underlying causes of the fear and can help identify possible solutions or interventions. Descriptive study, naturalistic observation, and experiments may provide useful information in other contexts but are less likely to be effective in identifying the reasons for the child's fear of school.

Question 12

A group of researchers wanted to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on a company's assembly line. To make their observations, the researchers took jobs working on the assembly line and pretended to be new employees. What type of research is being conducted in this example?

Accepted Answer

The researchers are engaging in naturalistic observation, as they are observing behaviors in their natural setting without interfering or manipulating any variables.

Question 13

What do we call recording all instances of an event for a particular time period (such as how many times an older brother strikes his younger brother during a given week) without the subjects' awareness?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of naturalistic observation, where the researcher observes behavior in a natural setting without the subjects being aware they are being observed.

Question 14

Which of the following is FALSE regarding the experimental method?

Accepted Answer

While ethical considerations may limit the types of experiments that can be conducted with human beings, it is not impossible to conduct a true experiment with human participants. Many experiments in psychology and other fields have successfully used human participants.

Question 15

Which of the following is a major problem with naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

It is difficult to observe behaviour without having an influence on that behaviour. This is known as the observer effect or Hawthorne effect, where individuals modify their behaviour in response to being observed. This can lead to inaccurate or biased observations.

Question 16

In which of the following would there be a high risk of effects of subjectivity and selective attention?

Accepted Answer

Case studies often involve in-depth analysis of a single subject or a small group, which can lead to subjective interpretations and selective attention to details that fit the researcher's expectations or hypotheses.

Question 17

Dr. Kincaid was interested in the topic of musical genius. In the initial part of the investigation, Dr. Kincaid carefully observed and compiled detailed files on three individuals who were musical geniuses. What sort of research is Dr. Kincaid conducting?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Kincaid is conducting a case study, as they are observing and collecting detailed information on a small group of individuals to gain a deep understanding of a specific phenomenon (in this case, musical genius).

Question 18

What do researchers do when conducting descriptive or correlational research?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive and correlational research are used to systematically describe patterns of behaviour and discover relationships among variables, but do not involve the manipulation of variables under controlled conditions. Therefore, the best choice is B.

Question 19

What is a distinct advantage of naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation allows researchers to study behavior in real-life settings, which increases the ecological validity of the research. This means that the findings are more likely to be applicable to real-world situations.

Question 20

A local hospital wanted to assess the way its patients were being treated. The hospital hired several researchers to act as patients and record the way hospital personnel handled the admitting and preliminary evaluation procedures. What sort of research is being conducted in this example?

Accepted Answer

The researchers are observing the natural behavior of hospital personnel, without interfering in any way, which is the essence of naturalistic observation.

Quiz 2: A: The Research Enterprise in Psychology