Quiz 2: Psychology Research

The approach used by psychologists to systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest is called: A)the trial and error method. B)the informed speculation method. C)the scientific method. D)the educated guessing method.

Which of the following is the first step in the scientific method? A)Formulating an explanation B)Identifying questions of interest C)Communicating the findings D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

After identifying the question of interest,which is the next step in the scientific method? A)Formulating an explanation B)Evaluating the findings C)Communicating the findings D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Which of the following sequences correctly arranges the steps in the scientific method from first to last? A)Identify problem  formulate explanation  carry out research  communicate findings B)Carry out research  formulate explanation  identify problem  communicate findings C)Identify problem  carry out research  formulate explanation  communicate findings D)Carry out research  identify problem  formulate explanation  communicate findings

Frederico is presenting the outcomes of an experiment he conducted in a talk at a regional psychology conference.Frederico is engaged in the _____ step of the scientific method,namely _____. A)first; communicating results B)first; formulating an explanation C)last; communicating results D)last; formulating an explanation

The development of a hypothesis occurs in which of the following steps of a scientific method? A)Formulating an explanation B)Identifying questions of interest C)Communicating the findings D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Collection and analysis of data is done in which of the following steps of the scientific method? A)Formulating an explanation B)Identifying questions of interest C)Communicating the findings D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

Which of the following is the final step in the scientific method? A)Formulating an explanation B)Identifying questions of interest C)Communicating the findings D)Carrying out research designed to support or refute the explanation

_____ are broad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest. A)Theories B)Hypotheses C)Operational definitions D)Suppositions

Andrea is reading a general,comprehensive account of human aggression in the introduction to a research report in psychology.Andrea is reading a(n): A)theory. B)hypothesis. C)operational definition. D)supposition.

Regarding theories,which of the following statements is true? A)Theories vary in their breadth. B)Theories are translations of hypotheses into specific procedures. C)Theories stem from hypotheses. D)Theories are predictions stated in a way that allow them to be tested.

As compared to the theories about human behavior we all develop in daily life,those formulated by psychologists are: A)more general. B)broader. C)more complex. D)more formal.

According to Bibb Latane and John Darley's theory of _____,the greater the number of bystanders or witnesses to an event that calls for helping behavior,the more the responsibility for helping is perceived to be shared by all the bystanders. A)diffusion of responsibility B)command responsibility C)social responsibility D)collective responsibility

"People with opposite personality traits are more likely to be attracted to each other." This is a(n): A)hypothesis. B)correlation. C)theory. D)operational definition.

A hypothesis is best defined as a: A)prediction stated in a way that allows it to be tested. B)specification of a variable in terms of the procedures that will be used to measure it. C)broad,general explanation of the phenomenon of interest. D)behavior,event,or other characteristic that can assume different values.

When asked to define "popularity," Brianna offers,"It's when everyone likes you." Chrissy suggests,"It's basically the number of friends you have." How do the two girls' definitions differ? A)Chrissy's is a procedural definition; Brianna's is not. B)Brianna's is an operational definition; Chrissy's is not. C)Brianna's is a procedural definition; Chrissy's is not. D)Chrissy's is an operational definition; Brianna's is not.

Which of the following is an operational definition of happiness? A)An individual's feeling of joy B)An individual's sense of achievement and spirituality C)An individual's self-rating on a 10-point happiness scale D)An individual's feeling of contentment

Regarding operational definitions,which of the following statements is most accurate? A)For a given hypothesis,there are usually two operational definitions. B)For a given hypothesis,there is a single best operational definition. C)For a given hypothesis,many operational definitions are usually possible. D)Some hypotheses cannot be translated into operational definitions.

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between a theory and a hypothesis? A)A theory is more focused than a hypothesis. B)A theory is broader than a hypothesis. C)A theory is the same as a hypothesis. D)A theory is unrelated to a hypothesis.

Prediction is to explanation what _____ is to _____. A)hypothesis; theory B)theory; hypothesis C)variable; supposition D)hypothesis; variable

Which of the following sequences is correct? A)Operational definition  hypothesis  theory B)Operational definition  theory  hypothesis C)Hypothesis  theory  operational definition D)Theory  hypothesis  operational definition

_____ is defined as the systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge. A)Theory B)Critical thinking C)Coherent observation D)Research

Each of the following is a descriptive research technique except: A)experimental research. B)case study research. C)naturalistic observation. D)archival research.

Research in which existing data,such as census documents,college records,and newspaper clippings,are examined to test a hypothesis is known as _____. A)experimental research B)archival research C)naturalistic research D)a case study

Dr.Carruthers is using crime statistics available in a federal database as part of a study.Dr.Carruthers is conducting a(n): A)case study. B)naturalistic observation. C)archival research. D)survey.

Wallace is engaged in archival research.In which of the following projects is he most likely engaged? A)Comparing the effects of cell phone distractions to those of text message distractions on participants' performance in a driving simulator B)Asking a large sample of community dwellers a set of questions about their perceptions of healthcare reform C)Recording language comprehension deficits in a woman with left hemisphere brain damage D)Examining the registrar's records at a state university to explore the relationship between SAT scores and freshman GPA

Which of the following is not a drawback of archival research? A)Existing records are often incomplete. B)It is expensive to conduct. C)Existing data may not have been collected systematically. D)Data may not be in a form that allows the researcher to test a hypothesis fully.

Evelyn,a psychology graduate,watches parent-child interactions in a park.She simply records what she sees and does not make a change in the situation.The method she uses is known as _____. A)naturalistic observation B)archival research C)experimentation D)a case study

Naturalistic observation entails: A)the systematic,detailed study of a single individual. B)examining existing records such as census documents. C)asking a sample of individuals a set of questions. D)examining behavior in the setting in which it typically occurs.

DeAndre is recording instances of physical aggression among children in a schoolyard at recess.DeAndre is undertaking: A)a naturalistic observation. B)an archival research. C)a survey. D)a case study.

Brooke is engaged in naturalistic observation.In which of the following projects is she most likely engaged? A)Asking a sample of college students a set of questions about tendency to become angry in different situations B)Watching and recording interactions between subordinates and their supervisors in a large corporate office C)Conducting an in-depth investigation of the history and current behavior of an autistic boy D)Examining crime statistics from the Department of Justice to see if the rate of property crimes is related to the rate of violent crimes

Which of the following descriptive research methods is correctly matched with a description? A)Archival research-in-depth investigation of an individual B)Naturalistic observation-behavior is investigated in the environment in which it typically occurs,without intervention by the researcher C)Case study-a sample is asked a series of questions about their thoughts,attitudes,or behaviors D)Survey research-existing data is examined to test a hypothesis

Which of the following descriptive research methods is incorrectly matched with an advantage? A)Archival research-inexpensive B)Naturalistic observation-examines behavior in the "real world" C)Survey-small sample can give accurate picture of much larger population D)Case study-it controls any of the factors of interest

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between a sample and a population? A)A sample includes a population. B)A population includes a sample. C)A population is similar to a sample. D)A sample is completely separate from a population.

Amy is conducting a survey of dating attitudes and behaviors among young adults as part of her master's thesis work.Amy distributes questionnaires to 200 randomly selected students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at her university.The 200 students constitute Amy's _____.The people whom she assumes her results will generalize are termed the _____. A)control group; population B)experimental group; population C)population; sample D)sample; population

Wilma is undertaking survey research.Which of the following is she probably doing? A)Recording the behaviors of sea lions in their natural habitat B)Observing the problem-solving strategies of an extremely gifted middle school girl C)Comparing students' performance on abstract and concrete versions of problems D)Asking a sample of students a series of questions about their sexual attitudes and behaviors

Dr.Estevez prepares a set of questions to ask college students about their drinking behavior and their attitudes toward alcohol.Dr.Estevez is undertaking a(n): A)survey research. B)case study. C)naturalistic observation. D)archival research.

Dr.Gigliotti is conducting an in-depth,intensive investigation of a patient with dissociative identity disorder.He uses psychological tests and interviews to better understand the patient.Dr.Gigliotti is undertaking a(n): A)survey research. B)archival research. C)case study. D)naturalistic observation.

_____ is an in-depth,intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people. A)Archival research B)Survey research C)Naturalistic observation D)Case study

Which of the following researchers is conducting a case study? A)Dr.Henriette,who is investigating the effect of word imageability on list memory by handing out questionnaires B)Dr.Innis,who is investigating in detail the tactile perception of a blind woman C)Dr.Jefferson,who is observing children on a playground D)Dr.Kulik,who is studying newspaper stories on serial killers

Behaviors,events,or other characteristics that can change in some way are referred to as: A)variables. B)constants. C)operational definitions. D)hypotheses.

Correlation research is: A)research in which an investigator simply observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in the situation. B)research in which people chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior,thoughts,or attitudes. C)research in which the relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they are associated. D)research in which existing data,such as census documents,college records,and newspaper clippings,are examined to test a hypothesis.

Irving has noticed a pattern: The more alcohol people drink,the more aggressive they seem to be.Which research method is aimed at verifying a relationship between two variables? A)Naturalistic observation B)Case study C)Correlational research D)Archival research

Which term is most nearly synonymous with the term correlation? A)Association B)Explanation C)Observation D)Manipulation

The correlation coefficient ranges from _____ to _____. A)1 to 10 B)+1.0 to -1.0 C)0 to 1 D)-10 to +10

The strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables are represented by a mathematical statistic known as a(n)_____. A)standard deviation B)affiliation C)operational definition D)correlation

A positive correlation indicates that: A)as the value of one variable increases,the value of the other increases. B)as the value of one variable increases,the value of the other decreases. C)little or no relationship exists between two variables. D)one variable causes the other.

Using a sample of young adolescents,Dr.Nguyen finds a correlation of +.55 between scores on a measure of neglectful or uninvolved parenting and scores on a measure of delinquent behavior.Which of the following might Dr.Nguyen legitimately conclude? A)Uninvolved parenting causes juvenile delinquency. B)Parenting that is more neglectful is related to a lower degree of delinquent behavior. C)Uninvolved parenting is unrelated to delinquency. D)Parenting that is more neglectful is related to a higher degree of delinquent behavior.

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest relationship between two variables? A)-.75 B)+.60 C).00 D)+.30

Which of the following sequences of correlation coefficients correctly arranges the relationships between three pairs of two variables in order of increasing strength? A)-.60,+.10,+.50 B)+.10,+.50,-.60 C)-.60,+.50,+.10 D).00,-.60,+.50

In a negative correlation: A)the values of both variables increase simultaneously. B)as the value of one variable increases,the value of the other decreases. C)the values of both variables decrease simultaneously. D)one variable is the cause of the other variable.

No relationship between two variables is represented by a: A)negative sign. B)sigma. C)zero. D)positive sign.

Experimental research is to correlational research what _____ is to _____. A)association; cause B)description; prediction C)cause; association D)description; association

The only way psychologists can establish cause-and-effect relationships through research is by carrying out a(n)_____. A)correlational research B)survey research C)experiment D)survey

Dr.Ingram deliberately varied the imageability of items on a list and later measured participants' recall of the items.Dr.Ingram conducted a(n)_____ research. A)correlational B)archival C)observational D)experimental

Experimental research requires that the responses of _____ group(s)be examined. A)at least one B)at least five C)at least two D)at least three

Experimental group is to control group what _____ is to _____. A)treatment; no treatment B)no treatment; treatment C)independent variable; dependent variable D)dependent variable; independent variable

In the context of psychological research,_____ is any group that receives a treatment. A)research group B)experimental group C)control group D)secondary group

_____ is a group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment. A)Research group B)Experimental group C)Control group D)Secondary group

Why are control groups included in experiments? A)To determine whether two variables are correlated B)To ascertain cause-and-effect relationships C)To ensure that participant characteristics are essentially the same in each group D)To translate the hypothesis into something testable

In an experiment,the _____ variable is deliberately manipulated by the researcher. A)control B)dependent C)independent D)experimental

In an experiment,the _____ variable is measured and is expected to change due to the experimenter's manipulation. A)control B)dependent C)independent D)experimental

In an experiment,the dependent variable is: A)applied to the treatment group. B)randomized across groups. C)measured by the researcher and is expected to change. D)deliberately manipulated by the researcher.

In an experiment,the independent variable is: A)applied to the control group. B)randomized across groups. C)measured by the researcher and is expected to change. D)deliberately manipulated by the researcher.

Doctors Chase and Sanborn are conducting an experiment on the effects of caffeine on memory.Participants are randomly assigned to a caffeine or a no-caffeine group; their recall of items on a word list is later assessed.Which pair correctly identifies a variable in this experiment? A)Caffeine-dependent variable B)Caffeine-independent variable C)Word recall-independent variable D)Word recall-experimental variable

Doctors Chase and Sanborn are conducting an experiment on the effects of caffeine on memory.Participants are randomly assigned to a caffeine or a no-caffeine group; their recall of items on a word list is later assessed.In this experiment,word recall is the _____ variable. A)subject B)control C)independent D)dependent

Doctors Chase and Sanborn are conducting an experiment on the effects of caffeine on memory.Participants are randomly assigned to a caffeine or a no-caffeine group; their recall of items on a word list is later assessed.Which pair below correctly names and identifies the variables in this experiment? A)Word recall-control variable; caffeine-experimental variable B)Word recall-independent variable; caffeine-dependent variable C)Word recall-dependent variable; caffeine-independent variable D)Word recall-experimental variable; caffeine-control variable

In a typical Latane and Darley "bystander" experiment,_____ is the independent variable and _____ is the dependent variable. A)the presence of bystanders; whether a false emergency occurs B)whether a false emergency occurs; the presence of bystanders C)whether the participant helps; the number of people present D)number of people present; whether the participant helps

The people taking part in an experiment are referred to as _____. A)patients B)subjects C)confederates D)assignees

The purpose of random assignment is to: A)combine the results of a number of similar studies. B)determine how likely it is that the results of a treatment were due to chance. C)ensure that participant characteristics are equivalent across the various groups. D)determine whether two variables are related.

In which of the following procedures are participants assigned to different experimental groups on the basis of chance and chance alone? A)Operationalization B)Correlation C)Random sampling method D)Random assignment to condition

An experimenter flips a coin for each participant and assigns the participant to one group when "heads" came up and to the other group when "tails" came up.This process is referred to as: A)operationalization. B)random assignment to condition. C)purposive sampling. D)correlation.

Which of the following is an advantage of archival research? A)It provides a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants. B)It provides a sample of people in their natural environment. C)A small sample can be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population. D)Data collection is easy because data already exists.

Which of the following is an advantage of survey research? A)It provides a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants. B)It provides a sample of people in their natural environment. C)A small sample can be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population. D)Data collection is easy because data already exists.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of survey research? A)It is dependent on the availability of existing datA. B)The "typically occurring habitat" being observed cannot be controlled. C)A small sample cannot be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population. D)The sample may not be representative of the larger population.

Which of the following is an advantage of a case study? A)It provides a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants. B)It provides a sample of people in their natural environment. C)A small sample can be used to infer attitudes and behavior of a larger population. D)Data collection is easy because data already exists.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a case study? A)It is dependent on the availability of existing datA. B)The "typically occurring habitat" being observed cannot be controlled. C)Results may not be generalizable beyond the sample. D)It fails to provide a thorough,in-depth understanding of participants.

Meaningful results that make it possible for researchers to feel confident that they have confirmed their hypotheses is known as a _____. A)mutually exclusive result B)subjective outcome C)significant outcome D)conditional result

Research that is conducted,sometimes using other procedures,settings,and groups of participants,to increase confidence in prior finding is referred to as _____. A)replicated research B)archival research C)naturalistic research D)survey research

Iyesha reads a journal article reporting a study in which a small sample of women undertook tests of spatial ability at two points during their menstrual cycle.Iyesha conducts a similar study using not only spatial ability but also verbal ability tests.In addition,Iyesha tests a larger sample of women.She aims to confirm the findings of the study mentioned in the journal.Iyesha performs a _____. A)meta-analysis B)replicated research C)significance test D)control study

Kendra is combining the results of a number of experiments to yield an overall conclusion.Kendra is performing a _____. A)meta-analysis B)significance test C)cross-validation D)sensitivity analysis

Which of the following statements most accurately captures the opinion of most psychologists in the context of the use of deception? A)It is integral to the conduct of scientifically valid research. B)It is often necessary in psychological research. C)It is sometimes necessary to safeguard the study's true purpose. D)It has absolutely no place in psychological research.

Before participating in an experiment,the participants must sign a document affirming that they have been told the basic outlines of the study and are aware of what their participation will involve,what risks the experiment may hold,and the fact that their participation is purely voluntary and they may terminate it at any time.This refers to which ethical principle of research? A)Informed consent B)Debriefing C)Experimental manipulation D)Significant outcome

Which of the following is not a component of informed consent? A)A detailed explanation of the study and its procedures. B)A statement of the potential risks of participating in the study. C)An assurance that participation is completely voluntary. D)The knowledge that a participant can terminate his/her participation at any time.

Dr.O'Connor is telling his participants before he begins the experiment that their participation is completely voluntary and that they can stop taking part at any time.Dr.O'Connor is: A)debriefing his participants. B)obtaining informed consent. C)using experimental manipulation. D)assuring confidentiality.

When a researcher debriefs her participants,she: A)reveals the outcome of the study. B)provides a detailed explanation of the study. C)tells them they can stop taking part at any time. D)assures the participants of confidentiality.

Dr.O'Malley is informing participants before he begins the experiment that their participation is completely voluntary and that they can stop taking part at any time.Dr.Hensley is providing a detailed explanation of the study to participants who have just completed participating in the study.Which of the following statements is true? A)Dr.O'Malley is obtaining informed consent from his participants.Dr.Hensley is debriefing her participants. B)Dr.O'Malley is debriefing his participants.Dr.Hensley is obtaining informed consent from her participants. C)Dr.O'Malley and Dr.Hensley are obtaining informed consent from their participants. D)Dr.O'Malley and Dr.Hensley are debriefing their participants.

Which of the following sequences best reflects the order of events in an experiment? A)Informed consent  experiment  debriefing B)Informed consent  debriefing  experiment C)Debriefing  informed consent  experiment D)Experiment  informed consent  debriefing

Which of the following is not one of the reasons that college students are so often used as participants in psychological research? A)They are representative of the population at large. B)They are generally readily available to researchers. C)They are inexpensive. D)Most research occurs in university settings.

A college student sample differs from the population it is implicitly intended to represent-that is,people in general,in each of the following ways except that: A)they tend to come from industrialized cultures. B)they tend to come from Western cultures. C)they are better educated. D)they tend to be poor.

Which of the following guidelines is true regarding the use of nonhuman animals in experiments? A)Researchers must minimize discomfort,illness,and pain for the animals. B)Researchers must house,feed,and care for the animals properly. C)Researchers must promote the animals' well-being,at least for some species. D)Research with animals has failed to provide psychologists with valuable information.

Factors that distort the way the independent variable affects the dependent variable are referred to as: A)double-blinds. B)placebo effects. C)experimental bias. D)participant bias.

To guard against participant expectations biasing the results of an experiment,the experimenter may: A)disclose to participants how earlier participants tested. B)explain to the participant what the desired outcome should be. C)try to disguise the true purpose of the experiment. D)allow the participant to interact with people who have already been part of the experiment.

When cues are transmitted to participants about how they are expected to behave in particular experimental conditions,the research results may reflect _____ expectations.When people develop their own ideas about the topic of the research,the investigation's outcomes may be biased by _____. A)experimenter; participant expectations B)experimenter; experimenter expectations C)participant; participant expectations D)participant; experimenter expectations

In Dr.Suarez's social psychology lab,some college students taking part in the research suspect that interpersonal attraction processes are under study.This knowledge influences the way they interact with each other.In a play session during a child development study,Dr.Thomas' research assistants are more likely to unconsciously reinforce aggressive behavior among children who view a violent video clip than among children viewing a nonviolent clip.Dr.Suarez's research is susceptible to _____ expectations.Dr.Thomas' work is prone to _____. A)experimenter; participant expectations B)experimenter; experimenter expectations C)participant; participant expectations D)participant; experimenter expectations

What is a placebo? A)A small marsupial B)A Japanese "hybrid" car C)A false experimental treatment D)A sac that contains and nourishes a fetus

A _____ is a false treatment,such as a pill,"drug," or other substance,without any significant chemical properties or active ingredients. A)double-blind procedure B)correlation coefficient C)placebo D)single-blind procedure

A team of researchers conduct an experiment to test the effectiveness of a new drug in treating anxiety disorders.The participants in the control group receive sugar pills without active ingredients,while those in the experimental group receive the new,anti-anxiety drug.In this example,the researchers use a: A)double-blind procedure. B)correlation coefficient. C)placebo. D)single-blind procedure.

In an experiment involving a placebo, A)all the participants receive a treatment. B)the participants in the control group aware of the purpose of the research. C)the experimenter who interacts with the participant is unaware of the nature of the drug that is being administered. D)the participants belong to diverse ethnicities.

A placebo is intended to minimize _____ expectations; a double-blind procedure minimizes _____. A)participant; experimenter expectations B)participant; participant expectations C)experimenter; experimenter expectations D)experimenter; participant expectations

In a _____,both the participant and the experimenter who interacts with the participant is unaware of the nature of the drug that is being administered. A)double-blind procedure B)control treatment C)placebo experiment D)single-blind procedure

A pharmaceutical company is conducting an experiment to test the effectiveness of a tricyclic antidepressant.Which of the following,if true,would indicate that the experimenters used a placebo? A)The participants were assigned to the experimental or control groups by drawing lots. B)The participants were informed about the medication they would be taking and its possible side effects before starting the treatment. C)The participants in both groups did not know if they were getting a real or a false treatment. D)The research assistants who administered the drugs were asked to establish rapport with the participants.

A double-blind procedure is administered to overcome _____. A)participant expectations B)memory bias C)reporting bias D)experimenter expectations

A pharmaceutical company wishes to test the efficacy of a new antidepressant using a double-blind procedure.Which alternative correctly describes the procedure the company would use? A)The research assistants would know which participants were receiving the new drug and which were receiving an inert pill.Each patient would also know which type of pill he or she was taking. B)The research assistants would know which participants were receiving the new drug and which were receiving an inert pill.Each patient,though,would not know which type of pill he or she was taking. C)The research assistants would not know which participants were receiving the new drug and which were receiving an inert pill.Each patient,though,would know which type of pill he or she was taking. D)The research assistants would not know which participants were receiving the new drug and which were receiving an inert pill.Also,each patient would not know which type of pill he or she was taking.

The approach used by psychologists to systematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest is called the .

Alyssa predicts that caffeine will improve her participants' performance on a visual tracking task.Alyssa has formed a(n).

A(n)is the translation of a hypothesis into specific,testable procedures that can be measured and observed.

Systematic inquiry aimed at generating new knowledge is called .

research includes archival research,naturalistic observation,survey research,and the case study method.

Dr.Leblanc is examining interactions among primates in the wild; he does not intervene.Dr.Leblanc is performing a .

In ,a sample of people chosen to represent a larger group of interest is asked a series of questions about their behavior,thoughts,or attitudes.

A(n)is a representative subset of a population.

One disadvantage of using surveys to collect data is that participants may be unaware of their feelings or attitudes.

is a procedure in which a carefully designed set of questions is used to gain some insight into the personality of the individual or group.

are behaviors,events,or other characteristics that can change,or vary,in some way.

The strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables are represented by a mathematical statistic formally known as a(n).

In an experiment,a researcher manipulates participants' exposure to a stimulus.Exposure is a(n)variable in this example.

A(n)outcome is not due to chance.

Miranda is statistically combining the results of all the published studies on the effects of the presence of a weapon on eyewitness accuracy.Miranda is performing a(n).

Sometimes,to prevent participants from being influenced by what they think a study's true purpose is,investigators must engage in .

Before the outset of a study,participants must give ,indicating that they know the potential risks of the study and are aware that their participation is voluntary.

At the conclusion of an experimental session,Nia tells her participants the purpose of the study and explains the procedures she used.Nia is her participants.

refers to factors that distort the way the independent variable affects the dependent variable.

In a test of a new antianxiety medication,participants are given either the medication or a placebo; the personnel administering the study,moreover,do not know which participants receive the medication and which receive the placebo.This experiment may be described as a(n)study.

The text opens the research methods chapter by recounting Kitty Genovese's rape and murder,in which not a single neighbor came to her aid.Describe how each step of the scientific method might be applied to better understand such a phenomenon.

Identifying a question of interest: How could it be that absolutely no one in a crowded city would help a women being raped and killed? That's disturbing; let's use the scientific method to find an answer.

Formulating an explanation: Psychologists Latane and Darley developed an explanation,or theory,based on the notion of diffusion of responsibility.The more bystanders there are,the more the responsibility for helping is perceived to be spread among them.Thus,the more bystanders,the smaller the share of responsibility felt by any one bystander,and the less likely he or she is to help.

Carrying out research: The answer should describe an experimental scenario in which the number of bystanders to a staged emergency is varied and the helping behavior of the participant is measured.

Sharing the findings: The results of the experiment should be published as a journal article or presented at a conference.

Distinguish between a hypothesis and a theory.Provide an example of a hypothesis,along with operational definitions of the variables included in your hypothesis.

Select two of the following aphorisms: (1)Birds of a feather flock together; (2)Opposites attract; (3)The more the merrier; (4)Two heads are better the one; (5)Two's company; three's a crowd.Translate each aphorism that you select into a testable hypothesis.Provide operational definitions of each of the variables in each hypothesis.

Select and describe a behavioral or mental phenomenon of particular interest to you.Describe how one might use descriptive,correlational,and experimental techniques to shed light on the phenomenon.

List and briefly describe three descriptive research methods.Provide an original example of each.Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of each of the methods you describe.

Describe survey research,highlighting not only its advantages,but also several issues that researchers must consider when designing survey research.

Describe what a case study is,including both the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

A researcher finds a correlation of -.45 between the amount of stress participants report having experienced recently and participants' scores on an index of physical health.What does this mean? Provide a one-sentence interpretation of this correlation coefficient.Provide three distinct cause-and-effect mechanisms that might explain this correlation.

Suggest (a)two variables that are most likely positively correlated; two variables that are most likely negatively correlated; and (c)two variables that are probably uncorrelated.

How is it that the experimental method allows researchers to draw cause-and-effect conclusions? Identify the critical elements of the experimental method and explain how each helps enable the development of valid causal conclusions.

Suggest one variable other than the presence and number of bystanders that you think might influence the likelihood that an individual will come to someone's aid.State a hypothesis and explain how you might test it experimentally.Specify the independent and dependent variables,making sure to provide an operational definition of each.Describe the experimental and control groups and briefly outline the procedure.

Define the terms replicated research and meta-analysis.Identify the role of replicated research and meta-analysis in hypothesis testing and theory building.

Occasionally,psychology has been described as the science of the behavior of college sophomores.Discuss some of the specific criticisms of psychology implied by this charge.How might these shortcomings be rectified?

A pharmaceutical company has developed a new ADHD medication and wishes to test its effectiveness.Identify the threats that validity researchers might face in an experimental test of the medication's efficacy and suggest how these threats may be overcome.

Imagine that you must read several research articles for a term paper assignment in a psychology course.Identify the critical thinking questions you should keep in mind as you read each article.