Question 1

To control for the placebo effect, an experimenter uses _____ in which the participants do not know if they are receiving a real drug or a placebo, although the experimenter giving them the pill does know which group received the real drug or the placebo.
A)a single-blind experiment
B)a double-blind experiment
C)random selection
D)random assignment

Accepted Answer

In a single-blind experiment, the participants do not know if they are receiving the real treatment or a placebo, but the experimenter does know. This helps control for the placebo effect by keeping participants unaware of their group assignment.

Question 2

After a person takes a placebo, there is
A)a reduction in brain activity linked with pain.
B)usually only a small, insignificant effect for most people.
C)is initially an increase in pain, followed by mild relief.
D)an immediate relief of pain, but no change in brain activity linked with this pain.

Accepted Answer

Placebos can lead to a reduction in brain activity linked with pain, as the belief in treatment can trigger the brain's pain-relief mechanisms.

Question 3

Changes in subjects' behavior caused by the unintended influence of an experimenter's actions is referred to as
A)researcher bias.
B)the field experiment effect.
C)research participant bias.
D)the extraneous effect.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Changes in subjects' behavior caused by the...

Question 4

In an experiment to test the effects of a new flu drug, two groups are used.One group is given the drug, the other group is given a placebo.The group that receives the placebo is called the
A)independent group.
B)experimental group.
C)dependent group.
D)control group.

Accepted Answer

The group that receives the placebo is called the control group. The control group is used as a standard of comparison to determine if the effects observed in the experimental group are actually due to the drug being tested or if they are simply due to chance or other factors. Therefore, the correct answer is D, control group.

Question 5

In a study of the effects of antidepressant drug on depressive symptoms, the experimental group is given the antidepressant drug, while the control group is given a
A)placebo.
B)different but equally powerful anti-depressant drug.
C)lesser amount of the antidepressant drug.
D)mixture of a placebo and the antidepressant drug.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of the control group is to ensure that any changes in the experimental group can be attributed to the antidepressant drug rather than other factors. By giving the control group a placebo, which is an inactive substance that resembles the real drug in appearance, taste, or smell, researchers can isolate the effects of the antidepressant drug and rule out the possibility of a placebo effect. Option A is the best choice because it accurately describes the standard practice of using a placebo in experiments that measure the efficacy of medical treatments. Options B, C, and D are incorrect because they either involve the use of an active drug that could confound the results or an unconventional manipulation of the control group that does not mimic the conditions of the experimental group.

Question 6

In a research study, when the subjects do not know who is in the experimental group and who is in the control group, but the experimenters do know, the study is called a(n)
A)single-blind experiment.
B)double-blind experiment.
C)independent experiment.
D)dependent experiment.

Accepted Answer

In a single-blind experiment, the subjects are unaware of which group they are in, but the experimenters know.

Question 7

In one study, a saline injection was shown to be 70 percent as effective as morphine in reducing pain.This is an example of
A)a placebo effect.
B)physiological blocking.
C)the random-assignment effect.
D)a double-blind effect.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the placebo effect. The saline injection does not have the same chemical properties as morphine, yet it still has a significant effect on reducing pain. This demonstrates the power of a person's expectation and belief in a treatment's effectiveness.

Question 8

In a weight-reduction experiment, an overweight individual was given what the researcher called a new type of diet pill that would help curb the desire to eat.In fact, the pill really contained powdered milk, but ever since the individual started taking the diet pill, he has reported that his desire to eat has decreased.This illustrates the
A)curvilinear relationship.
B)effect of extraneous variables.
C)natural experiment.
D)placebo effect.

Accepted Answer

This situation illustrates the placebo effect, in which an individual's expectations and beliefs about a treatment can influence their behavior and perception of its effectiveness, even if the treatment itself is inert. In this case, the individual believed that the diet pill would help curb their desire to eat, and as a result, reported a decrease in appetite, despite the pill actually containing powdered milk.

Question 9

Sometimes in a drug study, the experimental group given the actual drug and the control group given the inactive substance both initially show improvement.This is due to
A)the Barnum effect.
B)the placebo effect.
C)a biased sample.
D)a random assignment of subjects.

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described is likely due to the placebo effect, where participants experience improvement simply because they believe they are receiving a treatment. The Barnum effect refers to the tendency for people to believe vague or general statements about their personality or behavior are accurate, and is not applicable in this scenario. A biased sample or random assignment of subjects would not necessarily lead to both groups showing improvement.

Question 10

You wake up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache. Blearily, you stumble to the medicine cabinet and feel for the bottle of aspirin. Taking one, you return to bed, and you find that after 20 minutes of tossing and turning, your headache dissipates enough to enable you to sleep. When you wake up and look in the bathroom, you discover that you actually took a vitamin E pill instead of aspirin. You realize that your headache went away during the night due to the
A) biological properties of vitamin E.
B) placebo effect.
C) Barnum effect.
D) release of norepinephrenine accompanying the ingestion of vitamin E.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the person took a vitamin E pill instead of aspirin suggests that their headache relief was due to the placebo effect, meaning that the belief and expectation that the pill would relieve their pain led to a reduction in symptoms. There is no evidence to suggest that the biological properties of vitamin E or the release of norepinephrine were responsible for the headache relief, and the Barnum effect (the tendency to believe vague or general statements that could apply to anyone) is not relevant to this scenario.

Question 11

A teacher believes that one group of children is very bright and that a second group is below average in ability.Actually, the groups are identical, but the first group progresses more rapidly than the second.This demonstrates
A)the self-fulfilling prophecy.
B)the placebo effect in a natural experiment.
C)observer bias in naturalistic observation.
D)the ethical problems of field experiments.

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes the self-fulfilling prophecy, which occurs when a person's expectations about another person or group influence their behavior towards that person or group in a way that ultimately confirms the original expectations. In this case, the teacher's belief that one group is very bright likely led them to provide those students with more challenging material or more encouragement, which helped those students progress more rapidly. Meanwhile, the teacher's belief that the other group was below average in ability may have led them to provide less challenging material or fewer opportunities for improvement, which may have slowed those students' progress. Thus, the original expectation became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 12

You want to test people's reactions to a new artificial sweetener, and so you give them coffee with two different kinds of sweetener.Although you know which sweetener is which, you don't let them know which sweetener is the one they're getting.This type of experiment is called a _____ experiment.
A)double-blind
B)single-blind
C)placebo effect
D)placebo bias

Accepted Answer

In a single-blind experiment, the subjects do not know which treatment group they are in, but the experimenter does. In this case, the experimenter knows which sweetener is which, but does not reveal this information to the subjects. This helps to reduce bias in the results, as the subjects' expectations and beliefs about the sweeteners will not influence their reactions. A double-blind experiment would involve both the subjects and the experimenter being unaware of which sweetener is being used, which is not the case in this scenario. The placebo effect and placebo bias are not relevant to this experiment, as there is no placebo group being used.

Question 13

A single-blind experiment would most likely be used to minimize the
A)researcher bias.
B)correlation versus causation problem.
C)problem of obtaining a representative sample.
D)research participant bias.

Accepted Answer

A single-blind experiment involves only the participants being unaware of which group they are in, while the researcher is still aware. This is done in order to minimize participant bias, as their expectations or beliefs about the experiment could influence their behavior. It would not address researcher bias, the correlation versus causation problem, or obtaining a representative sample.

Question 14

You are conducting an experiment in which the participants do not know if they are in the experimental or control group, but you as the experimenter do know who is in the experimental and control groups.You are using a _____ experiment in order to control for _____.
A)single-blind; researcher bias
B)single-blind; research participant bias
C)double-blind; researcher bias
D)double-blind; research participant bias

Accepted Answer

In a single-blind experiment, participants are unaware of their group assignment, which helps control for research participant bias.

Question 15

The "researcher bias" refers to changes in the
A)subjects' behavior caused by a placebo.
B)researcher's behavior caused by the subjects.
C)subjects' behavior caused by the unintended influence of their own expectations.
D)subjects' behavior caused by the unintended influence of a researcher's actions.

Accepted Answer

Researcher bias refers to changes in the subjects' behavior caused by the unintended influence of a researcher's actions. This could occur when a researcher's behavior or unintentional cues affect the behavior of the subjects, leading to biased results. It is important for researchers to be aware of their own behavior and take steps to eliminate any potential biases that may affect the results of their study.

Question 16

The phenomenon in which a prediction prompts people to act in ways that make the prediction come true is known as the
A)pseudomemory prophecy.
B)prediction effect.
C)self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)placebo effect.

Accepted Answer

The self-fulfilling prophecy is when people's beliefs or expectations about a future event lead them to act in ways that ultimately make the outcome more likely to occur. This can happen consciously or unconsciously.

Question 17

The study at the U.S.Air Force Academy Preparatory School that demonstrated that students' performance can be affected by teachers' expectations was most likely due to the fact that
A)studies in the field are more unpredictable than those in the laboratory.
B)naturalistic observation pointed out differences not controlled by a laboratory experiment.
C)teachers treated the students differently, thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
D)the two groups were not equal at the start of the experiment.

Accepted Answer

The study demonstrated that teachers' expectations affected students' performance, indicating that the teachers treated the students differently based on their expectations, which created a self-fulfilling prophecy. This suggests that the teachers' behavior influenced the students' performance, rather than the students' ability or any other factor that may have affected the experiment's outcome. Choices A and B are not relevant to the situation, and D may be a possible factor, but the study's findings suggest that teacher expectations were the primary cause of the performance differences.

Question 18

When an experimenter unwittingly influences research participants so that they behave in ways consistent with her hypothesis, _____ has occurred.
A)researcher bias
B)the placebo effect
C)anthropomorphic bias
D)the extraneous effect

Accepted Answer

This is an example of researcher bias, where the experimenter's expectations and beliefs can inadvertently influence the results of the study.

Question 19

Placebos have such a strong effect on people because
A)doctors prescribe them.
B)their impact is immediate.
C)their impact is long-term.
D)they alter people's expectations.

Accepted Answer

Placebos work by altering people's expectations, creating a psychological effect that can lead to symptom relief or an improvement in overall health. This is why their impact may not be immediate or long-term, but rather relies on the subjective experience of the individual who is taking the placebo. Additionally, while doctors may prescribe placebos, the key factor driving their effect is the person's belief that the treatment they are receiving will help them feel better.

Question 20

An example of "researcher bias" would be a situation in which the experimenter
A)acts out the proper behavior for the subjects.
B)deceives the subject as to the real purpose of the experiment.
C)unknowingly hints to subjects what is expected of them.
D)does all of these.

Accepted Answer

Researcher bias occurs when the experimenter unknowingly hints to subjects what is expected of them. This can occur due to subtle cues or body language that the researcher may not even be aware of. A and B are examples of other types of experimenter influence (demand characteristics and deception, respectively) but do not necessarily involve researcher bias. D is incorrect because it includes all options, even those that are not related to researcher bias.

Quiz 1: Extension B: Introduction to Psychology and Research Methods

To control for the placebo effect, an experimenter uses _____ in which the participants do not know if they are receiving a real drug or a placebo, although the experimenter giving them the pill does know which group received the real drug or the placebo.

After a person takes a placebo, there is

Changes in subjects' behavior caused by the unintended influence of an experimenter's actions is referred to as

In an experiment to test the effects of a new flu drug, two groups are used.One group is given the drug, the other group is given a placebo.The group that receives the placebo is called the

In a study of the effects of antidepressant drug on depressive symptoms, the experimental group is given the antidepressant drug, while the control group is given a

In a research study, when the subjects do not know who is in the experimental group and who is in the control group, but the experimenters do know, the study is called a(n)

In one study, a saline injection was shown to be 70 percent as effective as morphine in reducing pain.This is an example of

Sometimes in a drug study, the experimental group given the actual drug and the control group given the inactive substance both initially show improvement.This is due to

A teacher believes that one group of children is very bright and that a second group is below average in ability.Actually, the groups are identical, but the first group progresses more rapidly than the second.This demonstrates

You want to test people's reactions to a new artificial sweetener, and so you give them coffee with two different kinds of sweetener.Although you know which sweetener is which, you don't let them know which sweetener is the one they're getting.This type of experiment is called a _____ experiment.

A single-blind experiment would most likely be used to minimize the

You are conducting an experiment in which the participants do not know if they are in the experimental or control group, but you as the experimenter do know who is in the experimental and control groups.You are using a _ experiment in order to control for _.

The "researcher bias" refers to changes in the

The phenomenon in which a prediction prompts people to act in ways that make the prediction come true is known as the

The study at the U.S.Air Force Academy Preparatory School that demonstrated that students' performance can be affected by teachers' expectations was most likely due to the fact that

When an experimenter unwittingly influences research participants so that they behave in ways consistent with her hypothesis, _____ has occurred.

Placebos have such a strong effect on people because

An example of "researcher bias" would be a situation in which the experimenter