Question 1

Professor Ober carefully observes and records the behaviors of children in their classrooms in order to track the development of their social and intellectual skills.Professor Ober is most clearly engaged in
A) survey research.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) experimentation.
D) replication.

Accepted Answer

Professor Ober's observation and recording of children's behaviors in their natural classroom setting indicates that he is engaged in naturalistic observation. Survey research involves collecting information from a large sample of people through questionnaires or interviews, experimentation involves manipulating variables in a controlled environment to observe their effects, and replication involves repeating a study to confirm its findings. None of these types of research accurately describe Professor Ober's actions.

Question 2

Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of
A) random sampling.
B) wording effects.
C) the placebo effect.
D) naturalistic observation.

Accepted Answer

This question is addressing the importance of wording effects on survey results. The use of the term "welfare" may carry political or negative connotations, while the term "aid to the needy" may sound more compassionate and necessary. This illustrates how phrasing can influence responses and underscores the importance of careful wording in survey design.

Question 3

A representative sample is one that accurately reflects a larger
A) control group.
B) correlation coefficient.
C) dependent variable.
D) population.

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is one that accurately reflects a larger population. So, the correct choice is D, as it directly refers to the population.

Question 4

To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School,Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students.In this instance,all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n)
A) population.
B) representative sample.
C) independent variable.
D) control condition.

Accepted Answer

The group of all children attending Oakbridge School is the population in this scenario, as they are the entire group of interest. The 50 students randomly selected and interviewed by Professor DeVries are a sample of this population, and not necessarily representative of the entire population. Therefore, option A is the correct choice as it accurately describes the entire group being studied.

Question 5

One research team studied the ups and downs of human moods by counting positive and negative words in 504 million Twitter messages from 84 countries.The researchers' method best illustrates the use of
A) experimentation.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) case studies.
D) a survey.

Accepted Answer

The researchers are observing human behavior (moods) in a naturalistic setting (Twitter messages) without deliberately manipulating any variables. This best fits the method of naturalistic observation.

Question 6

New technologies such as smart-phone apps and body-worn sensors have enabled the collection of "big data" by means of
A) the testing effect.
B) case studies.
C) experimentation.
D) naturalistic observation.

Accepted Answer

Smart-phone apps and body-worn sensors enable the collection of "big data" through naturalistic observation, which involves observing and recording behaviors in real-life settings without manipulation or interference. The use of technology allows for the collection of large amounts of data in a non-invasive and unobtrusive manner, providing researchers with rich and diverse insights into human behavior. The other options (A, B, and C) do not accurately describe the use of smart-phone apps and body-worn sensors for data collection.

Question 7

Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as
A) the survey.
B) experimentation.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) the case study.

Accepted Answer

Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using naturalistic observation, which involves observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without manipulation or control.

Question 8

After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American,Ervin concluded that African-Americans are better athletes than members of other racial groups.Ervin's conclusion best illustrates the danger of
A) replication.
B) random assignment.
C) the placebo effect.
D) generalizing from vivid cases.

Accepted Answer

Ervin's conclusion is based on a vivid case (professional basketball players) and does not take into consideration other factors that may contribute to the overrepresentation of African-Americans in basketball, such as socioeconomic factors and historical inequalities. This illustrates the danger of generalizing from vivid cases, which can lead to stereotypes and inaccurate conclusions.

Question 9

People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by ________ cases.
A) randomly selected
B) vivid
C) representative
D) operationally defined

Accepted Answer

When people form generalizations, they tend to give more weight to vivid or memorable cases, rather than considering a representative sample of cases. This can lead to inaccurate generalizations that are based on outliers rather than typical examples.

Question 10

To compare the pace of life in different countries,investigators measured the speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request.Which research method did this illustrate?
A) the case study
B) naturalistic observation
C) the double-blind procedure
D) the survey

Accepted Answer

This research method illustrates naturalistic observation because the investigators are observing and measuring behavior in a natural setting, without intervening or manipulating variables.

Question 11

The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it
A) is based on naturalistic observation.
B) may be unrepresentative of what is generally true.
C) overestimates the importance of operational definitions.
D) leads us to underestimate the causal relationships between events.

Accepted Answer

Case-study evidence is typically based on a single or a few cases, and therefore may not be representative of a larger population or generalizable to other situations. This can lead to overestimating the importance of rare events or underestimating the variability and complexity of the phenomenon being studied.

Question 12

By revealing what can happen through an in-depth examination of an atypical individual,________ often suggests directions for future research.
A) the double-blind procedure
B) random assignment
C) a case study
D) a survey

Accepted Answer

A case study involves an in-depth examination of an atypical individual or situation. By revealing what can happen in such a case, a case study can suggest directions for future research. The other options (double-blind procedure, random assignment, survey) do not necessarily involve an in-depth examination of an individual case and are not as likely to suggest directions for future research.

Question 13

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a representative sample of a population is known as
A) naturalistic observation.
B) debriefing.
C) a case study.
D) a survey.

Accepted Answer

The technique described in the question is a survey, which involves gathering data through self-reported responses from a representative sample of a population. Naturalistic observation involves observing individuals in their natural environment without intervention or interaction, debriefing is a process of informing participants on the true nature of a study after its completion, and a case study involves detailed analysis of one or a few individuals. None of these techniques involve obtaining self-reported attitudes or behaviors from a representative sample of a population.

Question 14

A descriptive technique of monitoring and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation is called
A) random sampling.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) replication.
D) the double-blind procedure.

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer. Random sampling refers to selecting a sample of the population at random, replication refers to repeating a research study to see if the results can be reproduced, and the double-blind procedure refers to a research method in which neither the participants nor the researchers know which treatment or condition subjects are receiving.

Question 15

Little Hans' extreme fear of horses was observed as part of a(n)
A) experiment.
B) survey.
C) case study.
D) double-blind procedure.

Accepted Answer

Little Hans' extreme fear of horses was observed and studied in detail through a case study, which involved analyzing his thoughts, feelings, and behaviors towards horses. This approach is commonly used in psychology to understand rare or unique phenomena in-depth. The other options, such as experiments and surveys, typically involve larger sample sizes and quantitative data collection methods, which were not used in Little Hans' case. The double-blind procedure is a research method used to eliminate bias in experiments, but it is not applicable in this situation.

Question 16

Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion?
A) the survey
B) naturalistic observation
C) the case study
D) experimentation

Accepted Answer

A survey would be the most appropriate research method in this case, as it allows for the collection of data from a large and diverse sample of Americans regarding their religious beliefs and attitudes towards abortion. This method can provide quantitative data that can be analyzed using statistical techniques to test for relationships between variables. Naturalistic observation would not be suitable in this case, as it would not provide information on individuals' religious beliefs and attitudes towards abortion. The case study method is primarily used when investigating rare or unique cases, and would not be appropriate for a large-scale investigation of attitudes towards abortion among Americans. Experimentation is typically used to investigate cause-and-effect relationships, and would not be suitable for investigating the relationship between religious beliefs and attitudes towards abortion as there are ethical limitations to manipulating individuals' beliefs and attitudes.

Question 17

In their research on people's perception of the relationship between gun violence and gun control in the United States,Dr.Margo and Dr.Dillman have found that people are more approving of "commonsense gun legislation" than "banning weapons." This finding demonstrates which of the following?
A) survey
B) naturalistic observation
C) wording effects
D) case study

Accepted Answer

This finding demonstrates wording effects, as the way the question is worded (using the term "commonsense gun legislation" versus "banning weapons") can influence people's responses.

Question 18

The finding that twice as many millennials report having no sexual partners since the age of 18,compared with those born in the 1960s and 1970s,was derived from the use of which research method?
A) survey
B) experiment
C) case study
D) naturalistic observation

Accepted Answer

The finding is based on a survey, which involves asking a sample of people to report their experiences and behaviors.

Question 19

All those in a group being studied make up the
A) population.
B) sample.
C) case study.
D) survey.

Accepted Answer

The population represents the entire group of individuals or objects being studied, whereas a sample is only a subset of that population. Case study refers to a detailed analysis of a specific individual or case, and a survey is a method of collecting data from a sample or population.

Question 20

Which of the following facilitates more exact descriptions of ongoing behaviors without explaining them?
A) random assignment
B) informed consent
C) naturalistic observation
D) the double-blind procedure

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation involves observing and recording ongoing behavior in a natural setting, without any manipulation or control by the researcher. It allows for more exact descriptions of behaviors that can later be analyzed and interpreted. Random assignment, informed consent, and the double-blind procedure are all research methods that involve experimental manipulation or control, and are therefore less likely to facilitate exact descriptions of ongoing behaviors without explanation.

Quiz 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

Professor Ober carefully observes and records the behaviors of children in their classrooms in order to track the development of their social and intellectual skills.Professor Ober is most clearly engaged in

Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of

A representative sample is one that accurately reflects a larger

To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School,Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students.In this instance,all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n)

One research team studied the ups and downs of human moods by counting positive and negative words in 504 million Twitter messages from 84 countries.The researchers' method best illustrates the use of

New technologies such as smart-phone apps and body-worn sensors have enabled the collection of "big data" by means of

Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as

After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American,Ervin concluded that African-Americans are better athletes than members of other racial groups.Ervin's conclusion best illustrates the danger of

People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by ________ cases.

To compare the pace of life in different countries,investigators measured the speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request.Which research method did this illustrate?

The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it

By revealing what can happen through an in-depth examination of an atypical individual,________ often suggests directions for future research.

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a representative sample of a population is known as

A descriptive technique of monitoring and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation is called

Little Hans' extreme fear of horses was observed as part of a(n)

Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion?

In their research on people's perception of the relationship between gun violence and gun control in the United States,Dr.Margo and Dr.Dillman have found that people are more approving of "commonsense gun legislation" than "banning weapons." This finding demonstrates which of the following?

The finding that twice as many millennials report having no sexual partners since the age of 18,compared with those born in the 1960s and 1970s,was derived from the use of which research method?

All those in a group being studied make up the

Which of the following facilitates more exact descriptions of ongoing behaviors without explaining them?