Exam 2: How Psychologists Do Research

Some correlational studies have found that people who are chronically depressed are more likely than non-depressed people to develop cancer. Which of the following can be derived from the study?

In a laboratory, smokers are asked to drive using a computerized driving simulator and cover the maximum distance possible, while avoiding rear-end collisions. Some volunteers are given a real cigarette to smoke immediately before the test. Others smoke a fake cigarette without nicotine. The number of collisions the two groups make is to be compared. In this study, the dependent variable is:

Descriptive or experimental research that is conducted in a natural setting outside of the laboratory is called:

Dr. Mukherjee is a psychologist with a private practice in Vancouver. One of Dr. Mukherjee's long-time clients has been accused of murder and the trial is set to start next year.

_______________ are usually sources of hypotheses, rather than tests of hypotheses.

Which of the following correlation coefficient values indicate the strongest relationship between two variables?

Professor Villanueva has developed a new form of therapy that he believes reduces anxiety. He bases his claim on the fact that 63 percent of the people who go through his program show little to no anxiety after treatment. Why might a scientist be skeptical of his claim?

Professor Morin wants to know whether eating sweets before bedtime causes children to take longer to fall asleep. In his experiment, whether or not a sweet is given before bedtime is the:

In most cases, the pop-psychology tests found in magazines and newspapers:

A psychologist has the option of gathering information through psychological tests or through self-evaluations by the participants. Which option would be more effective in clarifying the differences and similarities between individuals? Why?

When Hoshi takes a personality test, she is told that the resulting score is compared to norms; that is, the test:

Which of the following correlation coefficient values indicate the strongest relationship between two variables?

A _______________ is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.

The hotter the weather, the more muggings tend to occur. This means that:

A statistical measure of the relationship between two variables is known as:

Which of the following is an operational definition of depression?