Question 1

Which of the following statements about skepticism is correct?

Accepted Answer

A)  Skepticism about a claim is generally unnecessary if the person making the claim is an authority on the topic. 
B)  Skepticism in science is the willingness to accept an idea without empirical evidence. 
C)  Skepticism means always refusing to believe the claims of authorities in the field. 
D)  Good scientists must balance skepticism and openness to new ideas. 
A)  Skepticism about a claim is generally unnecessary if the person making the claim is an authority on the topic. 
B)  Skepticism in science is the willingness to accept an idea without empirical evidence. 
C)  Skepticism means always refusing to believe the claims of authorities in the field. 
D)  Good scientists must balance skepticism and openness to new ideas.

Question 2

The tendency to look for information that supports one's own belief is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  the principle of falsifiability. 
B)  confirmation bias. 
C)  denialism. 
D)  cognitive inertia. 
A)  the principle of falsifiability. 
B)  confirmation bias. 
C)  denialism. 
D)  cognitive inertia.

Question 3

Apparent associations between two things that are not really related are called _______________ correlations.

Accepted Answer

A)  illusory 
B)  positive 
C)  negative 
D)  multiple 
A)  illusory 
B)  positive 
C)  negative 
D)  multiple

Question 4

The likelihood of lying in surveys is reduced when the respondents are guaranteed anonymity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

A research hypothesis proposes that consuming low carbohydrate diets results in increased weight loss. One group of participants follows a low-carb diet for 3 weeks, whereas a second group follows a high-carb diet containing the same number of calories for 3 weeks. The average number of pounds lost for each group is then is compared. What is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)  number of pounds lost 
B)  length of time on the diet 
C)  the amount of carbs in each diet 
D)  the number of calories in each diet 
A)  number of pounds lost 
B)  length of time on the diet 
C)  the amount of carbs in each diet 
D)  the number of calories in each diet

Question 6

A variable that is predicted to be affected by an experimenter's manipulations in experimental research is called a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  extraneous variable. 
B)  dependent variable. 
C)  confounding variable. 
D)  independent variable. 
A)  extraneous variable. 
B)  dependent variable. 
C)  confounding variable. 
D)  independent variable.

Question 7

If a psychological test measures what it is supposed to measure, it has which of the following properties?

Accepted Answer

A)  reliability 
B)  validity 
C)  variability 
D)  standardization 
A)  reliability 
B)  validity 
C)  variability 
D)  standardization

Question 8

When the relationship between age and mental abilities is studied through cross-sectional methods, the results often conflict with the findings from longitudinal studies. Explain the basic procedures in each type of study and then discuss why the two methods sometimes yield different results.

Accepted Answer

A good answer will include the following

Question 9

The ability of a test to measure what it is designed to measure is called standardization.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true about correlation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Positive correlations are meaningful, but negative ones are not. 
B)  Negative correlations are weak, but positive ones are strong. 
C)  Correlations close to +1.0 or 1.0 are strong, whereas correlations close to 0 are weak. 
D)  A strong correlation is indicative of a causal relationship between variables. 
A)  Positive correlations are meaningful, but negative ones are not. 
B)  Negative correlations are weak, but positive ones are strong. 
C)  Correlations close to +1.0 or 1.0 are strong, whereas correlations close to 0 are weak. 
D)  A strong correlation is indicative of a causal relationship between variables.

Question 11

A disadvantage of experimental research is that it does not permit identification of cause and effect.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Dawn is systematically recording the behaviors of the kids in a nursery school, taking pains to avoid being obvious about what she is doing. Dawn is engaging in a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  observational study. 
B)  exploratory research. 
C)  experimental research. 
D)  double-blind study. 
A)  observational study. 
B)  exploratory research. 
C)  experimental research. 
D)  double-blind study.

Question 13

If TV watching is positively correlated with children's aggressiveness, then in what possible ways could this relationship be explained?

Accepted Answer

A good answer will include the following

Question 14

Which of the following would be considered a good example of a representative sample of college students in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  a survey given to several rural college classrooms 
B)  a questionnaire mailed to random households in Texas 
C)  a survey given to a diverse population in both urban and rural college classrooms in several states 
D)  volunteers who found your survey on the Internet 
A)  a survey given to several rural college classrooms 
B)  a questionnaire mailed to random households in Texas 
C)  a survey given to a diverse population in both urban and rural college classrooms in several states 
D)  volunteers who found your survey on the Internet

Question 15

A statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena is called a(n) _______________.

Accepted Answer

A)  hypothesis 
B)  axiom 
C)  corollary 
D)  theory 
A)  hypothesis 
B)  axiom 
C)  corollary 
D)  theory

Question 16

In an experimental situation, the independent variable:

Accepted Answer

A)  is a placebo. 
B)  is measured. 
C)  is held constant. 
D)  is manipulated. 
A)  is a placebo. 
B)  is measured. 
C)  is held constant. 
D)  is manipulated.

Question 17

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?

Accepted Answer

A)  There is no control group to compare to the people in his program. 
B)  He lacks a well-developed hypothesis. 
C)  Over 30 percent of the people did not improve. 
D)  The professor conducted an experiment when he should have done a laboratory observation. 
A)  There is no control group to compare to the people in his program. 
B)  He lacks a well-developed hypothesis. 
C)  Over 30 percent of the people did not improve. 
D)  The professor conducted an experiment when he should have done a laboratory observation.

Question 18

An academic researcher would use the case study method for a research study when:

Accepted Answer

A)  a new discovery has been made regarding a cause-and-effect relationship. 
B)  the relationship between two variables needs to be established. 
C)  ethical considerations prevent the usage of other sources of information. 
D)  the purpose of the research is to track down a cause. 
A)  a new discovery has been made regarding a cause-and-effect relationship. 
B)  the relationship between two variables needs to be established. 
C)  ethical considerations prevent the usage of other sources of information. 
D)  the purpose of the research is to track down a cause.

Question 19

When a correlation coefficient indicates a strong relationship between two variables, one variable is causing the other.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

A researcher plans to conduct an experiment to test whether a cup of hot milk at night helps people fall asleep faster than usual. In this study, the independent variable is:

Accepted Answer

A)  the amount of time it takes participants to fall asleep. 
B)  the consumption of hot milk at bedtime. 
C)  the number of participants drinking hot milk at bedtime. 
D)  the number of hours each participant sleeps for. 
A)  the amount of time it takes participants to fall asleep. 
B)  the consumption of hot milk at bedtime. 
C)  the number of participants drinking hot milk at bedtime. 
D)  the number of hours each participant sleeps for.

Which of the following statements about skepticism is correct?

The tendency to look for information that supports one's own belief is called:

Apparent associations between two things that are not really related are called _______________ correlations.

The likelihood of lying in surveys is reduced when the respondents are guaranteed anonymity.

A variable that is predicted to be affected by an experimenter's manipulations in experimental research is called a(n):

If a psychological test measures what it is supposed to measure, it has which of the following properties?

When the relationship between age and mental abilities is studied through cross-sectional methods, the results often conflict with the findings from longitudinal studies. Explain the basic procedures in each type of study and then discuss why the two methods sometimes yield different results.

The ability of a test to measure what it is designed to measure is called standardization.

Which of the following statements is true about correlation?

A disadvantage of experimental research is that it does not permit identification of cause and effect.

Dawn is systematically recording the behaviors of the kids in a nursery school, taking pains to avoid being obvious about what she is doing. Dawn is engaging in a(n):

If TV watching is positively correlated with children's aggressiveness, then in what possible ways could this relationship be explained?

Which of the following would be considered a good example of a representative sample of college students in the United States?

A statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena is called a(n) _______________.

In an experimental situation, the independent variable:

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?

An academic researcher would use the case study method for a research study when:

When a correlation coefficient indicates a strong relationship between two variables, one variable is causing the other.

A researcher plans to conduct an experiment to test whether a cup of hot milk at night helps people fall asleep faster than usual. In this study, the independent variable is:

What Is Psychology

Genes, Evolution, and Environment

The Brain and Nervous System

Body Rhythms and Mental States

Sensation and Perception

Learning and Conditioning

Behavior in Social and Cultural Context

Thinking and Intelligence

Memory

Emotion, Stress, and Health

Motivation

Development Over the Life Span

Theories of Personality

Psychological Disorders

Approaches to Treatment and Therapy

Filters

Exam 2: How Psychologists Do Research

Which of the following statements about skepticism is correct?

The tendency to look for information that supports one's own belief is called:

Apparent associations between two things that are not really related are called _______________ correlations.

The likelihood of lying in surveys is reduced when the respondents are guaranteed anonymity.

A variable that is predicted to be affected by an experimenter's manipulations in experimental research is called a(n):

If a psychological test measures what it is supposed to measure, it has which of the following properties?

When the relationship between age and mental abilities is studied through cross-sectional methods, the results often conflict with the findings from longitudinal studies. Explain the basic procedures in each type of study and then discuss why the two methods sometimes yield different results.

The ability of a test to measure what it is designed to measure is called standardization.

Which of the following statements is true about correlation?

A disadvantage of experimental research is that it does not permit identification of cause and effect.

Dawn is systematically recording the behaviors of the kids in a nursery school, taking pains to avoid being obvious about what she is doing. Dawn is engaging in a(n):

If TV watching is positively correlated with children's aggressiveness, then in what possible ways could this relationship be explained?

Which of the following would be considered a good example of a representative sample of college students in the United States?

A statement that attempts to predict or account for a set of phenomena is called a(n) _______________.

In an experimental situation, the independent variable:

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?

An academic researcher would use the case study method for a research study when:

When a correlation coefficient indicates a strong relationship between two variables, one variable is causing the other.

A researcher plans to conduct an experiment to test whether a cup of hot milk at night helps people fall asleep faster than usual. In this study, the independent variable is:

What Is Psychology

Genes, Evolution, and Environment

The Brain and Nervous System

Body Rhythms and Mental States

Sensation and Perception

Learning and Conditioning

Behavior in Social and Cultural Context

Thinking and Intelligence

Memory

Emotion, Stress, and Health

Motivation

Development Over the Life Span

Theories of Personality

Psychological Disorders

Approaches to Treatment and Therapy

Filters