Exam 2: Research Methods

Did you enjoy taking the SAT when you neared the end of high school? Perhaps you thought it was a waste of time.Maybe you'd be interested in reading some research that suggests people who score higher on the SAT tend to earn better grades in college.The ability of this test to anticipate what will happen in the future is called __________ validity.

It is difficult for psychologists to make generalizations about our behaviors from one person to another.This limitation of research describes which of the empirical challenges of studying people?

A study in which each participant is exposed to several different independent variables is referred to as a __________-group experiment.

The most extreme example of the power of suggestion is seen in the __________ effect.

What basic research technique can be used to avoid biased samples?

Dr.Subing conducted a research experiment investigating the effect of ceiling fans on water consumption in laboratory rats.She was able to control for almost every factor that would influence the rats' desire to drink water,so in the end she had a lot of confidence that the dependent variable (water consumption)was caused exclusively by the independent variable (ceiling fans).In statistical terms,this project has high __________ validity.

Which of the following statements about laboratory studies and field studies is the most accurate?

Dr.Kochkodin wants to do a research study where he will be able to determine if changes in room temperature cause changes in exam score among undergraduate psychology students.What sort of research design is he most likely to use?

Russell is conducting a study that employs naturalistic observation of teenagers at a local shopping mall food court.He is observing their "flirting" behaviors,and hypothesizes that the better clothes a teenager wears,the more likely he or she is to be flirted with.As he makes his observations,one of his research partners notices that he does not pay attention to the teenagers who have less "nice" clothing nearly as much as he does to those kids who have a lot of trendy,fashionable clothing.Russell is falling prey to which disadvantage of naturalistic observation?

Which of the following words is the best synonym for the term reliability?

Experimental research studies are more likely to be conducted in the _________,while descriptive and correlational studies are usually performed in the __________.

A normal distribution is a symmetrical,bell-shaped curve.

After the amazing case of Clever Hans was given a thorough investigation,a psychologist determined that there was a very simple explanation why this horse was able to demonstrate such amazing cognitive abilities.What was this conclusion?

What is a technique that a researcher can use to avoid the observer bias effect when engaging in naturalistic observation?

Dr.Martinez is doing a research study examining the effects of a new headache medication on migraine pain.He decides to divide his participants up into four subject groups,each one of which will receive a different amount of medication to take when they have a migraine.The participants in group one receive a pill with 10 milligrams of the experimental medication,while the participants in group two receive a pill with 20 milligrams.Those assigned to group three receive a pill with 30 milligrams,while those in group four receive a placebo pill that has zero milligrams of the medication.How many experimental groups are in this research study?

What procedure can a researcher use to make sure that the various participant groups are kept roughly equivalent before exposure to an independent variable?

Which of the following questions regarding the treatment of research participants is the most important for a psychologist to consider prior to beginning his/her research?

What does an IRB do if a proposed research project is found to violate the rules governing ethical research practices?

The fact that human beings have various thoughts and feelings that affect their behavior demonstrates which empirical challenge related to studying people?

When it comes to studying human beings,there are several empirical challenges that must be considered.Which of the following is one of the challenges mentioned in the textbook?