Exam 2: Psychology’s Scientific Method

Dr.Wong is conducting an experiment on conformity.His research subjects include all of the students who are taking his introductory sociology course.In the context of the research,this entire group of students is referred to as the:

Explain the concepts of experimental groups and control groups with examples.

The correlational method differs from naturalistic observation in that the correlational method:

Which of the following statements is true about using a case study as a method of descriptive research in psychology?

As a part of a medical research study,a researcher exposes two groups of participants either to an actual painkiller or a sugar pill.The participants feel their pain being eliminated even with the sugar pill.In this case,the sugar pill is known as the:

In the context of ethics guidelines in psychological research,deception is ethically allowed:

Contestants of reality television (TV)shows are often asked to engage in unpleasant behaviors,such as eating bugs or living in isolation for days.While viewers think they are learning about human nature,these experiments are not real psychological studies that employ the scientific method and ethical guidelines as put forth by the American Psychological Association.Describe why these TV shows do not meet the ethical guidelines that psychological research must follow.

When using inferential statistics in psychological research studies,the researcher learns:

People should take a research study as the absolute,final answer to a problem,especially when the findings of the study are compelling.

A _____ design is a special kind of systematic observation,used by correlational researchers,that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time.

A _____ design is a type of correlational study in which variables are measured at a single point in time and then observations from this single measurement are compared.

Dr.Gordon conducts an experiment on one of her clients,Johnny,who displays symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.She postulates that Johnny's hyperactivity will be measured by the number of times he moves about while in the middle of a conversation.In this scenario,Dr.Gordon's postulation is the:

In the context of correlational research,if there is no relationship between two variables,what is the correlation coefficient?

In the context of experimental research,internal validity refers to the:

Bill can predict participants' scores on a particular math test with perfect accuracy by knowing their scores on a specific aptitude test.Higher scores on the math test are closely associated with higher scores on the aptitude test.Which of the following correlation coefficients most likely expresses an accurate relationship between the two tests?

The influence of a researcher's expectations on the outcome of a research study is known as _____ bias.

_____ characteristics are any aspects of an experimental research study that communicate to participants how the experimenter wants them to behave.

In the context of a correlational study,what does the positive or negative sign of a correlation coefficient indicate?

The head of accounting at Delores Inc.is computing a value that represents the company's financial performance for the previous year.The company made approximately $90,000 in 11 out of the 12 months.In the last month of the fiscal year,the company made $530,000.In this scenario,which measure of central tendency will be least effective as an accurate representation of financial performance?

Briefly describe the research of James Pennebaker with regard to expressive writing and health,and present the guidelines an individual should follow in order to benefit from the healing power of writing.