Exam 2: The Science of Social Psychology

Kristen is interested in studying how heat influences crime.Using data from weather reports and police records of crime reports she tests the hypothesis that crime is higher on days that are hot.Kristen has conducted a(n)

In order to avoid the problem of the placebo effect,a researcher could do which of the following?

When every participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in an experiment this is termed:

In an attempt to determine whether noise interferes with performance,Marc randomly assigns participants to take a math test either while listening to loud music or in silence.In this study,the presence of absence of noise would be considered the:

What type of research involves exploring the relationship between two variables?

Which of the following statements about random assignment is NOT true:

Define experimental research.Describe the two components that are required to conduct experimental research.

All of the following can be considered a descriptive method except:

An experimenter finds that students in a morning class perform better on a math test after being taught with a new teaching method compared with students in an afternoon class who are taught with a standard teaching method.He concludes that the new teaching method is superior to the old method.The main problem with this experimenter's conclusion is:

You routinely stop at a nearby restaurant every Friday to pick-up your favorite tuna-melt sandwich.During your latest visit,you are shocked to learn that the sandwich you love so much has been taken off the menu because it is not very popular among customers.Your surprise can best be explained by _____________?

Which of the following is a form of data collection in which participants are asked to rate or describe their own behavior or mental state?

When a participant's suspicions,expectations,or assumptions about the study influence the results this is known as ______________.

A researcher gives half of her participants a new anti-anxiety pill and the other half a placebo pill.She does not tell participants whether they have received an active treatment pill or a sugar pill.This is an example of what type of study?

The tendency to view events that have already occurred in the past as more predictable than they were before they took place is defined as _____________.

You hypothesize that lack of sleep impairs cognitive ability.In order to test your hypothesis,you will have to determine how to define and measure 'lack of sleep' and 'cognitive ability'.This is another way of saying that you will have to:

A study that asks participants to rate their level of satisfaction with life is an example of a naturalistic observational study.

A researcher who wants to know whether drinking caffeine causes increased energy would be most likely to conduct what type of study?

An experimenter who has falsely told participants they are taking part in a study about food preferences when the study is really concerned with eating disorders has utilized deception.

Compare and contrast descriptive methods and experimental methods.What distinguishes these two research methods from one another?

Which ethical principle in the Belmont requires researchers do no harm by maximizing the potential benefits to participants and minimizing the potential harm?