Exam 2: How Psychologists Do Research

Psychologists sometimes prefer to make observations in a laboratory setting rather than a naturalistic setting because:

What was wrong with Norman Cousins's claim that humour and vitamins could cure life-threatening diseases?

Dr. Olson wants to know whether or not the first three years of life are critical for acquiring language. She decides to study children who have been deprived of human language. The appropriate method to use to explore this issue would be a/an:

All of the following variables EXCEPT ________ show a positive correlation.

Dr. Nicod is conducting research in France in order to determine the ways that mothers and their toddlers interact throughout the day. It is most likely that she is engaged in:

A hypothesis is a statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena.

Marcy is trying to define "anxiety" in a way that can be empirically tested. She is attempting to find an appropriate:

A laboratory observation would be the most appropriate method to investigate which of these topics?

The Tri-Council and CPA's ethical guidelines require researchers to show that any deceptive procedures are justified by a study's potential value.

A research hypothesis proposes that consuming low-carbohydrate diets results in increased weight loss. One group of people follows a low-carb diet for three weeks, while a second group follows a high-carb diet containing the same number of calories for three weeks. The average number of pounds lost per person is compared. What is the independent variable?

Match these descriptions with the appropriate research terms. -A statement that attempts to predict or to account for a set of phenomena; it specifies relationships among events or variables.

All of the following variables EXCEPT ________ show a negative correlation.

Experiments are more valuable than other research methods because:

A naturalistic observation would be the most appropriate method to investigate which of these topics?

Dr. Wiseman wants to know about the alcohol consumption patterns among college students in Canada. He should:

Match these descriptions with the appropriate research method. -A controlled test of a hypothesis in which the researcher manipulates one variable to discover its effect on another.

Descriptive methods yield characterizations of behaviour but not necessarily causal explanations.

A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated is called a:

The variable that an experimenter manipulates is called the dependent variable.

According to the ethical guidelines of the Tri-Council and the Canadian Psychological Association, researchers using human subjects must do all of the following EXCEPT: