Exam 2: Reading and Evaluating Scientific Research

Two variables are said to have a correlation when scores on one variable:

Dr.Johansen randomly assigned subjects to three different groups during her last experiment.She then proceeded to give all the participants in the experiment a new study technique designed to enhance their learning for the upcoming test.What critical error did she make during her experiment?

Dr.Welsh is doing experiments using drugs.He is concerned that his subjects will respond to demand characteristics.He may want to control for this by using which of the following?

A correlation of .00 means:

Anecdotal evidence,appeals to authority,and appeals to common sense are all considered poor forms of evidence.Provide an example of each and explain why claims based on them cannot be trusted.

The volunteers for the Tuskegee Syphilis Study were intentionally left untreated for decades and many died from the disease.

In an experiment,a researcher manipulates one variable to see how it affects a second variable.The manipulated variable is called the __________.

In order to make objective measurements,psychologists generally measure ___________.

A research method in which the real-life behavior of a pre-selected person or a group is studied at an in-depth level for some time through the use of observation,interviews,and writings (such as letters)is the _____________ method of research.

If researchers wanted to study the effect of various factors on reaction time,which factor would require the researchers to use a quasi-experimental design instead of an experimental design?

As part of an assignment,Bill's class was asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire on sexual discrimination.Which research method was Bill's professor using?

Conceptually,the standard deviation for a distribution can be thought of as:

_____________ research does not an attempt to explain how or why something happened,but instead it is an opportunity to present observations about the characteristics of the subject.

Correlational research designs are NOT appropriate for purposes of _______________.

A sample that does not truly represent the population in question is known as a _____________ sample.

A group of researchers are studying depression in a sample of patients.Each researcher independently assesses the level of depression in each patient,but their assessments do not match.The problem with the research is that:

Professor Todd decides to test her hypothesis that eating chocolate prior to exams increases students' test scores.She randomly assigns students to two groups at the beginning of the semester.One group receives a bar of chocolate before each test,while the other group receives another type of candy.She compares their scores at the end of the year,and finds that the students who ate the chocolate scored an average of ten points higher on their exams.What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

Why is it essential that the experimental and control groups be treated identically in every respect but one?

One way to increase the possibility that research results will generalize is to study a ____________ sample.

An experiment is said to be __________ when neither researchers nor participants are aware of who is in the experimental or control group.