Exam 2: Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research

Assume that instead of conducting experiments,Latané and Darley had used a correlational method to study the relationship between the number of bystanders who witness an emergency and how quickly a victim receives help.Assume that the correlational data were compatible with results from experiments: the more bystanders,the more time it took bystanders to help.What type of correlation is this between time and number of bystanders?

Which of the following best defines the term "sample"?

A psychologist first conducted a study on helping behavior with a sample of college undergraduates.This psychologist then replicated the study using the same procedure with a different participant sample.If similar results were obtained with both samples,this experimenter has demonstrated

A social psychologist employing the ____ method of research is most like a video camera.

A hypothesis is most like a(n)

After Lyla's husband was injured in a car accident,she said,"I woke up with a bad feeling in my stomach-I knew something was off about that day." Lyla is exhibiting

Based on the errors in sampling in political polls that were described in your text,how would you recommend obtaining a representative sample for a poll (survey)about political candidates?

Dr.Lim conducts a study in which he places either an expensive or a cheap purse on a park bench.He then counts how many people try to return the purse to its owner.What kind of study is this?

The biggest problem with using random assignment and controlling extraneous variables in an experiment is that

According to the authors of your text,one of the major problems with relying solely on evolutionary theory as the only explanation for social behavior is that

Which is more important: basic or applied research?

Given the problems with the evolutionary approach to psychology,what is a major advantage to using this approach?

When an experiment has shown that an independent variable is a cause of a phenomenon,what is the most reasonable conclusion one should draw?

____ methods allow a researcher to make a valid cause-and-effect statement about the variables in her study.

The first stage in doing research is usually to ____.

____ research involves systematic examination of the documents or records of a culture.

When social psychologists observe something in everyday life that is interesting,how is such information useful in research?

Observational research allows a researcher to

All of the following are limits on observational research except

Dr.Nash wants to conduct research on spousal abuse.Why would Dr.Nash be unwise to use observational methods for this topic?