Question 1

Which research method allows the researcher to focus on causality?

Accepted Answer

A) observational methods 
B) correlational methods 
C) experimental methods 
D) archival analyses 
A) observational methods 
B) correlational methods 
C) experimental methods 
D) archival analyses

Question 2

There are many advantages to using experiments; however,a major drawback is

Accepted Answer

A) they do not help to establish a causal relationship. 
B) they tend to be low on internal validity. 
C) the need to ensure psychological realism to maintain external validity. 
D) they do not involve random assignment. 
A) they do not help to establish a causal relationship. 
B) they tend to be low on internal validity. 
C) the need to ensure psychological realism to maintain external validity. 
D) they do not involve random assignment.

Question 3

The notion of "the basic dilemma of the social psychologist" refers to

Accepted Answer

A) whether or not to conduct ethically questionable research. 
B) whether or not to use deception in their experiments. 
C) the trade-off between internal and external validity. 
D) the trade-off between independent and dependent variables. 
A) whether or not to conduct ethically questionable research. 
B) whether or not to use deception in their experiments. 
C) the trade-off between internal and external validity. 
D) the trade-off between independent and dependent variables.

Question 4

Using observational research methods allows research to focus on

Accepted Answer

A) description. 
B) prediction. 
C) causality. 
D) validity. 
A) description. 
B) prediction. 
C) causality. 
D) validity.

Question 5

According to the authors of your text,the ultimate test of an experiment's external validity is

Accepted Answer

A) generalizability. 
B) p-value. 
C) replications. 
D) random selection. 
A) generalizability. 
B) p-value. 
C) replications. 
D) random selection.

Question 6

Which of the following is not an advantage of doing survey research?

Accepted Answer

A) Surveys allow researchers to understand attitudes and social behavior. 
B) Surveys are used to establish a causal explanation. 
C) Surveys allow researchers to understand behaviors that are difficult to observe. 
D) Surveys involve sampling representative segments of the population. 
A) Surveys allow researchers to understand attitudes and social behavior. 
B) Surveys are used to establish a causal explanation. 
C) Surveys allow researchers to understand behaviors that are difficult to observe. 
D) Surveys involve sampling representative segments of the population.

Question 7

A goal of ethnography that makes it different from other methods of testing theories is that in ethnography,the researcher

Accepted Answer

A) tries to understand the group or culture without imposing his or her own ideas on it. 
B) focuses on interjudge reliability. 
C) relies on the accumulated documents of a culture as a technique for understanding. 
D) focuses on assessing behaviors that occur more often in private than in public. 
A) tries to understand the group or culture without imposing his or her own ideas on it. 
B) focuses on interjudge reliability. 
C) relies on the accumulated documents of a culture as a technique for understanding. 
D) focuses on assessing behaviors that occur more often in private than in public.

Question 8

Describe three different ways that experimental social psychologists can enhance their faith in the external validity of their experiments.

Accepted Answer

They can work to make their experiments

Question 9

The phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility can best be described as

Accepted Answer

A) the more people who witness an emergency,the more likely any one person is to help. 
B) the fewer people who witness an emergency,the more likely it is that they will take longer to help. 
C) the more people who witness an emergency,the less likely it is that witnesses will help. 
D) the fewer people who witness an emergency,the less likely it is that the victim will be blamed. 
A) the more people who witness an emergency,the more likely any one person is to help. 
B) the fewer people who witness an emergency,the more likely it is that they will take longer to help. 
C) the more people who witness an emergency,the less likely it is that witnesses will help. 
D) the fewer people who witness an emergency,the less likely it is that the victim will be blamed.

Question 10

Based on Nisbett & Wilson's (1977)work (as presented by the authors of your text)on telling more than you can know,if a survey respondent is asked about a hypothetical situation,he or she is probably going to respond

Accepted Answer

A) in line with their theories and beliefs about what should have influenced them. 
B) very accurately about how he or she would truly behave. 
C) based on their impulses,and not using logical thought. 
D) based on how they believe the researcher wants them to respond. 
A) in line with their theories and beliefs about what should have influenced them. 
B) very accurately about how he or she would truly behave. 
C) based on their impulses,and not using logical thought. 
D) based on how they believe the researcher wants them to respond.

Question 11

According to your text,a perfect study would involve

Accepted Answer

A) random assignment; random selection; realistic setting; control of all extraneous variables. 
B) random assignment or random selection; control over all extraneous variables. 
C) high levels of external validity. 
D) an experiment,which shows that one variable causes another. 
A) random assignment; random selection; realistic setting; control of all extraneous variables. 
B) random assignment or random selection; control over all extraneous variables. 
C) high levels of external validity. 
D) an experiment,which shows that one variable causes another.

Question 12

Carlos,the president of a fraternity on campus,randomly sampled 500 students,asked them if they belonged to a fraternity or sorority,and asked them about their current GPA.He discovered that the GPAs of those people in fraternities and sororities are higher than those of people who are not involved in the Greek system.Gleefully,he presented his findings to the Dean,saying that being involved in a fraternity or sorority leads to higher grades.What rule of research methods is Carlos breaking?

Accepted Answer

A) Correlation does not equal causation. 
B) College students are not representative of the whole sample of people in the world. 
C) His sample size of 500 is too small to make such a generalization. 
D) Correlational data do not provide any practical information on a topic. 
A) Correlation does not equal causation. 
B) College students are not representative of the whole sample of people in the world. 
C) His sample size of 500 is too small to make such a generalization. 
D) Correlational data do not provide any practical information on a topic.

Question 13

Recall the description of political polls taken by Literary Digest about the Landon vs.Roosevelt election,and by Reagan's staff about his race with Mondale.These are two examples of a potential error that can be made when doing survey research involving political polls.What is the lesson that survey researchers learned from these errors?

Accepted Answer

A) Although people may report one opinion,they are likely to behave differently. 
B) Surveys are not useful tools for predicting human behavior. 
C) It is important to ask mostly hypothetical questions. 
D) It is important to use random selection to obtain a representative sample. 
A) Although people may report one opinion,they are likely to behave differently. 
B) Surveys are not useful tools for predicting human behavior. 
C) It is important to ask mostly hypothetical questions. 
D) It is important to use random selection to obtain a representative sample.

Question 14

A recent study found that the more time fathers spend with their children,the less likely they are to abuse their children.Which of the following is the most valid interpretation of this finding?

Accepted Answer

A) Fathers who spend a lot of time with their children are more likely to develop loving relationships,reducing the likelihood that they will abuse their children. 
B) Many fathers who abuse their children feel guilty and thus avoid spending time with their children. 
C) There is some third variable,such as having an anti-social personality,that increases the likelihood that fathers will abuse their children and that they will spend little time with them. 
D) Either A,B,or C could be true,and one can't tell which,based on the results of the study. 
A) Fathers who spend a lot of time with their children are more likely to develop loving relationships,reducing the likelihood that they will abuse their children. 
B) Many fathers who abuse their children feel guilty and thus avoid spending time with their children. 
C) There is some third variable,such as having an anti-social personality,that increases the likelihood that fathers will abuse their children and that they will spend little time with them. 
D) Either A,B,or C could be true,and one can't tell which,based on the results of the study.

Question 15

A researcher wants to test the hypothesis that people in Asian cultures are more likely to use the word "we" than the word "I" when talking to others.To test this prediction,she sits at a café and surreptitiously listens to five-minute snippets of a random sample of the conversations going on around her over a week-long period.Which of the following best describes the researcher's method?

Accepted Answer

A) ethnography 
B) correlational method 
C) naturalistic observation 
D) casual observation 
A) ethnography 
B) correlational method 
C) naturalistic observation 
D) casual observation

Question 16

According to the authors of your text,diaries,novels,and television shows would be examined as part of ____ research.

Accepted Answer

A) ethnographic 
B) experimental 
C) correlational 
D) archival 
A) ethnographic 
B) experimental 
C) correlational 
D) archival

Question 17

Using a cover story to enhance the psychological realism of an experiment is one way to increase the ____ of a study.

Accepted Answer

A) internal validity 
B) external validity 
C) reliability 
D) p-value 
A) internal validity 
B) external validity 
C) reliability 
D) p-value

Question 18

Why is random assignment important in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A) It assures that all participants take part in all conditions of a study. 
B) It allows researchers to rule out individual differences as an alternative explanation. 
C) It ensures that all participants see the same manipulation of the independent variable. 
D) It is an index of the probability that experimental results occurred by chance. 
A) It assures that all participants take part in all conditions of a study. 
B) It allows researchers to rule out individual differences as an alternative explanation. 
C) It ensures that all participants see the same manipulation of the independent variable. 
D) It is an index of the probability that experimental results occurred by chance.

Question 19

Which of the following is one of the ethical principles that psychologists must follow when using human participants? All participants must be

Accepted Answer

A) informed that they can withdraw from the study at any time. 
B) informed of the true nature of the study upon arriving at the laboratory. 
C) contacted six months after the study to assure that no psychological harm resulted. 
D) compensated in some way for their participation in research. 
A) informed that they can withdraw from the study at any time. 
B) informed of the true nature of the study upon arriving at the laboratory. 
C) contacted six months after the study to assure that no psychological harm resulted. 
D) compensated in some way for their participation in research.

Question 20

One of the greatest advantages of surveys is that researchers

Accepted Answer

A) can examine variables that are difficult to observe directly. 
B) don't have to worry about whether their samples are representative. 
C) can be confident that respondents answered honestly. 
D) can be biased,but still collect objective information. 
A) can examine variables that are difficult to observe directly. 
B) don't have to worry about whether their samples are representative. 
C) can be confident that respondents answered honestly. 
D) can be biased,but still collect objective information.

Which research method allows the researcher to focus on causality?

There are many advantages to using experiments; however,a major drawback is

The notion of "the basic dilemma of the social psychologist" refers to

Using observational research methods allows research to focus on

According to the authors of your text,the ultimate test of an experiment's external validity is

Which of the following is not an advantage of doing survey research?

A goal of ethnography that makes it different from other methods of testing theories is that in ethnography,the researcher

Describe three different ways that experimental social psychologists can enhance their faith in the external validity of their experiments.

The phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility can best be described as

Based on Nisbett & Wilson's (1977)work (as presented by the authors of your text)on telling more than you can know,if a survey respondent is asked about a hypothetical situation,he or she is probably going to respond

According to your text,a perfect study would involve

A recent study found that the more time fathers spend with their children,the less likely they are to abuse their children.Which of the following is the most valid interpretation of this finding?

According to the authors of your text,diaries,novels,and television shows would be examined as part of ____ research.

Using a cover story to enhance the psychological realism of an experiment is one way to increase the ____ of a study.

Why is random assignment important in an experiment?

Which of the following is one of the ethical principles that psychologists must follow when using human participants? All participants must be

One of the greatest advantages of surveys is that researchers

Introducing Social Psychology

Social Cognition: How We Think About the Social World

Social Perception: How We Come to Understand Other People

The Self: Understanding Ourselves in a Social Context

The Need to Justify Our Actions: the Costs and Benefits of Dissonance Reduction

Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts and Feelings

Conformity: Influencing Behavior

Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups

Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships

Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help

Aggression: Why Do We Hurt Other People

Prejudice: Causes and Cures

Filters

Exam 2: Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research

Which research method allows the researcher to focus on causality?

There are many advantages to using experiments; however,a major drawback is

The notion of "the basic dilemma of the social psychologist" refers to

Using observational research methods allows research to focus on

According to the authors of your text,the ultimate test of an experiment's external validity is

Which of the following is not an advantage of doing survey research?

A goal of ethnography that makes it different from other methods of testing theories is that in ethnography,the researcher

Describe three different ways that experimental social psychologists can enhance their faith in the external validity of their experiments.

The phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility can best be described as

Based on Nisbett & Wilson's (1977)work (as presented by the authors of your text)on telling more than you can know,if a survey respondent is asked about a hypothetical situation,he or she is probably going to respond

According to your text,a perfect study would involve

A recent study found that the more time fathers spend with their children,the less likely they are to abuse their children.Which of the following is the most valid interpretation of this finding?

According to the authors of your text,diaries,novels,and television shows would be examined as part of ____ research.

Using a cover story to enhance the psychological realism of an experiment is one way to increase the ____ of a study.

Why is random assignment important in an experiment?

Which of the following is one of the ethical principles that psychologists must follow when using human participants? All participants must be

One of the greatest advantages of surveys is that researchers

Introducing Social Psychology

Social Cognition: How We Think About the Social World

Social Perception: How We Come to Understand Other People

The Self: Understanding Ourselves in a Social Context

The Need to Justify Our Actions: the Costs and Benefits of Dissonance Reduction

Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts and Feelings

Conformity: Influencing Behavior

Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups

Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships

Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help

Aggression: Why Do We Hurt Other People

Prejudice: Causes and Cures

Filters