Question 1

What name is given to the phenomenon in which subjects' performances change because they recognize they are in an experimental treatment?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hawthorne effect 
B)  Placebo effect 
C)  Experimenter effect 
D)  Treatment effect

Question 2

The following statement describe the basic purpose, technique, or result of some research projects.
-The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the percentage of American adults who meet the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines.

Accepted Answer

A)  if the statement describes an experimental study 
B)  if the statement describes a descriptive study.

Question 3

Suppose you conduct an experiment to examine the effects of strength training on three factors: muscular endurance, muscular strength, and muscular power. Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Strength training is the dependent variable. 
B)  Muscular power is the independent variable. 
C)  Muscular endurance is the control variable. 
D)  None of these are true.

Question 4

What is an alternate name for the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Outcome variable 
B)  Manipulated variable 
C)  X variable 
D)  Treatment variable

Question 5

What is the usual method of accounting for the Hawthorne effect?

Accepted Answer

A)  Including a control group 
B)  Using efficient and robust statistics 
C)  Using large sample sizes 
D)  Attempting to achieve the largest difference between groups possible

Question 6

The following statement describe the basic purpose, technique, or result of some research projects.
-To reduce the Hawthorne effect, the researcher met with the control group the same number of times and for the same amount of time as she did with the treatment groups.

Accepted Answer

A)  if the statement describes an experimental study 
B)  if the statement describes a descriptive study.

Question 7

Which method of reasoning relies on observation to test theoretical predictions?

Accepted Answer

A)  Inductive 
B)  Hypothetical 
C)  Theoretical 
D)  Deductive

Question 8

The following statement describe the basic purpose, technique, or result of some research projects.
-In this study, a small sample of subjects was selected for study, and the research hypothesis was modified as the study progressed.

Accepted Answer

A)  if the statement describes an experimental study 
B)  if the statement describes a descriptive study.

Question 9

Suppose a researcher is investigating how exercise habits change in college students over time. If the researcher selects and assesses a sample of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors all at once, what type of research method is involved?

Accepted Answer

A)  Cross-sectional 
B)  Experimental 
C)  Basic 
D)  None of the above

Question 10

Choose the TRUE statement about dependent variables.

Accepted Answer

A)  They are set at one level. 
B)  They are set at more than one level. 
C)  They are measured. 
D)  They are manipulated.

Question 11

Which of the following questions would be of LEAST importance in determining whether or not a basic (versus applied) research project is worth doing?

Accepted Answer

A)  Has the topic been thoroughly investigated? 
B)  Will the results answer a specific question? 
C)  Is it possible to obtain data to answer the question? 
D)  Is the problem of interest to the investigator?

Question 12

In a study to determine whether giving different doses of a drug affects the hematocrit of old and young males and females, what is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Drug dose 
B)  Hematocrit 
C)  Males 
D)  Female

Question 13

In which of the following cases would sampling bias be LEAST likely?

Accepted Answer

A)  Subjects are volunteers. 
B)  An equal proportion of subject mortality occurred in experimental and control groups. 
C)  Subjects who differ in the independent variable are also different in other important respects. 
D)  Subjects having an important characteristic were not included in the sample.

Question 14

Toby thinks that physical ability is affected by age, gender, weight, and physical activity. What is (are)Toby's dependent variable(s)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Age and gender, and weight 
B)  Age and gender 
C)  Physical ability 
D)  Nominal in nature 
E)  Physical ability and physical activity

Question 15

An investigator measures 200 subjects on some variable and selects the 10 subjects who have the highest scores. The mean score for these 10 subjects is 130. If the investigator measured these 10 subjects again on the same variable, what would be the likeliest value of the mean of the second 10 measurements?

Accepted Answer

A)  Less than 130 
B)  130 
C)  More than 130 
D)  Cannot tell from information provided

Question 16

With what functions, respectively, are theories and hypotheses associated?

Accepted Answer

A)  Prediction, control 
B)  Explanation, prediction 
C)  Control, explanation 
D)  Prediction, explanation

Question 17

The statements, "Men have a greater aerobic capacity than women" and "Men have a greater aerobic capacity than women because of a larger cardiorespiratory system" are examples of what levels of knowledge, respectively?

Accepted Answer

A)  Control and description 
B)  Description and explanation 
C)  Explanation and control 
D)  Control and prediction

Question 18

Which of the following is a threat to external validity?

Accepted Answer

A)  Statistical regression 
B)  Pretest sensitization 
C)  Experimental mortality 
D)  Local history

Question 19

Which threat to internal validity is associated with extreme scores in repeated measurements?

Accepted Answer

A)  Statistical regression 
B)  Differential subject selection 
C)  Experimental mortality 
D)  Local history

Exam 1: Research Methods

What name is given to the phenomenon in which subjects' performances change because they recognize they are in an experimental treatment?

The following statement describe the basic purpose, technique, or result of some research projects. -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the percentage of American adults who meet the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines.

Suppose you conduct an experiment to examine the effects of strength training on three factors: muscular endurance, muscular strength, and muscular power. Which of the following is true?

What is an alternate name for the dependent variable?

What is the usual method of accounting for the Hawthorne effect?

The following statement describe the basic purpose, technique, or result of some research projects. -To reduce the Hawthorne effect, the researcher met with the control group the same number of times and for the same amount of time as she did with the treatment groups.

Which method of reasoning relies on observation to test theoretical predictions?

The following statement describe the basic purpose, technique, or result of some research projects. -In this study, a small sample of subjects was selected for study, and the research hypothesis was modified as the study progressed.

Suppose a researcher is investigating how exercise habits change in college students over time. If the researcher selects and assesses a sample of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors all at once, what type of research method is involved?

Choose the TRUE statement about dependent variables.

Which of the following questions would be of LEAST importance in determining whether or not a basic (versus applied) research project is worth doing?

In a study to determine whether giving different doses of a drug affects the hematocrit of old and young males and females, what is the dependent variable?

In which of the following cases would sampling bias be LEAST likely?

Toby thinks that physical ability is affected by age, gender, weight, and physical activity. What is (are) Toby's dependent variable(s) ?

With what functions, respectively, are theories and hypotheses associated?

The statements, "Men have a greater aerobic capacity than women" and "Men have a greater aerobic capacity than women because of a larger cardiorespiratory system" are examples of what levels of knowledge, respectively?

Which of the following is a threat to external validity?

Which threat to internal validity is associated with extreme scores in repeated measurements?