Question 1

Time sampling and situation sampling are used to increase which of the following characteristics of observational findings?

Accepted Answer

A) efficiency 
B) internal validity 
C) interobserver reliability 
D) external validity

Question 2

In order to avoid the problem of ______,it is sometimes necessary to use ______.

Accepted Answer

A) reactivity;unobtrusive observation 
B) observer bias;"blind" subjects 
C) demand characteristics;"blind" observers 
D) all of these

Question 3

used participant observation to study psychiatric diagnosis in the context of a mental institution by having "pseudopatients" seek admission was to

Accepted Answer

A) gain access to a situation or event that is generally not open to scientific investigation. 
B) investigate the limits of an organism's response by varying systematically the qualities of a stimulus event. 
C) precipitate or cause an event that occurs infrequently in nature. 
D) establish a comparison by manipulating an independent variable to determine its effect on behavior.

Question 4

The cues and other information used by participants to guide their behavior in a psychological study are called

Accepted Answer

A) sensitization bias. 
B) intra-experimental cues. 
C) experimenter expectancies. 
D) demand characteristics.

Question 5

For both physical and psychological measurement the lowest scale of measurement involves categorizing the stimulus into one of a number of discrete categories (e.g. ,male or female).This level of measurement is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) ordinal scale. 
B) ratio scale. 
C) nominal scale. 
D) interval scale.

Question 6

Describe the primary goals of naturalistic observation,participant observation,structured observation,and field experiments.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the primary goals of naturalistic observation,participant...

Question 7

Two student researchers wish to determine the degree of observer reliability they achieved in their study.They observed individual students who were approaching another person on a campus path.The two observers both independently recorded whether or not the observed student greeted the other person.Which of the following measures should the student researchers use to assess observer reliability?

Accepted Answer

A) percentage agreement measure 
B) Spearman's rank-order correlation 
C) interobserver coding measure 
D) overall agreement measure

Question 8

Researchers conducted a content analysis in which they examined race relations on TV.They included programs with a story line and all commercials,but they excluded documentaries,news broadcasts,and sports shows.Which characteristic of the researchers' sample is likely to be most affected by these decisions?

Accepted Answer

A) representativeness 
B) homogeneity 
C) stability 
D) internal validity

Question 9

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r)can be used to measure interobserver reliability when

Accepted Answer

A) the behavioral data have been measured on at least an interval scale. 
B) the behavioral data have been measured on a nominal or ordinal scale. 
C) the events to be classified have clear operational definitions. 
D) agreement between observers is expected to be low.

Question 10

Which of the following dependent variables is most likely to represent a ratio scale of measurement?

Accepted Answer

A) occurrence of eye contact (present/absent) 
B) rank ordering of amount of eye contact 
C) duration of eye contact 
D) ratings of intimacy of eye contact

Question 11

Research studies have examined evidence of past human behavior,including works of art,television shows,and bumper stickers,to test various hypotheses.This source of unobtrusive evidence is called

Accepted Answer

A) human artifacts. 
B) products. 
C) cultural evidence. 
D) use effects.

Question 12

Define and explain the reason for using time sampling and situation sampling in naturalistic observation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Define and explain the reason for using...

Question 13

When a researcher plays an active and significant role in the situation in which behavior is being recorded and when the researcher conceals the fact that observations are being made,the study represents a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) unobtrusive field experiment. 
B) disguised structured observation. 
C) disguised participant observation. 
D) deceptive naturalistic observation.

Question 14

The two pieces of information obtained from a correlation coefficient are

Accepted Answer

A) the extent of external validity and internal validity of a study. 
B) the direction and strength of the relationship between two variables. 
C) interobserver reliability and percent agreement between two observers. 
D) the predictive relationship and the causal inference between two variables.

Question 15

A school superintendent has received a report from the state that lists the ranking of schools in terms of the students' performance on the state's achievement test.Which scale of measurement is represented in this report?

Accepted Answer

A) nominal scale 
B) ordinal scale 
C) interval scale 
D) ratio scale

Question 16

When many observations of the same children in a classroom are made it is possible to determine the frequency of certain behaviors such as how many times children speak in class.Which scale of measurement do these frequency data represent?

Accepted Answer

A) nominal 
B) ordinal 
C) interval 
D) ratio

Question 17

Which of the following statements about interobserver reliability is true?

Accepted Answer

A) High interobserver reliability of observations assures observations are valid (accurate). 
B) Interobserver reliability is best when observers are allowed to make their own subjective judgments when making observations. 
C) Interobserver reliability is generally increased by clearly defining the events that are to be observed. 
D) all of these

Question 18

Read this description of a study and answer the questions that follow.
A newspaper reporter at a university newspaper sought to gather evidence about the quality of teaching at the university. For one week at the beginning of the semester she attended 5 different classes each day, each with a different instructor. She asked 4 other reporters to do this too (they all attended different classes), and she trained them regarding the ratings they would make. The reporters pretended to be students, but sat in the back of class so the instructor wouldn't notice their observations. Using 10-point rating scales, they rated each instructor on five dimensions: interesting, organized, informative, friendly, and respectful. They summarized their findings and reported that, in general, the quality of teaching at the university is very good.
-Identify the type of observational method used in this study.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Read this description of a study and...

Question 19

A researcher seeks to describe behavior at an airport security screening area during a busy holiday travel time.Because there are far too many people for the researcher to observe effectively,she should use

Accepted Answer

A) naturalistic observation. 
B) subject sampling. 
C) running records. 
D) event sampling.

Question 20

Newspaper advice columnists print only a fraction of the letters they receive.Analysis of the printed letters is likely limited by the problem of

Accepted Answer

A) selective deposit. 
B) selective survival. 
C) spurious relationship. 
D) situation sampling.

Exam 4: Observation