AP Psych Unit 0

Why is an operational definition necessary when reporting research findings?

An operational definition allows others to replicate the procedure.

A researcher looking for gender differences in 3-year olds observes a preschool class and records how many minutes children of each gender play with dolls. She then compares the two sets of numbers. What type of descriptive research is she conducting?

Naturalistic observation

Which of the following question is best investigated by means of survey?

Are students more likely to be politically liberal or conservative?

A testable prediction that drives research is known as a(n)

Hypothesis

Researchers are interested in finding out if winning Congressional candidates display more positive facial expressions than losing candidates. The researchers attend political debates and record how frequently each candidate positive facial expressions. Which research method are the researchers using

Naturalistic observation

An individual with an exceptional memory is identified. She is capable of recalling major events , the weather and what she did on any given date. What research method is being used if a psychologist conducts an in-depth investigation of this individual including a questionnaire, brain scans, and memory scans?

Case study

Which of the following is most important when conducting survey research?

Choosing a representative sample

Which of the following is an example of negative correlation?

People who spend more time exercising tend to weigh less

Which of the following is only used in correlation studies?

Scatter plot

Researchers have discovered that individuals with lower income levels report fewer hours of total sleep. Therefore,

Income and sleep levels are positively correlated

Which of the following correlation coefficients represents the strongest relationships between two variables?

-.85

The purpose of random assignment is to

Reduce potential confounding variables.

Which of the following is a measure of variation?

Range

Which statistical measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme scores?

Mean

A researcher calculates statistical significance for her study and finds a 5 percent chance that results are due to chance. Which of the following is an accurate interpretation of this finding?

This is the minimum result typically considered statistically significant

Descriptive statistics ______ while, inferential statistics_____.

Summarize data; determine if data can be generalized to other populations.

In a normal distribution, what percentage of the score in the distribution falls within one standard deviation of either side of the mean?

68 percent

Which of the following is more likely to be emphasized in individualist cultures than in collectivist cultures?

Personal achievement

What must a researcher do to fulfill the ethical principle of informed consent?

Allow participants whether to choose to take part

Which ethical principle requires that at the end of the study participants be told about the true purpose of the research?

Debriefing

Which of the following beliefs would most likely be by an individual in a collectivist culture?

Children should be encouraged to develop harmonious relationships.

After the student council election, a friend tells you he has known for weeks who would be elected president. What does this seem to illustrate?

Hindsight bias

While taking a standardized tests with random,g scrambled answers, you notice that your last four answers have been "c." Which of the following is true concerning the probability of the next answer being "c"?

It is unaffected by previous answers. It is as likely to be "c" as any other answer.

What do we call the tendency to exaggerate the correctness of accuracy of our beliefs and predictions prior to testing?

Overconfidence

Which of the following is an example of hindsight bias?

Marcy cannot recognize a definition on a flashcard. After turning the card over and viewing the term, she tells herself she knew what the answers was all along.

c. the hindsight bias

Alexandra is told that research supports the value of cosmetic surgery for boosting self-esteem. Belinda is told that the esteem-enhancing value of cosmetic surgery has been refuted by research. Both women would consider the findings to be common sense. This best illustrates the power of

a. random sampling.

b. overconfidence.

c. the hindsight bias.

d. illusory correlation.

e. the double-blind procedure.

a. the hindsight bias

According to Emily's grandfather, Adolf Hitler's obvious emotional instability made it clear from the beginning days of his international conflicts that Germany would inevitably lose World War II. The grandfather's claim best illustrates

a. the hindsight bias.

b. illusory correlation.

c. overconfidence.

d. an illusion of control.

e. random sampling.

b. the hindsight bias

Formulating testable hypotheses before conducting research is most directly useful for restraining a thinking error known as

a. random sampling.

b. the hindsight bias.

c. overconfidence.

d. illusory correlation.

e. random assignment.

c. hindsight bias

When we see certain outcomes as obvious based on what has occurred, we may be experiencing

a. empiricism.

b. critical thinking.

c. hindsight bias.

d. overconfidence.

e. humility.

d. "I wonder who funded this study?"

The news media reported that a new pesticide was not harmful to humans. Which of the following statements best exemplifies critical thinking in response to this report?

a. "I think I will try this pesticide on my own garden to kill pests."

b. "I don't like to use pesticides, but this one is safe."

c. "I think I'll use this product, but I think I'll wear gloves."

d. "I wonder who funded this study?"

e. "I don't believe this study because I got a rash after using this poison on my garden."

a. theory

Professor Shalet contends that parents and children have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n)

a. theory.

b. replication.

c. naturalistic observation.

d. illusory correlation.

e. hindsight bias.

d. classroom size has been operationally defined

Dr. Roberts hypothesized that students in a classroom seating 30 would get higher course grades than students seated in an auditorium seating 300. In this example,

a. Dr. Roberts has found a cause-effect relationship.

b. Dr. Roberts has found a positive correlation between classroom size and course grades.

c. the independent variable is the measurement of course grades.

d. classroom size has been operationally defined.

e. Dr. Roberts has demonstrated the importance of random sampling.

b. an operational definition

An experiment was designed to study the potential impact of alcohol consumption on emotional stability. A specification of the procedures used to measure emotional stability illustrates

a. the independent variable.

b. and operational definition.

c. the double-blind procedure.

d. random assignment.

d. the dependent variable.

d. operational definitions

The process of replication is most to be facilitated by

a. the hindsight bias.

b. overconfidence.

c. illusory correlation.

d. operational definitions.

e. the placebo effect.

d. case study

Which research method is typically used to examine one participant in depth, usually because the individual's situation/behavior is rare or unusual?

a. survey

b. correlation

c. experiment

d. case study

e. scientific method

b. population

The complete set of cases from which samples may be drawn is called a(n)

a. control condition.

b. population.

c. case study.

d. independent variable.

e. survey.

b. naturalistic observation

Professor Ober carefully observes and records the behavior of children in their classrooms in order to track the development of their social and intellectual skills. Professor Ober is most clearly engaged in

a. survey research.

b. naturalistic observation.

c. experimentation.

d. replication.

e. correlation.

c. direction and strength of the relationship between two variables

A correlation coefficient is a measure of the

a. different between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.

b. average squared deviation of scores from a sample mean.

c. direction and strength of the relationship between two variables.

d. statistical significance of a difference between two sample means.

e. frequency of scores at each level of some measure.

b. negatively correlated

If psychologists discovered this wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are

a. causally related.

b. negatively correlated.

c. independent variables.

d. dependent variables.

e. positively correlated.

b. -0.67

Which of the following correlation coefficients expresses the strongest degree of relationship between two variables?

a. +0.10

b. -0.67

c. 0.00

d. -0.10

e. +0.59

e. perceiving order in coincidental events

The King James Version of the Bible was completed when William Shakespeare was 46 years old. In Psalm 46 of this translation, the forty-sixth word is "shake," and the forty-sixth word from the end is "spear." Before concluding that the biblical translators were trying to be humorous with these specific word placements, you would be best advised to recognize the danger of

a. considering these facts as statistically significant.

b. randomly sampling biblical passages.

c. generalizing from extreme examples.

d. assuming that most people share your opinions.

e. perceiving order in coincidental events.

d. an experiment

In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills, research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights. This research is an example of

a. naturalistic observation.

b. survey research.

c. a case study.

d. an experiment.

d. a correlational study.

d. because participants could not be ethically assigned to an experimental or control condition

Researchers are interested in studying the impact of drugs on human fetuses. In this case, why would a correlational study be more appropriate than an experiment?

a. because cause and effect can only be determined by a correlational study

b. because correlational studies allow you to observe behavior in nonartificial environments

c. because researchers using correlational studies may generalize to the population from an atypical case

d. because participants could not be ethically assigned to an experimental or control condition

e. because correlational studies permit researchers to estimate the reported behaviors of a whole population

d. the double-blind procedure

Both the researchers and the participants in a memory study are ignorant about which participants have actually received a potentially memory-enhancing drug and which have received a placebo. This investigation involves the use of

a. naturalistic observation

b. the hindsight bias.

c. random sampling.

d. the double-blind procedure.

e. replication.

a. mean

When Mr. Adams calculated his students' algebra test scores, he noticed that two students had extremely low scores. Which measure of central tendency is affected most by the scores of these two students?

a. mean

b. standard deviation

c. mode

d. median

e. range

c. the median is greater than the mean and less than the mode

Seven members of a boys' club reported the following individual earnings from their sale of cookies: $2, $9, $8, $10, $4, $9, and $7. In this distribution of individuals earnings

a. the median is greater than the mean and greater than the mode.

b. the median is less than the mean and less than the mode.

c. the median is greater than the mean and less than the mode.

d. the median is less than the mean and greater than the mode.

e. the median is equal to the mean and equal to the mode.

c. standard deviation

Which of the following is a measure of the degree of variation among a set of events?

a. mean

b. scatterplot

c. standard deviation

d. median

e. correlation coefficient

d. range

Which measure of variation is most affected by extreme scores?

a. mean

b. mode

c. standard deviation

d. range

e. median

d. the magnitude of the finding

What does the effect size of research findings tell you that statistical significance does not?

a. whether or not the result is due to random factors or the experimental treatment

b. if the independent variable had an impact on the dependent variable

c. if the confounding variables influenced the result of the study

d. the magnitude of the finding

e. validity of the results

d. statistically significant

When the observed difference between the means of an experimental group and control group are not likely due to chance, researchers conclude that this difference is

a. positively correlated.

b. highly variable.

c. reliable.

d. statistically significant.

e. experimentally empirical.

d. compare the means of sales before and after the beginning of the new campaign to determine statistical significance

A soft drink company recently invested in a new advertising campaign to increase sales. Which of the following would allow executives to best judge the results of their latest commercials?

a. compute the range based on the highest monthly sales this year with the lowest sales of last year

b. compare the mean sales of soft drinks with that of their major competitor

c. compute the mode to determine which soft drinks have the highest sales

d. compare the means of sales before and after the beginning of the new campaign to determine statistical significance

e. compute the median of sales for each of their product lines, then compare

a. culture

The enduring traditions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a large group of people constitutes their

a. culture.

b. normal curve.

c. wording effects.

d. statistical significance.

e. operational definition.

a. the same underlying processes guide people everywhere

Researchers have found that men and women learn to walk at about the same age, experience the same sensations of light, and exhibit similar overall intelligence. These finding support the idea that

a. the same underlying processes guide people everywhere.

b. psychology is based on intuition and common sense.

c. hindsight bias is inevitable.

d. correlation does not mean causation.

e. women and men are overwhelmingly different.

c. informed consent, protection from harm, confidentiality, debriefing

Which of the following defines ethical principles that should guide human experimentation?

a. control group, random sampling, random assignment

b. case study, naturalistic observation, survey

c. informed consent, protection from harm, confidentiality, debriefing

d. volunteer participants only, no deception, incentives for participation

e. effect size, statistical significance, measures of central tendency, variation

a. informed consent

A researcher who gathers and analyzes data from student essay test responses without talking with the students about the study violates which ethical principle of human experimentation?

a. informed consent

b. protection from harm

c. confidentiality

d. debriefing

e. coercion