1st Edition Exam Prep Ch.1 Introduction To Research Methods

Test Bank Questions

1. Defend why (or why not) Wakefield’s work on vaccinations, despite its ultimate outcome, can be considered as science.
2. Identify one heuristic and one bias outlined in the textbook and explain how they might hypothetically impact the evaluation of a study.
3. Present a scientific claim that you recently encountered. Outline the appropriate steps to evaluate this claim based on what you know about research methods.
4. Identify two ways that understanding research methods is valuable to the average person and provide an example.
5. Identify the three goals of science and use one coherent example that addresses all three of them.

1. In media reports of scientific findings, researchers are sometimes quoted promoting a particular treatment or product. Which of the following statements presents the claim and rational that you should be most skeptical of?

2. Which of the following does not describe a claim arising from cognitive bias?

3. People often over-estimate the annual number of deaths in plane crashes, compared to the much more numerous car-accident deaths. Jackie agrees and says it's because people are more used to seeing reports of plane accidents and thus it is more salient than reports on car accidents. Jackie is referring to

4. Which of the following descriptions best describes the cognitive miser model?

6. A researcher has obtained preliminary data for one of her studies. Which option best describes the attitude of the scientific community towards preliminary data?

7. Which of the following biases or heuristics make it particularly challenging for researchers to convince the public that the findings might be interesting and novel?

1. We have discussed many ways of evaluating research or research-based claims. Which one of the following descriptions is the least reasonable approach?
2. One way to approach evaluating research claims is to take it at face value based on a popular press article. This is because findings in the popular press are always critically based on scientific journals and wouldn’t be published without a reason.
3. One way to approach evaluating research claims is to conduct your own research. Most individuals who are posing questions already have knowledge relevant to conducting research, it is often inexpensive, and conducting your own research is the most directly answers the question you are interested in.
4. One way to approach evaluating research claims is to read empirical articles. Although you may find contradictions, these are findings by experts who are trained in conducting research.
5. One way to approach evaluating research claims is to look at similar findings related to the original research questions you had in mind, because this often leads to finding replications that suggest that the claims are strong.
6. The idea of converging evidence is when:
7. the evidence within one study tells a coherent story, addresses the research question clearly and provides a clear conclusion that allows the reader to understand the results.
8. the evidence across multiple studies tells a coherent story, finds a similar pattern of results, and suggests that they are robust.
9. contradictory evidence needs to be converged and taken into consideration because scientific progress is often made by resolving these differences.
10. the combination of results from different studies presents a discovery that was not apparent in any of the individual studies alone.
11. Researchers often present preliminary data. Which one of the following best describes preliminary data?
12. Preliminary data are generally rarely presented publicly. Most scientists know the danger of over interpreting preliminary data, and thus their presentation at conferences is highly discouraged before the research itself is published in a peer-reviewed journal.
13. Preliminary data very rarely, if ever, misses the target. By the time the data has been collected, researchers often have a very clear idea of whether or not the claims are supported or rejected.
14. Preliminary data should be interpreted with caution. But even so, science is a peer-reviewed process and these data are widely accepted at conferences to be presented and critiqued.
15. Preliminary data are very useful for researchers. They exist because they are often related to some of the hottest research topics and findings. Furthermore, based on preliminary findings alone, researchers generally are already able to successfully conduct replications without much to worry about.
16. Replication is an important aspect of scientific research. However, there are many instances in which replication occurs frequently within a particular laboratory but fails when other research laboratories attempt the experiment. One possibility is due to the ___________, as researchers are often known to have trouble switching views. Another reason may be the ___________, since researchers have vested interests in successfully conducting their work.
17. overconfidence bias; self-serving bias
18. self-serving bias; overconfidence bias
19. belief perseverance; overconfidence bias
20. belief perseverance; self-serving bias
21. Which of the following regarding mood effects and decision fatigue is true?
22. Mood effects only influence research participants since researchers follow strict protocols when conducting research. Decision fatigue influences both the researcher and the participant.
23. Mood effects and decision fatigue both generally only influence the research participant.
24. Mood effects only influences the researcher; participants are often studied in well controlled environments that do not impact their mood. Decision fatigue, on the other hand, only influences the research participant. Repeated trials can exhaust a participant so researchers need to be mindful for how much they are asking from the participant.
25. Mood effects and decision fatigue both influence the researcher and the research participant.
26. Your textbook outlined three goals for science. Which of the following is true about these goals?
27. The three goals are design, testing, and conclusion, representing the stages involved in design a study to explore a question.
28. The three goals are description, explanation, and prediction. They are sequential stages that do not interact.
29. The three goals, design, testing, and conclusion are integral in helping researchers look for converging evidence.
30. The three goals are description, explanation, and prediction. They are intertwined stages that influence one another in the scientific process.
31. One aspect of the scientific method is that it is consistent. Which one of the following claims is not a result of science being conducted in a consistent manner?
32. The findings can be replicated.
33. The findings are generalizable.
34. The findings have the potential to show a convergence of evidence.
35. The findings are reliable.
36. What does it mean when the scientific method seeks for objective research?
37. The research must have a clear goal.
38. The research must be based on the scientists’ personal beliefs.
39. The research must be based on striving for the truth.
40. The research must have a subjective piece to balance the objective portion.
41. Which of the following is best categorized as a pseudo-scientific claim?
42. A company claiming that experimental results suggest that their product significantly boosts the immune system.
43. Bob’s grandmother claiming that researchers have found that quality sleep affects how memories are consolidated based on an article she read online.
44. A group of expert researchers citing anecdotal evidence in a presentation to claim support to their theory about how stress influences workplace performance.
45. A team of undergraduate students drawing conclusions on social media use based on a survey they conducted in a research methods course.
46. Which of the following best describes the relationship between basic and applied research?
47. Basic research relies heavily on the findings of applied research.
48. Basic research often yields immediate practical breakthroughs, whereas findings of applied research yield breakthroughs at a more theoretical level.
49. Basic research produces findings that are often the foundation of applied research.
50. Basic research and applied research often do not have any relation at all.
51. A researcher has recently published an article about the benefits of a smartphone application for increasing concentration levels and intelligence. You later find out that this researcher owns shares in the company that developed this application. Which of the following is now the most reasonable response to the researcher’s claims?
52. The researcher has a vested interest in the success of the application and might not be objective about how good it really is.
53. Prior research has shown that these smartphone applications do increase intelligence, so the researcher is probably objective.
54. The researcher is an expert in cognitive science, thus the claims are still valid.
55. The company did not pay the researcher for doing the research, so the researcher is not biased.
56. Which of the following is the best way of evaluating claims in the media?
57. By looking for claims endorsed by the most prominent celebrity.
58. By gathering multiple media reports and checking if they agree.
59. By looking for the most read article in a popular news outlet.
60. By gathering the latest articles within the past six months and prioritizing the ones that are most read.
61. John would like to find out whether people who spend a lot of time on social media have lower self-esteem. Which of the following best describes a method of evaluating this claim by searching for converging evidence?
62. John talks to his professor about self-esteem research.
63. John asks his friends for their opinions.
64. John looks up several articles on self-esteem and social media use.
65. John reads a book that condemns the extensive use of social media.
66. Which of the following options describes an instance of the replication of scientific findings?
67. When multiple media reports cite a particular finding.
68. When several researchers independently vouch for the validity of a study’s conclusions.
69. When at least one other identical study has found the same results.
70. When the findings have been cited by at least one other researcher.
71. Which of the following pieces of information is least likely to help readers to evaluate the quality of research claims made by a media article?
72. The names of the researchers
73. Where the research was conducted
74. The duration of the research
75. Whether the research has been published
76. Julie believes that she has to eat waffles every morning before an exam to score an A. Thus, every morning before an exam she eats waffles, and subsequently always scores an A. Which is the most likely explanation for the link between Julie eating waffles and scoring an A?
77. Stroop effect
78. Discounting base-rate information
79. Self-serving bias
80. Causality bias
81. In many cults, when prophecies do not come true, members do not quit. Instead, they reinterpret the failure of specific predictions to support the teachings of the cult. Which of the following best describes this phenomenon?
82. Ingroup bias
83. Belief perseverance bias
84. Decision fatigue
85. Mood effects
86. In psychological studies, it is not uncommon for researchers to hire assistants to conduct the actual experiment, and for these assistants to be “blinded” to the purpose of the study. When someone is “blinded”, it means that they do not know the predicted outcome of the experiment. What aspect of the scientific method does this practice serve?
87. Objectivity
88. Subjectivity
89. Tradition
90. Bias
91. Preliminary data are generally not publicized in any way. Scientists generally wait until collecting all their data before presenting any of their data either in manuscript or presentation form.
92. Cognitive biases are simple procedures that allow individuals to make fast, yet not necessarily perfect, decisions to solve problems.
93. The Cognitive Miser Model explains how individuals come to making decisions attending to a relatively small amount of information that integrates past experiences.
94. Basic and applied research are two strands that inform each other.
95. Scientific research ought to build on and extend past work.
96. Using a scientific approach to research means that one is always using subjective approaches.
97. One of the goals of science is to make predictions.
98. The Stroop effect is an example of scientific research that exemplifies cognitive biases.
99. If a specific area of research has findings that show converging evidence, one can infer that replication has occurred.
100. You should never trust a research claim at face value, no matter how experienced the researcher is.
101. Anecdotal evidence, as seen with the example of Power bands that athletes use, are a hallmark of scientific research.
102. Findings and studies that are consistent are generally not reliable.
103. Cognitive biases can influence your ability to evaluate a research claim.
104. Secondary sources are great outlets for individuals to get scientific claims that are written directly from the researchers.
105. Well-known institutions are always trustworthy and never have any questionable practices that might lead one to question their claims and research findings.