6e Exam Questions Chapter.1 Introduction To Psychology - Mastering the World of Psychology 6th Edition Exam Pack by Samuel E. Wood. DOCX document preview.
Test Bank for Wood 6e
Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology
Multiple Choice
1. Psychology is _____
a) a collection of theories that have yet to be tested.
b) the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
c) the study of spiritual phenomena.
d) the collective term for various forms of therapy.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
2. The scientific method starts with _____
a) a theory.
b) a hypothesis.
c) an experiment.
d) observations.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
3. _____ is the most objective method known for acquiring knowledge.
a) Observational research
b) The scientific method
c) A pilot study
d) A case study
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Item Analysis: % correct 33 a = 14 b = 33 c = 7 d = 47 r = .22
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
4. A theory is _____
a) proposed to explain how a number of separate facts are related.
b) a testable prediction about mental processes or behavior.
c) a set of observations.
d) proven by peer review.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
5. “If children watch violent cartoons, then they will become more aggressive.” According to the scientific method, this statement is a _____
a) guess.
b) theory.
c) hypothesis.
d) fact.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
6. Which of the following represents a replication?
a) Josh did the first-ever study on color perception in hummingbirds.
b) Hunter repeated Josh’s study as exactly as possible.
c) Lyta’s study was peer reviewed.
d) Orlando’s study was published.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
7. Rory is a college student who intends to become a scientist. In order for his work to be considered science, he must _____
a) correctly employ the scientific method when acquiring knowledge.
b) stay away from the hard sciences like physics or chemistry.
c) give up psychology as his major.
d) get a doctoral degree.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
8. Dr. Sardonicus is studying the effectiveness of a new medication for anxiety, and he has found positive results. Before assuming the medication is effective, it would be best to _____
a) replicate the study.
b) start with a new hypothesis.
c) wait until his study is published.
d) try the medicine himself.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
9. Professor Jimenez wants to share her research and wants others to know it was methodologically sound. Therefore, she should _____
a) self-publish and describe her methods.
b) submit her work to a journal for peer review.
c) give a talk at a conference.
d) get on a morning news show.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
10. The goals of psychology are to _____
a) explore the unconscious functions of the mind.
b) understand, compare, and analyze human behavior.
c) improve psychological well-being in all individuals.
d) describe, explain, predict, and influence behavior.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
11. Using research results to solve practical problems is an example of the goal of ____
a) prediction.
b) influence.
c) explanation.
d) replication.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
12. Proposing reasons for behaviors and mental processes is an example of _____
a) description.
b) explanation.
c) influence.
d) prediction.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
13. Which of the following is an example of applied research?
a) Studying what methods work to improve memory
b) Studying the difference between short and long-term memory
c) Studying the neurochemistry of memory
d) Altering memory in mice to better understand memory storage
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
14. A psychologist is interested in finding out why identical twins have different personalities. This psychologist is most interested in the goal of _____
a) description.
b) explanation.
c) prediction.
d) influence.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
15. Using knowledge obtained through the scientific method to develop cohesive _____ can help us understand complex phenomena.
a) hypotheses
b) theories
c) experiments
d) predictions
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
16. Kayla thinks she has noticed a pattern of differences in her male and female friends’ video game scores and she wonders why. She notices her male friends spend more time playing and thinks that may be the reason. Which of the following is an attempt to achieve the goal of prediction?
a) Calculating her friends’ average scores
b) Making the males in her study play with one hand
c) Hypothesizing scores will be equivalent if they play the same amount of time
d) Using the study results to improve female’s scores
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
17. Gunnar observes that when he dresses in business casual, people seem more comfortable approaching him. He wants to know if this is true because it is very important to him that he meet new people at college. If Gunnar uses the scientific method to investigate this, what type of research would he be doing?
a) Replication
b) Experimental
c) Basic
d) Applied
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
18. Jorge is a psychology student who is writing a report on the behaviors kindergarten children demonstrate on the playground. Because he notices that many of the children like to play tag, he takes detailed notes on tag-playing behavior. Which of the goals of psychology did Jorge meet?
a) Predict
b) Describe
c) Influence
d) Prove
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
19. Psychology was recognized as a formal academic discipline when _____
a) Sigmund Freud began publishing his theories.
b) the focus moved to mental processes.
c) the scientific method was used.
d) hypnosis was introduced and used successfully in therapy.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
20. Who is considered the “father” of psychology?
a) Charles Darwin
b) Wilhelm Wundt
c) Gustav Fechner
d) Sigmund Freud
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
21. _____ set up the first formal psychological lab at the University of Leipzig in Germany and used _____ as the primary research method.
a) Freud; reflection
b) Skinner; case studies
c) Wundt; introspection
d) Wundt; hypnosis
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
22. Which of the following early schools of thought studied the basic elements of conscious mental experience?
a) Behaviorism
b) Functionalism
c) Structuralism
d) Psychoanalysis
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
23. When different researchers using the technique of introspection were exposed to the same stimulus, they often reported different experiences. For this reason, structuralism was criticized for _____
a) being just observational.
b) not being objective.
c) using experimentation.
d) not using measurement.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Applied
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
24. James tells his research subjects to report their stream of consciousness so that he can study how they adapt to their environment. James is part of the early school of psychology called _____
a) cognitive psychology.
b) structuralism.
c) functionalism.
d) psychoanalysis.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
25. Today, minorities in America are _____ among professional psychologists.
a) underrepresented
b) overrepresented
c) equal in number
d) the majority
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
26. Psychologists Mamie and Kenneth Clark’s research helped to _____
a) explain color vision.
b) end racial segregation in schools.
c) develop methods for studying memory.
d) found behaviorism.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
27. Feelings of depression have convinced Nyla to seek out a therapist. When she met with the therapist, she answered the following questions regarding her behavior: Has your sleeping pattern changed? Has your appetite changed? Have you been crying? Have you been unable to go to work? The therapist only seemed interested in her behaviors, not her thoughts or early childhood. Most likely, Nyla’s therapist subscribes to which school of thought?
a) Behaviorist
b) Psychoanalytic
c) Humanistic
d) Information Processing
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
28. Which of the following statements would most likely be made by Sigmund Freud?
a) Because behavior is learned, it can easily be unlearned.
b) Unconscious forces may contain conflicts that can be a detriment to psychological health and development.
c) Thoughts that precede behavior should be the focus of psychological interventions.
d) Because we have free will, individuals can choose to overcome psychological difficulties.
Skill Level: Evaluate
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
29. Heather decides to seek out a therapist to help her work through feelings of anxiety. Her therapist allows her to direct the therapy sessions and discuss what she feels is relevant. Her therapist, who views Heather as an innately good person, also suggests she attend group therapy to learn how to make better choices for herself. Based on this information, to which school of thought does Heather’s therapist most likely adhere?
a) Sociocultural
b) Psychoanalytic
c) Behaviorism
d) Humanistic
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
30. The scientific study of psychological characteristics, such as optimism, that enable individuals and communities to thrive in the face of adversity is called _____ Psychology.
a) Emotional
b) Positive
c) Cognitive-Behavioral
d) Gestalt
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
31. The school of thought that sees humans as active seekers of experiences, who use mental processes to shape those experiences, is _____ Psychology.
a) Cognitive
b) Humanistic
c) Gestalt
d) Behaviorist
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
32. “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts” is a statement associated with the perspective of _____
a) introspection.
b) functionalism.
c) psychoanalysis.
d) Gestalt psychologists.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
33. The early perspective called Gestalt psychology has evolved into the current perspective called _____
a) psychoanalytic psychology.
b) cognitive psychology.
c) behavioral psychology.
d) social psychology.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
34. Which school of thought in psychology would be most concerned with behavior changes that promote survival in the face of environmental pressures?
a) Gestalt
b) Psychoanalytic
c) Sociocultural
d) Evolutionary
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
35. Professor Beverly approaches questions about human behavior from a perspective that emphasizes bodily events and chemicals, such as hormones, associated with behavior. Which of the following psychological perspectives is she most likely to adopt?
a) Biological
b) Learning
c) Cognitive
d) Sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Item Analysis:
% correct 91 a = 91 b = 2 c = 6 d = 1 r = .49
% correct 93 a = 93 b = 0 c = 0 d = 7 r = .56
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
36. Assunta was raised in a strict, traditional Italian family that had close ties with the tight-knit Italian community in which she lived. Years later, when she was studying to become a psychologist, she realized just how much of an influence her upbringing and ethnicity had in molding her views and personality. This particular insight led Assunta to realize just how important _____ can be in an individual’s psychological development.
a) the information-processing theory
b) psychoanalytic perspectives
c) humanistic psychology
d) the sociocultural approach
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
37. When we examine how factors like poverty, peers, and parents interact to produce antisocial behavior in teens, we are using the _____
a) systems perspective.
b) multifactor design model.
c) information processing theory
d) humanistic approach.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
38. Dr. Rodriguez, an educational psychologist, looks at the student-environment interaction to determine how to improve a student’s performance. He is taking the _____ perspective.
a) cognitive
b) evolutionary
c) sociocultural
d) behavioral
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
39. Diana wants to find a therapist who will help her explore her unconscious motivations and how her early childhood experiences are affecting her now. She should look for a therapist with a _____ perspective.
a) psychoanalytic
b) humanistic
c) biological
d) sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
40. Kim wants to talk with a therapist who will see him in a positive light and respect his personal experience while helping him understand his feelings and create a meaningful life. Kim will be most satisfied with a therapist who takes the _____ perspective.
a) psychoanalytic
b) humanistic
c) biological
d) sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
41. Sherrod sees himself as a thinker; he believes that his experience and behavior are shaped by how he perceives, thinks about, and remembers things. He would find a counselor who takes the _____ perspective most compatible with his beliefs.
a) psychoanalytic
b) humanistic
c) cognitive
d) sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
42. Russ is having difficulty in his romantic relationships. He finds himself feeling most attracted to women for their physical attributes, even if they are not the type of women he really wants for a life partner, and he can’t understand why. A counselor who takes the _____ perspective might have an explanation based on inherited tendencies that would help him understand this.
a) psychoanalytic
b) evolutionary
c) biological
d) sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
43. Geoff’s father is being treated successfully for depression with antidepressant medication. Geoff is experiencing similar symptoms of depression including disturbed sleep, poor appetite, low energy, and hopelessness. A professional person taking the _____ perspective will take his family history and the physical basis of his symptoms into account.
a) psychoanalytic
b) humanistic
c) biological
d) sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
44. Lee is not very interested in academics and performs poorly in school. This is causing problems at home in his traditional Chinese family where academic success is highly valued. In order to help him reconcile his values and maintain better relationships at home, he is likely to do best with a counselor who has a _____ perspective.
a) psychoanalytic
b) humanistic
c) biological
d) sociocultural
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
45. The psychological perspective that is most concerned with how the environment-person interaction affects us is the _____ perspective.
a) environmental
b) behavioral
c) humanistic
d) evolutionary
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
46. A counselor who takes the humanistic perspective would focus most on _____
a) environmental influences.
b) behavior.
c) subjective experience.
d) inherited tendencies.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
47. A therapist who takes the evolutionary perspective would focus most on _____
a) environmental influences.
b) behavior.
c) thought processes.
d) inherited adaptive tendencies.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
48. Which of the following perspectives focuses on unconscious motivation and early childhood experience?
a) Behavioral
b) Psychoanalytic
c) Cognitive
d) Sociocultural
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
49. Which of the following psychological perspectives emphasizes the role of mental processes such as perception, thinking and memory?
a) Sociocultural
b) Rationalist
c) Neurological
d) Cognitive
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
50. Which of the following psychological perspectives emphasizes the role of physical processes and structures, as well as familial heredity, in explaining behavior?
a) The biological perspective
b) The medical perspective
c) The evolutionary perspective
d) The humanistic perspective
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
51. In thinking about her future career as a counselor, Taisha thinks she will be most concerned with her client’s subjective experience and biological processes. She will also want to know if any family member has symptoms of an inheritable psychological problem. It sounds as though Taisha will be adopting a(n) _____ perspective toward working with her clients.
a) mixed
b) medical
c) eclectic
d) illogical
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
52. Jaden works at a clinic where he sees individuals with schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses. His job is to find the appropriate diagnosis and treatment for these individuals. Jaden is likely a(n) _____
a) forensic psychologist.
b) industrial/organizational psychologist.
c) clinical psychologist.
d) educational psychologist.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.4: List the specialty areas that exist in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
53. Dr. Bùi has been asked by the defense attorney to evaluate a client convicted of assault and write a report that will be presented to the judge before sentencing. Dr. Bùi is most likely a _____ psychologist.
a) counseling
b) forensic
c) legal
d) physiological
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.4: List the specialty areas that exist in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
54. A school psychologist would be most likely to _____
a) conduct an experiment.
b) counsel a disruptive student.
c) treat a student with schizophrenia.
d) study teaching methods.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.4: List the specialty areas that exist in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
55. A psychologist who teaches a corporation how to keep employees motivated would most likely be a(n) _____ psychologist, according to your textbook.
a) social
b) educational
c) consulting
d) industrial/organizational
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.4: List the specialty areas that exist in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
56. Educational psychologists specialize in which of the following?
a) Educating corporations about employee management
b) Counseling troubled students
c) Studying teaching and learning
d) Treating students with major psychiatric illnesses
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.2.4: List the specialty areas that exist in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
57. One of the primary characteristics psychologists evaluate is whether theories are _____
a) true.
b) proven.
c) false.
d) useful.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.1: Demonstrate how psychologists evaluate theories
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
58. Theories help psychologists achieve the _____ goal by generating testable _____
a) prediction; hypotheses.
b) influence; designs.
c) description; predictions.
d) observation; data.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.1: Demonstrate how psychologists evaluate theories
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
59. Rudy’s research hypothesis was not supported by his results. His work did stimulate debate and motivate more related research. Rudy’s work has _____
a) no value.
b) heuristic value.
c) damaged his career.
d) practical value.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.1: Demonstrate how psychologists evaluate theories
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
60. We continue to teach about structuralists and functionalists and rate Freud’s theory as very important because of the _____ of these ideas.
a) success
b) practical value
c) predictive value
d) heuristic value
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.1: Demonstrate how psychologists evaluate theories
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
61. The process of objectively evaluating claims, propositions, and conclusions to determine whether they follow logically from the evidence is known as _____
a) critical thinking.
b) evaluation.
c) heuristic thinking.
d) suspension of judgment.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.2: Describe how critical thinking helps you evaluate research
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
62. Carla was driving to work when she heard a report from a medical center on the radio saying, “Upon conception, the sex of the baby is determined by the person who is least stressed out.” Knowing Carla is a critical thinker, which of the following thoughts did she most likely have?
a) “Because the report is from a medical center, it must be true.”
b) “Before I believe that report, I need to check other sources.”
c) “Wow, it must be true or they wouldn’t put it on the radio.”
d) “Wait until I tell my partner that he must have determined the sex of our two sons.”
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.2: Describe how critical thinking helps you evaluate research
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
63. To think critically we must get rid of the habit of assuming that our limited personal, or _____ evidence, is reliable evidence.
a) heuristic
b) anecdotal
c) experiential
d) substantiary
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.2: Describe how critical thinking helps you evaluate research
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
64. A critical thinker would most likely say, “What I need to know most is _____
a) whether the source is an authority.”
b) whether this fits with what I already think.”
c) how they got this information.”
d) how many people agree with this.”
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.3.2: Describe how critical thinking helps you evaluate research
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
65. Anthony read a study with several hundred subjects in the Journal of the American Medical Association that stated there is a link between working night shifts and the risk of heart attacks. Anthony knew the study was not correct because his Dad and his uncles had worked the night shift for decades and none of them had heart trouble. Anthony is not thinking critically because he is being swayed too much by _____
a) independent thinking.
b) anecdotal evidence.
c) heuristic value.
d) the journal’s authority.
Skill Level: Evaluate
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.3.2: Describe how critical thinking helps you evaluate research
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
66. Anthony heard a report about a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that stated working night shifts causes heart attacks. When he read the study he found that the researchers had compared the rates of heart attacks between day and night shift workers. This was not an experimental design and subjects were not randomly assigned. If Anthony thinks critically about this study he would conclude that _____
a) this is good evidence that night shift work causes heart attacks.
b) this proves it is unhealthy to work night shifts.
c) this study shows a correlation, proving causality, between night shifts and heart attacks.
d) this type of study can’t provide evidence of causes.
Skill Level: Evaluate
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.3.2: Describe how critical thinking helps you evaluate research
Topic: Thinking about Theories and Research
67. Which of the following is not a descriptive research method?
a) surveys
b) naturalistic observation
c) experimentation
d) laboratory observation
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
68. Which of the following is an advantage to using naturalistic observation as a research method?
a) We can infer cause-and-effect relationships.
b) We can study behavior in naturally occurring environments.
c) We can easily influence the target behaviors.
d) The target behaviors are always quite obvious.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
69. Which of the following statements is true about naturalistic observation?
a) It recreates natural conditions in the laboratory as closely as possible to make an experiment more valid.
b) It involves observing behavior in its natural context.
c) It is basically the same process as objective introspection.
d) It involves observing behavior in the lab without taking formal notes or using technological equipment to measure the experimental findings.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Item Analysis: % correct 89 a = 7 b = 89 c = 2 d = 3 r = .45
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
70. Taffi believes that people who eat at Dairy Queen are overweight, so she decides to conduct a naturalistic observation of people who eat at Dairy Queen. What should most concern us about Taffi’s observations?
a) The observer effect
b) The bystander effect
c) Observer bias
d) Subject bias
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
71. A detailed description of a particular individual being studied or treated is called _____
a) a representative sample.
b) a case study.
c) a single-blind study.
d) a naturalistic observation.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
72. A case study would be the most appropriate method to investigate which of these topics?
a) The ways in which the games of boys differ from the games of girls.
b) The development of a male baby raised as a female after a surgical error destroyed his penis.
c) The math skills of students in Japan as compared to those of U.S. students.
d) Physiological changes that occur when people watch violent movies.
Skill Level: Evaluate
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective:1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
73. Shannon is a researcher who studies sleep patterns in humans. Shannon most likely uses _____
a) laboratory observation.
b) case studies.
c) naturalistic observation.
d) structured observation.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
74. You overhear psychology students talking about a research method that often “fails to generalize.” Which method is the most likely topic of their discussion?
a) Correlation
b) Case study
c) Experiment
d) Surveys
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Item Analysis: % correct 42 a = 15 b = 42 c = 8 d = 34 r = .49
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
75. To understand the criminal mind, you might study one criminal, such as the Unabomber, in great detail. Extensive interviews, questionnaires, and psychological tests might provide interesting information about the mental processing in such a person. This type of study would be an example of a _____
a) case study.
b) survey study.
c) laboratory study.
d) naturalistic observation study.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
76. Dr. Cullinan is conducting research in Kenya into the ways that mothers and their toddlers interact throughout the day. Given the purpose of her study, it is most likely that she is engaged in _____
a) naturalistic observation.
b) laboratory observation.
c) case study research.
d) experimental research.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
77. Descriptive research in which researchers use interviews or questionnaires to gather information about a group of people is called a _____
a) survey.
b) sample.
c) representative sample.
d) naturalistic observation.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
78. The entire group of interest to researchers and the group to which they want to generalize their findings is called the _____
a) sample.
b) representative sample.
c) study group.
d) population.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
79. A sample that includes important subgroups that the researchers want to be able to generalize their results to is called a _____
a) representative sample.
b) population sample.
c) study sample.
d) target sample.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
80. The group of individuals actually studied is called the _____
a) representative sample.
b) sample.
c) alpha sample.
d) target sample.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
81. The best method for obtaining a representative sample is to choose a _____ from the population of interest.
a) subsample
b) random sample
c) population sample
d) study sample
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
82. Jeanette needed a large number of responses for her survey about taste preferences so she chose to do an internet survey. A significant problem she may have is _____
a) no one will respond to her survey.
b) her sample will not be representative.
c) her sample may be too big.
d) her sample may be representative.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
83. A sample that does not represent the entire group of interest is called a _____ sample.
a) bad
b) random
c) biased
d) partial
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
84. People responding to surveys or interviews tend to want to present themselves in a good light, thus reducing the accuracy of their responses. This is called the _____ response.
a) positive bias
b) social desirability
c) lie
d) unintentionally false
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
85. When seeking sensitive information, such as financial or sexual information, it is probably best to use _____
a) trained interviewers.
b) self-administered questionnaires.
c) phone interviews.
d) researcher-administered questionnaires.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
86. By using random samples, polling organizations can represent the view of the American public with a sample size starting from _____
a) 100,000.
b) 1 million.
c) 100.
d) 1,000.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
87. A(n) ___ is a measure of how strongly two variables are related to one another.
a) independent variable
b) dependent variable
c) experimental effect
d) correlation
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Item Analysis: % correct 93 a = 0 b = 4 c = 3 d = 93 r = .56
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
88. The word correlation is often used as a synonym for _____
a) validity.
b) reliability.
c) variable.
d) relationship.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
89. A negative correlation between two factors means that their values move _____
a) in opposite directions.
b) in the same direction.
c) down.
d) with no relationship.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
90. A positive correlation between two factors means _____
a) the value of one increases as the other decreases.
b) the value of each moves in the same direction.
c) the value of both only increases.
d) there is no relationship between the two variables.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
91. A correlation coefficient represents two things: _____ and _____
a) a sample; strength.
b) the strength; direction of the relationship.
c) the direction; a cause.
d) the relationship; expectant functionality.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
92. A correlation coefficient of .00 means there is _____ between the factors.
a) a negative relationship
b) a positive relationship
c) a perfect relationship
d) no relationship
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
93. Which of the following represents the strongest correlation?
a) .34
b) –.45
c) –.28
d) .00
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
94. It is extremely important to remember that correlation _____ prove causation.
a) does
b) partially
c) does not
d) can only
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
95. The third variable problem occurs when one variable, for example your independent variable, is actually linked to another variable that you are not manipulating or controlling for. In this example, what might the third variable be? (Example: The larger a child’s shoe size, the larger vocabulary she has.)
a) Her gender
b) Her age
c) Her dress size
d) Her language skills
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
96. Which of the following would be true if the number of hours students spend watching TV is negatively correlated with their grades in school?
a) Students who watch less TV would have the higher grades.
b) Students who watch more TV would have the higher grades.
c) TV viewing would not be related to grades in any systematic way.
d) TV viewing would be the independent variable in the study.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
97. Julie finds that the number of hours she sleeps each night is related to the scores she receives on quizzes the next day. As her sleep approaches eight hours, her quiz scores improve; as her sleep drops to five hours, her quiz scores show a similar decline. Julie realizes that there is a _____ correlation between her hours of sleep and her grades.
a) negative
b) positive
c) neutral
d) causative
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
98. The only research method that can identify cause-and-effect relationships between variables is _____
a) the experimental method.
b) naturalistic observation.
c) the correlational method.
d) the case study.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
99. Any condition or factor that can be manipulated, controlled, or measured, is a _____
a) confound.
b) variable.
c) causality.
d) bias.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
100. A prediction about a cause and effect relationship between two or more variables is a _____
a) theory.
b) experiment.
c) causal hypothesis.
d) correlational hypothesis.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
101. The two kinds of variables found in every experiment are _____ and _____ variables.
a) dependent; independent
b) causal; correlational
c) extraneous; controlled
d) conditional; behavioral
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
102. Susan wanted to know if aerobic exercise caused more weight loss than just walking. Susan had her experimental group do aerobic exercise for 20 minutes, 4 days a week. She weighed each subject before the experiment started and again three months into the experiment. The independent variable in her experimental research was _____
a) the subject’s weight.
b) the exercise.
c) the distance each subject in the control group walked.
d) the change in subject’s weight at three months.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
103. Matt’s experiment was designed to find out if reading an entire chapter at once led to better test grades than reading a section at a time over several days. The dependent variable in his experimental research was _____
a) the test grade.
b) the length of the chapter.
c) reading an entire chapter.
d) reading a section at a time.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
104. Jimmy is a researcher examining the effects of vitamin D deficiency on mood. Based on everything he has read, he speculates that if an individual has a low vitamin D level, then she or he may experience changes in mood. Jimmy’s speculation can also be described as a _____
a) causal hypothesis.
b) school of thought.
c) theory.
d) psychological perspective.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
105. In the experimental method, the _____ is sometimes referred to as the treatment.
a) independent variable
b) dependent variable
c) confounding variable
d) heuristic value
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
106. Most experiments have a _____ group for purposes of comparison. This group is not given the treatment or the same independent variable as the _____ group.
a) control; experimental
b) dependent; independent
c) experimental; control
d) inactive; active
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
107. In order to help separate the effects of your independent variable from the effects of chance or other random variables, you need to have _____
a) 100 percent control over all variables.
b) a control group.
c) an experimental group.
d) a representative sample.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
108. In Lang’s experiment studying the effects of alcohol and the effects of expectations on aggression, there were three groups:
Group 1: Expected alcohol, received only tonic.
Group 2: Expected alcohol, received alcohol mixed with tonic.
Group 3: Expected tonic, received alcohol mixed with tonic.
Which of the following is true?
a) Only Groups 2 and 3 were experimental groups.
b) Only Group 1 was an experimental group.
c) Group 1 was a control group.
d) All three groups were experimental groups.
Skill Level: Evaluate
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
109. In the Lang study of alcohol consumption, aggression was measured by the intensity and duration of “shocks” the participants chose to deliver to the researcher’s accomplice. This was the _____ definition of aggression for this experiment.
a) research
b) hypothetical
c) operational
d) controlled
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
110. A researcher has conducted an experiment in which she assigned all of her students four hours of homework the night before a test, in order to see what effect the extra stress has on test performance. The study is flawed because the researcher did not include a(n) _____
a) control group.
b) experimental group.
c) independent variable.
d) random sample.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
111. If we were to design an experiment to test the hypothesis that aspirin removes headaches, the independent variable would be _____ and the dependent variable would be _____
a) headaches; aspirin.
b) aspirin; Tylenol.
c) aspirin; headaches.
d) measured; manipulated.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
112. Marcy is trying to define anxiety in a way that can be measured. She is attempting to find an appropriate _____
a) independent variable.
b) operational definition.
c) causal hypothesis.
d) theory.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
113. Bob is a participant in a study investigating the effectiveness of Ritalin in treating ADHD. Bob has ADHD, but is in a group that received a placebo (sugar pills) instead of Ritalin. Bob is in the _____ group.
a) experimental
b) random
c) control
d) observational
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
114. In order to increase typing speed, Minisoft has both redesigned its keyboard and provided a chime related to typing speed. The company wants to know if these changes affect typing speed. Which of the following represents, in order, the independent and dependent variable(s) in this study?
a) The chime; typing speed
b) The speed of typing; the keyboard design and the chime
c) The keyboard design and chime; the speed of typing
d) The number of errors made; the chime and the speed of typing
Skill Level: Evaluate
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
115. Professor Kim’s students designed an experiment to investigate whether self-esteem was affected by how often she called on them when they raised their hands in class. They planned to count the number of times each student was called on when they raised their hand, ask each student how their self-esteem was before and after the experiment, and compare their responses based on how often they were called upon. Their causal hypothesis was, “If the professor calls on you more often when you raise your hand, your self-esteem will go up.” What is one significant flaw in their design?
a) They have no independent variable.
b) They have no operational definition for self-esteem.
c) They have no dependent variable.
d) They don’t have a sample.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
116. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has no known cause, although there are theories and hypotheses. In a situation such as this, which of the following can we do?
a) Make recommendations based on correlational data
b) Do experiments to determine the cause
c) Do nothing
d) Determine the cause based on correlations
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
117. The most important limitation of the experimental method is that, no matter how careful an experimenter is, factors other than the independent variable can affect different subject groups in the study unequally. These factors are called _____
a) dependent variables.
b) confounding variables.
c) selection variables.
d) error variables.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
118. Factors that are unequal across groups and can prevent a researcher from concluding that it was the independent variable that caused a change in the dependent variable are called _____ variables.
a) random
b) confounding
c) participant
d) erroneous
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
119. When a researcher assigns participants to either an experimental or a control group based on their last names, systematic differences between groups are created before the experiment even begins. This is a confounding variable is an example of _____
a) observer bias.
b) participant bias.
c) selection bias.
d) assignment bias.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
120. Participants should be selected by chance for an experimental or control group so each has equal probability of being assigned to either of the groups. This is done by _____
a) random assignment.
b) researcher assignment.
c) participant assignment.
d) random sampling.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
121. When a subject’s response to a treatment is due to their expectations rather than the actual treatment, they are showing the _____ effect.
a) placebo
b) double-blind
c) participant
d) observer
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
122. When the researcher’s expectations influence participant’s behavior and/or the researcher’s interpretation of the experimental results, it is called ____
a) participant bias.
b) experimenter bias.
c) subject bias.
d) intentional bias.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
123. In order to prevent the researcher’s expectations from influencing study participants, a(an) _____ design is used.
a) anonymous
b) quasi-experimental
c) computerized
d) double-blind
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
124. When an independent variable would endanger a human participant’s health, we must conduct the research by comparing groups that already have differing degrees of the variable of interest. These are known as _____ experiments.
a) partial
b) correlational
c) quasi
d) descriptive
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
125. Which of the following would limit the effectiveness of the experimental method?
a) Random assignment
b) Selection bias
c) Independent variables
d) Representative samples
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
126. Research has shown that patients’ expectations of treatment effectiveness are affected by what a treatment provider is wearing. A white lab coat tends to increase their expectation of effectiveness. Gloria, a research assistant, had no preconceived ideas about her research project, but by chance she wore a white lab coat when working with experimental Group 1, but jeans and a t-shirt when working with experimental Group 2. This created a confounding variable. This confounding variable was a _____
a) selection bias.
b) experimenter bias.
c) placebo effect.
d) random effect.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
127. Dr. Fountainbleu was testing a new medication used to treat depression. He gathered 150 participants who had varying levels of depression. Because he wanted to see whether the new drug really worked, he separated the severely depressed from the mildly or moderately depressed. He then made sure the severely depressed group actually received the drug while the other group received the placebo. What error, if any, did Dr. Fountainbleu make in this experiment?
a) He made no error at all.
b) He did not have enough participants in the study.
c) He showed selection bias.
d) He showed unethical treatment of depressed people.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
128. Dr. Hernandez is studying the effect of a new treatment for depression. She is so excited about this treatment because she is sure it will help people. When she distributes the placebo pills, she is able to keep a neutral expression on her face. When she distributes the actual pills, she can’t help but let a little smile curl her lips and she bounces up and down very slightly due to her expectations that the pill will really help these people. She is not aware she is doing anything different. As her student, you need to point this out to her to save the study from _____ bias.
a) experimenter
b) participant
c) intentional
d) accidental
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
129. Your assignment is to design a study to test the effectiveness of caffeine on performing rapid, precise movements. You want an A, so your design will _____
a) be a quasi experiment.
b) assign students alphabetically.
c) be a double-blind study.
d) give all participants caffeine.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.5.2: Describe the limitations of the experimental method
Topic: The Experimental Method
130. Cross-cultural research is very important to our understanding of human psychology. By its nature it can only be _____ research.
a) descriptive
b) experimental
c) case study
d) quasi-experimental
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
131. A type of bias in which study participants are not representative of the population to which results will be generalized is called _____ bias.
a) participant-related bias
b) participant
c) generalizability bias
d) nongeneralizability bias
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
132. A majority of human psychological research has been conducted with college student participants. This leads to results that ____
a) can be readily generalized only to the population of the state where the college is located.
b) should not be generalized.
c) might be biased because college students are not representative of the general population.
d) are worthless because college students don’t take the research seriously.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
133. A large study of heart disease that included white and African-American participants considered the age and gender of the participants but not their socioeconomic status. The conclusion drawn by the researchers was that being an African American male places you at greater risk for heart disease than being a white male. The problem with this conclusion is that_____
a) no other races were included in the study.
b) we can’t tell if the variable is race or socioeconomic status.
c) there were no African-American researchers on the team.
d) we already knew African-Americans get more heart disease.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
134. Angela failed to note that she could only find female participants for her research study. This is an example of _____
a) placebo effect.
b) experimenter bias.
c) gender bias.
d) random selection.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
135. The American Psychological Association and other professional organizations require that researchers make every effort to ensure that participants are representative of the population to which the study’s results will be generalized. This relates to _____
a) sample selection.
b) selection bias.
c) random assignment.
d) experimenter bias.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
136. An example of the result of gender bias is that _____
a) females are considered inferior.
b) results from all-male studies are generalized to everyone.
c) results from all-female studies are generalized to men.
d) most psychological studies have been done with females.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
137. A participant-related bias known as ageism results in _____
a) failing to perceive the diversity among older adults.
b) excessive deference to older adults.
c) a reluctance to ask older adults to participate in research.
d) a tendency to describe all older adults in positive terms.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.1: Explain how participants’ characteristics can influence a study’s usefulness
Topic: Research Participants
138. What safeguards are there for the welfare of human research participants?
a) Professional organizations’ codes of ethics; laws and institutional policies
b) Only the individual researcher’s ethics
c) Only ethical codes from professional organizations
d) Only the ability of participants to sue
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
139. Jess works for a corporation as a research psychologist. The corporation recently revised its policies to require that researchers not provide informed consent to participants. The American Psychological Association (APA) would _____
a) understand that her employer’s policies take precedence.
b) expect her to abide by the APA code of ethics anyway.
c) insist she quit her job and sue the company.
d) have her arrested.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
140. When a study is completed, researchers have _____
a) no further responsibility to the participants.
b) a responsibility to follow them for six months to be sure they are okay.
c) a responsibility to debrief the participants.
d) a responsibility to put them in touch with the other participants.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
141. Which of the following is a common ethical guideline suggested by the American Psychological Association?
a) Participants may not withdraw after they start a study.
b) Participants must be allowed to make an informed decision to participate in a study.
c) Participants cannot be subjected to electric shock.
d) Participants cannot be deceived about aspects of the research.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Item Analysis: % correct 67 a = 3 b = 67 c = 14 d = 15 r = .26
Topic: Research Participants
142. Experimenters can justify the use of deception because _____
a) there is informed consent.
b) research is more important than people.
c) it may be necessary for the experiment to work.
d) it is not that harmful.
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Item Analysis: % correct 67 a = 24 b = 0 c = 67 d = 8 r = .21
Topic: Research Participants
143. Research on animals _____
a) is not covered by laws or ethical codes.
b) must minimize any discomfort.
c) is banned by the American Psychological Association.
d) must euthanize (kill) all animals at the end of the research.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
144. Which of the following is part of the ethical guidelines for animal research?
a) Animals must be cared for by individuals trained in their care.
b) Animal discomfort should not interfere with research.
c) Only animals, not people, may be caused discomfort for research.
d) Research animals must be assigned a human advocate.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Moderate
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
145. The number of animals needed for research is _____
a) increasing.
b) decreasing.
c) stable.
d) unlimited.
Skill Level: Understand
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
146. Animal research is critically important for the study of variables that can’t be _____ ethically in human subjects.
a) controlled
b) manipulated
c) randomized
d) bias-free
Skill Level: Analyze
Difficulty: Easy
Learning Objective: 1.6.2: Describe how researchers protect participants’ and animals’ rights
Topic: Research Participants
Completion (Fill-in-the-Blank)
1. Psychology is more than just common sense because it utilizes the _____ to acquire knowledge.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.1.1: Explain why psychologists use the scientific method
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
2 The goals of psychology are to _____, _____, _____, and _____ behavior and mental processes.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
3. The school of thought that confines itself to study only what is observable, measurable, and objective is _____.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
4. Described by Sigmund Freud, the _____ is the primary focus of the psychoanalytic theory.
Difficulty: Easy
Page Ref: 10
Learning Objective: 1.2.1: Recall the early psychologists’ contributions to the field of psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
5. Some of the basic ideas underlying the humanistic school of thought are _____.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
6. Two of the many mental processes studied by cognitive psychologists are _____ and _____.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
7. _____ is the school of thought that rests on Charles Darwin’s theory of adaptation for survival.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
8. The adaptation of human behavior over long periods of time for survival is the focus of the _____ school of thought.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.2.2: Describe the seven major schools of thought in psychology
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
9. Veronica is a psychologist who has spent a majority of her career assessing the function of neurotransmitters and their effect on the development of depression. The school of thought that Veronica fits in best is _____.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Apply
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
10. When interpreting the behavior of others, Nabila stresses the importance of cultural factors and social influences. Clearly, Nabila is coming from the _____ approach to studying human behavior.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
11. A researcher studied Vietnamese individuals and examined how their multicultural background played a role in their survival of centuries of warfare. The researcher was approaching this study from the _____ school of thought.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
12. Two advantages to adhering to an eclectic position are advances in _____ and _____.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.2.3: Identify the seven contemporary psychological perspectives
Topic: Psychology Then and Now
13. Observation of behavior that takes place in a setting designed for research activities, as opposed to a natural setting, is referred to as _____ observation.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
14. Vinny was born with a rare genetic disorder that affects his physical growth and subsequent development. Although quite rare, psychologists are very interested in studying Vinny’s condition. The research method that would be the best fit with this scenario is _____.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Apply
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
15. Because they have no control over the situation, researchers conducting naturalistic observation cannot reach conclusions about _____ relationships.
Difficulty: Difficult
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.4.1: Compare the pros and cons of observational and case studies
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
16. Kenyon is interested in the views of at least 10,000 Americans on the topic of stem-cell research. The _____ may be the best research method for him to use in an effort to collect this information.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Apply
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
17. When selecting people for survey research, a(n) _____ from all members of the population of interest will likely ensure that the group of people you survey accurately reflects that larger population.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
18. One problem with survey results is that respondents may try to present themselves in a good light. This is known as the _____ _____ response.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.4.2: Illustrate how researchers design useful surveys
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
19. A correlation coefficient tells us two things about the relationship between variables. It tells us the _____ of the relationship and the _____ of the relationship.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
20. A correlation coefficient of .00 indicates _____ relationship between two variables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
21. Consider this observation: As calorie intake increased, body weight increased. Considering the direction of the relationship between calorie intake and body weight, we would say it is a _____ relationship.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.4.3: Contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method
Topic: Descriptive Research Methods
22. An experiment is designed to test a prediction about a cause-effect relationship between two or more variables. This prediction is called a _____.
Difficulty: Difficult
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
23. The most important advantage to using the experimental method over descriptive research methods is that the experimental method allows us to identify _____ relationships.
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill Level: Analyze
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
24. The _____ variable is the variable that the experimenter manipulates, or changes, in the experimental method.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Understand
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
25. Carlo created a new study technique. He got 60 students to test out his new technique. Half of them were taught the new technique, while the other half were not. All of the students were then given a psychology exam. Students who learned the technique were in the _____ group, whereas students who did not learn the technique were part of the _____ group.
Difficulty: Easy
Skill Level: Apply
Learning Objective: 1.5.1: Explain how researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses
Topic: The Experimental Method
Essay Questions
1. Describe structuralism as a school of thought. What significant role did structuralism play in establishing the field of psychology?
1. Structuralists believed that basic elements combined to form the conscious mental experience.
2. In order to study these basic elements, Structuralists used introspection to gather data. Introspection is a technique where an individual looks within and then reports his/her experiences. Unfortunately, introspection was found not to be very reliable and therefore the school of thought fell out of favor.
3. Wilhelm Wundt and his student, Edward Titchener, are the names that go along with the founding of this school of thought.
4. Structuralism was the first formal school of thought in psychology.
5. Though it did not remain popular for long, structuralism was significant because it helped to establish psychology as a science and/or for its heuristic value.
6. Titchener and Wundt argued that psychological processes could, indeed, be measured and studied just as other scientific phenomena were measured and studied.
2. How might the development of depression be explained from the different viewpoints of the behavioral, psychoanalytic and biological perspectives in psychology?
3. Imagine you have to design a descriptive study of the interactions between mothers and two-year-old children. What type of study design would you choose and why? The results are to be generalized to the ethnically diverse population of your city. How would you want to choose your sample? What would the limitations or problems of using that design be?
1. You can’t speed up or slow down the process.
2. You have no control over the variables present.
4. Describe four reasons correlational studies are valuable, even though they can’t determine cause and effect.
1. Their usefulness in making predictions.
2. That some questions can’t be studied with the experimental method for ethical reasons.
3. Some variables are impossible to manipulate so that we can have an independent variable. The text uses the example that we can’t randomly assign subjects to be male or female.
4. Correlational studies can often be done fairly quickly.
5. Imagine you work for a drug company that just created a medication to decrease anxiety in adults. Design an experiment using the research method that would allow you to best determine if the pill is effective for reducing anxiety in the population of interest.
1. The use of random selection of the sample of participants.
2. The random assignment of participants to either a control (placebo) or experimental (medication) group.
3. The design should be double blind in order to prevent an experimenter bias effect or placebo effect.
4. Anxiety should have an operational definition; the student should state how it will be measured.
5. Independent and dependent variables should be identified.
6. There should be an indication that the student understands the importance of keeping variables other than the independent variable equal across groups.
1. Joanne is struggling to make a decision about her health care. She can’t decide whether to get screened for cancer with a mammogram. She has read in some popular magazines that there are risks related to getting mammograms, things like false positives and X-ray exposure. Her friend told her about someone she knew who had a needle biopsy because the mammogram showed a tumor and there was no cancer, but she got a bad infection from the biopsy. Joanne doesn’t know anyone who has been saved by getting a mammogram. She is leaning strongly toward not getting any mammograms. What type and quality of evidence does Joanne have so far? How would you advise she gather and evaluate information? What should she do to think critically about the information, and make her decision?
1. The lack of an authoritative, scientific source.
2. The nature of anecdotal information.
3. The absence of any evidence about a cause-and-effect relationship between mammograms and the risks she has heard about.
4. The extremely small sample represented by her personal experience.
5. A recognition of authoritative, scientific sources and how information might be obtained from them.
6. The need to think independently, gather information on all sides of the issue, and the willingness to change her thinking based on new and better evidence.
2. There is great concern about the mysterious phenomenon called “sudden mental collapse,” in which groups of students begin skipping school and refusing to come out of their rooms or interact with anyone. Discuss what the initial steps would be in applying the scientific method to this problem. Discuss what type or types of research would be useful in trying to solve this mystery, and how they would help. If you were supervising the research and researchers, what might you caution them to be careful about so that they don’t damage the usefulness of any results?
1. The initial steps start with making observations. Next a theory based on the observations is formed. Then a testable hypothesis is developed, a study designed, and last data is collected and analyzed.
2. When discussing types of research, the answer should demonstrate an awareness of the impracticality and ethical issues an experimental design would afford. This may be stated directly, or implied because the method is not chosen.
3. A case may be made for most types of descriptive research, questionnaires or interviews, naturalistic observation, case studies, and correlational research. Questionnaires or interviews and naturalistic observation would help identify possible factors involved, case studies might help formulate new hypotheses, correlational research could tell us the strength of the relationship between “sudden mental collapse” and factors of interest.
4. Any type of bias or potential error such as a lack of an operational definition or training for observers, overgeneralizing from a case study, sampling errors, researcher bias, the social desirability response, poor selection of interviewers, third factors, directionality errors, and mistaking correlation for causation are examples covered in the text.
Skill Level: Apply
Difficulty: Difficult
Learning Objective: 1.1.2: List the goals of psychology
Topic: An Introduction to the Science of Psychology
Document Information
Connected Book
Mastering the World of Psychology 6th Edition Exam Pack
By Samuel E. Wood