Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. The scientific approach assumes that

a. humans have free will.

b. humans are poor judges of the behavior of others.

c. behavior follows an orderly and predictable pattern.

d. each individuals behavior is unique and random.

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 TOP: NEW

KEY: Concept/Applied

2. Which of the following is a major assumption of science?

a. events occur in a relatively orderly or predictable manner

b. cause and effect is indicated by correlational relationships

c. in contrast to the behavior of lower animals, human behavior is in part a function of free
will

d. events are largely randomly determined

ANS: A REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Concept/Applied

3. The use of ____ allows scientists to objectively ____ behavior.

a. application tools; understand

b. application tools; describe

c. measurement techniques; understand

d. measurement techniques; describe

ANS: D REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Concept/Applied

4. When a scientist attempts to explain why "something happened" his work is MOST closely associated
with which goal of science?
a. application and control

b. construction and revision

c. measurement and description

d. understanding and prediction

ANS: D REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Critical Thinking

5. The ____ approach assumes that events are governed by some lawful order.
a. philosophical

44
b. mechanical

c. scientific

d. cognitive

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

6. Which of the following is NOT one of the three goals of science?

a. application and control

b. measurement and description

c. construction and revision

d. understanding and prediction

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Factual

7. Which is NOT among the goals of psychology?

a. the development of measurement techniques for describing behavior precisely and accu-
rately

b. understanding why certain behaviors occur

c. applications of research findings to solve everyday problems

d. searching for absolute truths about behavior

ANS: D REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Factual

8. If a psychologist hopes that his research will help to solve some practical problem, his hope reflects
which goal of science?
a. application and control

b. construction and revision

c. understanding and prediction

d. measurement and description

ANS: A REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Concept/Applied

9. The use of behavioral principles to modify a child's unruly behavior reflects the goal of science that
deals with
a. understanding and prediction.

b. measurement and description.

c. deterministic and teleological.

d. application and control.

ANS: D REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 KEY: Concept/Applied

10. A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables is a
a. cause.

b. theory.

c. hypothesis.

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d. research method.

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

11. Mrs. Smith predicts that the girls in her class will learn more than the boys during the school year. Her
prediction is a(n)
a. hypothesis.

b. opinion.

c. fact.

d. theory.

ANS: A REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Concept/Applied

12. Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a
study are called
a. hypotheses.

b. correlations.

c. variables.

d. confounds.

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Factual

13. A theory is
a. an objective description of behavior.

b. a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations.

c. the application of research to practical problems.

d. a statement about the relationship between two or more variables.

ANS: B REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Factual

14. Dr. Marqueta believes that "misery loves company." Based on this belief, Dr. Marqueta predicts that
people who have received bad news will seek out other people. Dr. Marqueta's belief is an example of
____, and her prediction is an example of ____.
a. a hypothesis; a theory

b. a theory; a hypothesis

c. a variable; an application

d. a hypothesis; a variable

ANS: B REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Concept/Applied

15. Dr. Licciardi predicts that if people are observed while they perform a complex task they will make
more errors. Dr. Licciardi's prediction is an example of
a. a hypothesis.

b. an operational definition.

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c. a theory.

d. inferential statistics.

ANS: A REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Concept/Applied

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

16. While theories are most closely associated with the scientific goal of ____, hypotheses are most
closely associated with the goal of ____.
a. application; description

b. description; application

c. understanding; prediction

d. prediction; understanding

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Critical Thinking

17. A scientific theory has to be

a. true.

b. accepted by others.

c. testable.

d. well established and undisputed.

ANS: C REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Factual

18. Theories help scientists make the leap from ________ to ________ of behavior.
a. description, understanding

b. understanding, predication

c. measurement, prediction

d. measurement, understanding

ANS: A REF: p.36 OBJ: 2.2 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

19. A clinical psychologist notes that an unusually large number of obese people are depressed or anxious,
and she offers an explanation that excess weight causes emotional disorders. Her explanation is a(n)
a. hypothesis.

b. theory.

c. opinion.

d. fact.

ANS: B REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 KEY: Concept/Applied

20. Which of the following is NOT a requirement in the formulation of an hypothesis?

a. precise formulation

b. clearly defined variables

c. testable predictions

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d. safeguards for experimenter bias

ANS: D REF: p.37 OBJ: 2.2 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

21. Scientific theories are MOST directly associated with which goal of science?
a. application and control

b. construction and revision

c. measurement and description

d. understanding and prediction

ANS: D REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.2 TOP: WWW

KEY: Critical Thinking

22. Hypotheses are typically expressed as

a. theories.

b. variables.

c. predictions.

d. statistics.

ANS: C REF: p. 36-37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Factual

23. The first step in a scientific investigation is

a. to develop a theory.

b. to formulate a testable hypothesis.

c. to collect the data.

d. to select the research method and design the study.

ANS: B REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Factual

24. Dr. Dobbins wants to study attachment patterns in single-parent families. The first step in her scientific
investigation would be to
a. design the study and select the research method.

b. analyze the data.

c. formulate a testable hypothesis.

d. collect the data.

ANS: C REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Concept/Applied

25. An operational definition

a. describes the actions and procedures used to measure or control a variable.

b. separately defines each term used.

c. provides a logical basis for each term.

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 d. states relationships to other variables.

ANS: A REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Factual

26. A researcher is measuring the heart rate of subjects as an index of anxiety. In this study, heart rate is
a. a confounded variable.

b. negatively correlated with anxiety.

c. an independent variable.

d. an operational definition of anxiety.

ANS: D REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Concept/Applied

27. A researcher is interested in examining whether relaxation techniques help decrease the perception of
anxiety in subjects. The second step in this scientific investigation would be to
a. select the research method and design the study.

b. analyze the data.

c. formulate a testable hypothesis.

d. collect the data.

ANS: A REF: p. 38 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Concept/Applied

28. In scientific investigations a researcher must clearly define the variables under study by precisely de-
scribing how they will be measured or controlled. These definitions are referred to as
a. objective definitions.

b. precise definitions.

c. operational definitions.

d. dictionary definitions.

ANS: C REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Factual

29. Dr. Critelli is studying aggression in children and plans to define aggression as the number of times
one child pushes or strikes another child. Defining aggression in this way would
a. be an example of a hypothesis.

b. violate ethical guidelines for psychological research.

c. represent an operational definition.

d. require a double-blind research design.

ANS: C REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Concept/Applied

30. A psychologist measures blood alcohol level to determine intoxication. In this example, blood alcohol
level is the ____ definition of intoxication.

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
a. operational

b. dictionary

c. objective

d. precise

ANS: A REF: p. 37 OBJ: 2.3 KEY: Concept/Applied

31. After designing a study to investigate the role of gender on learned helplessness a clinical psychologist
collects data from 100 participants. What is the clinical psychologist’s next step in the investigation?
a. test the hypothesis

b. report findings

c. operationally define variables

d. analyze data and draw conclusions

ANS: D REF: p. 38 OBJ: 2.3 TOP: NEW

KEY: Concept/Applied

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32. The two main advantages of the scientific approach are science's _______ and _______.
a. commonsense approach, intolerance of error

b. commonsense approach, easy acceptance of the research findings of others

c. clarity and precision, intolerance of error

d. clarity and precision, easy acceptance of the research findings of others

ANS: C REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.4 KEY: Factual

33. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the scientific approach?

a. clarity

b. precision

c. acceptance of a degree of error

d. skepticism

ANS: C REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.4 KEY: Factual

34. Operational definitions are MOST closely associated with which major advantage of the scientific ap-
proach?
a. commonsense approach

b. clarity and precision

c. intolerance of error

d. tolerance of error

ANS: B REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.4 TOP: WWW

KEY: Critical Thinking

35. The scientific approach requires that people specify exactly what they are talking about when they for-
mulate hypotheses. Which advantage of scientific investigation does this illustrate?
a. precision

b. acceptance of a degree of error

c. skepticism

d. operational definitions

ANS: A REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.4 KEY: Factual

36. Which of the following is an example of an independent variable that can be manipulated?
a. number of correct responses

b. amount of exposure to caffeine

c. subject age

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
d. subject gender

ANS: B REF: p. 36 OBJ: 2.1 TOP: WWW

KEY: Critical Thinking

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37. A researcher wants to see if a protein-enriched diet will enhance the maze-running performance of rats.
One group of rats is fed the high-protein diet for the duration of the study; the other group continues to
receive ordinary rat chow. In this experiment, the rats' maze-running performance is the
a. correlated variable.

b. control variable.

c. dependent variable.

d. independent variable.

ANS: C REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 TOP: WWW

KEY: Concept/Applied

38. An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise helps people's mood (makes them happier).
Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group
on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the independent variable?
a. the hypothesis

b. day of the week

c. the exercise

d. the mood (degree of happiness)

ANS: C REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Conceptual

39. An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise helps people's mood (makes them happier).
Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group
on Wednesday and Thursday. What is the dependent variable?
a. the hypothesis

b. day of the week

c. the exercise

d. the mood (degree of happiness)

ANS: D REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Conceptual

40. An experimenter tests the hypothesis that physical exercise helps people's mood (makes them happier).
Subjects in the experimental group participate on Monday and Tuesday and those in the control group
on Wednesday and Thursday. What is an extraneous variable?
a. the hypothesis

b. day of the week

c. the exercise

d. the mood (degree of happiness)

ANS: B REF: p. 42 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Conceptual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

41. The research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled condi-
tions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result is the
a. scientific method.

b. correlational method.

c. descriptive method.

d. experimental method.

ANS: D REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

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42. The experimental method is a research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under
carefully controlled conditions and then
a. observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result.

b. correlates the resulting behavior.

c. observes behavior in its natural environment.

d. surveys participants to learn their assessment of the variable.

ANS: A REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

43. In experimental research, the variable that the researcher measures because it is thought to be affected
by the manipulation of another variable is the
a. extraneous variable.

b. dependent variable.

c. independent variable.

d. controlled variable.

ANS: B REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

44. In experimental research, the dependent variable is the variable

a. that is thought to be affected by the manipulated variable.

b. the researcher controls or manipulates.

c. that is considered an extraneous variable.

d. that is correlated with the second variable.

ANS: A REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

45. In experimental research, the researcher manipulates the ____ variable in order to measure its effect on
the ____ variable.
a. dependent; independent

b. dependent; extraneous

c. independent; dependent

d. independent; extraneous

ANS: C REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

46. In experimental research, the data collected by the researcher are the
a. primary variable.

b. secondary variable.

c. independent variable.

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
d. dependent variable.

ANS: D REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

47. A researcher is investigating the effect of high room temperatures on aggressive behavior in preschool-
ers. Half of the children are in a classroom where the temperature is a warm 88 degrees and half are in
a classroom where the temperature is a normal 77 degrees. The researcher measures the number of hit-
ting incidents that occur in each classroom. In this study the temperature of the room is the
a. dependent variable.

b. experimental group.

c. control group.

d. independent variable.

ANS: D REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Concept/Applied

48. A group of researchers wanted to determine if people will eat more food in a room with red paint and
red decorations than in a room that is decorated blue. Half the participants in this study ate in a red
room and half ate in a blue room. The researchers then measured how much food was consumed in
each of the two rooms. In this study, the independent variable was
a. the type of food that was available during the study.

b. the amount of food that was consumed.

c. the color of the decorations in the room.

d. how hungry the participants were at the end of the study.

ANS: C REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Concept/Applied

49. In experimental research, subjects that receive some special treatment in regard to the independent
variable are the
a. experimental group.

b. control group.

c. observational group.

d. correlational group.

ANS: A REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

50. In experimental research, subjects in the control group

a. receive the dependent variable.

b. do not receive the dependent variable.

c. receive some special treatment in regard to the independent variable.

d. do not receive special treatment in regard to the independent variable.

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 ANS: D REF: p. 41-42 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

51. In experimental research, subjects that do not receive some special treatment in regard to the indepen-
dent variable are the
a. experimental group.

b. control group.

c. observational group.

d. correlational group.

ANS: B REF: p. 38 OBJ: 2.5 TOP: WWW

KEY: Factual

52. In experimental research, while subjects in the ____ group received some special treatment in regard
to the independent variable, subjects in the ____ group did not.
a. control; experimental

b. experimental; control

c. primary; secondary

d. secondary; primary

ANS: B REF: p. 41-42 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

53. In experimental research, which group of subjects could BEST be renamed the comparison group?
a. independent group

b. dependent group

c. experimental group

d. control group

ANS: D REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Critical Thinking

54. Subjects in the control group should be ____ subjects in the experimental groups in all respects except
for the treatment they receive in regards to the ____.
a. very different from; independent variable

b. very different from; dependent variable

c. very similar to; independent variable

d. very similar to; dependent variable

ANS: C REF: p. 41-42 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
55. A researcher is investigating the effect of high room temperature on aggressive behavior in preschool-
ers. Half of the children are in a classroom where the temperature is a warm 88 degrees and half are in
a classroom where the temperature is a normal 77 degrees. The researcher measures the number of hit-
ting incidents that occur in each classroom. In this study the children in the warm classroom are the
a. primary group.

b. secondary group.

c. experimental group.

d. control group.

ANS: C REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Concept/Applied

56. A researcher is investigating the effect of music on the productivity of employees in a factory. Half of
the employees listen to music while working and half do not listen to music. The researcher measures
the productivity of each employee. In this study the employees who listen to music are the
a. independent group.

b. dependent group.

c. control group.

d. experimental group.

ANS: D REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Concept/Applied

57. The different general strategies for conducting scientific investigation are referred to as
a. data collection techniques.

b. operational definitions.

c. research methods.

d. hypotheses.

ANS: C REF: p. 40 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Factual

58. An experimenter tests the hypothesis that caffeine improves student’s performance on tests. Subjects in
the experimental group drank three cups of coffee and then took a test on Monday or Tuesday. Subjects
in the control group drank only water prior to the test, which occurred on Wednesday and Thursday.
What is the dependent variable?
a. caffeine intake

b. the day of the week

c. mood

d. test performance

ANS: D REF: p. 41 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Concept/Applied

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59. An experimenter tests the hypothesis that caffeine improves student’s performance on tests. Subjects in
the experimental group drank three cups of coffee and then took a test on Monday or Tuesday. Subjects
in the control group drank only water prior to the test, which occurred on Wednesday and Thursday
What is the extraneous (confounding) variable?
a. caffeine intake

b. the day of the week

c. mood

d. test performance

ANS: B REF: p. 42 OBJ: 2.5 KEY: Concept/Applied

60. Stimulus type (intense or weak) is an example of a(n) __________variable. Heart rate is an example of
a ____________ variable.
a. confounded, dependent

b. dependent, categorical

c. independent, dependent

d. independent, confounded

ANS: C REF: 41 OBJ: 2.5 TOP: NEW

KEY: Concept/Applied

61. The two main types of research methods used in psychology are the
a. experimental and descriptive/correlational research methods.

b. experimental and case study research methods.

c. descriptive and correlational research methods.

d. descriptive/correlational and case study research methods.

ANS: A REF: p.40 OBJ: 2.4 KEY: Factual

62. Studies where variables are manipulated are considered __________. Studies where variables are ob-
served are _________.
a. experimental, correlational

b. correlational, anecdotal

c. anecdotal, experimental

d. correlational, case study

ANS: A REF: p. 49, 52 OBJ: 2.11 TOP: NEW

KEY: Conceptual/Applied

63. Psychologists use a variety of data collection techniques; which of the following is well suited for
studying attitudes?

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
a. questionnaires

b. direct observations

c. psychological tests

d. physiological recordings

ANS: A REF: p. 49 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Factual

64
64. Which of the following is NOT a variation that the experimental method can use?
a. use one group of subjects who serve as both the experimental group and as their own con-
trol

b. use an experimental group but not have a control group

c. manipulate more than one independent variable

d. measure more than one dependent variable

ANS: B REF: p. 42-43 OBJ: 2.6 KEY: Critical Thinking

65. Conclusions concerning cause and effect relationships are only possible when the ____ method is
used.
a. survey

b. experimental

c. correlational

d. descriptive

ANS: B REF: p. 43 OBJ: 2.6 KEY: Factual

66. The ability to infer a cause-and-effect relationship is associated only with the
a. correlational research method.

b. case history research method.

c. experimental research method.

d. empirical research method.

ANS: C REF: p. 43 OBJ: 2.6 KEY: Factual

67. A disadvantage or limitation of the experimental research method is

a. the researcher has little control over the situation.

b. it does not allow for conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships.

c. it does not allow for a description of behavior.

d. it frequently takes place under artificial circumstances.

ANS: D REF: p. 43-44 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

68. One of the disadvantages of the experimental method is

a. the inability to generate cause-and-effect conclusions.

b. the artificial, contrived situations in which experiments are often conducted.

c. the length of time necessary to complete the study.

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
d. the fact that only one variable can be studied at a time.

ANS: B REF: p. 43-44 OBJ: 2.7 TOP: WWW

KEY: Factual

69. A disadvantage or limitation of the experimental research method is

a. it cannot be used to study some research questions for practical or ethical reasons.

b. it does not allow for conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships.

c. it does not allow for a description of behavior.

d. the researcher has little control over the situation.

ANS: A REF: p. 43-44 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

66
70. Compared to the other scientific research methods, the principal advantage of the experimental method
is it
a. can easily be used to study all research questions.

b. allows for a description of behavior.

c. permits conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships.

d. observes behavior in its natural setting.

ANS: C REF: p. 43 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

71. The level of brain damage a subject has cannot be experimentally manipulated in human experiments.
Which of the following statements BEST describes this situation?
a. an advantage of experimental research

b. an ethical dilemma

c. a disadvantage of the experimental method

d. none of the above

ANS: C REF: p. 43-44 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Concept/Applied

72. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of the experimental method of conducting research?
a. it cannot be used to study certain issues

b. it produces artificial situations that may not be applicable to real life

c. it is impossible to manipulate certain variables

d. it is virtually impossible to conduct a true experiment with human beings

ANS: D REF: p. 43-44 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

73. One of the advantages of experimental design is

a. it can isolate the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

b. it can be used to explore all research questions.

c. its setting can be artificial.

d. it cannot allow cause-and-effect conclusions.

ANS: A REF: p. 43 OBJ: 2.7 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

74. Which of the following are disadvantages of the experimental research method?
a. it cannot be used to explore all research questions

b. it can produce artificial situations that may not be applicable to real life

c. it is impossible to manipulate certain variables

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
d. all of the above

ANS: D REF: p. 43-44 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

75. When studying a research question where it would be impractical to manipulate the variables of inter-
est, a researcher would use a(n)
a. logical method.

b. common sense method.

c. experimental method.

d. descriptive/correlational method.

ANS: D REF: p. 44 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

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76. Which of the following is NOT a descriptive/correlational research method?
a. survey

b. experiment

c. case study

d. naturalistic observation

ANS: B REF: p. 43-46 OBJ: 2.7 KEY: Factual

77. Suppose that researchers find an inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and the number of
correct responses on a skills test. The more alcohol consumed, the lower the score. Which of the fol-
lowing fictitious statistics could possibly represent that correlation?
a. -4.57

b. -0.87

c. +0.91

d. +0.05

ANS: B REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Critical Thinking

78. Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the strongest relationship between two vari-
ables?
a. -1.51

b. -.80

c. 0

d. +.50

ANS: B REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Concept/Applied

79. As Cindy ate more popcorn her interest in candy decreased, but as she ate more popcorn her interest in
soda increased. Cindy's interest in candy is ________ correlated with her interest in popcorn, while her
interest in soda is _________ correlated.
a. not; positively

b. negatively; positively

c. negatively, not

d. positively, negatively

ANS: B REF: 45 OBJ: 2.8 TOP: NEW

KEY: Critical Thinking

80. Of the following, the correlation coefficient that indicates the weakest relationship between the two
variables being measured is

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
a. + 0.95.

b. -0.69.

c. + 0.01.

d. -4.50.

ANS: C REF: p.45 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Concept/Applied

81. A correlation coefficient will always have a value between

a. 0% and 100%.

b. -10.00 and +10.00.

c. -1.00 and +1.00.

d. 0 and +1.00.

ANS: C REF: p. 45 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Factual

82. Which of the following indicates the strongest correlational relationship?

a. 1.12

b. -.92

c. .58

d. .87

ANS: B REF: p. 45 OBJ: 2.8 TOP: Study Guide

KEY: Concept/Applied

83. A correlation coefficient of zero describes

a. a positive relationship between two variables.

b. a negative relationship between two variables.

c. the lack of a relationship between two variables.

d. a perfect relationship between two variables.

ANS: C REF: p. 45 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Concept/Applied

84. In descriptive/correlational research, the investigator

a. systematically observes two variables to see whether there is an association between them.

b. manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether there
are changes in a second variable as a result.

c. exposes subjects to two closely related treatment conditions.

d. simultaneously manipulates two or more independent variables.

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 ANS: A REF: p. 44 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Factual

85. Naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys all have in common that
a. they do not directly observe behavior.

b. they do not manipulate the variables under study.

c. they can show causal relationships.

d. the results obtained cannot be analyzed statistically.

ANS: B REF: p. 44 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Concept/Applied

86. The accuracy of your prediction depends on the size of the correlation coefficient. Which of the fol-
lowing correlation coefficients would allow you to predict with the greatest accuracy?
a. +.41

b. +.54

c. -.65

d. -.51

ANS: C REF: p. 45-46 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Factual

87. Consider the following relationship: you discover that the more money people make, the greater their
happiness. Which of the following conclusions is justified?
a. money makes people happy

b. happiness causes people to earn more money

c. both happiness and money result from some unknown third factor

d. all of the above

ANS: D REF: p.46 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Conceptual/Applied

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88. Which of the following statements is NOT correct concerning the correlation coefficient?
a. a value near zero indicates no relationship between the two variables

b. high values indicate that the two variables have a cause-and-effect relationship

c. the type of relationship between the two variables is described by whether the value is pos-
itive or negative

d. the strength of the relationship between the two variables is described by the mathematical
value

ANS: B REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Factual

89. If A and B are highly correlated, which statement MOST accurately describes the relationship between
A and B?
a. the score on A causes the score on B

b. the score on B causes the score on A

c. both A and B are caused by a third variable

d. the score on A can be used to predict the score on B

ANS: D REF: p. 45-46 OBJ: 2.9 TOP: WWW

KEY: Critical Thinking

90. Which of the following correlation coefficients would make you MOST likely to bet, "If you tell me a
person's score on variable A, I can predict their score on variable B?"
a. +.74

b. +.30

c. -.25

d. -.83

ANS: D REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

91. Descriptive/correlational research methods allow researchers to

a. manipulate several variables at the same time.

b. examine whether there is a link or association between variables being studied.

c. draw conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships.

d. exert precise control over the variables being studied.

ANS: B REF: p. 44 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Factual

92. Most likely, the amount of time students spend studying would show a ______ correlation with the stu-
dents' grades.
a. nonexistent

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 b. equal

c. positive

d. negative

ANS: C REF: p. 44 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

93. If two variables have a negative correlation, you would expect that _____ scores on one variable are
generally associated with ____ scores on the second variable.
a. low; low

b. high; high

c. middle; a wide variety of

d. low; high

ANS: D REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

94. Of the following correlation coefficients, the one that would allow the MOST accurate predictions of
one variable based on the other variable would be
a. 0.00.

b. +1.24.

c. +0.65.

d. -0.79.

ANS: D REF: p. 45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

95. Of the following correlation coefficients, the one that would yield the LEAST accurate predictions of
one variable based on the other variable would be
a. 0.00.

b. +0.99.

c. +0.17.

d. -0.49.

ANS: A REF: p. 45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

96. If the correlation coefficient between amount of exposure to television violence and aggressive behav-
ior was found to be +0.43, we could conclude that
a. watching television violence tends to cause aggressive behavior.

b. being an aggressive person tends to cause one to watch more violent television.

c. people who watch the most television tend to be the least aggressive.

d. there is a positive relationship between these two variables.

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
ANS: D REF: p.45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

97. Which of the following pairs of terms related to the goals of science are MOST clearly associated with
the concept of correlation?
a. understanding and prediction

b. description and understanding

c. description and prediction

d. prediction and application

ANS: C REF: p. OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Integrative

98. Let's assume that the data from a recent study indicate that there is a strong relationship between test
scores and amount of time spent watching television. Students who watch more television tend to per-
form worse on tests. Which of the following BEST represents the relationship just described?
a. +.74

b. +.30

c. -.25

d. -.83

ANS: D REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Concept/Applied

99. Dr. Redding has found a correlation of +0.65 between snoring and weight. This indicates that
a. overweight individuals tend to snore less than underweight individuals.

b. there is no relationship between weight and snoring.

c. overweight individuals tend to snore more than underweight individuals.

d. individuals who go on a diet will most likely begin to snore.

ANS: C REF: p. 44-45 OBJ: 2.9 TOP: WWW

KEY: Concept/Applied

100. As correlation coefficients ____ the ability to predict one variable based on knowledge of the second
variable increases.
a. become positive

b. become negative

c. increase in strength

d. decrease in strength

ANS: C REF: p. 45 OBJ: 2.9 KEY: Factual

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101. One of your friends is writing a research paper and wants to obtain information about the depth of per-
sonal information people typically reveal during a first date. Directly observing a large number of peo-
ple during a first date will be difficult, so your friend asks for your advice on the best way to collect
this type of data. The best suggestion would be for your friend to use
a. the case study approach.

b. archival research.

c. a double-blind observational study.

d. a survey.

ANS: D REF: p. 46-49 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Critical Thinking

102. If a researcher is interested in studying individuals' attitudes toward "animal rights issues" they would
MOST likely conduct
a. a case study.

b. a survey.

c. a correlation.

d. a naturalistic observation.

ANS: B REF: p. 46-49 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Concept/Applied

103. You are interested in parenting differences between men and women. In your study you sit in a public
park documenting the types of play behaviors between mothers and children and fathers and children.
Which of the following BEST describes the design of your study?
a. an experiment

b. a survey

c. a correlation

d. a naturalistic observation

ANS: D REF: p. 46-49 OBJ: 2.10 TOP: NEW

KEY: Applied

104. In the case study method the researcher

a. uses questionnaires or interviews to gather information about specific aspects of partici-
pants' behavior.

b. engages in careful observation of behavior without intervening directly with participants.

c. manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions.

d. conducts an in-depth investigation of an individual participant.

ANS: D REF: p. 48 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

105. If a researcher is interested in an in-depth study concerning the long-term consequences that physical
disabilities have on psychological adjustment, the researcher would be MOST likely to use the
a. survey method.

b. naturalistic observation method.

c. experimental method.

d. case study method.

ANS: D REF: p. 48 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Concept/Applied

106. A number of techniques such as interviews, direct observations, and psychological testing may be used
when a researcher is conducting
a. a survey.

b. a case study.

c. naturalistic observation.

d. a correlation.

ANS: B REF: p. 48 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Factual

107. NASA wanted to know if extended periods of weightlessness would have an impact on long-term cir-
culatory function. The agency located seven former astronauts who had spent more than one month in
space under conditions of weightlessness, and tested all aspects of their cardiovascular function.
NASA's research with these seven astronauts would be considered to be
a. survey research.

b. experimental design.

c. factorial design.

d. case study research.

ANS: D REF: p. 48 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Concept/Applied

108. You are interested in studying college student’s attitudes toward underage drinking. The best way to
address this question is which of the following?
a. a case study

b. a survey

c. a correlation

d. a naturalistic observation

ANS: B REF: p. 49 OBJ: 2.10 KEY: Concept/Applied

109. What is the major disadvantage of the case study method?

a. highly subjective

76
b. highlights a particular disorder

c. looks for patterns among data

d. permits general conclusions

ANS: A REF: p. 49 OBJ: 2.10 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

110. The major advantage of the experimental method over the correlational approach is that the experi-
mental method
a. permits one to make causal conclusions.

b. allows for prediction.

c. is generally less artificial than correlational procedures.

d. permits the study of people in groups.

ANS: A REF: p. 50-52 OBJ: 2.11 KEY: Factual

111. The principal advantage of descriptive/correlational research methods is they

a. often observe behavior in artificial situations.

b. permit conclusions concerning cause-and-effect relationships.

c. can examine research questions that because of practical and ethical reasons cannot be
studied with other methods.

d. allow the researcher a high level of control over the variables of interest.

ANS: C REF: p. 50-52 OBJ: 2.11 KEY: Factual

112. Perhaps the greatest advantage associated with descriptive research methods is
a. a sensitivity to ethical concerns.

b. the isolation of cause and effect linkages in behavior.

c. the ability to focus on specific, isolated behaviors.

d. the ability to explore questions that cannot be examined using experimental procedures.

ANS: D REF: p. 50-52 OBJ: 2.11 KEY: Concept/Applied

113. A researcher plans to study the relationship between people's smoking behavior and their tendency to
have minor physical illnesses (such as colds or the flu). Most likely he will use correlational research
for the study because
a. correlational studies are always the "first choice" of researchers.

b. it is not practical or ethical to manipulate people's smoking behavior.

c. correlational studies allow the researcher to draw strong cause-and-effect conclusions.

d. the university does not allow smoking in the psychology building.

ANS: B REF: p. 50-52 OBJ: 2.11 KEY: Concept/Applied

114. The principal disadvantage of the descriptive/correlational research method is

a. because of practical or ethical reasons they cannot be used to study some research ques-
tions.

78
b. since researchers cannot control variables of interest, conclusions concerning cause and ef-
fect relationships are not appropriate.

c. they do not allow the researcher to describe behavior.

d. they frequently observe behavior in artificial situations.

ANS: B REF: p. 50-52 OBJ: 2.11 KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

115. The primary reason descriptive/correlational research cannot determine conclusively that variables
have a cause-and-effect relationship is because in conducting research
a. the researcher cannot control events or manipulate variables.

b. only an experimental group is used.

c. the data collected frequently comes from direct observations or statements made by sub-
jects.

d. the researcher observes behavior under artificial situations.

ANS: A REF: p.50-52 OBJ: 2.11 TOP: WWW

KEY: Factual

116. Imagine that the personality traits of openness and extroversion are positively correlated. If Andrea's
score in openness is extremely low,
a. she would most likely score at the low end of the extroversion scale.

b. it is impossible to predict how she is likely to score on the extroversion scale without more
information.

c. she would most likely score at the high end of the extroversion scale.

d. she would probably score close to the median on the extroversion scale.

ANS: A REF: p. 44 OBJ: 2.8 KEY: Concept/Applied

117. An instructor wishes to find out whether a new teaching method is superior to his usual procedures, so
he conducts an experiment. Everyone in his classes is quite excited about the prospect of learning un-
der the new procedure, but of course he cannot administer the new teaching method to everyone. A
random half of the students receive the new method and the remaining half receive the old. What is the
most obvious flaw in this experiment?
a. subjects should have been systematically assigned to groups

b. the sample is not representative of the population

c. placebo effects or experimenter bias are likely to affect results

d. distortions in self-report will affect results

ANS: C REF: p. 53 OBJ: 2.13 KEY: Critical Thinking

118. Research involving the repetition of a study to see whether the earlier results can be duplicated are re-
ferred to as
a. verification studies.

b. replication studies.

c. clarification studies.

d. duplication studies.

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 ANS: B REF: p. 52 OBJ: 2.12 KEY: Factual

119. The scientific method's clarity and precision is to operational definitions as its intolerance of error is to
a. placebo effects.

b. replication.

c. hypotheses.

d. subjects.

ANS: B REF: p. 52 OBJ: 2.12 KEY: Integrative

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

120. A psychologist conducts a memory study. To ensure the validity of the results the researcher should
a. reanalyze their data.

b. replicate their results.

c. design a new experiment.

d. formulate a new hypothesis.

ANS: B REF: p. 52 OBJ: 2.12 TOP: NEW

KEY: Critical Thinking

121. The repetition of a study to see whether the earlier results duplicate is referred to as
a. validation.

b. hypothesis testing.

c. replication.

d. data collection.

ANS: C REF: p.52 OBJ: 2.12 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

122. What procedure helps correct for experimenter bias?

a. extraneous or confounding variables

b. sleep learning or hypnosis

c. a higher standard for statistical significance

d. use of the double-blind procedure

ANS: D REF: p. 54 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Critical Thinking

123. With regard to the topic of deception in research with human subjects, which of the following is
MOST accurate?
a. researchers are careful to avoid deceiving subjects

b. some topics could not be investigated unless deception was used

c. it has been empirically demonstrated that deception causes severe distress

d. all psychological research must involve some deception

ANS: B REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Factual

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124. A student in Brutalbaum's class orders some audio tapes that promise to produce sleep learning. (Bru-
talbaum is dubious, because from his observations students sleep in class and still don’t seem to learn
much.) The student runs the experiment in Brutalbaum’s class. She describes the anticipated sleep-
learning benefits to the class and then gives the sleep tapes to a random half of the students and noth-
ing to the other half. After the next test she analyzes the results. The mean test score of the experimen-
tal group is statistically significantly higher than that of the control group. What is the flaw in this ex-
periment, if any?
a. sampling bias

b. possible placebo effect

c. problems with self-report data

d. there is no flaw

ANS: B REF: p. 53 OBJ: 2.13 KEY: Conceptual/ Applied

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

125. The ____ is a research strategy that minimizes the potential methodological problems associated with
the placebo effect and experimenter bias.
a. neutral sample procedure

b. single-blind procedure

c. double-blind procedure

d. blind sample procedure

ANS: C REF: p. 54-55 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Critical Thinking

126. Dr. Stillingsworth is interested in people's reactions to a controversial jury verdict. Dr. Stillingsworth
calls people at their home between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon. In
this example Dr. Stillingsworth has most likely selected
a. a representative sample.

b. a biased population.

c. a biased sample.

d. a statistically significant population.

ANS: C REF: p. 53 OBJ: 2.13 KEY: Concept/Applied

127. The experimental procedure in which both the experimenter and subject are unaware of who is in the
experimental group and who is in the control group is referred to as the
a. placebo control procedure.

b. stereotaxic procedure.

c. single-blind procedure.

d. double-blind procedure.

ANS: D REF: p. 54-55 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Factual

128. Scarlett is a graduate student who is observing children playing together after watching a film. She
knows that some children saw a film that contained graphic scenes of violence and some children saw
a non-violent film, but she doesn't know which film each child she is observing watched. In this case,
Scarlett is recording data for
a. a double-blind research study.

b. a study with two independent variables.

c. an unethical research study.

d. a correlational study with confounded variables.

ANS: A REF: p. 54-55 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Concept/Applied

84
129. Dr. Webb designs a research study in which neither the subjects nor the individuals who interact di-
rectly with the subjects know which is the control group and which is the experimental group in the
study. Dr. Webb probably chose this type of research design in order to
a. avoid the need to obtain ethics approval for the study.

b. minimize the possibility of self-report bias.

c. ensure that her sample is not biased.

d. reduce the impact of experimenter bias.

ANS: D REF: p. 54-55 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Concept/Applied

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

130. A researcher at a pharmaceutical company is excited his drug is ready to be tested in humans. He as-
signs 100 subjects to the drug group and 100 subjects are given a simple sugar pill. What potential
flaw has the researcher attempted to anticipate and control for?
a. experimenter bias

b. sampling bias

c. placebo effects

d. distortions in self-report

ANS: C REF: p. 54-55 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Critical Thinking

131. A placebo is
a. a substance resembling a drug, but has no effect.

b. an extraneous or confounding variable.

c. a higher standard for statistical significance.

d. a drug treatment.

ANS: A REF: p. 53 OBJ: 2.13 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

132. Which of the following constitutes a sampling bias?

a. creating a sample which is representative of the population of interest

b. creating a sample that has an age distribution similar to the population of interest

c. creating a sample that is not representative of the population of interest

d. creating a sample that has exactly 50% men and 50% women

ANS: C REF: p. 53 OBJ: 2.13 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

133. Sampling bias is a problem because it

a. limits the generality of the findings.

b. makes it impossible to use inferential statistics.

c. makes it difficult to avoid a confounding of variables.

d. makes the effect of the independent variable appear to be bigger than it really is.

ANS: A REF: p. 53 OBJ: 2.13 KEY: Concept/Applied

134. Sometimes a subject's expectations may lead to behavior change in the absence of any effective treat-
ment. This is referred to as an example of
a. sampling bias.

b. experimenter bias.

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c. socially desirable responding.

d. the placebo effect.

ANS: D REF: p. 53-54 OBJ: 2.13 KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

135. Dr. Limmex is trying to win FDA approval for a new drug to treat anxiety. Dr. Limmex claims that
14% of the people who took this new drug reported reduced anxiety; however other researchers claim
that 14% of patients who receive no treatment also report reductions in their anxiety levels. It appears
that the patients who improved after taking Dr. Limmex's drug
a. had a self-report bias.

b. may have been experiencing placebo effects.

c. were a non-representative sample.

d. should have been placed in the control group, rather than the experimental group.

ANS: B REF: p. 53-54 OBJ: 2.13 KEY: Critical Thinking

136. An instructor is concerned about class attendance and decides to find out what proportion of students
miss class regularly. He distributes a questionnaire that asks students to indicate how many classes
they have missed. Which of the common methodogical problems is he particularly likely to encounter?
a. sampling bias

b. possible placebo effects

c. problems with self-report data

d. experimenter bias

ANS: C REF: p. 54 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Concept/Applied

137. In which of the scientific research methods are distortions in self-report MOST likely to be of concern
to the researcher?
a. experimental method

b. correlational method

c. naturalistic observation method

d. survey method

ANS: D REF: p. 54 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Concept/Applied

138. Which of the following is NOT a major source of distortions in self-report in scientific research?
a. the participants are not a representative sample

b. the participants may fail to remember information correctly

c. the participants may have misunderstood the question

d. the participants may have a tendency to give socially approved answers to the questions

ANS: A REF: p. 54 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Factual

139. The social desirability bias is a tendency to answer questions about oneself
a. by agreeing with nearly every statement.

88
 b. by disagreeing with nearly every statement.

c. in a socially approved manner.

d. in a socially disapproved manner.

ANS: C REF: p. 54 OBJ: 2.14 KEY: Factual

140. Social desirability is a problem for all of these methods except

a. interviews.

b. behavioral measures.

c. personality inventories.

d. questionnaires.

ANS: B REF: p. 54 OBJ: 2.14 TOP: NEW

KEY: Concept/Applied

141. Your text mentions several Internet-mediated studies. What is the most common type of study con-
ducted over the Internet?
a. survey

b. naturalistic observation

c. experiment

d. case study

ANS: A REF: p.55 OBJ: 2.15 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

142. The Internet has changed many aspects of modern life, including the way scientists do research. Of the
various methods of research discussed throughout this chapter, Internet-mediated research includes
a. surveys.

b. experiments.

c. naturalistic observations.

d. all of the above

ANS: D REF: p. 55-56 OBJ: 2.15 KEY: Factual

143. The advantages offered by Internet-mediated research include

a. larger more diverse samples.

b. reduced time and money spent collecting data.

c. samples from special populations difficult to obtain through traditional research.

d. all of the above

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology
ANS: D REF: p.55-56 OBJ: 2.15 KEY: Factual

144. Which of the following is NOT one of the advantages that is associated with psychological research
conducted over the Internet?
a. data collection costs are typically lower when data is collected over the Internet

b. Internet studies tend to have higher participation rates than conventional studies

c. it typically takes less time to complete a study conducted through the Internet

d. Internet studies can obtain samples that are much more diverse

ANS: B REF: p. 55-56 OBJ: 2.15 KEY: Factual

145. Internet-mediated research refers to studies where

a. data is collected over the Internet.

b. data is analyzed over the Internet.

c. subjects are asked about their experience with the Internet.

d. subjects are asked to rate their experience with the Internet.

ANS: A REF: p. 55 OBJ: 2.15 KEY: Factual

146. Dr. Smith is conducting a survey about personality traits and their influence on attitudes towards col-
lege students. He is interested in including 1000 subjects in his sample. The best way to collect all this
data would be through
a. asking people on the street to take the survey.

b. mailing the survey.

c. calling people to take the survey.

d. using a web-based survey.

ANS: D REF: p. 55-56 OBJ: 2.15 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

147. One of the disadvantages of Internet-mediated research is

a. larger samples.

b. greater diversity in samples.

c. less controlled conditions.

d. greater experimental control.

ANS: C REF: p. 56 OBJ: 2.15 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

148. With regard to the topic of deception in research with human subjects, which of the following is
MOST accurate?

90
 a. researchers are careful to avoid deceiving subjects

b. some topics could not be investigated unless deception was used

c. it has been empirically demonstrated that deception causes severe distress

d. all psychological research must involve some deception

ANS: B REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Factual

149. Critics of deception argue all of the following except

a. deception is really just lying.

b. deception undermines trust.

c. deception deals with the problem of placebo effects.

d. deception can produce stress for participants, particularly when the truth is revealed.

ANS: C REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

150. The primary reason for the ethical dilemmas psychologists encounter regarding the use of deception in
research reflects concerns
a. about whether the deception affects all participants equally.

b. the well-being of animals used in research.

c. about the possibility of inflicting harm on human subjects.

d. about whether or not subjects believe the deception.

ANS: C REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 TOP: WWW

KEY: Concept/Applied

151. Which of the following statements regarding the use of deception in psychological research is FALSE?
a. defenders of deception believe that some research questions can only be studied by using
deception

b. critics of deception believe that the conclusions from studies involving deception are not
valid

c. critics of deception believe that the deception may result in subjects becoming less trusting
of others

d. participants in research involving the use of deception generally report that they enjoyed
the experience

ANS: B REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Critical Thinking

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

152. Which of the following is NOT included in the ethical guidelines for human participants in psycholog-
ical research?
a. participants should not be subjected to harmful or dangerous treatments

b. participants should be paid for their participation

c. participants’ right to privacy should not be compromised

d. participants should volunteer to participate

ANS: B REF: p. 58 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Critical Thinking

153. According to the ethical guidelines for psychological research with humans, if you agree to be a partic-
ipant in a research study you would understand that you
a. will not be exposed to harmful or dangerous treatments.

b. will not be exposed to deception.

c. have to commit to participating in the entire research study.

d. do not have the right to privacy.

ANS: A REF: p. 58 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Concept/Applied

154. Research has revealed that subjects who participated in research involving deception
a. were psychologically distressed about being deceived.

b. suffered extreme embarrassment at being "fooled".

c. didn't mind being misled and generally enjoyed taking part in research.

d. lost the ability to trust others.

ANS: C REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Factual

155. Which of the following statements is MOST accurate?

a. deception has never been used in psychological research

b. although deception has been used in the past, it has recently been banned by the American
Psychological Association

c. all psychological research involves deception

d. deception has been fairly common in psychological research since the 1960s

ANS: D REF: p. 57 OBJ: 2.16 KEY: Factual

156. Psychologists who defend the use of animals in research cite their contribution to all of the following
disorders EXCEPT
a. memory deficits.

b. headaches.

92
c. visual defects.

d. all of the above

ANS: D REF: p. 58 OBJ: 2.17 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

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 Chapter 2 The Research Enterprise in Psychology

157. Which of the following reasons for conducting psychological research with animals is MOST contro-
versial?
a. animals can live in research labs 24 hours a day while that would not be practical for hu-
man subjects

b. animals can be exposed to treatments that would be unacceptable to expose humans to

c. psychologists desire to understand and explain the behavior of certain species of animals

d. psychologists believe that the results of animal research can help identify general princi-
ples of behavior that are relevant to humans

ANS: B REF: p. 57-58 OBJ: 2.17 KEY: Factual

158. According to the ethical guidelines for conducting psychological research with animals, exposing ani-
mals to harmful or painful procedures
a. is justified if the research design requires harmful or painful procedures.

b. is justified for lower animals but not for primates.

c. cannot be justified unless the potential benefits of the research are substantial.

d. is never justified.

ANS: C REF: p. 57-58 OBJ: 2.17 KEY: Factual

159. Which of the following statements is MOST accurate?

a. more than one-third of all psychological studies involve animals

b. the American Psychological Association has developed strict ethical guidelines for re-
search involving animals

c. there have been few, if any, major advances in the treatment of mental or physical disor-
ders in humans that are attributable to animal research

d. the majority of psychological studies using animals involve painful or harmful manipula-
tions

ANS: B REF: p. 57-58 OBJ: 2.17 KEY: Factual

160. Which of the following is NOT a criticism of using animals in psychological research?
a. many of the studies are trivial

b. it is unethical to subject an animal to pain

c. the studies cost too much for the limited amount of information they provide

d. the studies are a waste of time, as the results often do not apply to humans

ANS: C REF: p.57-58 OBJ: 2.17 KEY: Factual

94
161. Which of the following statements regarding the use of animals in psychological research is MOST ac-
curate?
a. animals are used as subjects in less than 10% of psychological research studies

b. psychologists, if given a choice, always prefer to conduct animal research instead of hu-
man research

c. most animal research involves exposing the animals to painful procedures

d. while ethical principles govern the treatment of humans in research, there are no ethical
principles for conducting animal research

ANS: A REF: p. 57-58 OBJ: 2.17 KEY: Factual

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162. The various methods and procedures used in conducting psychological research and evaluating the re-
search of other psychologists are consistent with which unifying theme in psychology?
a. psychology is empirical

b. psychology is theoretically diverse

c. our behavior is determined by multiple causes

d. our behavior is shaped by our cultural heritage

ANS: A REF: p. 59 OBJ: 2.18 KEY: Factual

163. Publishing research results so others can subject the methods and conclusions to critical scrutiny illus-
trates which of your text's unifying themes?
a. behavior is determined by multiple causes

b. psychology is theoretically diverse

c. our experience of the world is highly subjective

d. psychology is empirical

ANS: D REF: p. 59 OBJ: 2.18 KEY: Concept/Applied

164. The fact that subjects sometimes report beneficial effects from a placebo treatment illustrates which of
your text's unifying themes?
a. our experience of the world is highly subjective

b. psychology is empirical

c. heredity and environment jointly influence behavior

d. behavior is shaped by cultural heritage

ANS: A REF: p. 59 OBJ: 2.18 KEY: Concept/Applied

165. The fact that research results can be affected by experimenter bias illustrates which of your text's uni-
fying themes?
a. behavior is shaped by cultural heritage

b. psychology is theoretically diverse

c. our experience of the world is highly subjective

d. behavior is determined by multiple causes

ANS: C REF: p. 59 OBJ: 2.18 KEY: Concept/Applied

166. The presence of a placebo effect in drug research is an example of which of the unifying themes of
your text?
a. psychology is empirical

b. psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context

96
 c. behavior is shaped by cultural heritage

d. our experience of the world is highly subjective

ANS: D REF: p. 59 OBJ: 2.18 KEY: Concept/Applied

167. A periodical that published technical and scholarly material in a specific field is referred to as a
a. blog.

b. magazine.

c. publication.

d. journal.

ANS: D REF: p. 60 OBJ: 2.19 KEY: Factual

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168. In psychology, most journal articles are

a. descriptions of newly developed theories.

b. reports that describe original empirical studies.

c. criticisms of previously published research.

d. reviews that summarize and reconcile the findings from a large number of studies.

ANS: B REF: p. 61 OBJ: 2.19 KEY: Factual

169. Technical journals are most likely to be found in

a. grocery store checkouts.

b. public libraries.

c. news stands.

d. academic libraries.

ANS: D REF: p. 60 OBJ: 2.19 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

170. PsychINFO contains

a. an alphabetical listing of the titles of all the psychological research studies published in a
year.

b. the full text of articles published in 100 major psychological journals.

c. a descriptive listing of all the current web resources related to the field of psychology.

d. brief abstracts of psychological research published in journal articles, books, and chapters
in edited books.

ANS: D REF: p. 61-62 OBJ: 2.20 KEY: Factual

171. PsycINFO is a computerized database containing

a. standard diagnostic information for classifying behavior disorders.

b. abstracts of and bibliographic references for journal articles.

c. psychological profiles of known felons.

d. names of authors who specialize in abstractions.

ANS: B REF: p. 61-62 OBJ: 2.20 KEY: Factual

172. A computerized database that allows individuals to locate journal articles and other published works
related to psychological research is
a. The Citation Index.

b. American Psychological Association Online.

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 c. Psychology Today.

d. PsycINFO.

ANS: D REF: p. 61-62 OBJ: 2.20 KEY: Factual

173. Which of the following describes the function of PsycINFO?

a. see online a brief summary of a specific research article published in a journal

b. search for research articles related to a specific topic

c. search for research articles authored by a specific individual

d. all of the above

ANS: D REF: p.61-62 OBJ: 2.20 KEY: Factual

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174. Generally abstracts are between ____ and ____ words.

a. 45, 65

b. 75, 175

c. 200, 300

d. 300, 350

ANS: B REF: p. 61 OBJ: 2.21 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

175. The abstract of a journal article provides

a. a concise summary of the entire article.

b. an overview of the research problem, relevant theories, and previous research.

c. a description of the research methods used in the study.

d. a concise summary of the raw data and statistical analyses.

ANS: A REF: p. 62 OBJ: 2.21 TOP: WWW

KEY: Factual

176. Which section of a journal article involving psychological research provides a brief summary of the re-
search project?
a. abstract

b. results

c. discussion

d. introduction

ANS: A REF: p. 62 OBJ: 2.21 TOP: WWW

KEY: Factual

177. The correct sequencing of the sections of the main body of a journal article would be
a. introduction, method, results, discussion

b. introduction, discussion, method, results

c. discussion, introduction, method, results

d. method, introduction, results, discussion

ANS: A REF: p.62-63 OBJ: 2.21 KEY: Factual

178. The hypotheses for a research study are MOST likely to be found in the
a. methodology section of a journal article.

b. reference section of a journal article.

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 c. results section of a journal article.

d. introduction section of a journal article.

ANS: D REF: p. 62 OBJ: 2.21 KEY: Factual

179. The data obtained in a research study, along with the statistical analyses, are reported in the
a. introduction section of a journal article.

b. results section of a journal article.

c. method section of a journal article.

d. discussion section of a journal article.

ANS: B REF: p. 63 OBJ: 2.21 KEY: Factual

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180. The characteristics of the sample and the procedures used for testing should be included in the
________ section.
a. results

b. methods

c. introduction

d. discussion

ANS: B REF: p. 62 OBJ: 2.21 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

181. Which section of a journal article describing psychological research contains the author's interpretation
and evaluation of the data?
a. references

b. conclusion

c. discussion

d. results

ANS: C REF: p. 63 OBJ: 2.21 KEY: Factual

182. The organization or standard format of journal articles describing psychological research reflects or
follows the
a. preferences of the specific researcher.

b. goals of science.

c. steps involved in conducting scientific research.

d. unifying themes of psychology.

ANS: C REF: p. OBJ: 2.21 KEY: Integrative

183. A person explains his opinion against buying a certain model of car by noting that even though the
model is popular and highly rated by numerous organizations, his cousin has that model and has had a
lot of problems. It is MOST accurate to state that the person was
a. using an evidence-based decision-making procedure.

b. using critical thinking skills to reach an opinion.

c. basing his opinion on anecdotal evidence.

d. basing his opinion on firsthand information.

ANS: C REF: p. 64-65 OBJ: 2.22 KEY: Concept/Applied

184. Which of the following statements concerning anecdotal evidence is FALSE?

a. anecdotal evidence is based on a single example and may therefore reflect sampling bias

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b. anecdotal evidence rarely influences a person's opinion or behavior

c. anecdotal evidence can usually be found to support any position

d. anecdotal evidence often reflects a distortion in self-report

ANS: B REF: p. 64-65 OBJ: 2.22 TOP: WWW

KEY: Factual

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185. Studies that have investigated the influence of anecdotal information have found that
a. people are not influenced by anecdotal information, and tend to view it as non-representa-
tive and biased.

b. people tend to be influenced by anecdotal information, even when they are forewarned
that the information is not representative.

c. people are only influenced by anecdotal evidence when they have not been forewarned
that it may be misleading.

d. people are only influenced by anecdotal evidence when it is provided by someone they
know and trust.

ANS: B REF: p. 64-65 OBJ: 2.22 KEY: Factual

186. Annabel is planning to buy a cordless phone. She has narrowed her choice down to a Northtech X7
model and a Telecom G-Pro model. Alfred tells Annabel: "Consumer Reports did extensive testing and
rated the Northtech X7 as the highest overall. The same article indicated that the Telecom phone was
unreliable and needed frequent service." Francine tells Annabel: "The Consumer Reports article is
probably flawed because my uncle had a Northtech X7 phone, and he had nothing but problems with
it. He decided to switch to the Telecom phone, and he hasn't had any problems." Based on the research
results reported in the critical thinking application, you should predict that Annabel will MOST likely
a. buy the Telecom phone because she will be more persuaded by the anecdotal evidence.

b. buy the Northtech X7 phone because she will be more persuaded by objective evidence.

c. do further research on her own before buying either of the two phones.

d. decide not to buy a cordless phone because the two reports her friends provided conflict
with each other.

ANS: A REF: p. 64-65 OBJ: 2.22 KEY: Concept/Applied

187. Anecdotal evidence consists of

a. personal stories about specific incidents and experiences.

b. general information that has little direct bearing on the issue under consideration.

c. statistical information that has been altered to support a specific point of view.

d. information that is gathered from a variety of sources.

ANS: A REF: p. 64-65 OBJ: 2.22 KEY: Factual

188. Anecdotal evidence is ________ in nature.

a. empirical

b. correlational

c. subjective

d. statistical

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 ANS: C REF: p. 64 OBJ: 2.22 TOP: NEW
KEY: Factual

189. Anecdotal evidence is similar to ________ data.

a. self-report

b. empirical

c. correlational

d. descriptive

ANS: A REF: p. 64 OBJ: 2.22 TOP: NEW

KEY: Factual

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