Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a population and a sample in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

A population refers to the entire group of people of interest, while a sample is a smaller group selected from the population to participate in the study.

Question 2

A researcher wants to study aggression in children. Which of the following is the best example of operationalizing this concept?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the number of times children hit others during recess, as observed by teachers.

Question 3

Which research method is most appropriate for establishing cause-and-effect relationships?

Accepted Answer

Experimental method

Question 4

A psychologist is interested in how well a test measures what it claims to measure. Which concept is being assessed?

Accepted Answer

Validity

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of inter-rater reliability?

Accepted Answer

Assessing the agreement between two observers rating the same behavior.

Question 6

Why is random selection important for generalizability in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

It ensures that every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected, reducing selection bias.

Question 7

Which of the following is a disadvantage of naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

It is time and resource consuming and may be subject to observer bias.

Question 8

A researcher develops a 'Feline Preference Scale' to measure how much a person likes cats. What type of validity is most relevant to this scale?

Accepted Answer

Construct validity

Question 9

Which of the following best illustrates response bias in self-report surveys?

Accepted Answer

Participants answer questions randomly without reading them.

Question 10

In a study, the independent variable (IV) is manipulated by the researcher. Which of the following is an example of an IV?

Accepted Answer

The type of classroom environment (quiet vs. noisy) assigned to students.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about reliability and validity is correct?

Accepted Answer

A test can be reliable but not valid.

Question 12

A scatter plot is used in correlational research to show:

Accepted Answer

The relationship between two variables, including direction and strength.

Question 13

Which of the following is a key advantage of case studies?

Accepted Answer

They provide rich, detailed descriptions and data about rare or unusual phenomena.

Question 14

A researcher finds a correlation coefficient of $$r = 0.85$$ between stress levels and exam performance. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

There is a strong positive relationship between stress levels and exam performance.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes external validity?

Accepted Answer

How well the findings of a study can be applied to the real world.

Question 16

In the Stanford Marshmallow experiment, what was the dependent variable (DV)?

Accepted Answer

The time a child waited before eating the marshmallow.

Question 17

Which of the following is a potential ethical issue illustrated by the Tuskegee Syphilis Study?

Accepted Answer

Failure to obtain informed consent and withholding treatment from participants.

Question 18

A researcher wants to measure the reliability of a new psychological test. She administers the test to the same group of participants twice, two weeks apart, and calculates the correlation between the two sets of scores. Which type of reliability is she assessing?

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of social desirability bias in self-report surveys?

Accepted Answer

A participant exaggerates their positive qualities to appear favorable to the researcher.

Question 20

A researcher is interested in the effect of classroom noise on student test performance. She randomly assigns students to either a noisy or quiet classroom and measures their test scores. Which is the independent variable (IV) and which is the dependent variable (DV)?

Accepted Answer

IV: Classroom noise; DV: Test scores

Introduction to Psychological Research Methods: Key Concepts and Applications

Guida di studio - Domande di pratica

Study guide - Flashcard