Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a theory and a hypothesis in psychological science?

Accepted Answer

A theory is a broad explanation for a phenomenon, while a hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction derived from a theory.

Question 2

A researcher wants to study the effect of sleep deprivation on memory recall. She randomly assigns participants to either a sleep-deprived group or a well-rested group and measures their recall performance. What type of research design is she using?

Accepted Answer

Experimental design

Question 3

Which of the following is the best example of a double-blind study?

Accepted Answer

Neither the participants nor the experimenters know which participants are receiving the treatment or placebo.

Question 4

A psychologist finds a correlation coefficient of $$ r = -0.85 $$ between hours spent watching TV and exam scores. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

There is a strong negative correlation between TV watching and exam scores.

Question 5

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of external validity in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other settings, populations, and times.

Question 6

A researcher is interested in the relationship between caffeine consumption and anxiety levels. She collects data from 100 college students and finds $$ r = 0.30 . $$Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

There is a moderate positive correlation between caffeine consumption and anxiety levels.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of good scientific research?

Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias

Question 8

In a study examining the effects of a new drug on depression, the group receiving the drug is called the ________, while the group receiving a placebo is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

experimental group; control group

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the difference between genotype and phenotype?

Accepted Answer

Genotype refers to genetic makeup, while phenotype refers to observable traits.

Question 10

A psychologist is interested in whether intelligence scores remain stable across a lifetime. Which concept is she investigating?

Accepted Answer

Reliability

Question 11

Which neurotransmitter is most directly associated with movement and is deficient in Parkinson's disease?

Accepted Answer

Dopamine

Question 12

Which part of the neuron receives incoming signals from other neurons?

Accepted Answer

Dendrite

Question 13

If a person suffers damage to their hippocampus, which ability would most likely be affected?

Accepted Answer

Ability to form new memories

Question 14

Which lobe of the brain is primarily responsible for planning, regulating impulses, and decision making?

Accepted Answer

Frontal lobe

Question 15

A researcher finds that the results of her experiment are statistically significant at $$ p \u003c 0.05 . $$What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

There is less than a 5% probability that the results occurred by chance.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the function of the myelin sheath?

Accepted Answer

It insulates axons and speeds up neural transmission.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a quasi-experimental research design?

Accepted Answer

Comparing outcomes between groups that cannot be randomly assigned, such as smokers and non-smokers.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the difference between an agonist and an antagonist in neurochemistry?

Accepted Answer

An agonist enhances the action of a neurotransmitter, while an antagonist blocks it.

Question 19

A psychologist wants to measure the consistency of a test over time. Which statistical concept should she use?

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the difference between the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Accepted Answer

The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS consists of all other nerves in the body.

Foundations of Psychological Science: Key Concepts, Research Methods, and Biological Bases

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