Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main goal of social psychological research as outlined in Chapter 2?

Accepted Answer

To describe, predict, and explain how individuals are influenced by the real or imagined presence of others.

Question 2

A researcher wants to test whether people are more likely to help others when they are alone versus in a group. Which research method would best allow the researcher to determine causality?

Accepted Answer

Experimental method

Question 3

Which of the following is a limitation of the correlational method in social psychology?

Accepted Answer

It cannot determine causation between variables.

Question 4

A social psychologist forms a hypothesis based on a theory that people help others to feel good about themselves. What is the next logical step in the research process?

Accepted Answer

Designing an experiment to test the hypothesis.

Question 5

In an experiment, the variable that is manipulated by the researcher is called the:

Accepted Answer

Independent variable

Question 6

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of random assignment?

Accepted Answer

Assigning participants to groups by flipping a coin.

Question 7

A researcher finds a correlation of $$r = 0.85$$ between time spent on social media and feelings of loneliness. What can the researcher conclude?

Accepted Answer

There is a strong relationship between social media use and loneliness, but causation cannot be determined.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of operationalizing a variable in social psychological research?

Accepted Answer

Defining 'helping behavior' as the number of times a participant picks up dropped items for others during an observation period.

Question 9

Why is internal validity important in experimental research?

Accepted Answer

It ensures that only the independent variable is affecting the dependent variable.

Question 10

A researcher wants to know if a new teaching method improves student performance. She randomly assigns students to either the new method or the traditional method and measures their test scores. What is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The students' test scores

Question 11

Which of the following is a key ethical issue in social psychological research?

Accepted Answer

Obtaining informed consent from participants.

Question 12

A case study is most useful for which type of research question?

Accepted Answer

Understanding the unique experiences of an individual or small group.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the main limitation of using surveys in social psychological research?

Accepted Answer

Survey responses may be influenced by social desirability bias.

Question 14

What is the primary advantage of using the experimental method over the correlational method?

Accepted Answer

It allows researchers to determine cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of a confounding variable in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A variable that unintentionally influences the dependent variable, making it difficult to determine causality.

Question 16

A researcher conducts a meta-analysis on studies of bystander intervention. What is the main purpose of this approach?

Accepted Answer

To statistically combine the results of multiple studies to identify overall trends.

Question 17

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of external validity?

Accepted Answer

The extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other people and situations.

Question 18

In the context of social neuroscience, which method might a researcher use to study brain activity during social interactions?

Accepted Answer

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Question 19

Which of the following is a basic dilemma of the social psychologist when designing research?

Accepted Answer

Balancing the need for experimental control with the need for generalizability.

Question 20

A researcher wants to study the effect of group size on conformity. She manipulates the number of people in a group and measures the rate of conformity. Which is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

The number of people in the group

Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research

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