Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of 'naive realism' as discussed in the study materials?

Accepted Answer

Believing that our perceptions of reality are always accurate, even when evidence suggests otherwise.

Question 2

A researcher wants to determine if a new teaching method causes improved test scores. Which research design should they use?

Accepted Answer

Experimental design

Question 3

In the context of research ethics, what is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

Accepted Answer

To review research proposals to ensure the protection of human subjects

Question 4

Which of the following is a disadvantage of self-report measures?

Accepted Answer

Respondents may provide socially desirable answers rather than truthful ones.

Question 5

A correlation coefficient of $$r = -0.85$$ indicates:

Accepted Answer

A strong negative relationship between two variables

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the main advantage of naturalistic observation?

Accepted Answer

It provides high external validity.

Question 7

What is the main limitation of case study designs?

Accepted Answer

They can lead to misleading conclusions and usually don’t test a hypothesis.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of an illusory correlation?

Accepted Answer

Believing that crime rates increase during a full moon, despite no statistical evidence.

Question 9

If a data set has a mean of 50, a median of 30, and a mode of 20, what can you infer about the distribution?

Accepted Answer

The distribution is positively skewed.

Question 10

Which formula correctly represents the calculation of the standard deviation $$s$$ for a sample of $$n$$ scores $$x_1$$, $$x_2$$, ..., x_n$$ with mean $$\bar{x}$$?

Accepted Answer

$$s = \sqrt{\frac{1}{n-1} \sum_{i=1}^{n} (x_i - \bar{x})^2$}$$

Question 11

A researcher finds that the mean is much higher than the median in a data set. What does this suggest about the data?

Accepted Answer

There are extreme high values (positive skew).

Question 12

Which of the following is a key feature of experimental designs that allows for cause-and-effect inferences?

Accepted Answer

Random assignment of participants to groups

Question 13

What is the main ethical justification for using deception in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

The research cannot be conducted without deception and the potential benefits outweigh the risks.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes 'replicability' in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

The ability to duplicate the original findings of a study

Question 15

A study finds a statistically significant result with $$p \u003c 0.05. $$What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

The result would have occurred by chance less than five times in one hundred.

Question 16

Which of the following is a potential problem when using the mean as a measure of central tendency for skewed data?

Accepted Answer

The mean can be distorted by extreme scores.

Question 17

In the context of animal research, what is one argument against its use in psychology?

Accepted Answer

It is difficult to generalize findings from rodents to humans.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes 'interrater reliability'?

Accepted Answer

The extent to which different observers agree on what they are measuring

Question 19

A researcher reports only the mean for a highly skewed data set. What is a potential issue with this practice?

Accepted Answer

The mean may not accurately represent the central tendency of the data.

Question 20

Which of the following is a key difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics summarize data; inferential statistics allow generalization to a population.

Research Methods and Scientific Thinking in Psychology

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