Question 1

In a study testing a new drug to improve memory, which group receives the experimental level of the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

Experimental group

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of a control group in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

To compare experimental results with naturally-occurring conditions

Question 3

The placebo effect is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A change in behavior or health resulting from the expectation of receiving treatment

Question 4

In clinical trials, why is a placebo group included?

Accepted Answer

To account for improvements due to expectation rather than the drug itself

Question 5

In the caffeine experiment by Fillmore & Vogel-Sprott (1992), what was the key finding?

Accepted Answer

Participants' performance matched their expectations, even when given decaf

Question 6

Which of the following best describes an extraneous variable in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

A variable that may influence the outcome but is not the focus of the study

Question 7

Which statement about validity is correct?

Accepted Answer

An experiment can be reliable but not valid

Question 8

External validity refers to:

Accepted Answer

The degree to which results can be generalized to other people, settings, and times

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a measure of central tendency?

Accepted Answer

Range

Question 10

If a distribution of scores is highly skewed by a few extremely high values, which measure of central tendency is most likely to be distorted?

Accepted Answer

Mean

Question 11

Given the following set of scores: 2, 4, 4, 6, 8, what is the mode?

Accepted Answer

$4$

Question 12

What is the formula for calculating the mean of a set of scores $x_1, x_2, ..., x_n$?

Accepted Answer

$\frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i}{n}$

Question 13

A researcher finds that Group A has a mean score of 80 and a standard deviation of 14.1, while Group B has a mean score of 80 and a standard deviation of 1.4. What does this suggest about the two groups?

Accepted Answer

Group A's scores are more spread out than Group B's

Question 14

What percentage of scores fall within one standard deviation of the mean in a normal distribution?

Accepted Answer

$68\%$

Question 15

If the probability $p$ of an event occurring by chance is less than $0.05$, what does this indicate in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

The result is statistically significant

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 17

Which ethical principle requires researchers to communicate openly about the nature of the research and obtain consent?

Accepted Answer

Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

Question 18

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study violated which key ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

Question 19

In the Milgram experiment, which ethical issue was most prominent?

Accepted Answer

Deception and psychological harm to participants

Question 20

A researcher wants to study memory loss in aging but excludes individuals younger than 50. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

An exclusion criterion

Research Methods in Psychology: Experimental Design, Variables, Placebo Effect, and Validity

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