Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main purpose of the scientific method in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

To provide a set of tools that helps us avoid being tricked by our own biases.

Question 2

A researcher wants to determine if a new teaching method improves student performance. She randomly assigns students to either the new method or the traditional method and compares their test scores. What is the independent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The type of teaching method used.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of the availability heuristic?

Accepted Answer

Believing airplane crashes are more common than they are because they are frequently reported in the news.

Question 4

In a study, neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment and who is receiving a placebo. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A double-blind design.

Question 5

A psychologist observes children playing in a park without interfering and records their behaviors. Which research method is being used?

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about correlation is correct?

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not imply causation.

Question 7

A study finds a correlation of $r = -0.43$ between smoking and vegetable consumption. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

The more you smoke, the fewer vegetables you eat.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Respondents are not always honest in their answers.

Question 9

A researcher wants to know if there is a relationship between the number of days students miss class and their final grades. Which research design should be used?

Accepted Answer

Correlational design.

Question 10

Which of the following best illustrates the representativeness heuristic?

Accepted Answer

Assuming someone is a professor because they are short, slim, and like poetry, despite the fact that there are far more truck drivers.

Question 11

What is the main function of a control group in an experiment?

Accepted Answer

To rule out alternative explanations by providing a comparison to the experimental group.

Question 12

Which of the following is a measure of central tendency?

Accepted Answer

Median

Question 13

A study finds that as the number of electric appliances in a home increases, the likelihood of using birth control also increases. What is the most likely explanation for this finding?

Accepted Answer

Higher socioeconomic status is associated with both more appliances and greater use of birth control.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the placebo effect?

Accepted Answer

Improvement resulting from the mere expectation of improvement.

Question 15

What is the main difference between random selection and random assignment?

Accepted Answer

Random selection ensures every person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen for the study; random assignment ensures every participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group within the study.

Question 16

A researcher finds that the mean score on a test is 75, the median is 80, and the mode is 85. What does this suggest about the distribution of scores?

Accepted Answer

The distribution is negatively skewed.

Question 17

Which of the following best defines statistical significance?

Accepted Answer

A finding would have occurred by chance less than 1 in 20 times ($p < 0.05$).

Question 18

If a study uses a sample that is not representative of the population, what is the main problem?

Accepted Answer

The findings may not generalize to the broader population.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of a response set in self-report measures?

Accepted Answer

A participant consistently answers in a way that makes them look good, regardless of the question.

Question 20

A psychologist wants to study a rare type of brain damage by examining one patient in great detail. Which research method is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Case study.

Research Methods in Psychology: Safeguards Against Error

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