Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a conceptual definition and an operational definition in psychological research?

Accepted Answer

A conceptual definition describes the abstract construct of interest, while an operational definition specifies how that construct will be measured or manipulated.

Question 2

A researcher wants to study the effect of sleep deprivation on driving performance. She measures lane departures, crashes, and response time. These measurements are examples of:

Accepted Answer

Operational definitions of driving performance.

Question 3

Which research design is most appropriate for establishing cause-and-effect relationships?

Accepted Answer

Experimental design

Question 4

In a double-blind experiment, who is unaware of the group assignments?

Accepted Answer

Both the participants and the researchers

Question 5

A scatterplot shows a correlation coefficient of $$r = -0.85. $$What does this indicate about the relationship between the two variables?

Accepted Answer

There is a strong negative linear relationship.

Question 6

Which of the following is a major disadvantage of case study designs?

Accepted Answer

They cannot systematically test hypotheses and have problems with generalizability.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

The result is unlikely to be due to chance alone.

Question 8

Which of the following best illustrates the third variable problem in correlational research?

Accepted Answer

Two variables are correlated because a third variable influences both.

Question 9

What is the primary purpose of random assignment in experimental designs?

Accepted Answer

To create equal groups and control for confounding variables.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a leading question in survey research?

Accepted Answer

Don’t you agree that regular exercise is important for health?

Question 11

A researcher observes parents’ behavior at minor hockey games without interfering. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Naturalistic observation

Question 12

Which of the following is a potential problem with self-report measures in survey research?

Accepted Answer

They are subject to social desirability bias.

Question 13

Which measure of central tendency is most affected by outliers?

Accepted Answer

Mean

Question 14

A researcher wants to generalize findings from a sample to the full population. Which type of statistics should they use?

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics

Question 15

Which ethical principle requires researchers to respect autonomy and protect those with diminished autonomy?

Accepted Answer

Respect for Persons

Question 16

In the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which ethical violation was most prominent?

Accepted Answer

Important information was withheld from participants.

Question 17

Which of the following is a way to minimize experimenter expectancy effects?

Accepted Answer

Use a double-blind design

Question 18

If a researcher finds a correlation between cheese consumption and deaths by becoming tangled in bed sheets, what is the most likely explanation?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of an illusory correlation.

Question 19

Which of the following formulas represents the calculation of the mean for a dataset with $$n$$ values $$x_1$$, $$x_2$$, ..., x_n$$?

Accepted Answer

$$\frac{x_1$ + x_2$ + ... + x_n}{n}$$

Question 20

A researcher wants to measure the variability of scores in a dataset. Which formula should they use to calculate the standard deviation for $$n$$ values $$x_1$$, $$x_2$$, ..., x_n$$ with mean $$\mu$$?

Accepted Answer

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

Research Methods in Psychology: Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards