Title: Psychological Research
Course: Question Banks

Q: Which of these does research show is the best study technique?
- Rereading (Incorrect. Doing practice questions and spacing out your practice over time are much better study techniques than rereading, highlighting, or summarization.)
- Highlighting (Incorrect. Doing practice questions and spacing out your practice over time are much better study techniques than rereading, highlighting, or summarization.)
- Summarization (Incorrect. Doing practice questions and spacing out your practice over time are much better study techniques than rereading, highlighting, or summarization.)
- Spacing out your practice over time (Correct. Doing practice questions and spacing out your practice over time are much better study techniques than rereading, highlighting, or summarization.)
A: Spacing out your practice over time

Q: Marquise is studying for his Biology test. He only has an hour because he has lots of other homework to get through as well. What’s the best use of Marquise’s time?
- Rereading the chapter that the test will cover (Incorrect. Doing practice questions is a better use of time than rereading or watching the lecture again.)
- Watching the online lecture again (Incorrect. Doing practice questions is a better use of time than rereading or watching the lecture again.)
- Practicing by answering questions (in his homework or from the textbook) (Correct. Doing practice questions is a better use of time than rereading or watching the lecture again.)
A: Practicing by answering questions (in his homework or from the textbook)

Q: Which best describes the basic steps of the scientific method?
- make an observation, do an experiment, analyze the results, make a hypothesis, prove or disprove hypothesis, then repeat (Incorrect. Check the order of steps to make sure they make sense sequentially.)
- ask a question, create a hypothesis, prove or disprove the hypothesis, conduct an experiment, analyze the results (Incorrect. Check the order of steps to make sure they make sense sequentially.)
- conduct an experiment, form a hypothesis, prove or disprove the hypothesis, analyze the results, ask a question (Incorrect. Check the order of steps to make sure they make sense sequentially.)
- make an observation, ask a question, form a hypothesis, do an experiment, analyze the results, prove or disprove the hypothesis (Correct! These steps, properly applied, have the greatest chance of determining the truth of whatever phenomenon is being observed.)
A: make an observation, ask a question, form a hypothesis, do an experiment, analyze the results, prove or disprove the hypothesis

Q: In order for an experiment to be considered falsifiable, ________.
- it must be replicable by another researcher (Incorrect. While this characteristic is desirable in an experiment, it does not affect the study’s falsifiability. Take another look at the definition of the term “falsifable” in the text.)
- it should make predictions about future events (Incorrect. While this characteristic is desirable in an experiment, it does not affect the study’s falsifiability. Take another look at the definition of the term “falsifable” in the text.)
- it must fail to confirm the original hypothesis (Incorrect. Whether or not the hypothesis is supported does not affect the study’s falsifiability. Take another look at the definition of the term “falsifable” in the text.)
- it should be able to be disproved (Correct! Any hypothesis that cannot be disproven is unfalsifiable, which as scientists we want to avoid.)
A: it should be able to be disproved

Q: In order for an experiment to be considered predictable, ________.
- it must be replicable by another researcher (Incorrect. While this characteristic is desirable in an experiment, it does not affect the study’s predictability. What should an experiment ideally be able to predict?)
- it should be capable of being disproved (Incorrect. While this characteristic is desirable in an experiment, it does not affect the study’s predictability. What should an experiment ideally be able to predict?)
- all steps of the experiment must go exactly as planned (Incorrect. While this characteristic is desirable in an experiment, it does not affect the study’s predictability. What should an experiment ideally be able to predict?)
- it should make assumptions about future events (Correct! Why bother to run an experiment unless it can tell you something about how similar situations are likely to turn out in the future?)
A: it should make assumptions about future events

Q: A theory is a(n) ________.
- testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables (Incorrect. Review the text for the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.)
- unchangeable rule of thumb for predicting behavior, based on previous outcomes (Incorrect. Review the text for the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.)
- saying or quote passed down from one generation to the next about how people behave (Incorrect. Review the text for the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.)
- set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena (Correct! You’ve got this one down.)
A: set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena

Q: A(n) ________ is a testable prediction that is arrived at logically from a(n) ________.
- theory; hypothesis (Incorrect. A theory is a more general statement that predicts or tentatively explains different outcomes of relationships between variables, whereas a hypothesis is a more specific prediction of the relationship between two or more variables that can be tested.)
- experiment; observation (Incorrect. A theory is a more general statement that predicts or tentatively explains different outcomes of relationships between variables, whereas a hypothesis is a more specific prediction of the relationship between two or more variables that can be tested.)
- theory; observation (Incorrect. A theory is a more general statement that predicts or tentatively explains different outcomes of relationships between variables, whereas a hypothesis is a more specific prediction of the relationship between two or more variables that can be tested.)
- hypothesis; theory (Correct! A theory is a more general statement that predicts or tentatively explains different outcomes of relationships between variables, whereas a hypothesis is a more specific prediction of the relationship between two or more variables that can be tested.)
A: hypothesis; theory

Q: What best describes the purpose of the IRB?
- To ensure that every research proposal has a clear and falsifiable hypothesis. (Incorrect. The Institutional Review Board ensures proper, ethical treatment of participants and can prevent unethical or unsafe proposals from being enacted.)
- To review operational definitions in experiments. (Incorrect. The Institutional Review Board ensures proper, ethical treatment of participants and can prevent unethical or unsafe proposals from being enacted.)
- To ensure that new research meaningfully adds to the scientific literature. (Incorrect. The Institutional Review Board ensures proper, ethical treatment of participants and can prevent unethical or unsafe proposals from being enacted.)
- To review proposals for research that involves human participants. (Correct! The Institutional Review Board ensures proper, ethical treatment of participants and can prevent unethical or unsafe proposals from being enacted.)
A: To review proposals for research that involves human participants.

Q: Informed consent means clearly explaining all of the following EXCEPT
- letting participants know that participation is voluntary. (Incorrect. This step is included as part of informed consent.)
- ensuring that data is confidential. (Incorrect. This step is included as part of informed consent.)
- what compensation the participant will receive and what tasks they will perform. (Incorrect. This step is included as part of informed consent.)
- explaining the hypothesis to the participants. (Correct! Explaining the hypothesis to participants generally occurs during debriefing.)
A: explaining the hypothesis to the participants.

Q: Which animals are most commonly used in psychological research?
- monkeys (Incorrect. Although they are sometimes used, monkeys are not the most commonly used for research.)
- insects and fruit flies (Incorrect. Insects and fruit flies are so small, the research they can be used in is more limited than with larger animals.)
- dogs (Incorrect. Dogs are not commonly used in animal research.)
- rodents and birds (Correct! Rats, mice, quail, pigeons, parakeets, and finches are all commonly used.)
A: rodents and birds

Q: Which organization reviews research conducted using animal subjects?
- IRB (Incorrect. Review the text on research practices—which group is in charge of human subjects research and which for animal research?)
- IACRB (Incorrect. Review the text on research practices—which group is in charge of human subjects research and which for animal research?)
- ORCA (Incorrect. Review the text on research practices—which group is in charge of human subjects research and which for animal research?)
- IACUC (Correct! An Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee governs the approval of research using animals at any research institution.)
A: IACUC

Q: ________ research is generally preliminary and non-experimental research intended to gather information.
- correlational (Incorrect. Correlational research attempts to establish relationships between variables.)
- experimental (Incorrect. Look to the prompt above: it specifies the research in question as “non-experimental.”)
- meta-analytical (Incorrect. Meta-analysis combines the results from many completed studies, therefore it cannot be “preliminary.”)
- descriptive (Correct! Descriptive research attempts to describe a phenomenon without manipulating it.)
A: descriptive

Q: Jonas wants to understand the relationship between head size and intelligence. What type of study might he perform?
- descriptive (Incorrect. Descriptive studies merely describe, they do not establish relationships between variables.)
- experimental (Incorrect. Experimental studies manipulate one of the variables in order to establish causal connections instead of simply revealing existing relationships as is implied in the question above.)
- meta-analysis (Incorrect. Meta-analyses aggregate the results of many studies to get a broad overview of a phenomenon instead of simply revealing existing relationships as is implied in the question above.)
- correlational (Correct! Correlational studies establish relationships between variables.)
A: correlational

Q: If a researcher wants to understand if eating more bananas causes increased irritability, what type of study should they perform?
- descriptive (Incorrect. Descriptive studies merely describe, they do not establish causality as implied in the question above.)
- correlational (Incorrect. Correlational studies establish relationships between variables, but they do not establish causality as implied in the question above.)
- meta-analysis (Incorrect. Meta-analyses aggregate the results of many studies to get a broad overview of a phenomenon instead of establishing causality as is implied in the question above.)
- experimental (Correct! Experimental research establishes causal relationships, such as eating bananas causing irritability.)
A: experimental

Q: A little girl at the local elementary school is writing symphonies for full orchestra at age 7. You’re curious to know about the child’s personality and other psychological qualities. Which type of study would you conduct?
- survey (Incorrect. Surveys are useful for learning a limited number of specific things about a large number of people. It is not the best way to uncover the qualities that make one person unique. Make another selection that will allow you to learn more about this one child.)
- naturalistic observation (Incorrect. Naturalistic observation is a good way to discover how small groups of individuals act in their natural environment. However, because we usually try to avoid becoming involved with the subject of the observation, it is not a good approach if questioning and testing the person might reveal interesting information. Make another selection that will allow you to learn more about this one child by questioning her directly and openly.)
- experiment (Incorrect. Experiments are useful for determining causal relationships between two variables and usually involve large numbers of people. Make another selection that will allow you to learn more about this one child.)
- case study (Correct! A case study usually concentrates on one individual, documenting information about that individual in great detail. This girl is unusual so it makes sense to focus on her to find out a lot about her personality and other psychological qualities. The case study method allows you to test her and question her in many ways to learn about the full range of her abilities, background, interests, and so on.)
A: case study

Q: Briggs is interested in whether there is a difference in the way males and females carry objects such as backpacks and computer cases, so she sets up a hidden camera on the main mall of the college and videotapes students at various times throughout the day. Which type of study is this?
- case study (Incorrect. The researcher wants to know how males and females act in normal circumstances. She uses a camera as her source of data. Make another choice that reflects both the fact that Dr. Briggs is observing many individuals and that she is simply watching, not directly interacting with her research subjects.)
- survey (Incorrect. Surveys require people to answer direct and specific questions put to them. Surveys allow us to get at what people think (or say they think), but it is not good for watching normal behavior. Make another choice that reflects both the fact that Dr. Briggs is observing many individuals and that she is simply watching, not directly interacting with her research subjects.)
- experiment (Incorrect. Experiments manipulate some variable in the scenario to determine what impact that causes on an outcome. Make another choice that reflects both the fact that Dr. Briggs is observing many individuals and that she is simply watching, not directly interacting with her research subjects.)
- naturalistic observation (Correct! Naturalistic observation is a good way to discover how many individuals act in their natural environment. It allows us to focus on behavior rather than ideas and opinions. Cameras are an excellent tool for conducting naturalistic observation studies because we can observe behavior without being conspicuous and we can observe typical environments where a particular behavior occurs.)
A: naturalistic observation

Q: A psychologist who is interested in finding out about the lives and experiences of blended multi-racial families wants to know how such individuals are viewed by their families, friends, and co-workers and how they view themselves. He conducts a series of structured interviews with the various individuals and asks specific questions based on ideas he has that he thinks will be important for understanding this particular life experience. What type of study is this?
- survey (Incorrect. Surveys are useful for learning a limited number of specific things about a large number of people. It is not the best way to uncover the qualities that make one person unique or to describe complex relationships for a group of individuals who share some quality. Make another selection that will describes a method that allows a researcher to learn many complex facts about individuals and their relationships.)
- naturalistic observation (Incorrect. Naturalistic observation is a good way to discover how small groups of individuals act in their natural environment. However, because we usually try to avoid becoming involved with the subject of the observation, it is not a good approach to question or test a person or others who know this person. Make another selection that will allow you to learn more about people in the group of interest by questioning people directly and openly.)
- experiment (Incorrect. Experiments manipulate some variable in the scenario to determine what impact that causes on an outcome. The study described above does not have a manipulation of this sort.)
- case study (Correct! A case study usually concentrates on one individual or, as in this case, a group of individuals who share a particular characteristic. The goal is to document information about these individuals in great detail. The focus on the unique multi-racial families and the direct questioning mark this as a case study.)
A: case study

Q: If you receive a telephone call from someone asking that you explain your preferences for certain kinds of products, you are the subject of a ________.
- case study (Incorrect. A case study often involves a single individual, or it might be a small group of individuals who share some quality or experience. In a case study, the researcher learns a great deal about each subject. Make another selection that reflects the simplicity of the telephone interview, which allows many people from a broad variety of backgrounds and experiences to be questioned on a small number of specific issues.)
- naturalistic observation (Incorrect. Naturalistic observation requires the researcher to be inconspicuous and to allow individuals to act as they normally might if they were not being observed. A telephone interviewer is very conspicuous and focuses the person being questioned on specific issues. Make another selection that reflects the open involvement of the interviewer and the targeted questions that characterize this example.)
- experiment (Incorrect. Experiments manipulate some variable in the scenario to determine what impact that causes on an outcome. Make another selection that reflects the targeted questions that characterize this example.)
- survey (Correct! Data collection by telephone is perfect for surveys because a survey involves a limited number of specific, targeted questions that can be asked of a wide variety of people. Surveys are good for finding out about people’s beliefs, attitudes, and preferences because they are made up of carefully worded questions that focus on specific issues.)
A: survey

Q: Following a group of kindergarteners every other year until they graduate and evaluating their performance is an example of ________.
- archival research (Incorrect. Review the text for research methods that measure change over time.)
- cross-sectional research (Incorrect. Review the text for research methods that measure change over time.)
- descriptive research (Incorrect. Review the text for research methods that measure change over time.)
- longitudinal research (Correct! Longitudinal research allows us to evaluate change over time.)
A: longitudinal research

Q: Research that compares multiple segments of the population at the same time is known as ________.
- archival research (Incorrect. Archival research aggregates data from existing historical documents, and so by definition most of your data points will not be at the same time.)
- longitudinal research (Incorrect. Longitudinal research follows the same individuals over a period of time, and so by definition your data points will not be from the same time.)
- comparative research (Incorrect. “Comparative research” is such a broad term as to be functionally useless; it is not a term that is covered in the text.)
- cross-sectional research (Correct! Cross-sectional research compares different segments of a population (e.g. different age groups) at the same time.)
A: cross-sectional research

Q: Using existing records to try to answer a research question is known as ________.
- naturalistic observation (Incorrect. Naturalistic observation simply records behavior as it occurs.)
- longitudinal research (Incorrect. Longitudinal research follows the same individuals over a period of time to collect data.)
- cross-sectional research (Incorrect. Cross-sectional research compares different segments of a population (e.g. different age groups) at the same time.)
- archival research (Correct! Archival research aggregates data from existing historical documents.)
A: archival research

Q: If a researcher found a correlation coefficient of -.85 between amount of exercise and weight, this would indicate that the more people exercise, the ________ they weigh.
- more (Incorrect. You can tell that the correlation is negative by the minus (-) sign in front of the .85, so the negative correlation looks like the figure below. The amount of exercise is shown on the X-axis; the amount of exercise increases as you go from left to right on the X-axis. Weight is shown on the Y-axis. As you can see on the left side of the figure, when exercise is low, weight is high. The right side of the figure shows that, as exercise is high, weight is low.)
- same (Incorrect. You can tell that the correlation is negative by the minus (-) sign in front of the .85, so the negative correlation looks like the figure below. The amount of exercise is shown on the X-axis; the amount of exercise increases as you go from left to right on the X-axis. Weight is shown on the Y-axis. As you can see on the left side of the figure, when exercise is low, weight is high. The right side of the figure shows that, as exercise is high, weight is low.)
- less (Correct! The correlation is negative so it looks like the figure below. The amount of exercise is shown on the X-axis; the amount of exercise increases as you go from left to right on the X-axis. Weight is shown on the Y-axis. As you can see on the left side of the figure, when exercise is low, weight is high. The right side of the figure shows that, when exercise is high (i.e., people exercise a lot), weight is low.)
A: less

Q: If two different variables are not related at all, they probably have a correlation coefficient of ________.
- 1 (Incorrect. This value indicates a strong relationship between variables.)
- -1 (Incorrect. This value indicates a strong relationship between variables.)
- 10 (Incorrect. This is not a valid correlation value (maximum = 1, minimum = -1).)
- 0 (Correct! Only correlation values close to zero indicate the absence of a relationship between variables.)
A: 0

Q: The strength and direction of the relationship between two variables is expressed by the ________.
- illusory correlation (Incorrect. An illusory correlation occurs when two variables appear to be correlated, but are not in any meaningful sense.)
- positive correlation (Incorrect. While “positive correlation” describes a possible relationship between two variables, it is not all-inclusive. Negative correlations can exist, as well.)
- negative correlation (Incorrect. While “negative correlation” describes a possible relationship between two variables, it is not all-inclusive. Positive correlations can exist, as well.)
- correlation coefficient (Correct! The correlation coefficient describes the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables.)
A: correlation coefficient

Q: There is ________ correlation between the number of hours of sleep a person gets and how tired they feel.
- a positive (Incorrect. Review the text carefully to understand the difference between positive and negative correlations.)
- a neutral (Incorrect. There is no such thing as a “neutral” correlation.)
- no (Incorrect. When no correlation exists, then there is no meaningful relationship between the variables, unlike the example given.)
- a negative (Correct! In a negative correlation, one variable’s value decreases as the other increases.)
A: a negative

Q: At one time, people used to assume that poor reading abilities were caused by low intelligence. The most thoroughly studied kind of reading problem is called dyslexia, a learning disability which appears in elementary school readers has difficulty learning to recognize individual words. Dyslexia can vary in seriousness from mild forms to profound levels. In one study, researchers assessed a large number of kindergarten and first-grade children for signs of dyslexia, and they also measured the children’s IQ using a standardized IQ measure. They found no relationship between IQ and seriousness of dyslexia.

Choose the scatterplot below that is most consistent with the results of this correlational study.
A: (a choice with no text)
Feedback: Incorrect. This figure shows a positive correlation: as seriousness of dyslexia increases (left to right on X-axis), IQ score also increases (from bottom to top on Y-axis). That is not the result reported in the study. Make a different selection that reflects the fact that seriousness of dyslexia was unrelated to IQ score.
Feedback: Incorrect. This figure shows a negative correlation. As we go from mild dyslexia (left side of figure) to stronger levels of dyslexia (right side of figure), the scatterplot shows the points tending to go lower. This means that higher levels of dyslexia are associated with lower IQ scores. This figure is what you would expect to find if dyslexia were produced by IQ (or IQ was dependent on dyslexia). That is not the result reported in the study. Make a different selection that reflects the fact that seriousness of dyslexia was unrelated to IQ score.
Feedback: Correct! This figure shows that the seriousness of dyslexia (shown on the X-axis) has no systematic relationship to IQ score. This means that, when we look people with mild dyslexia (left side of figure), we find people with many different IQ scores and, when we look at the middle range of dyslexia (middle of X-axis) or more serious levels of dyslexia (right side of figure), we find a similar range of IQ scores. This result means that IQ is not a good candidate for explaining differences in levels of dyslexia, so the researchers will probably look for other sorts of explanations.

Q: Correlation means all of the following EXCEPT that ________.
- two variables are related (Incorrect. This answer does match correlation.)
- when one variable changes, so does the other (Incorrect. This answer does match correlation.)
- values on one variable are non-independent of values on the other variable (Incorrect. This answer does match correlation.)
- one variable causes another (Correct! Correlation does not equal causation!)
A: one variable causes another

Q: If you are studying depression rates during the cold winter months, a potential ________ could be the stress of the busy holiday season.
- dependent variable (Incorrect. The researcher already knows what the dependent variable is; it is the one that is being measured and is influenced by the independent variable. The researcher must look for a confounding variable which is a variable other than the ones being studied that, if not controlled, could affect the outcome of the experiment.)
- illusory correlation (Incorrect. An illusory correlation is one in which the apparent relationship is spurious and driven by some third, unknown variable. The relationship between stress and depression, while not the focus of the above-mentioned study, is certainly not spurious. It is a real thing that must be controlled for in order to find the relationship between seasonal change and depression rates.)
- excluded variable (Incorrect. Excluding variables that might have impact on the outcome of interest is a bad idea; we need to mathematically control for them instead.)
- confounding variable (Correct! A confounding variable is a variable other than the ones being studied that, if not controlled, could affect the outcome of the experiment. A confounding variable is one example of a threat to the internal validity of an experiment.)
A: confounding variable

Q: If you participate in a study and find out that the medication you received did not contain actual medication inside, then that pill is considered a(n) ________.
- dependent variable (Incorrect. The dependent variable is the outcome of interest.)
- experimental tool (While technically correct, this term is so vague and broad as to be functionally useless.)
- active treatment (Incorrect. If the pill in question has no actual medication, then active treatment is what it lacks.)
- placebo (Correct! It is vital that all procedures be the same between the control/experimental groups except for the administration of the actual treatment. This matching includes the act of taking a pill!)
A: placebo

Q: If you are studying the impact of a new type of teaching curriculum in the psychology classroom, the classroom where the old curriculum is still taught is considered the ________.
- experimental group (Incorrect. The experimental group will have some change introduced.)
- operational group (Incorrect. This terminology is not used for experiments.)
- hypothetical group (Incorrect. This terminology is not used for experiments.)
- control group (Correct! The control group will generally receive the teaching or treatment that is considered standard.)
A: control group

Q: When both the researchers and the participants do not know which conditions the participants are assigned to, the research design is known as ________.
- experimenter bias (Incorrect. Experimenter bias can only occur when the researcher knows which experimental condition is assigned to the participants. In a double-blind experiment where both the researchers and participants do not know which conditions the participants are assigned, it called double-blind.)
- operational study (Incorrect. Operational study is not a vocabulary term, although researchers should use operational definitions to describe exactly how the variables will be measured.)
- single-blind (Incorrect. Single-blind means that only the participants are unaware of which condition they are in, while the experimenter is aware of which condition the participants are assigned to.)
- double-blind (Correct! A double-blind experiment is when both the researchers and participants do not know which conditions are assigned to the participants. Double-blind experiments also reduce the possibility of experimental bias.)
A: double-blind

Q: Ryan is conducting an experiment on the type of breakfast eaten by high schoolers and their wakefulness and alertness during the day. Which is the best way for Ryan to prevent experimenter bias?
- He should avoid any personal interactions with the students. (Incorrect. While in some situations this may desirable, it will not affect the likelihood of experimenter bias.)
- He should refer to each student by a number instead of a name. (Incorrect. While in some situations this may desirable, it will not affect the likelihood of experimenter bias.)
- He should not reveal the intent of the study to the participants until the experiment is complete. (Incorrect. While in some situations this may desirable, it will not affect the likelihood of experimenter bias.)
- He should not know what the students ate for breakfast. (Correct. This is known as a “double-blind” study.)
A: He should not know what the students ate for breakfast.

Q: Which variable is manipulated by the experimenter?
- confounding variable (Incorrect. Confounding variables should be tracked and recorded, but are not manipulated by the experimenter.)
- dependent variable (Incorrect. This is the outcome variable on which everyone is tested, not the one the experimenter wants to manipulate.)
- interdependent variable (Incorrect. This is not a real term in regards to psychological experiments.)
- independent variable (Correct! The independent variable is manipulated by the experimenter to see what effect the manipulation has on the dependent (outcome) variable.)
A: independent variable

Q: What measures the effects of the independent variable?
- confounding variable (Incorrect. Confounding variables are those other than the independent variable that might explain changes in the outcome.)
- experimental variable (Incorrect. There is no “experimental variable.” This is not a term used in the text.)
- interdependent variable (Incorrect. There is no “interdependent variable.” This is not a term used in the text.)
- dependent variable (Correct! The dependent variable is the outcome of interest on which everyone is tested.)
A: dependent variable

Q: Maxwell’s research group is conducting a study on the relationship between daytime toddler naps and dinnertime appetite. Some groups are assigned to a 1 ½-2 ½ hour afternoon nap, some to a 30-60 minutes nap, or some to no nap at all. The amount they eat for dinner is recorded. In this study, the ________ is the dependent variable and ________ is the control group.
- time slept; no nap (Incorrect. “Time slept” is the independent variable, not the dependent variable. However, you did correctly identify the control group.)
- amount of food eaten; 1 ½-2 ½  hour nap (Incorrect. While you correctly identified the dependent variable, that is not the correct control group. Remember that the control group is the one that lacks a manipulation of the independent variable.)
- 30-60 minute nap; time slept (Incorrect. Make sure you know the difference between what a variable is and what the levels of that variable are. “30-60 minute nap” is not itself a variable; it is one level of the “time slept” variable, which is the independent variable. “Time slept,” in turn, cannot be the control group -- we need to choose one of the levels of that variable to be our control.)
- amount of food eaten; no nap (Correct! The amount of food eaten is the outcome of interest, and those children taking no nap at all serve as the best control group.)
A: amount of food eaten; no nap

Q: In a study about anxiousness, researchers have participants either read a story about a girl who is stressed about her final exams and other work and family commitments or a classic fairytale. Before the study, they plan to have students self-report on their levels of anxiety, then re-test them after the study to see if the anxious story increased anxiousness levels. In this example, the students’ reported anxiousness after reading a story is the
- independent variable (Incorrect. The independent variable in this case is what type of story was read.)
- operational definition (Incorrect. While operationally defining one’s variables is important, it is not one of the variables involved in the study itself.)
- interdependent variable (Incorrect. There is no “interdependent variable.” This is not a term used in the text.)
- dependent variable (Correct! The level of anxiety reported after reading is the outcome of interest.)
A: dependent variable

Q: Heather is conducting a study on music and memory. She plays different types of music while students memorize lists of words, then tests them on their retention after 1 hour, 1 day, and 1 week. In this example, which is the independent variable?
- retention after 1 hour and 1 day (Incorrect. These are both dependent variables.)
- retention after 1 week (Incorrect. This is a dependent variable.)
- level of liking for the music used (Incorrect. This variable was not included in the study described above.)
- the type of music (Correct! This is the variable that is manipulated.)
A: the type of music

Q: Chelsea wants to know if the room temperature in the testing center affects participants test scores. In this experiment, the independent variable is ________.
- type of test (Incorrect. The researcher is not interested in investigating the type of test, but rather the test performance. The independent variable is the room temperature because it is expected to influence test performance, which is the dependent variable of the study.)
- test performance (Incorrect. The independent variable is the room temperature because it is expected to influence test performance, which is the dependent variable of the study.)
- type of room in which the participants took the test (Incorrect. Chelsea is not interested in the type of room, but rather in test performance. The dependent variable is the test performance of the participants because it is expected to be influenced by, or dependent on, the room temperature, which is the independent variable of the study.)
- room temperature (Correct! The independent variable is the room temperature because it is expected to influence test performance, which is the dependent variable of the study.)
A: room temperature

Q: If an experiment can be easily replicated by another researcher and provide similar results, it is considered
- valid (Incorrect. Validity is the determination that the experiment actually tests what it says it did.)
- duplicable (Incorrect. This is not a correct vocabulary term for the definition above.)
- falsifiable (Incorrect. Falsifiability is the ability to prove a hypothesis wrong.)
- reliable (Correct! Reliability is the likelihood of getting the same results across different testing scenarios.)
A: reliable

Q: If an experiment measures what it is supposed to measure, it is considered ________.
- reliable (incorrect. Reliability is the likelihood of getting the same results across different testing scenarios.)
- duplicable (Incorrect. This is not a correct vocabulary term for the definition above.)
- falsifiable (Incorrect. Falsifiability is the ability to prove a hypothesis wrong.)
- valid (Correct! Validity is the determination that the experiment actually tests what it says it did.)
A: valid

Q: A popular, new personality test consistently yields the same results when given to the same people over a period of several months and when administered to similar people. The test asks so many cultural questions, however, that many think the test does not accurately measure personality. This test has________ reliability and ________ validity.
- low; low (Incorrect. Though the test has high reliability (similar scores across multiple testings), it does not have high validity (it does not accurately test what it says it does).)
- low; high (Incorrect. Though the test has high reliability (similar scores across multiple testings), it does not have high validity (it does not accurately test what it says it does).)
- high; high (Incorrect. Though the test has high reliability (similar scores across multiple testings), it does not have high validity (it does not accurately test what it says it does).)
- high; low (Correct! Though the test has high reliability (similar scores across multiple testings), it does not have high validity (it does not accurately test what it says it does).)
A: high; low

Q: The pattern of variation in data is called the
- correlation (Incorrect. A correlation is the relationship between two variables.)
- standard deviation (Incorrect. The standard deviation is the average amount that scores in a data set vary from the mean.)
- arithmetic mean (Incorrect. The mean is the mathematical middle point of all scores in a data set.)
- distribution (Correct! A distribution of scores varies from low to high and includes all data points.)
A: distribution

Q: If Maria conducts a study and discovers the results seem consistent enough to not have been caused by chance, she can conclude that her findings are ________.
- valid (Incorrect. Validity is related to a particular measure or test, not the outcome of an study.)
- reliable (Incorrect. Reliability is related to a particular measure or test, not the outcome of a study.)
- inconclusive (Incorrect. Maria would use this term if she could not rule out that the outcome was due to chance factors.)
- statistically significant (Correct! When an outcome is highly unlikely to have occurred by chance, we call that result statistically significant.)
A: statistically significant

Q: Francis is studying the relationship between personality traits and drug abuse. If she determines that there is a significant relationship between these two variables, that means her study would have a p-value of ________ or less.
- .08 (Incorrect. A probability of .05 or less is generally considered the cutoff for statistical significance.)
- .10 (Incorrect. A probability of .05 or less is generally considered the cutoff for statistical significance.)
- .95 (Incorrect. A probability of .05 or less is generally considered the cutoff for statistical significance.)
- .05 (Correct! A probability of .05 or less is generally considered the cutoff for statistical significance.)
A: .05

Q: If every person in a population has an equal chance of being chosen to participate in a study, then it is considered a ________.
- representative sample (Incorrect. While samples chosen in the manner above have on average the greatest likelihood of being representative of the population, they are not always necessarily representative.)
- randomly assigned study (Incorrect. Review the text for the difference between random sampling and random assignment.)
- falsifiable outcome (Incorrect. How the sample is chosen will not affect a study’s falsifiability.)
- random sample (Correct! The characteristic that makes a sample random is that everyone in the population has an equal likelihood of being chosen.)
A: random sample

Q: Random assignment is important in grouping participants in a research study because ________.
- it enables the data to be collected for analysis (Incorrect. Data collection is not reliant on random assignment.)
- it eliminates variability in the research design (Incorrect. The point of random assignment is not to reduce variability, but instead to ensure an even distribution of variability across conditions.)
- It is the only way to group participants (Incorrect. While random assignment is usually the best practice to follow, certain research designs will assign participants to a condition based on personal characteristics.)
- it balances out the differences that might naturally exist between participants (Correct! With random assignment, natural high- or low-scorers on the outcome of interest have an equal chance of ending up in either the experimental or control group.)
A: it balances out the differences that might naturally exist between participants

Q: What is the abstract of a scholarly article?
- The section explaining the procedure and operational definitions. (Incorrect. This describes the Method section.)
- The section presenting the key findings of the article. (Incorrect. This describes the Results section.)
- The section that uses existing scientific literature to justify the research question of the study. (Incorrect. This describes the Introduction.)
- The section with a summary of the whole article. (Correct! The abstract is usually 50-150 words long and summarizes the study design and findings.)
A: The section with a summary of the whole article.

Q: If Miguel wants to replicate Sara’s study, which section of Sara’s research article will be most valuable to him?
- abstract (Incorrect. The abstract summarizes the whole article and is unlikely to include all the necessary details for reproducing the study.)
- discussion (Incorrect. The discussion explains the results of the study in plain language and relates them to the existing literature, but does not include details on what exactly was done in the study.)
- results (Incorrect. The Results section presents key findings from the study, but does not include details on what exactly was done in the study.)
- methods (Correct! The Method section includes descriptions of all procedures and materials in the study as well as a breakdown of the participants involved.)
A: methods

Q: McCabe and Castel conducted experiments to assess whether a brain image influenced the way students perceived the quality of a scientific article. Across three experiments, they found that students rated the quality of scientific reasoning higher when a brain image was present. Their research would indicate that the study ________.
- does not replicate (Incorrect. The fact that the same result was found for all three experiments is a good indicator of replicability.)
- is invalid (Incorrect. Whether or not a study is replicable (as the information above suggests) does not tell us anything about the study’s validity.)
- is applicable only to student populations (Incorrect. Whether or not a study is replicable (as the information above suggests) does not tell us anything about the study’s generalizability.)
- does replicate (Correct! The fact that the same result was found for all three experiments is a good indicator of replicability.)
A: does replicate

Q: When other experimenters attempted to replicate the results of the McCabe and Castel study about the effect of an image on the perceived quality of research article, they found ________.
- that McCabe and Castel has falsely reported the results of the experiment (Incorrect. Other researchers were unable to replicate the results McCabe and Castel found, but that in and of itself is not proof of false reporting.)
- similar results (Incorrect. Other researchers were unable to replicate the results McCabe and Castel found.)
- that the McCabe and Castel results translated only to other college-student populations (Incorrect. Other researchers were unable to replicate the results McCabe and Castel found.)
- that the results did not replicate (Correct! Other researchers were unable to replicate the results McCabe and Castel found.)
A: that the results did not replicate

Q: Using a p-value of .05 means that there is a 95% chance that the results of a study are truly statistically significant. This means that there is still a 5% chance those results are due to chance. This, combined with ________, are two main contributing factors to the reproducibility crisis.
- experimenter bias (Incorrect. Experimenter bias occurs when experimenters treat participants differently due to which condition they know the participant to be in - this does not significantly contribute to the reproducibility crisis.)
- methodology errors (Incorrect. Methodology errors can occur at any stage of the research process and should be avoided, but they do not significantly contribute to the reproducibility crisis.)
- time constraints (Incorrect. Time constraints may introduce a variety of errors into the research process, but they do not significantly contribute to the reproducibility crisis.)
- publication bias (Correct! The fact that it is nearly impossible to publish non-significant findings is known as publication bias.)
A: publication bias