Chapter 2 : The methods of social Psychology

Question 1

What bias is Dr. Goldstein demonstrating to her students?

Answer 1

the hindsight bias

Many students’ predictions were wrong.

Question 2

What might Maria be displaying when she questions the obviousness of her social psychology course content?

Answer 2

the hindsight bias

She thinks the findings are obvious.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT an example of resources used in archival research?

Answer 3

firsthand observations of behavior

Question 4

Interviews and written questionnaires are forms of which type of research method?

Answer 4

survey

Question 5

What type of research method describes a relationship between socioeconomic status and relationship satisfaction?

Answer 5

correlational

Question 6

What type of study does Dr. Samanta conduct by following ten-year-olds through age seventeen?

Answer 6

longitudinal

Question 7

What component distinguishes experiments from other research methods?

Answer 7

random assignment

Question 8

What is the independent variable in an experiment?

Answer 8

manipulated and is the hypothesized cause of a particular outcome.

Question 9

In an experiment, what is the control condition compared with?

Answer 9

the experimental condition

Question 10

What is the primary difference between natural experiments and standard experiments?

Answer 10

typically do not involve random assignment of individuals.

Question 11

What best describes a research study that randomly assigns people to different conditions?

Answer 11

experiment

Question 12

What does random sampling mean?

Answer 12

every member of a population has an equal chance of being selected.

Question 13

What is the best example of observational research?

Answer 13

living with a group of people and observing their behavior

Question 14

What is an example of random sampling in a survey study?

Answer 14

tossing a coin to determine who will be surveyed from a list of all students enrolled.

Question 15

What is one of the most important differences between correlational and experimental research designs?

Answer 15

Experiments use random assignment.

Question 16

Which correlation indicates the weakest relationship between two variables?

Answer 16

0.2

Question 17

Which scatterplot graph displays the strongest relationship between two variables?

Answer 17

d.

Question 18

What research method is best for identifying a causal relationship between two variables?

Answer 18

experimental

Question 19

In Darley and Batson’s experiment, what was the independent variable?

Answer 19

being made to hurry from one building to another or not

Question 20

In the spider experiment, what functions as the dependent variable?

Answer 20

galvanic skin response.

Question 21

What is the problem with self-selection in research?

Answer 21

it makes causal interpretations difficult.

Question 22

Why is the conclusion about watching the evening news flawed?

Answer 22

it confuses a correlational relationship with a causal relationship.

Question 23

What would a biased sample most likely result in?

Answer 23

invalid conclusions based on the survey results.

Question 24

What is the main problem with voluntary mail-in surveys?

Answer 24

people who respond to the survey are likely to be different from those who do not respond.

Question 25

Why are experiments the best research method for finding causal relationships?

Answer 25

they incorporate control conditions and random assignment.

Question 26

Why is random assignment important in experiments?

Answer 26

it cancels out individual differences and reduces selection biases between conditions.

Question 27

What is the minimum percentage of likely voters needed for an accurate estimation in a survey poll?

Answer 27

2 percent

Question 28

Why should the survey results from Cosmopolitan readers be viewed with skepticism?

Answer 28

readers who responded to the survey are not likely the same as those who did not.

Question 29

What is a limitation of correlational research?

Answer 29

We can never be sure about causality.

Question 30

Which correlation indicates the strongest relationship between variables?

Answer 30

- 0.9

Question 31

What is an experiment set in the real world where participants are unaware of their participation called?

Answer 31

field experiment

Question 32

Why are field experiments conducted?

Answer 32

they are very high in external validity.

Question 33

What does Dr. Lee's study test compared to the broader research on self-verification?

Answer 33

a hypothesis; a theory

Question 34

What does the study on self-verification argue?

Answer 34

People have a strong desire for others to see them in ways consistent with how they see themselves.

Question 35

Dr. Lee's study tests ________, whereas the total research on self-verification tests ________.

Answer 35

a hypothesis; a theory

Question 36

A hypothesis ________, while a theory ________.

Answer 36

is tested by a specific study; encompasses a body of related research

Question 37

Which of the following is the best example of a correlational research study?

Answer 37

Researchers measured the association between participants' blood pressures and their degrees of chronic stress.

Question 38

What type of research design is characterized by participants being approached by a confederate posing as a panhandler?

Answer 38

a field experiment

Question 39

If an experiment produces reliable results, what does this mean?

Answer 39

It is likely to yield the same results on repeated occasions.

Question 40

When there is a high correlation between a measurement instrument and the outcomes that the instrument is supposed to predict, this instrument is said to be high in ________.

Answer 40

measurement validity.

Question 41

If a social psychology experiment is conducted that has very little relation to real-life experiences or situations, this experiment would be low in ________.

Answer 41

external validity.

Question 42

When an experiment has poor internal validity, which of the following might be of concern?

Answer 42

It might be difficult to determine if the independent variable was what produced the result.

Question 43

Running a pilot study helps to increase the ________ of an experiment.

Answer 43

internal validity.

Question 44

Failing to use random assignment when placing participants into groups would have the strongest effect on the ________ of an experiment.

Answer 44

internal validity.

Question 45

What does a statistically significant result indicate?

Answer 45

The probability of obtaining this finding by chance alone is less than some quantity.

Question 46

High school seniors were given a test that is supposed to predict scholastic performance. When there was no correlation between the test scores and performance, this is an example of poor ________.

Answer 46

measurement validity.

Question 47

In an experiment, a statistically significant result depends the most on which two factors?

Answer 47

the size of the difference between groups and the number of cases on which it is based.

Question 48

An intervention is a(n) ________.

Answer 48

effort to change a person's behavior.

Question 49

A research project aimed at promoting condom use to prevent STDs is best described as ________ science.

Answer 49

applied.

Question 50

Research in basic science aims to ________.

Answer 50

understand a phenomenon in its own right without concern with real-world issues.

Question 51

What does Carol Dweck's finding illustrate about the connection between basic and applied research?

Answer 51

Basic research can lead to theories used to design applied interventions.

Question 52

What should Pooja consider doing to be more confident in her surprising result?

Answer 52

rerunning the study to see if the result replicates.

Question 53

When a researcher runs the same study a second time to see if he or she gets the same results, he or she is attempting to ________.

Answer 53

replicate the results.

Question 54

Could an IRB allow a study that makes participants feel uncomfortable?

Answer 54

Yes; as long as participants are not overly harmed and the research has significant value.

Question 55

What is the function of an IRB?

Answer 55

to review research proposals and judge the ethical appropriateness of the research.

Question 56

The failure to inform a participant about the experiment violates which ethical principle?

Answer 56

informed consent.

Question 57

Debriefing participants after an experiment is particularly important when ________.

Answer 57

deception is used.