Introduction to psychology 10th edition kalat test bank

Chapter 2—Scientific Methods in Psychology
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Psychology research differs from chemistry research in many ways. What is one way in which they are
similar?
A. They face similar ethical issues.
B. They both need careful measurement.
C. They have the same problems of getting a representative sample.
D. They both have to worry that their participants will know they are in an experiment.
ANS: B

REF: introduction

OBJ: application and understanding

2. The word science derives from a Latin word with which meaning?
A. knowledge
B. test
C. fact
D. statistics
ANS: A

REF: gathering evidence

OBJ: remembering

3. Any scientific study goes through four steps. Which of the following is NOT one of those steps?
A. hypothesis
B. interpretation
C. method
D. proof
ANS: D

REF: gathering evidence

OBJ: remembering

4. What is a hypothesis?
A. a statistical procedure
B. a testable prediction
C. an established fact
D. a method of investigation
ANS: B

REF: gathering evidence

OBJ: remembering (definition)

5. A testable prediction of what will happen under a specific set of conditions is known as a/an
A. replication.
B. hypothesis.
C. demand characteristic.
D. correlation.
ANS: B

REF: gathering evidence

OBJ: remembering (definition)

6. When someone conducts a research study, which of these comes first?
A. methods
B. results

C. interpretation
D. hypothesis
ANS: D

REF: gathering evidence

OBJ: remembering
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7. If nearly all investigators can repeat a study and get similar results, the result is
A. parsimonious.
B. replicable.
C. falsifiable.
D. correlational.
ANS: B

REF: replicable

OBJ: remembering (definition)

8. Which of these must be true if a result is “replicable”?
A. The results are statistically significant.
B. Other investigators can repeat the results.
C. The interpretation is consistent with other scientific theories.
D. The result agrees with common sense.
ANS: B

REF: replicable

OBJ: remembering (definition)

9. Suppose an unscrupulous researcher made up results and got them published. In the long run, people
will not take them seriously, because presumably the false results will not be
A. parsimonious.
B. replicable.
C. falsifiable
D. psychoanalytic.
ANS: B

REF: replicable

OBJ: application and understanding

10. If competent researchers consistently get similar results whenever they follow a particular procedure,
then the results are
A. replicable.
B. correlational.
C. representative.
D. operational.
ANS: A

REF: replicable

OBJ: remembering

11. An investigator repeats the procedures of another researcher's experiment but obtains different results.
Scientists would say that the results of the first experiment were not
A. correlational.
B. parsimonious.

C. statistically significant.
D. replicable.
ANS: D

REF: replicable

OBJ: application and understanding

12. Which of the following is a highly desirable feature of a scientific study?
A. selective attrition
B. demand characteristics
C. replicability
D. illusory correlation
ANS: C

REF: replicable

OBJ: application and understanding

13. Which of these refers to the idea that we accept results only if other investigators can repeat them?
A. determinism
B. parsimony
C. synesthesia
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D. replicability
ANS: D

REF: replicable

OBJ: remembering

14. If someone combines results from many studies as if they were one study, what is the outcome?
A. a meta-analysis
B. a demand characteristic
C. a standard deviation
D. a confidence interval
ANS: A

REF: replicable

OBJ: remembering (definition)

15. Which of the following is a desirable feature of a scientific theory?
A. The theory simply restates the facts it is supposed to explain.
B. The theory is based on illusory correlations.
C. The theory makes complex assumptions.
D. The theory is falsifiable.
ANS: D
REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
16. What does it mean to say that a theory is “falsifiable”?
A. Someone has reported evidence that contradicts the theory.
B. We can imagine evidence that would contradict the theory.
C. The evidence supporting the theory is not replicable.
D. Most scientists do not agree with the theory.
ANS: B

REF: burden of proof

OBJ: remembering (definition)

17. To say that a theory is falsifiable is to say that
A. it is based on results that are not replicable.
B. investigators have replaced it with a more accurate theory.
C. we can imagine results that would contradict it.
D. it is so vague that it fits any and all possible results.
ANS: C

REF: burden of proof

OBJ: remembering (definition)

18. A falsifiable theory
A. disagrees with known, replicable data.
B. makes clear, unambiguous predictions.
C. is widely debated and disputed.
D. has not yet been tested.
ANS: B

REF: burden of proof

OBJ: remembering

19. If a theory is "falsifiable," then it
A. makes specific, testable predictions.
B. contradicts other well-established theories.
C. contradicts common sense.
D. requires more new assumptions than necessary.

ANS: A

REF: burden of proof

OBJ: remembering (definition)

20. "Falsifiability" is a desirable characteristic for a scientific theory because a falsifiable theory
A. avoids independent variables.
41


B. makes clear, testable predictions.
C. disagrees with common sense.
D. relies on anecdotal evidence.
ANS: B

REF: burden of proof

OBJ: remembering

21. Which of the following would NOT be falsifiable?
A. "Children in day care centers develop about the same as those reared at home."
B. "Dreams are often disguised to hide their true meaning."
C. "Behaviors followed by reward increase in frequency."
D. "People find the direction of a sound by comparing the responses of the two ears."
ANS: B
REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
22. A psychic claims that he can read the minds of people on the planet Zipton, which is millions of light
years away. The main scientific objection is that this claim

A. confuses correlation with causation.
B. ignores the role of demand characteristics.
C. is based on a negative correlation.
D. is not falsifiable.
ANS: D
REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
23. Which of the following do researchers generally regard as desirable?
A. illusory correlations
B. selective attrition
C. demand characteristics
D. falsifiable theories
ANS: D
REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
24. In both science and the legal system, the "burden of proof" is on the side that
A. agrees with common sense.
B. disagrees with common sense.
C. should find it possible to present convincing evidence, if in fact it is right.
D. should find it harder to present convincing evidence, if in fact it is right.
ANS: C
REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
25. In both science and a criminal trial, who has the "burden of proof"—that is, the obligation to
demonstrate that their claims are correct?
A. the side that should be able to produce good evidence, if they are right
B. the side that has more to lose, if they fail to convince others
C. the side with more money to spend
D. the side that is defending the status quo (that is, the current set of beliefs)
ANS: A

REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
26. In both the U.S. legal system and in scientific disputes, the "burden of proof" falls on
A. someone who has been accused of doing something wrong.
42


B. someone who is defending traditional beliefs or values.
C. someone who is politically unpopular.
D. someone who should be in the better position to provide convincing evidence.
ANS: D
REF: burden of proof
OBJ: application and understanding
27. The legal system requires the prosecution to demonstrate the defendant’s guilt. Similarly, a scientist
who makes a claim is expected to provide evidence. What is this obligation called?
A. demand characteristic
B. correlation coefficient
C. burden of proof
D. principle of parsimony
ANS: C

REF: burden of proof

OBJ: remembering (definition)

28. Scientists’ preference for the theory that makes the fewest unfamiliar or untested assumptions is the
principle of
A. parsimony.
B. statistical significance.
C. normal distribution.

D. informed consent.
ANS: A

REF: parsimony

OBJ: remembering (definition)

29. If a theory makes only simple assumptions similar to those of other theories that are widely accepted,
the new theory is said to be
A. replicable.
B. correlational.
C. parsimonious.
D. reductionistic.
ANS: C

REF: parsimony

OBJ: remembering (definition)

30. To determine whether a theory is parsimonious, psychologists pay attention to whether
A. its assumptions are simple and consistent with those of other theories.
B. the results on which it is based are statistically significant.
C. it has the potential to lead to practical applications.
D. investigators have replicated the results on which it is based.
ANS: A

REF: parsimony

OBJ: application and understanding

31. According to the principle of parsimony, we should prefer the theory that
A. is most popular among the population as a whole.
B. makes fewer or simpler assumptions.
C. fits any data that we could possibly imagine.
D. relies on anecdotal evidence.
ANS: B

REF: parsimony

OBJ: remembering

32. Brittany cannot remember what happened during her psychology class and suggests that aliens from
outer space temporarily kidnapped her brain. Her roommate suggests that she slept through class. Most
psychologists prefer the “sleep” explanation because it is more
A. statistical.
B. correlational.
43


C. psychoanalytic.
D. parsimonious.
ANS: D

REF: parsimony

OBJ: application and understanding

33. Scientists usually prefer the more "parsimonious" explanation because it is:
A. based on common sense.
B. more interesting.

C. based on higher levels of mathematics.
D. simpler.
ANS: D

REF: parsimony

OBJ: application and understanding

34. If someone claims to read other people’s minds though psychic powers, most psychological
researchers would seek an explanation that is more
A. synesthetic.
B. statistical.
C. parsimonious.
D. psychodynamic.
ANS: C

REF: parsimony

OBJ: application and understanding

35. Who was Clever Hans?
A. a dog that seemed to speak in German.
B. Clever Gretel's brother.
C. a horse that seemed to do arithmetic.
D. a psychic who was popular in the 1930s.
ANS: C

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

36. “Clever Hans” appeared able to answer math questions, but only under which conditions?
A. only if his trainer was present
B. only if he could see the face of the questioner
C. only if he could hear the voice of the questioner
D. only if he could see the objects that he was supposed to count
ANS: B

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

37. When Clever Hans appeared to do math, what was he really responding to?
A. subtle sounds.
B. facial expressions.
C. brain waves.
D. magnetic fields.
ANS: B

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

38. We find it difficult to accept the idea of a horse doing math because we regard it as
A. unparsimonious.
B. falsifiable.
C. replicable.
D. insignificant.
ANS: A

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

39. What was Oskar Pfungst’s evidence that Clever Hans was not doing math?
44


A.
B.
C.
D.

Hans was correct no more often than we would expect for chance guessing.
Hans answered correctly only if the questioner knew the correct answer.
Hans answered correctly only if the questioner made subtle sounds.
Hans answered correctly only if his owner, Mr. von Osten, was present.

ANS: B

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

40. When Clever Hans seemed to answer mathematical questions, what was he really responding to?
A. facial expressions
B. signals from the person asking the question
C. subtle sounds that spectators made
D. extrasensory perception
ANS: A

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

41. Clever Hans could answer a question correctly only if he
A. heard the questioner during the answer.
B. saw his trainer in the background.
C. saw the questioner during the answer.
D. had practiced that particular question previously.
ANS: C

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

42. How did Clever Hans solve arithmetic problems?
A. with ESP
B. by taking advantage of coincidence
C. by watching the examiner for subtle cues
D. by using his native abilities to do arithmetic
ANS: C

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: remembering

43. In one word, why did most scientists resist the belief that Clever Hans could do complex mathematics,
even before they had a good explanation of what he was actually doing?
A. parsimony

B. randomness
C. statistics
D. correlation
ANS: A

REF: Clever Hans

OBJ: application and understanding

44. What is an anecdote?
A. medicine that reverses the effect of a poison.
B. professional psychic.
C. measurement of the variation in results within a group.
D. report of a single event or experience.
ANS: D

REF: extrasensory OBJ: remembering (definition)

45. Jane describes a dream she had that came true the next day. This is an example of
A. an anecdote.
B. an experimental result.
C. a parsimonious explanation.
D. a correlational result.
ANS: A

REF: extrasensory OBJ: application and understanding
45


46. One problem with using anecdotes as evidence for ESP (or for anything else) is that anecdotes are

A. highly technical.
B. not replicable.
C. falsifiable.
D. experimental.
ANS: B

REF: extrasensory OBJ: application and understanding

47. "The Amazing Kreskin" demonstrates his powers by finding his paycheck hidden somewhere in the
audience. The most parsimonious explanation for this trick is that
A. he genuinely possesses psychic abilities.
B. he reads subtle cues, much like Clever Hans.
C. it is a coincidence that he keeps finding his check.
D. audience members send delta waves that lead him to his check.
ANS: B

REF: extrasensory OBJ: application and understanding

48. When The Amazing Kreskin finds his check hidden in the audience, he uses the same method as
A. Wilhelm Wundt.
B. Clever Hans.
C. Oskar Pfungst.
D. Mary Calkins.
ANS: B

REF: extrasensory OBJ: application and understanding

49. A proponent of ESP claims that ESP shows up only when the vibrations are right and that there is no
way to know whether the vibrations are right except to see whether ESP shows up. What is wrong with
this theory from a scientific standpoint?

A. It relies too heavily on operational definitions.
B. It relies too heavily on negative correlations.
C. It is not falsifiable.
D. It has too many dependent variables.
ANS: C

REF: extrasensory OBJ: application and understanding

50. One of the main objections raised against ESP is that
A. the theory of ESP is falsifiable.
B. the experiments that reportedly produced positive results have not been replicable.
C. the claims for it are based entirely on anecdotes.
D. none of the experiments on ESP has produced statistically significant results.
ANS: B

REF: extrasensory OBJ: remembering

51. Two serious objections to claims of extrasensory perception are that the explanations are not
__________ and that the results are not __________.
A. parsimonious...replicable
B. statistical...correlational
C. significant...independent
D. double-blind...random
ANS: A

REF: extrasensory OBJ: remembering

52. An operational definition is a definition that
A. explains where the term came from.
46

B. describes the underlying cause of something.
C. gives synonyms or antonyms.
D. tells us how to produce or measure something.
ANS: D

REF: operational def

OBJ: remembering (definition)

53. The benefit of using an operational definition is that it
A. provides a compromise between competing viewpoints.
B. explains what the term means to the average person.
C. enables investigators to measure a phenomenon.
D. offers a theoretical explanation of the causes of a phenomenon.
ANS: C
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
54. Which of the following is an operational definition of "grief"?
A. synonym for bereavement
B. a feeling of sadness and loneliness
C. the consequence of the loss of a loved one
D. the number of tears shed per day
ANS: D
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
55. Which of the following is an operational definition of "anxiety"?
A. a vague sensation that "something dangerous might happen"
B. an experience like fear, but more prolonged

C. the amount of muscle tension after hearing a loud noise
D. the opposite of relaxation
ANS: C
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
56. Which of the following is an operational definition of "confusion"?
A. an unpleasant feeling of not understanding something
B. the result of receiving several kinds of contradictory information
C. the opposite of "decisiveness"
D. number of seconds delay before answering a question
ANS: D
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
57. Which of the following could be an operational definition of "curiosity"?
A. the mental activity experienced by a child in the presence of brightly colored objects
B. the number of unassigned books that someone reads during a month
C. discomfort provoked by recognizing that one does not understand something
D. a desire to gain knowledge for its own sake
ANS: B
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
58. Which of the following could be an operational definition of “politeness”?
A. an effort to treat other people with respect and dignity
B. the opposite of rudeness
C. a set of customs taught by one’s cultue
47


D. the percentage of someone’s statements that include the word “please”
ANS: D

REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
59. Which of the following could be an operational definition of “conscientiousness”?
A. an effort to live up to the obligations one has accepted
B. a lack of spontaneous or surprising behavior
C. the number of times someone shows up on time for classes and appointments
D. the outcome of a strict and demanding style of parenting
ANS: C
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
60. Which of the following could be an operational definition of “sense of humor”?
A. the ability to enjoy amusing events
B. the number of times someone makes other people laugh
C. the ability to fight off depression by seeing events in a different light
D. the opposite of being “too serious”
ANS: B
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
61. Which of the following is an operational definition of “good color vision”?
A. how quicly someone can find 25 red and green dots on a gray background
B. the ability to perceive the difference between one color and another
C. the results of having three types of cone in the retina
D. the ability to describe colors to another person
ANS: A
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
62. Which of the following is an operational definition of “high self esteem”?
A. thinking highly of yourself and your abilities
B. tending to remain confident in the face of setbacks and disappointments
C. the opposite of depression

D. how frequently you describe yourself in ways that other people rate as favorable
ANS: D
REF: operational def
OBJ: application and understanding
63. Which of the following is true of a convenience sample?
A. It is representative of the population.
B. Every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
C. People are chosen just because they are available or easy to study.
D. The mean for this sample is probably the same as for the whole population.
ANS: C

REF: samples

OBJ: remembering (definition)

64. Suppose you conduct a survey, interviewing every fourth person who enters a certain fast-food
restaurant. What kind of sample is this?
A. random
B. representative
C. convenience
D. cross-cultural
48


ANS: C

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

65. A survey on the Internet lets anyone answer it. What kind of sample will probably result?
A. representative sample
B. convenience sample
C. random sample
D. total population sample
ANS: B

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

66. Researchers survey people they selected to include the same percentages of male and female, old and
young, etc., as the whole population. What kind of sample is this?
A. representative sample.
B. random sample.
C. convenience sample.
D. longitudinal sample.
ANS: A

REF: samples

OBJ: remembering (definition)

67. A survey company that wants to know the views of the average person goes to a shopping mall to
interview anyone who is available. What kind of sample is this?
A. representative sample.
B. convenience sample.
C. random sample.
D. cross-cultural sample.
ANS: B

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

68. An investigator identifies 1,000 people, using the same percentages of male and female, young and old
as in the total population. What kind of sample is the investigator trying to obtain?
A. an independent sample
B. a convenience sample
C. a random sample
D. a representative sample
ANS: D

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

69. Which sample matches the population in its percentage of males and females, old and young?
A. random sample.
B. representative sample.
C. normal distribution.
D. control group.
ANS: B

REF: samples

OBJ: remembering (definition)

70. If every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected for a sample, it is a/an
__________ sample.

A. representative
B. random
C. independent
D. stratified
ANS: B

REF: samples

OBJ: remembering (definition)
49


71. Which of these procedures would produce a random sample of U.S. citizens?
A. Interview every tenth person you meet one day on a given street.
B. Identify a sample that matches the total population in age, gender, and so forth.
C. Take all the names on the US census, mix them up, and draw names blindfolded.
D. Choose one person, ask him/her to identify a friend, ask that person for a friend, etc.
ANS: C

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

72. Someone doing a survey in some state obtains a copy of the census and interviews every 1,000th
person on that list. This procedure provides an approximately
A. normal sample.
B. experimental sample.
C. proportional sample.
D. random sample.
ANS: D

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

73. What kind of group has the same percentage of young and old, male and female, and educated and
uneducated people as the population as a whole?
A. random sample.
B. convenience sample.
C. cross-cultural sample.
D. representative sample.
ANS: D

REF: samples

OBJ: remembering

74. You find a difference between men and women at your college, but you wonder whether it is true for
humans in general. To answer the question, which kind of sample would be best?
A. random sample of the population
B. representative sample of the population
C. convenience sample
D. cross-cultural sample
ANS: D

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

75. A cross-cultural sample is most important for which type of research?

A. surveys to predict the outcome of a particular election
B. research measuring the prevalence of mental illness in the United States
C. research seeking generalizations about human nature in general
D. preliminary studies to test the equipment to be used for later research
ANS: C

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

76. Dr. Wonderful conducts a cross-cultural study comparing all 600 residents of a tropical island to 600
volunteers from a European city. What is the MAIN weakness in this research?
A. The types of samples are not comparable.
B. The sample sizes are too small.
C. The researcher should have studied other tropical islands.
D. The researcher should have compared results from other European cities.
ANS: A

REF: samples

OBJ: application and understanding

77. The careful examination of what people or animals do in their normal environments is called
A. intrusive observation.
B. naturalistic observation.
50


C. double-blind study.
D. a case history.

ANS: B

REF: naturalistic

OBJ: remembering (definition)

78. Jane Goodall spent years observing chimpanzees in the wild. Her technique was
A. an experiment
B. correlational analysis.
C. naturalistic observation.
D. a case history.
ANS: C

REF: naturalistic

OBJ: remembering

79. Which of the following would be most likely to rely on naturalistic observations?
A. psychologist studying the effects of reward and punishment on animal behavior
B. a biopsychologist studying the role of various brain structures in memory
C. a cognitive psychologist studying memory for concrete versus abstract words
D. a cross-cultural psychologist studying how people in different cultures settle disputes
ANS: D

REF: naturalistic

OBJ: application and understanding

80. Which of these ways of conducting research generally uses the fewest participants?
A. case history

B. correlational study
C. experiment
D. survey
ANS: A

REF: case history

OBJ: application and understanding

81. Investigators are most likely to use the case history method when they study
A. the effects of a drug on behavior.
B. the frequency of certain attitudes in a large population.
C. a rare behavior or an unusual person.
D. two or more independent variables.
ANS: C

REF: case history

OBJ: application and understanding

82. Lycanthropy is an extremely rare condition in which someone believes he or she is a wolf. An
investigator who wished to study this condition would most likely rely on which method?
A. case history
B. survey
C. single-blind experiment
D. double-blind experiment
ANS: A

REF: case history

OBJ: application and understanding

83. What should one always try to do when administering a survey?
A. use a random sample or representative sample of the population.
B. invite participation from everyone who wants to answer the questions
C. put the survey on the internet to make it easy for anyone to volunteer
D. suggest a likely answer for each question
ANS: A

REF: survey

OBJ: application and understanding

84. Which of the following is a common problem with survey research?
51


A.
B.
C.
D.

Many people express opinions despite having no idea what they are talking about.
It is difficult to obtain a sufficient number of participants.
The independent variables are hard to define.
The dependent variables are hard to measure.

ANS: A

REF: survey

OBJ: remembering

85. According to a recent survey, 78% of workers say they have cheated their employer. Before we can
interpret these results, which of the following questions is most important to ask?
A. Did the workers admit to other misconduct also?
B. What were the independent variables in this study?
C. What were the participants told to count as examples of cheating?
D. Were the participants randomly assigned to groups?
ANS: C

REF: survey

OBJ: application and understanding

86. In one survey, 95% of high-school students said they were sexually harassed. Before we decide how
seriously to take these results, which question is most important to ask?
A. Did the survey deal with equal numbers of sophomores, juniors, and seniors?
B. Were the results similar the following year?
C. How did the survey define sexual harassment?
D. Did the survey administrators take precautions against cheating?
ANS: C

REF: survey

OBJ: application and understanding

87. A survey asks, "Do you support the current laws on abortion?" Ninety-four percent of the respondents
answer "no." What, if anything, can we conclude?
A. These people feel that the laws are too restrictive.

B. These people feel that the laws are not strict enough.
C. At least 94% of the people surveyed are familiar with the abortion laws.
D. We can draw none of these conclusions.
ANS: D

REF: survey

OBJ: application and understanding

88. A study of the relationship between two variables that the investigator does not control is a
A. single-blind experiment.
B. double-blind experiment.
C. correlational study.
D. case history.
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: remembering (definition)

89. What is a correlation?
A. a measurement of how some treatment affects people’s behavior
B. a careful study of a single person over time
C. a measurement of the difference between experimental and control groups
D. a measurement of the relationship between two variables
ANS: D

REF: correlation

OBJ: remembering (definition)

90. It is found that children with many friends are generally happier than children with fewer friends.
What kind of research design was probably used in this study?
A. correlation
B. anecdote
C. case history
52


D. experiment
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

91. It has been reported that people with an extraverted personality are generally happier than most other
people. This conclusion is probably based on which kind of study?
A. single-blind experiment
B. double-blind experiment
C. correlational study
D. case history
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

92. A researcher measures people's blood type and tests whether those with different blood types have
different personalities. What kind of research is this?

A. single-blind experiment.
B. double-blind experiment.
C. correlation.
D. case study.
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

93. People who own many books about chess tend to be better chess players than those who own few or
none. This observation was almost certainly based on what kind of study?
A. single-blind experiment
B. double-blind experiment
C. case study
D. correlation
ANS: D

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

94. A correlation coefficient is a mathematical value that ranges between
A. -1 and +1.
B. 0 and infinity.
C. 0 and 1.
D. 0 and 100.
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: remembering

95. What does it mean if the correlation between variable A and variable B is -.5?
A. The relationship between A and B is random.
B. Increases in A are associated with decreases in B.
C. We can use measurements of A to predict measurements of B perfectly.
D. Measured values of A are lower than measured values of B.
ANS: B

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

96. Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates that you could use measurements of one
variable to predict measurements of a second variable with perfect accuracy?
A. .9
B. 0
C. -1
D. .5
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding
53


97. If the correlation between variable A and variable B is negative, then
A. the strength of the relationship is growing weaker over time.

B. A causes B.
C. B causes A.
D. increases in A are associated with decreases in B.
ANS: D

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

98. Suppose we find that how many hours people spend studying correlates -.60 with their knowledge
about current television programs. What can we conclude?
A. People who study more tend to know more about television.
B. People who study more tend to know less about television.
C. Study habits have nothing to do with knowledge of television.
D. People spend more time studying than watching television.
ANS: B

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

99. According to one study, the more hours students spend watching television, the lower their grades in
school. What kind of correlation does this study illustrate?
A. an illusory correlation.
B. a positive correlation.
C. a zero correlation.
D. a negative correlation.
ANS: D

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

100. Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates that two variable have no consistent
relationship to each other?
A. 0
B. .5
C. 1
D. -1
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

101. If the correlation between variables A and B is +0.7, then
A. measurements of A lead to moderately accurate predictions of B.
B. the mean value of B is greater than the mean value of A.
C. the mean value of A is greater than the mean value of B.
D. as variable A increases, variable B tends to decrease.
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

102. If the correlation between variable A and variable B is -0.75, then
A. measurements of A lead to moderately accurate predictions of B.
B. there is no consistent relationship between variables A and B.
C. the relationship between A and B has been growing weaker over time.

D. the mean value of B is less than the mean value of A.
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

103. If the correlation between variable A and variable B is 0, then
A. measurements of A lead to accurate predictions of B.
B. increases in A are associated with decreases in B.
54


C. the relationship between A and B is random.
D. the mean value of A equals the mean value of B.
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

104. If an increase in one variable is not associated with any consistent increase or decrease in a second
variable, then the correlation between the two variables is
A. positive.
B. negative.
C. zero.
D. uncertain.
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

105. What can we conclude if the correlation between variable A and variable B is zero?
A. A and B have the same mean, the same median, and the same distribution.
B. As A goes up, B does not consistently go either up or down.
C. If we know the value of A, we can predict the value of B with zero error.
D. As A goes up, B goes down.
ANS: B

REF: correlation

OBJ: remembering

106. What does it mean to say the correlation between two variables is zero?
A. Measuring one variable gives no information useful in predicting the other.
B. The values of one variable match those of the other variable exactly.
C. As one variable increases, the other decreases.
D. The strength of the relationship between the variables has decreased over time.
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: remembering

107. According to one report, people with higher levels of stress have a greater probability of suffering a
heart attack. Therefore the correlation between stress and probability of a heart attack is
A. uncertain.
B. negative.
C. positive.

D. zero.
ANS: C

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

108. An investigator finds it possible to use measurement A as a moderately accurate predictor of
measurement B. From this information we can conclude that the correlation between A and B is
A. either positive or negative but not zero.
B. zero.
C. negative.
D. positive.
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

109. Which of the following is true about research using correlations?
A. A negative correlation is just as useful as a positive correlation.
B. Correlational research leads to cause and effect conclusions.
C. Individuals are randomly assigned to two or more groups.
D. The researcher manipulates an independent variable.
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding
55

110. Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the weakest relationship between two
variables--that is, the weakest ability to use one variable to predict the other?
A. -.5
B. +.1
C. +.5
D. 0
ANS: D

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

111. Of these correlation coefficients, which indicates the strongest relationship between variables?
A. -.75
B. 0
C. +.25
D. +.5
ANS: A

REF: correlation

OBJ: application and understanding

112. What is an illusory correlation?
A. a correlation that is positive at some times and negative at other times
B. an imagined or greatly exaggerated correlation
C. a correlation that has been increasing in strength over time
D. a correlation between a psychological variable and a physical variable

ANS: B

REF: illusory

OBJ: remembering (definition)

113. John believes that Saturdays are more likely to be cloudy or rainy than weekdays are. However, he has
never collected data to test his hypothesis. His belief is most likely an example of
A. an illusory correlation.
B. an independent variable.
C. a significant negative correlation.
D. a demand characteristic
ANS: A

REF: illusory

OBJ: application and understanding

114. Some people believe that genius is associated with insanity, although they have no scientific evidence
to support their claim. This is an example of
A. a demand characteristic.
B. an illusory correlation.
C. a normal distribution
D. a negative correlation.
ANS: B

REF: illusory

OBJ: application and understanding

115. Deliria thinks her hunches usually come true, although in fact they are correct only by chance.
Remembering only the cases that fit her expectations produces which of the following?
A. illusory correlation
B. negative correlation
C. positive correlation
D. demand characteristics
ANS: A

REF: illusory

OBJ: application and understanding

116. What is one major reason for the persistence of many illusory correlations?
A. Many experimenters use the wrong statistical techniques.
56


B. Many variables that were strongly correlated in the past have ceased to be correlated.
C. People tend to ignore strong patterns in their observations.
D. People tend to remember observations that support their expectations.
ANS: D

REF: illusory

OBJ: application and understanding

117. If the correlation between variable A and variable B is +1, then
A. A causes B.
B. B causes A.
C. something else, C, causes both A and B.

D. we can say nothing about causation from this result.
ANS: B
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
118. The correlation between A and B is +.60; the correlation between C and D is -.75. What do we know
about causation based on this information?
A. We know A causes B, but we don't know if C causes D.
B. We know C causes D, but we don't know if A causes B.
C. We know A causes B AND that D causes C.
D. We don't know anything about causation from the information above.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
119. Parents who frequently beat their children tend to have aggressive children. What, if anything, can we
conclude from this observation?
A. Physical punishment causes aggression.
B. Aggressive children cause parents to use physical punishment.
C. The children probably inherited a gene for aggressiveness.
D. We can draw none of these conclusions.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
120. Suppose we find a +.8 correlation between students’ reported interest in psychology and their grades in
a psychology course. Which conclusion, if any, can we draw?
A. Having a strong interest improves students’ learning of the material.
B. Students who are doing well in a course tend to develop a strong interest in it.
C. Bright students do well in many courses and also develop strong interests.
D. None of these conclusions follow from the results.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation

OBJ: application and understanding
121. People in crowded cities are more likely than country dwellers to develop schizophrenia. From this
observation, what conclusion (if any) can we draw?
A. Something about life in crowded cities leads to schizophrenia.
B. People with schizophrenia are more likely than others to move to crowded cities.
C. People predisposed to schizophrenia are likely to prefer life in a crowded city.
D. The results do not justify any of these conclusions.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
57


122. People who report having trouble sleeping are more likely than others to become depressed. Which of
these conclusions, if any, follows from these data?
A. Sleeplessness increases the probability of becoming depressed.
B. People who are starting to become depressed have trouble sleeping.
C. Certain genes increase depression and also, independently, lead to sleep troubles.
D. None of these conclusions follow from the data.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
123. People who smile frequently are more likely than average to have many friends. Which of the
following conclusions can we draw, if any?
A. Smiling increases the probability of making friends.
B. Having friends makes one happy and increases the probability of smiling.
C. Healthy people tend to smile and tend to make friends easily.
D. We can draw none of these conclusions.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation

OBJ: application and understanding
124. Researchers find that happy people tend to be healthier than unhappy people. From this kind of
information, which of the following (if any) can we conclude?
A. Happiness improves people's health.
B. Health improves people's happiness.
C. The same genes and experiences that aid health also promote happiness.
D. We can draw none of these conclusions..
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
125. Studies find that people who exercise regularly tend to have a more cheerful outlook on life. What
conclusion, if any, can we draw from these data?
A. Exercise improves mood.
B. Cheerfulness increases one's urge to be active.
C. People who are young and healthy tend to be cheerful and active.
D. We can draw none of these conclusions.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
126. A clinical psychologist finds that clients who show up on time for their appointments improve more
rapidly than others do. What conclusion, if any, follows?
A. Conscientious participation leads to a good outcome.
B. Clients who notice early improvement continue attending promptly.
C. Clients who like the therapist attend promptly and follow the therapist’s advice.
D. None of these conclusions follow from the observation.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
127. On average, people who regularly attend counseling sessions remain drug-free more than those who
attend less often. Which conclusion, if any, can we draw from this result?

A. The counseling sessions help people stay off drugs.
B. People highly motivated to quit drugs attend the sessions most regularly.
58


C. Social support (friends, etc.) helps someone go to meetings and also stay off drugs.
D. None of these conclusions follow from the result.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
128. The amount of sleep that people get correlates negatively with their scores on a test of creativity. What
conclusion, if any, can we draw from this result?
A. Sleep improves creativity.
B. Sleep impairs creativity.
C. Highly creative people are too busy to sleep much.
D. We can draw none of these conclusions.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
129. Researchers report that people with schizophrenia are more likely than other people to use marijuana
extensively. What conclusion, if any, follows from this result?
A. Extensive marijuana use increases the probability of schizophrenia.
B. Having schizophrenia increases one’s likelihood of using marijuana.
C. People in certain places tend to use marijuana, and tend to develop schizophrenia.
D. None of these conclusions follows from the result.
ANS: D
REF: correlation/causation
OBJ: application and understanding
130. What is the main difference between a correlational study and an experiment?
A. Participants in an experiment know what hypothesis is being tested.

B. All participants in an experiment receive the same treatment.
C. Participants in an experiment are observed without interference in their normal life.
D. In an experiment, the investigator manipulates the independent variable.
ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

131. What is the advantage of the experimental method as opposed to correlational studies?
A. An experiment is better suited to studies of unusual individuals.
B. An experiment can consist of as little as one observation of a single individual.
C. An experiment can demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships.
D. An experiment is easier to do and poses fewer ethical problems.
ANS: C

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

132. Which of the following methods leads to conclusions about cause and effect?
A. correlation
B. experiment
C. case study
D. naturalistic observation
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

133. What is the main advantage of an experiment, in contrast to a correlational study?
A. An experiment is less likely to be influenced by independent variables.
B. An experiment is quicker and easier to conduct.
C. An experiment is more likely to demonstrate cause-and-effect.
D. An experiment raises fewer ethical questions.
59


ANS: C

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

134. How does a correlational study differ from an experiment?
A. Participants in a correlational study are assigned to groups randomly.
B. A researcher conducting a correlational study begins with an hypothesis.
C. A correlational study has an independent variable but no dependent variable.
D. A researcher conducting a correlational study does not control either variable.
ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: remembering

135. Students who spent the weekend studying got better test scores than students who went to the beach.
To know whether this statement came from an experiment or a correlational study, which question
should we ask?
A. How many students spent the weekend studying and how many went to the beach?

B. How big was the difference between the two groups?
C. Were students randomly assigned to two groups, or did they decide for themselves?
D. Did any of the students who went to the beach take their books along with them?
ANS: C

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

136. What is an independent variable?
A. something irrelevant to the procedures of the experiment.
B. something the experimenter cannot control or measure.
C. something the experimenter changes or controls..
D. something the experimenter measures after the treatment.
ANS: C

REF: experiments

OBJ: remembering (definition)

137. What is a dependent variable?
A. something the participants themselves measure
B. something that an experimenter measures to see how another variable affected it
C. something the experimenter changes or controls
D. something irrelevant to what happens in the experiment
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: remembering (definition)

138. A professor provides a review session for half the students, and later compares their scores to the other
students. What is the independent variable in this experiment?
A. the test scores of the students
B. the total number of students
C. the review session
D. the difficulty of the test
ANS: C

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

139. A professor provides a review session for half the students, and later compares their scores to the other
students. What is the independent variable in this experiment?
A. the total number of students
B. the test scores of the students
C. the review session
D. the difficulty of the test
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding
60


140. Dr. Rodentz deprives rats of food for different lengths of time and then records how long each rat takes
to reach food at the end of a maze. The time needed to reach the food is the
A. dependent variable.

B. normal distribution.
C. inferential statistic.
D. independent variable.
ANS: A

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

141. Dr. Rodentz deprives rats of food for different lengths of time and then records how long each rat takes
to reach food at the end of a maze. The length of food deprivation is the
A. independent variable.
B. dependent variable.
C. hypothesis.
D. correlation.
ANS: A

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

142. An experimenter exposed students to an hour of soft, intermediate, or loud noise and then tested their
ability to solve puzzles. What was the independent variable?
A. the loudness of the noise
B. the students' scores on the puzzles
C. the motivation of the students
D. the difficulty of the puzzles
ANS: A

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

143. An experimenter had participants exercise much, a little, or not at all and then measured how much
they ate at dinner. What was the dependent variable?
A. the delay between exercise and dinner
B. the amount of exercise
C. the type of food offered
D. the amount of food eaten
ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

144. An experimenter had people exercise much, a little, or not at all and then measured how much they ate
at dinner. What was the independent variable?
A. the type of food offered
B. the delay between exercise and dinner
C. the amount of exercise
D. the amount of food eaten
ANS: C

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

145. An experimenter kept students in a hot, neutral, or cold room and then tested their ability to memorize
poetry. What was the independent variable in this experiment?
A. the motivation of the students

B. the temperature of the room
C. the difficulty of the poetry
D. the students' success in memorizing the poetry
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

61


146. An experimenter kept students in a hot, neutral, or cold room and then tested their ability to memorize
poetry. What was the dependent variable in this experiment?
A. the motivation of the students
B. the difficulty of the poetry
C. the temperature of the room
D. the students' success in memorizing the poetry
ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

147. An instructor gives more tests in one class than in the other, and compares students when they all take
the same final exam. What is the dependent variable in this experiment?
A. the number of students in each class
B. the difficulty of the final exam
C. the number of tests given before the final exam
D. the students' scores on the final exam

ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

148. An instructor gives weekly tests to one class and just a midterm exam to another class. The instructor
compares the two classes’ performances when both take the same final exam. What is the independent
variable in this experiment?
A. the number of tests before the final
B. the students' performance on the final exam
C. the difficulty of each test
D. the number of students in each class
ANS: A

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

149. What characterizes the control group in an experiment?
A. It gets to choose which procedure to receive.
B. Its members have some control over the independent variable.
C. The dependent variable controls its behavior.
D. It is treated like the experimental group except for the treatment the experiment is
designed to test.
ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: remembering (definition)

150. The experimental group receives a free copy of the study guide so that the experimenter can determine
its effect on test performance. What will the control group in this experiment do?
A. help the experimenter write the tests
B. take all the same tests without using the study guide
C. use the study guide without taking any tests
D. help the experimenter decide which students will get the study guide
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

151. In one study, the experimental group is subjected to loud, unpredictable noises to see how they affect
performance on a memory task. What will the control group do?
A. nothing at all
B. perform the memory task without noises
C. listen to the noises but perform no task
D. control the noises that the experimental group has to listen to
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding
62


152. Random assignment is a procedure that psychological researchers apply to their
A. demand characteristics.
B. dependent variables.

C. means and medians.
D. participants.
ANS: D

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

153. How does an experimenter try to equate the experimental group and the control group?
A. elimination of independent variables
B. random assignment
C. demand characteristics
D. statistical tests
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

154. What is random assignment?
A. a means of deciding who will be in the experimental group.
B. a means of eliminating the effects of independent variables.
C. the procedure administered to just the control group
D. a means of keeping the dependent variable constant for all groups.
ANS: A

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

155. If everyone has the same chance of being in the experimental group, then the experiment has
A. demand characteristics.
B. random assignment.
C. a correlation.
D. statistical significance.
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: remembering (definition)

156. Professor King gave copies of old tests to the first 20 students who came to class. Later these students
got better grades than the other students. What is wrong with this experiment?
A. The procedure had too many independent variables.
B. Participants were not randomly assigned to groups.
C. The procedure lacked demand characteristics.
D. The procedure did not include a dependent variable.
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

157. Which of the following is part of an experiment but NOT part of a correlational study?
A. operational definitions
B. random assignment to groups
C. measurement of each individual’s responses
D. careful analysis of results
ANS: B

REF: experiments

OBJ: application and understanding

158. Older studies found that menopausal women taking hormone replacement were healthier than other
women their age not taking the hormones. What was a major limitation on this study?
A. Women were not randomly assigned to groups.
B. The results were based on small groups of women.
C. The study had too many independent variables.
D. The research did not include men.
63