Unit 3- Research Methods

What is the difference between an experimental group and a control group in a psychological experiment? Explain your answer clearly.

• Experimental groups get only dependent variables
• Control groups don't do anything for an experiment
• The experimental group gets the IV; the control group doesn't.
• The control group gets the IV; the experiment group doesn't

In a correlational study, when one variable goes up as another goes down is known as a:

• Illusory correlation
• No correlation
• Positive correlation
• Negative correlation

The score at the middle of a distribution (bell curve) is called a?

• Range
• Mean
• Median
• Mode

In order to examine the social behavior of chimpanzees, researchers spent several years studying them in their natural habitat. Which research method was used in this example?

• Survey
• Naturalistic Observation
• Sample
• Experimental study

When a test measures the variable it is suppose to measure, it has?

• Causality
• Reliability
• Validity
• Accuracy

Out of the following correlations, which one represents the STRONGEST relationship?

• 0.89
• -0.90
• 0.23
• -0.16

Steven is using a new testing instrument to measure behavior. The first time a participant takes this test they receive a score of .25. The second time they take the test they receive a score of .12. Steven administers the test a third time and the participant receives a score of .38.Based on these scores this testing instrument has:

• Low validity
• High reliability
• Low reliability
• High Validity

Researchers conducted an experiment on test anxiety with three groups. In the first group, the students studied for only 20 minutes and then took an exam. The second group studied for one hour and then took an exam. The third group spent several hours studying before taking the exam. In this experiment, the independent variable is:

• The amount of time spent studying
• The students
• The exam questions
• The scores on the exam

Define what a sample is.

• A group of people taken to represent a given population
• A group that is randomly chosen to experiment on others
• A small amount of something
• A hypothesis

What is a longitudinal study?

• A study that is conducted for a short time to yield a lot of information.
• A smaller case study
• A study done over a long period of time.
• A study that focuses on a specific topic or person