Unit II Research Methods

After the student council election, a friend tells you he has known for weeks who would be elected president. 

• Skepticism
• Critical Thinking
• Hindsight bias
• Overconfidence

While taking a standardized test with randomly scrambled answers you notice that your last four answers have been c. Which of the following is true concerning the probability of the next answer being "c"

• It is high. Once a streak begins, it is likely to last for a while
• It is lower. Since answers are distributed randomly "c" answers become less common
• It is unaffected by previous answers. . It is as likely to be c as any other answer
• You should check your previous answers. Four "c's in a row is impossible

An individual with an exceptional memory is identified. She is capable of recalling major events, the weather, and what she did on any given date. What research method is being used if a psychologist conducts an in-depth investigation of this individual including questionnaires, brain scans,and memory tests.

• Naturalistic Observation
• Survey
• Interview
• Case Study

Which of the following is most important when conducting survey research?

• Choosing a representative sample
• choosing a large sample
• choosing a biased sample
• choosing a sample that includes every member of the population

Why is an operational definition necessary when reporting research findings? 

• An operational definition allows others to replicate the procedure.
• An operational definition provides more context andincludes many examples of the concept described.
• An operational definition is easier to translate into multiple languages than a dictionary definition.
• An operational definition is not necessary since a dictionary definition will work as well for replication

A researcher looking for gender differences in 3-year olds observes a preschool class and records how many minutes children of each gender play with dolls. She then compares the two sets of numbers. What type of descriptive research is she conducting? 

• Case study
• National study
• Random sample method
• Naturalistic observation 

A testable prediction that drives research is known as a(n) 

• theory
• hypothesis
• operational definition
•  random sample.

Which of the following is an example of a negative correlation?

• People who spend more time exercising tend to weigh less
• Teenage female tend to have fewer speeding tickets thatn teenage males
• Students with low IQ scores tend to have lower grades

Which of the following is used only in correlation studies?

• Double Blind
• Placebo
• Scatterplot

Researchers have discovered that people with lower income levels report having fewer hours of sleep. Therefore, 

• income and sleep levels are positively correlated
• income and sleep levels are negatively correlated
• income and sleep levels are inversly related