Research Methods - Psychology

The population in a research study is...

• the whole group of research interest.

• the smaller group that has been chosen from the group of research interest.

• exactly the same as the sample.

• always smaller than the sample.

_______________ is an advantage of an independent-groups experimental design; ______________ is a disadvantage.

• Complexity of administration | the possibility of order effects

• Ease of administration | the possibility of participant variables influencing the outcome

• Complexity of administration | intrusive pre-testing

• Ease of administration | the possibility of order effects

Which correlation coefficient represents the strongest relationship between variables?

• -0.78

• 0.67

• 0.85

• -0.87

In a study of the effect of a driver training program on driving skill, a possible operationalization of the dependent variable would be...

• driving quality

• number of accidents

• hours spent training

• amount of traffic

Independent variable is to dependent variable as _________ is to ____________.

• hypothesis | conclusion

• effect | cause

• cause | effect.

• conclusion | hypothesis

Which kind of study can establish a cause-effect relationship between variables, assuming that the research is appropriate and well conceived?

• survey

• case study

• correlational study

• experiment

Which answer lists two measures of the spread of data around the mean?

• mode and median

• standard deviation and range

• inferential statistics and descriptive statistics

• scattergrams and boxplots

Which answer provides examples of participant variables?

• independent variables, dependent variables

• time of day, noise level, temperature, location

• prior experience, motivation, intelligence, educational background

• extraneous variables, confounding variables

Which answer provides examples of situational variables?

• independent variables, dependent variables

• time of day, noise level, temperature, location

• prior experience, motivation, intelligence, educational background

• extraneous variables, confounding variables

A correlation coefficient of 0.8 is a _______________ and suggests that as one variable ____________, the other variable ______________.

• strong positive | increases | increases

• weak positive | increases | increases

• strong positive | increases | decreases

• weak positive | increases | decreases