Psych 1 - Module 3

A tendency to focus on information that supports what I already believe to be true is called

• critical thinking

• confirmation bias

• a confounding variable

• participant bias

Which of the following is naturalistic observation?

• A coach times potential team members to see how fast they can run 100 meters

• A principal comes in to the classroom to evaluate a teacher

• A marketing researcher sits outside of a busy store at the mall and notes what percentage of the people leaving the store are carrying bags or packages

• A father supervises as his son picks up his toys

If there is a positive correlation between having a high income and having a successful marriage, what can we conclude about cause and effect?

• Having a high income leads to a successful marriage.

• Some other factor leads to both a successful marriage and a high income.

• Nothing.

• Having a successful marriage leads to a high income.

The best sample to use for learning the opinions of the students in a high school is

• 50 names drawn from a box containing the names of all the students

• the first 50 students to walk through the door one morning

• the 50 students with the highest GPAs

• all of the students in the high school

A research technique that compares individuals from different age groups at one time is known as

• an experiment

• a longitudinal study

• a correlational study

• a cross-sectional study

If I am interested in the effect of exercise on health, which of the following could I use for the operational definition of the DV?

• The number of days each week that the participants go to the gym

• The age of the participants in the study

• The number of days the participants call in sick

• The people in the group that does not go to the gym

A researcher sets up an experiment where one group of students studies an hour each evening and another group studies 30 minutes each evening to see if this has an effect on test scores. The researcher is concerned that how smart the students are might be a confounding variable. How should the researcher control for this?

• By using a double-blind procedure

• By randomly assigning the students to the two groups

• By using a large sample of students

• By giving students an IQ test to find out how smart they are

In an experiment designed to determine if taking a nap each afternoon leads to fewer dinnertime arguments, what would be true of the control group?

• They are the participants who would not nap in the afternoon.

• They are the participants who had fewer arguments at dinner.

• They are the participants who would nap in the afternoon.

• They are the participants who had more arguments at dinner.

Statistical significance means

• the results of an experiment were probably not caused by chance.

• an experiment is likely to produce changes in the way people live their lives.

• the experiment used a double-blind procedure.

• an experiment has been replicated.

Which of the following ethical principles requires the researcher to divulge any deception that may have occurred?

• The right to be protected from harm and discomfort

• Informed consent

• Debriefing

• The right to confidentiality