Research Methods

A person displays a set of rare behaviors that psychologists had not known about previously, because nobody had ever shown them before. The best strategy to investigate the nature of those behaviors is

• an experiment

• a case study

• a survey

• correlational research

• cross-sectional research

Which of the following research approaches would be best for testing the hypothesis that the presence of certain odors causes people to gamble more?

• Experimental

• Observational

• Correlational

• Survey

• Case study

The correlation between two measures obtained on a group of individuals is graphically represented as a

• bar graph

• normal distribution

• histogram

• scatterplot

• frequency polygon

Which of the following studies demonstrates a cross-sectional research design?

• Testing the first graders, and testing them again when they are in third grade

• Testing first graders at the end of the school year

• Testing first, third, and fifth graders at the beginning of the school year

• Observing first graders as they test in two different subject areas

• Observing first graders as they interact with either third graders or fifth graders

Dr. Lee is interested in the effect of lighting on people’s ability to concentrate. Dr. Lee studies this by manipulating the amount of lighting while participants read and then measuring their scores on a reading comprehension test. Group 1 receives dim light, and group 2 receives bright light. Which of the following research methods is Dr. Lee using?

• A case study

• A survey

• A correlational study

• An experiment

• A simulation

Experimental research differs from correlational research in that experimental research

• allows for prediction

• may reveal a causal relation

• establishes a mathematical relation

• defines the strength of the relation

• uses a dependent variable

Research finds that, in general, the higher an incoming college student scores on a given test, the higher the student’s college grade point average (GPA). Which of the following best describes this relationship?

• A positive correlation

• A negative correlation

Jane Goodall lived among wild chimpanzees intermittently for decades, studying their social and family systems while keeping her interaction with the chimpanzees to a minimum. Her research method can most accurately be described as

• survey

• case study

• experiment

• correlational research

• naturalistic observation

In a recent report, a developmental psychologist who studied peer pressure in middle schools obtained data from a large, representative sample of adolescents across the United States. This research most likely involved a

• survey

• case study

• laboratory experiment

• naturalistic observation

• single-subject design

How would you describe the relationship of this scatterplot?

• Strong Positive Correlation

• Weak Positive Correlation

• No Correlation

• Weak Negative Correlation

• Strong Negative Correlation