Research Methods Progress Test

In a study of the effect of a driver training program on driving skill, a possible operationalisation 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 statement is correct?

• A stratified sample is more likely to be representative of the population than a convenience sample.
• A sample is always representative of a population.
• A convenience sample is more likely to be representative of the population than a stratified sample.
• A small random sample is more likely to be representative of the population than a large stratified sample.

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.

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

In a study of the Müller-Lyer illusion, it is found that Africans who have experienced non-angular housing are less easily tricked by the illusion than people in Western cities. Which answer is true?

• Cultural background is the dependent variable in this experiment.
• The Müller-Lyer illusion is the independent variable in this experiment.
• The degree to which the illusion is experienced is the independent variable in this experiment.
• Cultural background is the independent variable in this experiment.

_______________ is an advantage of a repeated-measures experimental design; ______________ may be a disadvantage.

• Reducing the effect of situational variables | order effects
• Ease of administration | possible confounding participant variables
• Reducing the effect of participant variables | order effects
• Complexity of administration | the influence of situational variables

Identify the type of relationship between weight and price.

• The price is never 0 on the graph

• As weight increases, price increases

• There is a negative linear correlation between weight and price

• The price gets high at the end of the graph

In experimental studies which group receives nothing? In other words, they do not get the variable that is under study.

• Experimental group

• Control group

Psychology researchers attempt to minimise or eliminate the impact of uncontrolled variables in experiments because the presence of these variables

• can affect the measurement of the independent variable.

• means that only the uncontrolled variables are measured.

• do not enable the researcher to control the dependent variable.

• make it difficult to isolate and evaluate the impact of the independant variable.