Study Guide: Research Methods

In Experimental Research, the variable that is manipulated by the researcher to see how it affects the behavior response, is called __________________________.

• Independent Variable
• Dependent Variable
• Experimenter Bias
• Participant Bias

Psychological Research includes the following research methods EXCEPT __________________________.

• Program Evaluation
• Basic Research
• Applied Research
• Occupational Evaluation

Basic Research is ________________________________.

• used to determine if the program’s goals are being met, and if there might be better ways of achieving those goals
• geared towards finding solutions to different problems or questions
• looking at plate tectonics and measuring movement
• used for the sake of increasing knowledge about a certain topic

A sports medicine researcher has been hired by Gatorade to test the effects of its sports drink on athletic performance. The company wants to claim that when an athlete drinks Gatorade, their performance will improve. What is the Independent Variable?

• Athletic Performance
• Athlete
• Sports Medicine Researcher
• Gatorade

People who wear uniforms will receive greater obedience than those who do not wear uniforms. What is the Dependent Variable?

• Obediance
• People in Uniform
• Uniforms
• People out of Uniform

Program Evaluation is ________________________________.

• used to determine if the program’s goals are being met, and if there might be better ways of achieving those goals
• geared towards finding solutions to different problems or questions
• looking at plate tectonics and measuring movement
• used for the sake of increasing knowledge about a certain topic

To be able to use the scientific method, in psychology, your question must be _________________________.

• open book
• testable and falsifiable
• already proven to be true
• basic and generalized

Applied Research is ________________________________.

• used to determine if the program’s goals are being met, and if there might be better ways of achieving those goals
• geared towards finding solutions to different problems or questions
• looking at plate tectonics and measuring movement
• used for the sake of increasing knowledge about a certain topic

Students score higher on SAT’s in the morning than in the afternoon. What is the Dependent Variable?

• The Students
• Test Scores
• SAT
• Time of Day

Which is a method of controlling all variables, except the variable of interest, which is manipulated by the researcher to determine if it affects another variable?

• Naturalistic Observation
• Case Study
• Survey
• Testing
• Experimental Research