Exploring Research Methods in AP Psychology

What is a theory in the context of scientific research?

• A proven fact

• A guess based on intuition

• The best explanation based on current knowledge

• A statement of relationship between variables

What does a hypothesis represent in scientific studies?

• A wild guess

• A statement of relationship between two variables

• A proven theory

• A random prediction

Why are operational definitions crucial in research?

• They provide exact meanings to terms used

• They state the hypothesis clearly

• They list all variables in the study

• They summarize the research findings

What is the main goal of using operational definitions in research?

• To increase the complexity of the research

• To ensure clarity and replicability

• To make the research process quicker

• To comply with academic standards

Why is replication mentioned as an important aspect of research?

• It changes the research methodology

• It varies the operational definitions

• It involves altering the hypothesis

• It confirms the original findings

What is the primary purpose of a case study?

• To test a hypothesis under controlled conditions

• To generalize findings to a larger population

• To explore a phenomenon in depth

• To establish causation

What is a potential issue with survey research?

• Responses might be biased by the wording of questions

• It always requires a large budget

• It can be too time-consuming

• It is less accurate than experimental methods

How does the wording of survey questions potentially affect the results?

• It can lead to biased or skewed responses

• It has no significant effect

• It decreases the reliability of the survey

• It makes the survey easier to understand

What does naturalistic observation involve?

• Watching subjects in their natural environment without their awareness

• Observing subjects in an artificial setting

• Manipulating variables to see effects

• Conducting interviews and surveys in public places

What distinguishes random sampling from random assignment?

• Random sampling involves selecting groups, random assignment does not

• Random sampling is about choosing participants, random assignment is about grouping them

• Random assignment can be done without a sample

• Random sampling is less important than random assignment