Review Questions for Psychological Research
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Scientific hypotheses are ________ and falsifiable.
- observable
- original
- provable
- testable
2. ________ are defined as observable realities.
- behaviours
- facts
- opinions
- theories
3. Scientific knowledge is ________.
- intuitive
- empirical
- permanent
- subjective
4. A major criticism of Freud’s early theories involves the fact that his theories ________.
- were too limited in scope
- were too outrageous
- were too broad
- were not testable
5. Sigmund Freud developed his theory of human personality by conducting in-depth interviews over an extended period of time with a few clients. This type of research approach is known as a(n): ________.
- archival research
- case study
- naturalistic observation
- survey
6. ________ involves observing behaviour in individuals in their natural environments.
- archival research
- case study
- naturalistic observation
- survey
7. The major limitation of case studies is ________.
- the superficial nature of the information collected in this approach
- the lack of control that the researcher has in this approach
- the inability to generalize the findings from this approach to the larger population
- the absence of inter-rater reliability
8. The benefit of naturalistic observation studies is ________.
- the honesty of the data that is collected in a realistic setting
- how quick and easy these studies are to perform
- the researcher’s capacity to make sure that data is collected as efficiently as possible
- the ability to determine cause and effect in this particular approach
9. Using existing records to try to answer a research question is known as ________.
- naturalistic observation
- survey research
- longitudinal research
- archival research
10. ________ involves following a group of research participants for an extended period of time.
- archival research
- longitudinal research
- naturalistic observation
- cross-sectional research
11. A(n) ________ is a list of questions developed by a researcher that can be administered in paper form.
- archive
- case study
- naturalistic observation
- survey
12. Longitudinal research is complicated by high rates of ________.
- deception
- observation
- attrition
- generalization
13. Height and weight are positively correlated. This means that:
- There is no relationship between height and weight.
- Usually, the taller someone is, the thinner they are.
- Usually, the shorter someone is, the heavier they are.
- As height increases, typically weight increases.
14. Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the strongest relationship between two variables?
- –.90
- –.50
- +.80
- +.25
15. Which statement best illustrates a negative correlation between the number of hours spent watching TV the week before an exam and the grade on that exam?
- Watching too much television leads to poor exam performance.
- Smart students watch less television.
- Viewing television interferes with a student’s ability to prepare for the upcoming exam.
- Students who watch more television perform more poorly on their exams.
16. The correlation coefficient indicates the weakest relationship when ________.
- it is closest to 0
- it is closest to -1
- it is positive
- it is negative
17. ________ means that everyone in the population has the same likelihood of being asked to participate in the study.
- operationalizing
- placebo effect
- random assignment
- random sampling
18. The ________ is controlled by the experimenter, while the ________ represents the information collected and statistically analyzed by the experimenter.
- dependent variable; independent variable
- independent variable; dependent variable
- placebo effect; experimenter bias
- experiment bias; placebo effect
19. Researchers must ________ important concepts in their studies so others would have a clear understanding of exactly how those concepts were defined.
- randomly assign
- randomly select
- operationalize
- generalize
20. Sometimes, researchers will administer a(n) ________ to participants in the control group to control for the effects that participant expectation might have on the experiment.
- dependent variable
- independent variable
- statistical analysis
- placebo
21. ________ is to animal research as ________ is to human research.
- informed consent; deception
- IACUC; IRB
- IRB; IACUC
- deception; debriefing
22. Researchers might use ________ when providing participants with the full details of the experiment could skew their responses.
- informed consent
- deception
- ethics
- debriefing
23. A person’s participation in a research project must be ________.
- random
- rewarded
- voluntary
- public
24. Before participating in an experiment, individuals should read and sign the ________ form.
- informed consent
- debriefing
- IRB
- ethics
Critical Thinking Questions
36. At the end of the last section, you were asked to design a basic experiment to answer some question of interest. What ethical considerations should be made with the study you proposed to ensure that your experiment would conform to the scientific community’s expectations of ethical research?
Personal Application Questions
37. Healthcare professionals cite an enormous number of health problems related to obesity, and many people have an understandable desire to attain a healthy weight. There are many diet programs, services, and products on the market to aid those who wish to lose weight. If a close friend was considering purchasing or participating in one of these products, programs, or services, how would you make sure your friend was fully aware of the potential consequences of this decision? What sort of information would you want to review before making such an investment or lifestyle change yourself?