1. In what way does a research methods course differ from other psychology courses, such as developmental psychology and biopsychology?
a.
Research methods courses focus on concepts and content.
b.
Research methods courses emphasize the use of the scientific method to answer questions.
c.
Memorizing is more important in research methods courses than in other courses.
d.
Only biopsychology courses emphasize the use of the scientific method to answer questions.
ANSWER:
b
2. Research methods and statistics courses focus on building skills in:
advanced processing.
critical thinking.
memorization.
automatic judgments.
3. Research methods courses focus on:
know-what.
know-why.
know-how.
know-who.
c
4. _____ is the term that describes an individual's tendency to accept an explanation simply because of a gut feeling it is right.
Pleasure paradox
Outlier
Introspection
Truthiness
d
5. A friend tells you that shaving more frequently causes hair to grow back darker and coarser than before. You think this sounds correct, so you vow to only shave once a week. In this case, you have fallen victim to a phenomenon known as:
truthiness.
better-than-average effect.
confirmation bias.
introspection.
a
6. Which of the following most accurately depicts the concept of "truthiness"?
Mela is waiting outside to view the solar eclipse based on the timing reported in a recent news broadcast.
Rob is learning Spanish to better communicate with his future mother-in-law and is speaking to all of his friends and family more frequently in Spanish than in English.
Pru read in the Wall Street Journal that tech stocks are down and as a result sold her stock in that industry.
Denali wears cologne every day because he believed his brother's explanation about girls liking guys who smell strongly.
7. The availability heuristic is a strategy for:
judging the likelihood of an event based on how easily one can think of similar instances.
deciding the likelihood of an event by how much it resembles a "typical" example of that event.
estimating one's skills and abilities as compared with others.
searching for evidence that supports preexisting beliefs.
8. Nea lives in Atlanta, GA, and learned that there was a tornado watch issued for a nearby county. In deciding whether to follow tornado safety protocols and seek appropriate shelter in her home, she remembers the recent news broadcasts and images from tornado outbreaks in nearby Nashville, TN, and Tuscaloosa, AL. She quickly decides to hide in the bathtub of her windowless bathroom for the night. Her choice was the result of the:
representativeness heuristic.
availability heuristic.
9. People often overestimate the likelihood of death by shark attack, plane crash, and violence, because news programs emphasize these extreme occurrences to drive up viewer ratings. An individual's tendency to readily recall such instances even though they are objectively rare is the result of the:
10. Imagine that you are a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen cancer foundation. When planning for an upcoming speech you remember the availability heuristic and decide to devote the majority of time to a _____ rather than _____.
moving testimonial from a cancer survivor; charts and statistics about cancer risks factors
moving testimonial from a cancer survivor; pictures of cancer survivors
charts and statistics about cancer risks factors; pictures of cancer survivors
charts and statistics about cancer risks factors; moving testimonial from a cancer survivor
11. You know that people are often more generous when donating to a cause after seeing a moving photograph than hearing impersonal statistics. In this case, research on the _____ confirms that a picture is worth a thousand words.
representativeness heuristic
availability heuristic
better-than-average effect
hindsight bias
12. Deciding the likelihood of an event based on how much it resembles the "typical" example of such an event is known as the _____ heuristic.
representativeness
availability
better-than-average
outlier
13. According to the representativeness heuristic, which of the following personal descriptions are you most likely to associate with a "librarian"?
a beautiful woman in her early twenties
an athletically toned man in his teens
an elderly woman who wears her hair in a bun
a middle-aged man who is poorly shaven with tattered clothes
14. Juries may be more lenient when determining the innocence or guilt of individuals who appear attractive, sharply dressed, and well-mannered, because of the:
15. The _____ heuristic relies on how readily instances come to mind, whereas the _____ heuristic relies on how typical that instance is.
availability; confirmation
availability; representativeness
representativeness; availability
representativeness; confirmation
16. In order to uphold your New Year's Resolution to eat healthier and exercise on a daily basis, which of the following foods would you be more likely to select, given your understanding of the representativeness heuristic?
lemon muffin
carrots
hamburger
sushi
17. The _____ is the tendency to overestimate skills, abilities, and performance when comparing oneself with others.
confirmation bias
18. Which of the following is NOT an example of the better-than-average effect?
Most people think they drive better than others.
Most people think they are smarter than others.
Most people think they are funnier than others.
Most people think they are angrier than others.
19. First-born children may think they are stronger leaders than their siblings, whereas middle children may think they are more patient and understanding than their siblings, and youngest children may think they are more creative than their siblings. Each of these beliefs demonstrates a natural tendency for individuals to endorse the:
hindsight bias.
overconfidence effect.
20. Going into the first exam, a professor asks his students how well they think they will do. In line with the better-than-average effect, the top _____ of class performers are likely to anticipate this effect.
0%
25%
50%
75%
21. Dr. Temur holds an information session to prepare her students for an upcoming project. In previous semesters she has learned that when students base their project on the brief project outline and they do not ask questions, they experience _____, which can lead them to be generally underprepared and underperform overall.
overconfidence
belief perseverance
22. The overconfidence phenomenon is:
a sense that one "knew it all along."
a tendency to be overly assured of the correctness of one's own judgments.
the tendency to seek out information that supports your current beliefs.
a strategy for deciding the likelihood of an event based on how much it resembles a "typical" example of that event.
23. _____ is most likely responsible for endorsement of the better-than-average effect.
The availability heuristic
The representativeness heuristic
The overconfidence phenomenon
Hindsight bias
24. Renata and her mother are leaving the third game in a tournament series for softball. Renata's grandfather calls her on the phone to ask how her game went and Renata remarked "not great. We lost again." Even though Renata and her team have lost the last three games, she continues to believe that her team is going to successfully win the championship, despite evidence to the contrary. This is an example of:
the overconfidence phenomenon.
the representativeness heuristic.
the availability heuristic.
25. Professor Emil was shocked to learn that almost 25% of her statistics class submitted their final project online days past the due date. Interestingly enough, Professor Emil never received emails from her students suggesting that there was any concern about having enough time to complete the project. This suggests that students waited until the last minute to start the project. As a result, they likely underestimated the amount of time it would take to complete Professor Emil's comprehensive, multi-step statistics project. By students thinking they could complete the entire project in an abbreviated amount of time, they demonstrated the:
overconfidence phenomenon.
26. The false-consensus effect is the tendency to overestimate the degree to which others agree with your beliefs and opinions. Based on your understanding of processing biases, you know that this is most likely the result of:
27. Which of the following is correct regarding people's confidence and accuracy?
People are often more confident than they are accurate.
People are often less confident than they are accurate.
People tend to be equally confident and accurate.
People tend to be neither confident nor accurate.
28. Hindsight bias is:
the tendency to be overly confident in the correctness of judgments.
the tendency, after an event has occurred, to see the event as having been predictable.
a cognitive bias where some evidence is overvalued, but other evidence is undervalued.
the assumption that immediate experience provides all the information needed to make a conclusion.
29. Galileo once said, "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." This is best representative of the:
"what you see is all there is" phenomenon.
30. _____ is a bias in which people only look for evidence that agrees with what they already believe to be true.
Confirmation bias
"What you see is all there is" phenomenon
Belief perseverance
31. The first information that people receive is often more influential than information presented later. Individuals use their previous knowledge and beliefs to judge new information they receive, typically in an effort to bolster those previous beliefs through the process of:
the "what you see is all there is" bias.
belief perseverance.
32. Which of the following is the reason that good leaders often employ someone to play the role of devil's advocate before making an important decision?
"what you see is all there is" phenomenon
33. People who are victims of the confirmation bias are like detectives who are focused on looking for _____ information.
supporting
contradicting
all available
the most salient
34. Zev has a crush on someone in his 11th grade class. He has conveniently only been asking his closest friends whether or not they believe his crush likes him too. Zev has desperately wanted others to support his belief and therefore has likely produced a:
35. _____ is a bias in which people emphasize some pieces of information while undervaluing other pieces of information.
Overconfidence phenomenon
The focusing effect
Better-than-average effect
36. When parents emphasize their children's good attributes, while selectively minimizing their negative attributes, they are displaying the _____ effect.
focusing
introspection
confirmation
37. Introspection is:
reflecting on another person's thoughts and experiences to find relevant evidence.
reflecting on one's own thoughts and experiences to find relevant evidence.
systematic experimentation on your own thoughts and experiences.
systematic experimentation on the thoughts and experiences of others.
38. Which social psychologist is known for stating, "There is nothing more practical than a good theory."?
Darwin
Milgram
Piaget
Lewin
39. Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman wrote the book entitled _____ in which he highlights the importance of failing to see the limitations of our immediate experiences and the tendency to take things at face value.
Man and His Symbols
The Naturalist's Voyage
Only the Smart Think
Thinking, Fast and Slow
40. The "what you see is all there is" phenomenon is:
the tendency to look for evidence that confirms what we already believe.
the tendency to be overly confident in the correctness of one's judgments.
a failure to see the limitations of one's immediate experience.
41. The "what you see is all there is" phenomenon leads people to:
underestimate alternative explanations and outcomes.
overestimate alternative explanations and outcomes.
ignore the status quo.
engage in accuracy checking of beliefs.
42. Which of the following is most similar to the confirmation bias?
43. The pleasure paradox is when introspection about a _____ results in it becoming _____.
positive experience; less enjoyable
positive experience; more enjoyable
negative experience; less enjoyable
negative experience; more enjoyable
44. _____ relating to an activity that you love can lead you to like it _____.
Introspection; more
Introspection; less
Experimentation; more
Experimentation; less
45. Introspective analysis about an event or an area of interest tends to result in the pleasure paradox, which means that an individual:
begins to engage in having others from their social circle take part in the event or activity.
begins to like that event or interest more after consideration.
begins to engage in increased sensation-seeking activities.
begins to like that event or interest less after consideration.
46. _____ is the tendency to maintain an assumption despite encountering contradictory factual information, often by interpreting information in a way that does not invalidate the original assumption.
Overconfidence
47. Virgil continues to attribute sounds and odd sensations in his house to the presence of ghosts although he knows that ghosts are not real. This is an example of:
pleasure paradox.
48. Frank is a die-hard Cleveland Browns football fan even though the team has not won an NFL championship since the 1960s. Every year Frank continues to believe that his home team has a chance to make it to the championship. Frank's devotion to the football team against the odds demonstrates:
the "what you see is all there is" phenomenon.
illusory correlation.
planning fallacy.
49. Humans have a tendency to _____ anecdotes and personal experience.
undervalue
overvalue
ignore
discount
50. The tendency to value anecdotes and personal experience is believed to stem from a(n):
inclination for quick and simple explanations.
need for thoughtful consideration.
drive to evaluate the world based on others' opinions.
need for empirically verified data.
51. The law of small numbers states:
extreme outcomes are more likely when considering a small number of cases.
as a sample grows, its average will get closer to the average of the entire population.
extreme outcomes are less likely when considering a small number of cases.
as a sample grows, its average will get farther away from the average of the population.
52. According to the _____, there is a tendency for more extreme outcomes to occur when considering a small sample as compared to a large sample.
law of large numbers
law of small numbers
law of even numbers
law of odd numbers
53. A case that is the exception to the rule would be known as the:
average.
mean.
outlier.
norm.
54. If the National Heart Association conducted a longitudinal study of 100 individuals over the course of their lives, data from whom of the following would likely be considered an outlier based on national cardiac trends?
Sam has no history of heart disease in his family, engages in moderate exercise, and tries to resist high sugar and high sodium foods in large amounts. Sam is currently alive and healthy at 66 years old.
Bert has consumed large amounts of sugary drinks and high fat saturated foods over the course of his life, in addition to smoking cigarettes daily. Bert lives to be 102 years old.
Gwen has always been an avid runner and a health conscientious individual who limits her sugar and sodium intake. Gwen lives to be 85 years old.
Vera is overweight and consumes high sodium and high fat foods on a daily basis, in addition to frequently drinking energy drinks. Vera dies at 48 years old from a heart attack.
55. Mr. Inza gave an exam in his 8th grade history class and the mean grade in the class was 82. Identify the grade that is the outlier for this exam.
67
92
80
24
56. An outlier is:
a case that is distinct from the majority of other cases.
a case that is similar to the majority of other cases.
an example of the representativeness heuristic.
an example of the availability heuristic.
57. People are more likely to generate "yeah, but" examples for research claims that _____ their personal experience.
support
contradict
are in line with
are unrelated to
58. The Moneyball approach to baseball represents a strategy in which team scouts rely on:
emotions.
anecdotes.
statistics.
gut feelings.
59. _____ is a systematic approach for addressing questions of interest.
The scientific method
The law of small numbers
60. What is skepticism?
the willingness to ask questions
the ability to consider novel ways to approach questions
the tendency to accept claims at face value
the inability to accept uncertainty
61. _____ makes us more critical consumers of information in our own lives.
Creativity
Open-mindedness
Skepticism
Communication
62. Marigold is told by her mother that her intellectual abilities are the result of a "baby genius" program that her mother enrolled her in when she was an infant. Now that Marigold has taken developmental psychology, she is filled with questions about how much an infant can truly learn at such a young age and whether such programs lead to any intellectual advances. What characteristic of a good scientist is Marigold demonstrating?
skepticism
open-mindedness
humility
creativity
63. A good scientist balances their skepticism with a healthy dose of:
creativity.
open-mindedness.
objectivity.
empiricism.
64. A researcher who advanced the understanding of sexual behaviors by embracing open-mindedness was:
Piaget.
Maslow.
Skinner.
Kinsey.
65. Which of the following is a characteristic of a good scientist?
uncertainty
close-mindedness
subjectivity
empiricism
66. The use of double-blind experiments in psychological research, whereby both the participants and the researchers are unaware of which experimental group the participants have been assigned to, is employed to increase the researchers':
skepticism.
subjectivity.
67. Which of the following means a willingness to test ideas using the scientific method to draw conclusions?
68. _____ means to base claims on scientific data rather than on personal beliefs or opinions, even on topics which with one has extensive familiarity or experience.
Empiricism
Objectivity
69. Which of the following would be a creative approach to measuring the actual act of aggression?
using a self-report measure of participants' average level of felt aggression
using informant reports of participants' aggression on a daily basis
videotaping participants as they discussed a recent aggressive encounter
allowing participants to use air horns to blast sound at confederates believed to have given them negative feedback
70. With regard to characteristics of a good scientist, _____ is the ability to share findings in writing or presentation in an effort to extend the collective of knowledge and serve the common good, whereas _____ is the ability to "think outside the box" and design novel approaches to answer scientific questions.
creativity; skepticism
objectivity; open-mindedness
empiricism; communication
communication; creativity
71. Rosalie is hesitant to have her newborn son vaccinated. Rosalie has read a number of articles on social media claiming that vaccinations lead to a higher likelihood of food allergies, neurological disorders, and cancer. Rosalie does not take this information as truth and instead conducts her own exhaustive research regarding the impact of infant vaccinations on later development. Rosalie is engaging in which characteristic of a good scientist?
objectivity
72. Keeping researchers and participants "blinded" to (or unaware of) the research hypotheses under investigation helps to maintain:
73. Empirical research is:
using one's own thoughts as evidence for the nature of psychological phenomena.
the presentation of information that is intended to look as though it is based on scientific observation when it is not.
gaining knowledge with the use of nonsystematic methods.
gaining knowledge with the use of systematic observation, experience, and measurement.
74. _____ is gaining knowledge with the use of nonsystematic methods such as the examination of personal experiences and opinions.
Empirical research
Pseudoscience
Nonempirical research
Experimentation
75. The difference between nonempirical and empirical research is:
nonempirical research is conducted by a trained professional, whereas empirical research is conducted by a novice.
nonempirical research is based on systematic measurement, whereas empirical research is based on opinion.
nonempirical research is based on opinion, whereas empirical research is based on systematic measurement.
nonempirical research is systematic measurement conducted by a novice, whereas empirical research is based on systematic measurement conducted by a trained professional.
76. Ambrose completed an experiment for his neuropsychology graduate seminar in which he used an EEG machine to monitor the brain activity of the amygdala and frontal cortex as men and women viewed images of landscapes and people. He published his findings showing greater activity in the amygdala for females than males when viewing landscapes. A year later Ambrose saw that another research published a very similar study in an effort to confirm or disprove his Ambrose's study findings. This is an example of:
replication.
77. Empirical research is a key to differentiating psychology from what other field of study?
physics
theology
anatomy
chemistry
78. Psychological science is based on:
intuition.
empirical research.
79. Which of the following is an example of replication?
recreating another person's study to see if the findings are the same
using one's thoughts as evidence for the nature of psychological phenomena
designing research to be used in real world situations
gaining knowledge from nonsystematic methods of investigation
80. Replication within the research community leads to:
competition.
animosity.
doubt.
confidence.
81. Psychologists replicate previous findings for each of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
it helps to overcome errors and flaws.
it propels the scientific community closer to the truth.
it extends previous findings in informative ways.
it cultivates a healthy distrust for other's efforts.
82. Basic research is research:
focused on solving a problem.
designed to help people by improving their quality of life.
that uses minimal design or materials to explore a phenomenon.
dedicated to expanding the existing knowledge on a topic.
83. _____ is dedicated to solving a problem and helping people improve their quality of life.
Applied research
Basic research
84. One difference between basic and applied research is that:
one is more scientific than the other.
one is more difficult to conduct than the other.
they have different goals and objectives.
they have competing foci that make them independent of each other.
85. Generally speaking, _____ research serves as the foundation for _____ research.
basic; applied
basic; empirical
applied; empirical
applied; basic
86. Claims that are misrepresented as being derived from the use of the scientific method, even though they are not known as:
basic research.
applied research.
pseudoscience.
87. How does pseudoscience differ from empirical research?
Pseudoscience fails to employ the scientific method.
Empirical science fails to employ the scientific method.
Pseudoscience utilizes only nonexperimental studies, and empirical research is based on experimental studies.
Pseudoscience draws conclusions that expand our understanding, whereas empirical research aims to improve the quality of life.
88. Claims that "vaping" is a much healthier alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes does not consider longitudinal studies of health effects, but rather current reports of health. Those making the claims are utilizing which of the following?
pseudoscience
basic science
applied science
89. Which of the following sounds the LEAST like a pseudoscience claim?
diet pills that promise drastic weight loss with minimal exercise
cleaning products that claim to remove permanent stains
expensive wrinkle creams that guarantee to remove all signs of aging
test preparation classes that boast modest improvement through weeks of guided practice
90. The _____ skeptical one is, the _____ likely they are to believe pseudoscience claims.
less; less
less; more
more; less
more; more
91. Which of the following is not a typical career skill that develops in response to understanding and engaging in psychological research methods?
project management
communication skills
critical thinking
emotional intelligence
92. Jon Stewart, Mark Zuckerberg, and Natalie Portman all majored in _____, attesting to the versatility of skills acquired through study of this subject area.
human relations
biology
psychology
sociology
93. Ravi is applying for a job within the health services field. Although he may not draw directly from the psychological course content he learned during college, he knows that his ability to quickly and efficiently identify potential issues, develop and evaluate alternative options, and implement solutions will be invaluable. When Ravi refers to these abilities during his interview, he is discussing his:
critical thinking skills.
analytical ability.
problem-solving skills.
time-management proficiency.
94. Rashida is particularly adept at the ability to identify, define, and effectively implement solutions to potential problems. Cameron is skilled at the ability to actively evaluate, analyze, and synthesize information. Given this, which of the following is true?
Rashida has problem-solving skills; Cameron has analytical skills.
Rashida has critical thinking skills; Cameron has project-management skills.
Rashida has analytical skills; Cameron has problem-solving skills.
Rashida has problem-solving skills; Cameron has critical thinking skills.
95. Of the following industries, which has the largest number of full-time employees with a psychology major?
financial services
public administration
education
health services
96. Harlow recently took a job at a large financial institution where her primary responsibilities involve assessing the performance of stocks/bonds and guiding individuals in making investment decisions. Which of the following skills do you think will be LEAST helpful in her job?
analytical skills
project-management skills
critical thinking skills
97. Approximately _____ of full-time employees in the education field were undergraduate psychology majors.
10%
12%
15%
22%
98. Which career skill pertains to an individual's ability to share their research findings to a broader audience (e.g., conference presentation)?
analytical ability
time-management proficiency
99. Enola can write statistical "syntax" for her thesis dataset as naturally as she can write a card to her grandmother. Enola's comfort with her dataset and related coding specifically demonstrates her:
ability to interpret numerical information.
100. What is an infographic?
a graphical depiction of qualitative data
a graphical depiction of statistical data
the process of using one's own thoughts as evidence for the nature of psychological phenomena
research designed to be used in real world situations
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