Test Bank Exploring Psychology 11th Edition by David G. Myers
1. Which of the following is an evidence-based method that draws on observation and experimentation?
a.
critical thinking
b.
structuralism
c.
empirical approach
d.
humanistic psychology
ANSWER:
c
2. The empirical approach draws on
observation.
experimentation.
both observation and experimentation.
neither observation nor experimentation.
3. Using scientific procedures to test whether watching violent movies increases the frequency of emotionally upsetting dreams best illustrates
functionalism.
Freudian psychology.
an empirical approach.
positive psychology.
4. Abigail is pregnant. Her friend has told her that she is able to predict the sex and birth date of a baby, including her baby. How might Abigail test this claim?
She can use introspection.
She can use critical thinking.
She can use the empirical approach.
She can use the biopsychosocial approach.
5. Which of the following is TRUE regarding the field of psychology?
It is a pseudoscience.
It is a science, similar to biology and chemistry.
It is a field that is often confused with science.
It is not based on scientific methods.
b
6. One of psychology's early mottos was "the rat is always right." Which aspect of the scientific attitude did this represent?
humility
respect for animals
curiosity
skepticism
a
7. Three key attitudes of scientific inquiry are
pride, enthusiasm, and ingenuity.
ingenuity, practicality, and certainty.
certainty, creativity, and curiosity.
curiosity, skepticism, and humility.
d
8. Rodesia insists that Dr. Phillips' theory of aggression be checked against observable evidence. She is demonstrating the scientific attitude of
pride.
skepticism.
practicality.
enthusiasm.
9. In conducting research, Brandon demonstrates a scientific attitude. Which of the following characteristics are part of that attitude?
indifference
certainty
sureness
10. The type of thinking that examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions is called
critical thinking.
introspection.
speculation.
emergent thinking.
11. Checking on the credibility of the sources of information you use in a class report is most indicative of
a biopsychosocial approach.
12. Reasoning that does not blindly accept available arguments and conclusions illustrates
the psychodynamic perspective.
13. Critical thinking most clearly involves
evaluating evidence.
14. A questioning attitude regarding psychologists' assumptions and hidden values best illustrates
behaviorism.
15. Melinda expressed concerns as to whether the wording of the questions in a life satisfaction survey may have encouraged respondents to convey unusually positive levels of well-being. Melinda's concerns best illustrated
the neuroscience perspective.
16. Marissa recently attended a lecture on supernatural phenomena, at which the speaker explained how the locations of planets and stars at one's birth determine the person's personality and life course. Marissa is not convinced that this information is accurate and so she is quite skeptical. She has concluded that the assumptions and conclusions of this statement are faulty, that the speaker is biased and lacks credibility, and that there is minimal evidence to support this claim. Marissa has engaged in
introspection
17. Questioning whether conclusions are warranted by the existing evidence best illustrates
the biopsychosocial approach.
18. When you question the claim that hypnosis helps people to recall memories more accurately, you are most clearly demonstrating
19. Who speculated that a meal makes us sleepy by causing gas and heat to collect around our heart?
Aristotle
Plato
Skinner
Darwin
20. Aristotle suggested the source of our personality is the
brain.
throat.
heart.
stomach.
21. Who developed the first psychological laboratory?
Wundt
Freud
James
22. Wilhelm Wundt's laboratory work involved experimental studies of
animal intelligence.
personality development.
social influence.
mental processes.
23. The birth of psychology is often attributed to Wilhelm Wundt because he pioneered the investigation of mental processes using
a biopsychosocial perspective.
an evolutionary perspective.
scientific methods.
24. Edward Titchener and others attempted to reveal the basic elements of the mind by asking people to look inward. They were using a method known as
empiricism.
conditioning.
25. Which early psychologist aimed to discover the mind's structure?
Edward Bradford Titchener
William James
Charles Darwin
Wilhelm Wundt
26. Introspection was the basic research tool used by ________ in order to study people's inner sensations and mental images.
John B. Watson
Edward Titchener
B. F. Skinner
27. Looking inward and reporting your immediate sensations, images, and feelings is called
cognitive neuroscience.
humanistic psychology.
28. Research participants are asked to monitor and report their own immediate sensory reactions to differently colored objects. This research involves a technique known as
behavior genetics.
psychoanalysis.
29. The unreliability of ________ led to the waning popularity of structuralism.
behavior genetics
behaviorism
30. Edward Titchener is to structuralism as William James is to
31. William James was a prominent American
psychoanalyst.
behaviorist.
functionalist.
psychiatrist.
32. Which early psychologist aimed to study the evolved functions of our thoughts and feelings?
33. Functionalism was a school of psychology that focused attention on the
adaptive value of thoughts and behaviors.
component elements of sensory experience.
disruptive effects of unconscious motives.
treatment of psychological disorders.
34. Which theorist most clearly influenced William James' efforts to understand the adaptive functions of thinking and consciousness?
Sigmund Freud
Carl Rogers
35. Who was the American philosopher-psychologist who authored a textbook in 1890 for the emerging discipline of psychology?
36. The psychology textbook that William James authored was titled
The New Science.
Psychology.
Principles of Psychology.
The Abstract Mind.
37. Who was a student of William James and the first female president of the American Psychological Association?
Jean Piaget
Margaret Floy Washburn
Rosalie Rayner
Mary Whiton Calkins
38. Which woman psychologist was the first to officially earn a doctorate degree?
Anna Freud
Marla Wundt
39. Between 1997 and 2017 women were ________ elected presidents of the Association for Psychological Science.
5 of the 10
1 of the 20
10 of the 10
10 of the 20
40. Which of the following people is most likely to earn a doctorate degree in psychology today?
Samantha, who is from the United States
Brandon, who is from Canada
Margo, who is from Mexico
Steven, who is from Europe
41. Early psychologists such as Wilhelm Wundt and William James focused on the study of
clinical psychology.
unconscious motives.
conditioned responses.
42. Beginning in the 1920s, American psychologists such as John B. Watson emphasized the study of
genetic influences.
self-esteem.
conscious thoughts and feelings.
observable behavior.
43. The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies observable human activity without reference to mental processes is known as
44. Behaviorists dismissed the value of
science.
neuroscience.
applied research.
45. Observing and recording people's behavior as they are conditioned was of most central interest to
structuralism.
46. Jill is observing how children react to being pushed by other children while playing in the school yard. Which psychological perspective is she likely applying to her research?
Freudian psychology
cognitive psychology
47. Early behaviorists such as John B. Watson would have considered the introspective study of self-esteem to be
a positive psychology.
an unscientific method.
48. Which of the following is a conditioned behavior that can be observed?
anxiety
intelligence
depression
crying
49. John B. Watson is to Edward Titchener as ________ is to ________.
biology; environment
observable behavior; inner sensations
mental illness; psychiatry
cognitive perspective; psychodynamic perspective
50. Which major force in psychology emphasized unconscious thought processes?
evolutionary psychology
psychoanalytic psychology
51. Sherry is often overly generous in sacrificing her time to help others. Her friend suggests that by keeping busy in this way Sherry avoids confronting her own unconscious conflicts. Her friend's suggestion illustrates the type of explanation that is most typical of
evolutionary psychology.
52. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow promoted a historically significant approach known as
53. Humanistic psychologists focused attention on the importance of people's
childhood memories.
genetic predispositions.
unconscious thought processes.
potential for growth.
54. Beginning in the 1960s, psychological science returned to its earlier interest in mental processes. This movement was inspired by the
emergence of community psychology.
push for a positive psychology.
cognitive revolution.
free love movement.
55. In the 1960s, the cognitive revolution in psychology involved a renewal of interest in the scientific study of
hereditary influences.
learned behaviors.
56. The scientific study of mental activities associated with perceiving, processing, and remembering information is most central to
cognitive psychology.
57. Cognitive neuroscience studies relationships between
natural selection and genetic predispositions.
childhood memories and psychological disorders.
thought processes and brain functions.
philosophy and physiology.
58. Investigating patterns of brain activity that accompany people's recollections of a stressful experience would be of most direct interest to the specialty area known as
59. The branch of psychology that can be considered a marriage between the science of the mind and the science of the brain is called
60. Contemporary psychology is best defined as the science of
conscious and unconscious mental activity.
observable responses to the environment.
behavior and mental processes.
maladaptive and adaptive behaviors.
61. Professor Jones is examining the impact of parental divorce on adult children's attitudes regarding romantic relationships. The attitude regarding romantic relationships can be considered a(n)
behavior.
action.
mental process.
conclusion.
62. Smiling is to feeling as ________ is to ________.
evolution; natural selection
behavior; mental process
conscious; unconscious
nurture; nature
63. The young science of psychology developed from the more established fields of philosophy and
economics.
biology.
geography.
sociology.
64. The personality theorist Sigmund Freud was an Austrian
chemist.
physician.
theologian.
politician.
65. One of the last century's most influential observers of children was the Swiss biologist
Edward Bradford Titchener.
Margaret Floy Washburn.
William James.
Jean Piaget.
66. Today's psychology is best described as increasingly
introspective in its methods.
psychodynamic it its perspective.
globalized in its influence.
controversial in its application.
67. The nature–nurture issue refers to the debate over the relative contributions that ________ make to the development of psychological traits.
introspection and nerve cell activity
unconscious and conscious motives
behavior and mental processes
genes and experience
68. Innate ability is to learned skill as ________ is to ________.
observation; introspection
psychology; psychiatry
nature; nurture
behavior; mental processes
69. Efforts to discover whether the intelligence of children is more heavily influenced by their biology or their home environments are most directly relevant to the debate regarding
structuralism and functionalism.
conscious and unconscious thought.
observation and introspection.
nature and nurture.
70. Lissette wonders whether personality differences between her friends who recently moved from Nigeria and those who moved from Thailand result primarily from biological influences or from cultural influences. In this instance, Lissette is primarily concerned with the relative contributions of
neuroscience and cognition.
conscious and unconscious thoughts.
71. Plato's assumption that we inherit character and intelligence is most directly relevant to the controversy regarding
basic and applied research.
72. In the context of debates over the origins of psychological traits, nature is to nurture as
Plato is to Aristotle.
Watson is to Skinner.
Aristotle is to Plato.
Skinner is to Watson.
73. Professor McClure believes that young children are frequently able to make morally correct decisions because humans are endowed with an inborn knowledge of basic ethical principles. The professor's belief is most consistent with the views of
Aristotle.
Plato.
John B. Watson.
B. F. Skinner.
74. The theorist who first proposed evolutionary psychology was
Ivan Pavlov.
Charles Darwin.
Carl Rogers.
75. Who is best known for highlighting the reproductive advantages of environmentally adaptive traits?
76. Charles Darwin attempted to explain the ________ that he encountered.
unconscious thought processes
species variation
biopsychosocial approach
cognitive neuroscience
77. The survival of organisms best suited to a particular environment is known as
natural selection.
78. Natural selection refers to the principle that variations in ________ that contribute to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.
learned habits
inherited traits
levels of analysis
cultural practices
79. Exploring how we humans are alike because of our common biology and evolutionary history is the focus of
community psychology.
80. Exploring how we humans are diverse because of our differing genes and environments is the focus of
81. By suggesting that nurture works on what nature provides, psychologists highlight the fact that we are biologically endowed with a capacity for
inborn ideas.
learning and adaptation.
82. The enduring traditions, attitudes, ideas, and behaviors shared by a large group of people constitute their
culture.
levels of analysis.
83. The transmission of customs for showing respect to those in positions of authority best illustrates the importance of
84. Studying people of all races and cultures is most helpful for
promoting structuralism.
inhibiting introspection.
discerning human similarities and differences.
encouraging natural selection.
85. The fact that people diagnosed with a specific learning disorder exhibit the same brain malfunctions whether they are Italian, French, or British demonstrates that
people are heavily influenced by their society and culture.
genetics and biology are more influential on developmental outcomes than environment is.
the same underlying processes guide people everywhere.
there are cultural variations in the expression of developmental commonalities.
86. People from around the world are able to communicate through facial expressions, such as a smile or a frown. This demonstrates that
people are heavily influences by their society and culture.
genetics and biology are more influential on developmental outcomes than one's environment.
87. Depression and suicide are more common in today's North American culture than they were in the very different North American culture of nearly a century ago. But in both the past and the more recent cultural settings, pessimistic thinking and feelings of loneliness corresponded to a heightened risk of depression and suicide. This best illustrates that ________ often underlie cultural differences in behavior.
genetic differences
unconscious motives
early childhood memories
common psychological processes
88. Across cultures, loneliness is magnified by shyness and low self-esteem. This demonstrates that
89. Which of the following best compares gender and sex?
Gender is biologically determined, whereas sex is socially defined.
Gender and sex are both biologically determined but only sex is socially defined as well.
Sex is biologically determined, whereas gender is socially defined.
Gender and sex are both socially defined but only gender is biologically determined.
90. The risk of being color deficient is greater for men than for women. This best illustrates an important
conditioned response.
psychodynamic perspective.
empirical approach.
gender difference.
91. Psychological differences between the genders are
of little interest to contemporary psychologists.
simply reflections of biological differences between the sexes.
no longer evident in contemporary Western societies.
far outweighed by gender similarities.
92. Discovering and promoting human strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive is the major focus of
93. Research on human flourishing is the major focus of
naturalistic observation.
94. Dr. Salvia is studying how happiness in late adulthood relates to a person's social network and social connectedness. Her approach is called
95. Professor Kurtines is researching the psychological benefit of friendships during adolescence. His research is best aligned with which approach to psychology?
positive psychology
the biopsychosocial approach
96. Different accounts of the same behavior that together give us a more complete understanding represent different
cognitive functions.
natural selections.
97. The biopsychosocial approach provides an understanding of social-cultural influences integrated within the larger framework of
multiple levels of analysis.
98. Janna has low self-esteem because she is often teased for being overweight. Appreciating the complexity of Janna's difficulties requires
99. The biopsychosocial approach incorporates different levels of analysis, which
have little value for applied research.
typically contradict common sense.
are generally impossible to test scientifically.
complement one another.
100. The neuroscience perspective in psychology would be most likely to emphasize that behavior is influenced by
environmental circumstances.
blood chemistry.
unconscious conflicts.
subjective interpretations.
101. Which perspective would help us to understand the impact of strokes and brain diseases on memory?
evolutionary
behavioral
psychodynamic
neuroscience
102. Professor Lopez believes that severe depression results primarily from an imbalanced diet and abnormal brain chemistry. Professor Lopez favors a ________ perspective on depression.
cognitive
103. Which perspective highlights the reproductive advantages of inherited psychological traits?
social-cultural
104. Which perspective would suggest that the facial expressions associated with the emotions of lust and rage are inherited?
105. Professor Crisman believes that most women prefer tall and physically strong partners because this preference promoted the survival of our ancestors' genes. This viewpoint best illustrates the ________ perspective.
106. Which perspective studies the relative contributions of our genes and our environment on our individual differences?
107. Professor Brody attempts to measure the relative contributions of inborn traits and social influences on sexual preferences and behavior patterns. Her research efforts best illustrate the interests of the ________ perspective.
108. The distinctive feature of the psychodynamic perspective is its emphasis on
brain chemistry.
109. Mrs. Alfieri believes that her husband's angry outbursts against her result from his unconscious hatred of his own mother. Mrs. Alfieri is looking at her husband's behavior from a(n) ________ perspective.
110. Which perspective most clearly focuses on how we learn observable responses?
111. Akira believes that her son has become a good student because he is frequently praised for his learning efforts. Her belief best illustrates a ________ perspective.
112. The cognitive perspective in psychology focuses on how
feelings are influenced by blood chemistry.
people try to understand their own unconscious motives.
behavior is influenced by environmental conditions.
people encode, process, store, and retrieve information.
113. Which perspective is most concerned with how individuals interpret their experiences?
114. Which psychological perspective is most likely to be concerned with identifying the powers and the limits of human reasoning?
115. Dr. McAllister is studying anger as it relates to violent criminal offenders. He is particularly interested in how environmental circumstances relate to feelings of anger among these offenders, as well as how feelings of anger affect thought processes. He is working from a(n)
evolutionary perspective.
behavioral perspective.
cognitive perspective.
116. Which perspective in psychology is most likely to focus on how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures?
117. Which perspective would focus on the extent to which different parenting styles are encouraged among various ethnic groups?
118. Dr. Wilson attributes the delinquent behaviors of many teens to the pressures associated with being a member of a street gang. Her account best illustrates a(n) ________ perspective.
119. Studies conducted for the sake of building psychology's base of knowledge are most clearly examples of
basic research.
120. Dr. Robinson conducts research on the relationship between brain chemistry and intellectual functioning. Which psychological specialty does Dr. Robinson's research best represent?
social psychology
clinical psychology
biological psychology
industrial-organizational psychology
121. Dr. Santaniello conducts research on how children's moral thinking changes as they grow older. It is most likely that Dr. Santaniello is a(n) ________ psychologist.
social
clinical
developmental
industrial-organizational
122. Dr. Caleigh conducts research on the relationship between adults' language skills and their capacity to solve mathematical problems. Dr. Caleigh is most likely a ________ psychologist.
biological
123. Dr. Roberts studies how best to assess individual differences in traits such as impulsiveness and sociability. Which specialty area does her research best represent?
personality psychology
124. Dr. Mills conducts research on why individuals conform to the behaviors and opinions of others. Which specialty area does his research best represent?
developmental psychology
125. Which psychologists are MOST likely to be involved in applied research?
industrial-organizational psychologists
developmental psychologists
personality psychologists
biological psychologists
126. Dr. Lipka focuses on ways to improve employee job satisfaction and productivity. Dr. Lipka is most likely a(n) ________ psychologist.
personality
127. Which of the following specialty areas in psychology is likely to focus on applied research?
128. What is a common feature of industrial-organizational psychologists?
They are less likely to engage in applied research.
They are likely to engage in both basic and applied research.
They are more likely to conduct basic research.
They are more likely to conduct applied research.
129. Dr. Vazquez helps people make career choices by assisting them in identifying their strengths and interests. Dr. Vazquez is most likely a
biological psychologist.
counseling psychologist.
cognitive psychologist.
social psychologist.
130. Clinical psychologists specialize in
constructing surveys.
animal research.
providing therapy to troubled people.
providing drugs to treat behavioral disorders.
131. For no apparent reason, Adam has recently begun to feel so tense and anxious that he frequently stays home from work. It would be best for Adam to contact a ________ psychologist.
132. The specialist most likely to have a medical degree is a
clinical psychologist.
personality psychologist.
developmental psychologist.
133. Rather than seeking to change people to fit their environments, ________ work to create social and physical environments that are healthy for all.
counseling psychologists
cognitive psychologists
community psychologists
clinical psychologists
134. Mark meets briefly with applicants for positions in his company and relies on his immediate gut-level first impressions in deciding whether to offer them a job. Mark's employment decisions are most clearly guided by
an operational definition.
the testing effect.
hindsight bias.
intuition.
135. The hindsight bias refers to people's tendency to
dismiss the value of skepticism.
reject any ideas that can't be scientifically tested.
exaggerate their ability to have foreseen an outcome.
overestimate the extent to which others share their opinions.
136. The perception that psychological research findings merely verify our commonsense understanding is most clearly facilitated by
random assignment.
operational definitions.
the placebo effect.
137. Giving half the members of a group some purported psychological finding and the other half an opposite finding is an easy way to demonstrate the impact of
confounding variables.
the double-blind procedure.
138. Professor Smith told one class that drinking alcohol has been found to increase sexual desire. He informed another class that drinking alcohol has been found to reduce sexual appetite. The fact that neither class was surprised by the information they received best illustrates the power of
replication.
139. Several weeks after a political election, voters often exaggerate their ability to have predicted the election outcome. This best illustrates
wording effects.
140. Mike Crampton's stockbroker has informed him that he has suffered substantial investment losses. When Mike tells his wife, she angrily responds, "I could have told you that your investment plan would fail!" Her comment best illustrates
debriefing.
141. A sense of humility regarding the accuracy of our intuitions is most likely to be undermined by
correlational evidence.
142. Formulating testable predictions before conducting research is most directly useful for restraining a thinking error known as
random sampling.
143. Our tendency to believe we know more than we do best illustrates
overconfidence.
144. Which of the following is most likely to inhibit critical thinking?
hindsight bias
overconfidence
discerning hidden values
creativity
145. Megan was certain that she would never live far away from her family. However, when offered a job in another state, she decided to move. Megan's experience best illustrates
146. The tendency to perceive order in random events often leads to overestimating the value of
informed consent.
147. On a series of coin tosses, Oleg has correctly predicted heads or tails seven times in a row. In this instance, we can reasonably conclude that Oleg's predictive accuracy
defies the laws of statistical probability.
illustrates hindsight bias.
is inconsistent with the placebo effect.
is a random and coincidental occurrence.
148. Six of the children in Mr. Myers' class were born on exactly the same day. This strikes him as astonishing and improbable. In this instance, he should be reminded that
random sequences of events often don't look random.
events often seem more probable in hindsight.
sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations.
correlation does not prove causation.
149. Statisticians Persi Diaconis and Frederick Mosteller commented, "But with a large enough sample, any outrageous thing is likely to happen." What were they referring to?
scientific inquiry
perceiving patterns in random events
150. A "modern culture where people's emotions and personal beliefs often override their acceptance of objective facts" is Oxford English Dictionary's definition of
false news.
post-truth.
powerful examples.
repetition.
151. Which of the following is NOT an example of shared misinformation?
Crime rates in the United States are increasing.
Unemployment increased during the Obama administration.
Inflation increased during the Reagan administration.
Immigrants in the United States are less likely than citizens to be imprisoned.
152. Misinformation that is given intentionally can be called
153. Why might so many people believe the commonly accepted idea that roaches could survive a nuclear bomb?
false news
repetition
availability of powerful examples
group identity
154. James is especially prone to ulcers and has been told by friends and parents that spicy foods can lead to or aggravate ulcers. When dining with friends at a Mexican restaurant, he opts for a light salad. When asked why he was not indulging, he replies that he cannot eat spicy foods because he is prone to ulcers. Why might James believe this myth?
155. Kayla is telling her grandmother about a concert she plans to attend. Her grandmother replies that she should not go because a mass shooting could occur. When Kayla asked why her grandmother would make such a statement, her grandmother replied that mass shootings are always in the news. This demonstrates how ________ can lead to the acceptance of misinformation.
156. Steven believes that the Earth is flat and has befriended several people on social media who also hold this view. This is an example of how ________ can feed the acceptance of misinformation.
157. The self-correcting process for asking questions and observing nature's answers is known as
a theory.
a prediction.
the scientific method.
158. Dr. Tate is an excellent professor. She is curious, humble, and skeptical. These are all characteristics of
having a scientific attitude.
using the scientific method.
forming a theory.
testing a hypothesis.
159. Testing hypotheses and refining theories in light of those tests is central to
160. A theory is an explanation using an integrated set of principles that ________ observations and ________ behaviors or events.
questions; surveys
replicates; controls
organizes; predicts
randomly samples; randomly assigns
161. Professor Shalet contends that parents and their children have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n)
theory.
operational definition.
162. The explanatory power of a scientific theory is most closely linked to its capacity to generate testable
assumptions.
correlations.
predictions.
variables.
163. A hypothesis is a(n)
observable relationship between specific independent and dependent variables.
testable prediction that gives direction to research.
set of principles that organizes observations and explains newly discovered facts.
unprovable assumption about the unobservable processes that underlie psychological functioning.
164. Dr. Velazquez is studying the relationship between media exposure to sexual content and sexual behavior. Dr. Velazquez predicts that those who view more sexual content are more likely to practice risky sexual behaviors. This idea is a(n)
hypothesis.
hunch.
165. Professor Delano suggests that because people are especially attracted to those who are good-looking, handsome men will be more successful in getting a job. The professor's prediction regarding employment success is an example of
a hypothesis.
a confounding variable.
166. A statement describing the exact procedures for measuring an anticipated experimental outcome is known as a(n)
control condition.
167. In a published report of a research study on social anxiety, psychologists included a 30-item questionnaire, which they had used to assess levels of social anxiety. The psychologists have thus provided their readers with a(n)
independent variable.
double-blind procedure.
168. Dr. Murphy is studying the relationship between alcohol intoxication and risky driving behaviors. Dr. Murphy defines alcohol intoxication as having a blood alcohol level of .08. This definition of alcohol intoxication is a(n)
169. Dr. Jones is studying the effect of room lighting on college students' test performance and has defined room lighting as either dimly lit or brightly lit. This definition is an example of a(n)
170. Replication of a research study is most likely to be facilitated by
massed practice.
171. Repeating the essence of a previous research study to verify whether its findings extend to a new group of research participants and to different circumstances is called
172. Professor Ambra was skeptical about the accuracy of recently reported research on sleep deprivation. Which process would best enable her to assess the reliability of the findings?
naturalistic observation
replication
random sampling
the case study
173. Dr. Smith just reviewed an article that found a relationship between playing violent video games and childhood aggression. Dr. Smith would like to conduct a similar study to see if he obtains the same results. Dr. Smith is planning on ________ this study.
operationalizing
replicating
copying
plagiarizing
174. When 270 psychologists attempted to replicate 100 psychological studies, they were able to successfully replicate only 36 percent of them. Which of the following is NOT a possible explanation for this?
The 270 psychologists did not accurately repeat the original studies.
Psychology is a pseudoscience.
Some research topics make replication difficult.
Using a small sample size makes replication difficult.
175. Meta-analysis is
a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.
a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study.
an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.
a statistical procedure for analyzing the results of multiple studies to reach an overall conclusion.
176. Claudia is a graduate student who is working on her dissertation. She is statistically synthesizing the findings of previous research on the effects of corporal punishment on children. What research design is she using?
meta-analysis
experiment
177. Francesca would like to know what research has found about the impact of media content on sexual behaviors. Which procedure is she likely to use?
178. Which of the following is NOT a descriptive method?
case study
survey
179. The case study is a research method in which
a single individual or group is studied in great depth.
a representative sample of people are questioned regarding their opinions or behaviors.
organisms are carefully observed in a laboratory environment.
an investigator manipulates one or more variables that might affect behavior.
180. To understand the unusual behavior of an adult client, a clinical psychologist carefully investigates the client's current life situation and his physical, social-cultural, and educational history. Which research method has the psychologist used?
the survey
experimentation
181. Little Hans' extreme fear of horses was observed as part of a(n)
experiment.
survey.
case study.
182. The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it
is based on naturalistic observation.
may be unrepresentative of what is generally true.
overestimates the importance of operational definitions.
leads us to underestimate the causal relationships between events.
183. By revealing what can happen through an in-depth examination of an atypical individual, ________ often suggests directions for future research.
the double-blind procedure
random assignment
a case study
a survey
184. A descriptive technique of monitoring and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to change or control the situation is called
185. Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle are using a research method known as
the survey.
the case study.
186. Professor Ober carefully observes and records the behaviors of children in their classrooms in order to track the development of their social and intellectual skills. Professor Ober is most clearly engaged in
survey research.
187. New technologies such as smart-phone apps and body-worn sensors have enabled the collection of "big data" by means of
case studies.
188. One research team studied the ups and downs of human moods by counting positive and negative words in 504 million Twitter messages from 84 countries. The researchers' method best illustrates the use of
a survey.
189. Which of the following facilitates more exact descriptions of ongoing behaviors without explaining them?
informed consent
190. To compare the pace of life in different countries, investigators measured the speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request. Which research method did this illustrate?
191. A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a representative sample of a population is known as
a case study.
192. Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion?
193. The finding that twice as many millennials report having no sexual partners since the age of 18, compared with those born in the 1960s and 1970s, was derived from the use of which research method?
194. Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "welfare" than "aid to the needy." These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of
195. In their research on people's perception of the relationship between gun violence and gun control in the United States, Dr. Margo and Dr. Dillman have found that people are more approving of "commonsense gun legislation" than "banning weapons." This finding demonstrates which of the following?
wording effects
196. People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by ________ cases.
randomly selected
vivid
representative
operationally defined
197. After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American, Ervin concluded that African-Americans are better athletes than members of other racial groups. Ervin's conclusion best illustrates the danger of
generalizing from vivid cases.
198. A representative sample is one that accurately reflects a larger
control group.
correlation coefficient.
dependent variable.
population.
199. All those in a group being studied make up the
sample.
200. To learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge School, Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's students. In this instance, all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n)
representative sample.
201. When every individual in a large population has a small but equal chance of being included in a survey, researchers are using a procedure known as
202. Which of the following is most useful for helping survey researchers avoid false generalizations?
operational definitions
203. Governor Donovan was greeted by large, enthusiastic crowds at all of his political rallies. As a result, he became overconfident about his chances of reelection. In this instance, the governor needs to be alerted to the value of
experimental control.
204. To assess reactions to a proposed tuition hike at her school, Ariana sent a questionnaire to every fifteenth person in the registrar's alphabetical listing of all currently enrolled students. Ariana is ensuring that her survey results are accurate by using
205. Suppose you want to find out which candidate college students will vote for in an upcoming national election. To be sure the sample of college students you survey is representative of the college student population, you should
survey only a small sample of college students.
survey only politically informed college students.
survey every college student on your own campus.
survey a large representative sample of the college student population.
206. In a survey, psychologists select a random sample of research participants in order to ensure that
the participants are representative of the population they are interested in studying.
there will be a large number of participants in the research study.
the study will not be influenced by the researcher's personal values.
the same number of participants will be assigned to each of the experimental conditions.
207. To accurately generalize study results, researchers need
a good population base.
a highly reliable survey.
a representative sample.
208. Dr. Renk would like to study the "hook up" culture among college students. To be able to generalize her findings to all college students, she needs a representative sample. To obtain such a sample, Dr. Renk should
offer extra credit to students who complete her questionnaire.
use naturalistic observation in her study.
seek a random sample of participants.
exhibit sampling bias when selecting participants.
209. Which two research designs often show that one trait or behavior tends to correlate with another?
case study and experiment
survey and correlation
naturalistic observation and survey
experiment and correlation
210. Correlation is a measure of the extent to which two factors
vary together.
are random samples.
influence each other.
are dependent variables.
211. Correlational research is most useful for purposes of
explanation.
prediction.
control.
212. To discover the extent to which economic status can be used to predict political preferences, researchers are most likely to use
the case study approach.
correlational measures.
experimental research.
213. Which of the following is a statistical measure of both the direction and the strength of a relationship between two variables?
a correlation coefficient
a random sample
a double-blind procedure
an independent variable
214. A direct relationship in which two factors increase together or decrease together represents
a dependent variable.
a positive correlation.
215. An inverse relationship in which one factor increases as another factor decreases represents
a negative correlation.
216. A negative correlation between degree of wealth and likelihood of suffering from a psychological disorder would indicate that
poverty makes people vulnerable to psychological disorders.
poor people are more likely to have a psychological disorder than are wealthy people.
psychological disorders usually prevent people from accumulating wealth.
all of these statements are correct.
217. If the correlation between children's intelligence and their creativity is +1.00, this would indicate that
there is very little statistical relationship between the two variables.
lower intelligence has a negative effect on creativity level.
among children, increased creativity is associated with higher intelligence.
level of intelligence has no causal influence on the creativity of children.
218. Which of the following correlation coefficients expresses the weakest degree of relationship between two variables?
–0.12
–0.99
+0.25
–0.50
219. To determine whether the strength of people's self-esteem is related to their income level, researchers would most likely make use of
correlational research.
220. A researcher would be most likely to discover a positive correlation between
intelligence and academic success.
poverty and physical health.
self-esteem and depression.
school grades and school absences.
221. If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are
causally related.
negatively correlated.
independent variables.
positively correlated.
222. If the correlation between children's body weight and their reading ability is –1.00, this would indicate that
there is very little statistical relationship between children's body weight and reading ability.
low body weight has a negative effect on children's reading ability.
among children, better reading ability is associated with lower body weight.
body weight has no causal influence on the reading ability of children.
223. Which research method assesses how well one variable predicts another without demonstrating a cause-effect relationship between the variables?
correlational research
the experimental method
224. Suppose that people who watch a lot of violence on TV are also particularly likely to behave aggressively. This relationship would NOT necessarily indicate that watching violence influences aggressive behavior because
we most readily notice associations that confirm our beliefs.
association does not prove causation.
the sample may have been randomly selected.
225. An extensive survey revealed that children with relatively high self-esteem tend to picture God as kind and loving, whereas those with lower self-esteem tend to perceive God as angry. The researchers concluded that the children's self-esteem had apparently influenced their views of God. This conclusion best illustrates the danger of
failing to use operational definitions.
generalizing from extreme examples.
being influenced by a confounding variable.
assuming that association proves causation.
226. If psychologists discovered that more intelligent parents have smarter children than less intelligent parents, this would demonstrate that
intelligence is inherited.
more intelligent parents provide their children with greater educational opportunities than do less intelligent parents.
the intelligence of parents and children is positively correlated.
227. Dr. Cast has found that children who watch more television are more likely to be overweight. Which conclusion can he reach?
Watching television causes obesity.
Children who are obese like to watch television.
Watching increased amounts of television is correlated with obesity.
Normal-weight children do not watch television.
228. Dr. Aubrey has researched media effects for the past three years and has repeatedly found that college students who report exposure to increased sexual content in the media are also more likely to report engaging in unprotected sex, having intercourse with multiple partners, and consuming alcohol or drugs prior to intercourse. What does this mean?
Exposure to sexual content in the media causes risky sexual behaviors.
College students who engage in risky sexual behaviors are drawn to sexually explicit media.
Exposure to sexual content in the media is correlated with risky sexual behaviors.
Exposure to sexual content in the media is correlated with higher rates of pregnancy.
229. The conclusion that "playing violent video games leads to violent crime" has been refuted by the American Psychological Association (APA). Why did the APA refute the statement?
It was derived from a survey study.
Correlation does not prove causation.
The experiment that reached this conclusion cannot be replicated.
This finding is not problematic.
230. Citing a recent report stating that "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" to support the idea that corporal punishment during childhood leads to criminal behavior in adulthood is problematic because
it was derived from a survey study.
the experiment that reached this conclusion cannot be replicated.
231. What do the parallel research findings of "Eighty percent of prisoners in the United States were spanked as children" and "Seventy-five percent of college students in the United States were spanked as children" demonstrate?
The survey method leads to causal results.
Experimental designs cannot be replicated.
These statements do not demonstrate any problem.
232. Which of the following methods is most helpful for clarifying cause-effect relationships?
the experiment
233. Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to isolate
facts from theories.
causes from effects.
case studies from surveys.
random samples from representative samples.
234. An experiment enables researchers to isolate the effects of one or more factors by manipulating the factors of interest and also by
obtaining participants' informed consent prior to beginning the experiment.
summarizing participants' responses with a correlation coefficient.
holding other factors constant across experimental and control groups.
fully debriefing participants after completing the experiment.
235. Which research method provides the best way of assessing whether cigarette smoking boosts mental alertness?
236. The most reliable way of testing whether a newly introduced method of psychological therapy is truly effective is to use
237. In which type of research would an investigator manipulate at least one factor and observe its effect on some behavior or mental process?
238. In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills, research participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights. This research is an example of
an experiment.
239. Participants who are exposed to the treatment being tested in an experiment are said to be assigned to the
random sample.
experimental group.
standardized treatment.
240. The group exposed to a newly created drug that is being tested in an experiment is called the ________ group.
control
standardized
baseline
experimental
241. Dr. Branch would like to study the relationship between room lighting and college students' test performance. He randomly assigns students to one of two groups. The first group takes an exam in a dimly lit room; the second group takes the same exam in a regularly lit room. Which is the experimental group?
the group of students who were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions
the group of students who took the exam in the dimly lit room
the group of students who took the exam in the regularly lit room
There is no experimental group because this is a naturalistic observation research design.
242. Professor X is studying the effect of exposure to sexual content on sexual thoughts. She assigns students to one of two conditions. In the first condition, participants are exposed to explicit sexual content and then given a word-completion task, which involves filling in the letter missing from each word. Based on the letter added, the word could be of a sexual nature or not. For instance, b_d could be completed as "bed," indicating sexual thought, or as "bad," which has no sexual connotation. In the second condition, participants are not exposed to explicit sexual content but are assigned the same word-completion task. The experimental group consisted of the students who
were not exposed to explicit sexual content.
were exposed to explicit sexual content.
completed the word as "bad".
completed the word as "bed".
243. Which of the following is true for those assigned to a control group?
The experimenter exerts the greatest influence on participants' behavior.
The research participants are exposed to all the different experimental treatments.
The research participants are exposed to the most favorable levels of experimental treatment.
The experimental treatment is absent.
244. To study the potential effects of social interaction on problem solving, some research participants were instructed to solve problems by working together; other participants were told to solve problems by working alone. Those who worked alone were assigned to the ________ group.
correlational
245. Research participants drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages in a study of the effects of caffeine on anxiety levels. Those who received the caffeinated drinks were assigned to the ________ group.
246. To assess the effectiveness of the flu vaccine for county residents, Mr. McCallum wants to administer vaccine injections to all county residents rather than give half of them a placebo injection. Mr. McCallum is most clearly underestimating the importance of
testing a large sample.
operationally defining his procedures.
replicating observations of other researchers.
creating a control group.
247. Being randomly assigned to the experimental group in a research project involves being assigned
to that group by chance.
to the group in which participants are representative of people in general.
in a way that ensures that the independent variable will affect the dependent variable.
to the group in which participants all have similar personalities.
248. To accurately isolate cause and effect, experimenters should use
correlation coefficients.
249. To assess the impact of test difficulty on persistence of effort, researchers plan to give one group of children relatively easy tests and another group more difficult tests. To reduce the chance that the children in one group are more intelligent than those in the other group, the researchers should make use of
250. Research participants are randomly assigned to different groups in an experiment in order to
minimize chances that participants in any group know each other.
increase chances that participants are representative of people in general.
minimize any differences between groups of participants.
increase chances that the different groups have the same number of participants.
251. Random assignment minimizes ________ between experimental and control groups. Random sampling minimizes ________ between a sample and a population.
similarities; differences
differences; similarities
similarities; similarities
differences; differences
252. One research team randomly assigned hospitalized premature infants either to formula feedings or to breast-milk feedings. Which research method did they use?
253. Participants in an experiment are said to be blind if they are uninformed about
what experimental hypothesis is being tested.
whether the experimental findings will be meaningful.
how the dependent variable is measured.
which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving.
254. Both the researchers and the participants in a memory study are ignorant about which participants have actually received a potentially memory-enhancing drug and which have received a placebo. This investigation involves the use of
255. To minimize the extent to which outcome differences between experimental and control groups can be attributed to placebo effects, researchers make use of
256. An inert substance that may be administered instead of a drug to see if it produces any of the same effects as the drug is called a
placebo.
coefficient.
257. In a study of the effects of drinking alcohol, some participants drank a nonalcoholic beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol. This nonalcoholic drink was a
double blind.
258. The relief of pain following the taking of an inactive substance that is perceived to have medicinal benefits illustrates
259. The placebo effect best illustrates the impact of ________ on feelings and behaviors.
positive expectations
260. In an experimental study, men with erectile disorder received either Viagra or a placebo. In this study, the drug dose (none versus peak dose) was the
confounding variable.
261. In a psychological experiment, the experimental factor that is manipulated by the investigator is called the ________ variable.
dependent
independent
262. In an experimental study of the impact of exposure to criticism on self-esteem, exposure to criticism would be the ________ variable.
replicated
confounding
263. Factors other than those of interest that can potentially influence the results of a study are called
dependent variables.
randomly assigned variables.
264. If participants in the experimental group of a drug treatment study are much younger than participants in the control group, the age of the research participants is a
265. To help control for possible confounding variables, researchers use
experimental designs.
participation effects.
266. In a psychological experiment, the factor that may be influenced by the manipulated experimental treatment is called the ________ variable.
267. Professor X is studying the effect of exposure to sexual content on sexual thoughts. She assigns students to one of two conditions. In the first condition, participants are exposed to explicit sexual content and then given a word-completion task, which involves filling in the letter missing from each word. Based on the letter added, the word could be of a sexual nature or not. For instance, b_d could be completed as "bed," indicating sexual thought, or as "bad," which has no sexual connotation. In the second condition, participants are not exposed to explicit sexual content but are assigned the same word-completion task. The dependent variable is
sexual thought.
the word-completion task.
exposure to explicit sexual content.
268. To assess the influence of self-esteem on interpersonal attraction, researchers either insulted or complimented students about their physical appearance just before they went on a blind date. In this research, the dependent variable was
insults or compliments.
physical appearance.
interpersonal attraction.
feelings of self-esteem.
269. An experiment was designed to study the potential impact of alcohol consumption on emotional stability. A specification of the procedures used to measure emotional stability illustrates
the independent variable.
270. Assessing how well one variable predicts another variable is to ________ as detecting cause-effect relationships between different variables is to _________.
naturalistic observation; case studies
descriptive methods; correlational methods
a control group; an experimental group
correlational research; experimental research
271. Which of the following is NOT a weakness of the experimental method?
lack of feasibility
lack of control of variables
reduced generalizability
ethical limitations on manipulation of variables
272. Observing and recording behavior is the main purpose behind ________ research.
descriptive
longitudinal
273. Examining naturally occurring relationships is the basic purpose of conducting ________ research.
274. Determining a cause-effect relationship is the main purpose of conducting
descriptive research.
longitudinal research.
275. The simplified reality of laboratory experiments is most helpful in enabling psychologists to
predict human behavior in almost all situations.
perceive order in completely random events.
develop general principles that help explain behavior.
observe random samples of human conduct.
276. Professor Jamison is studying the impact of alcohol consumption on driving impairment. She divides participants into two groups. One group gets the treatment, in this case alcohol, and the other group does not. Participants then complete a task to measure their reaction time. Professor Jamison finds that those who had consumed alcohol had a slower reaction time than those who did not consume alcohol. She then concludes that alcohol consumption would impair driving ability. Why is she able to reach this conclusion?
She can make this conclusion because she adhered to all research ethics.
She did not use deception in her study, making her results more accurate.
Her experiment tested theoretical principles that can help explain everyday behaviors.
She cannot make this conclusion because participants did not drive in the study.
277. Psychologists study animals because
animal behavior is just as complex as human behavior.
experiments on people are generally considered to be unethical.
the ethical treatment of animals is not mandated by professional guidelines.
similar processes often underlie animal and human behavior.
278. The first major issue that emerges in debates over experimenting on animals centers on the
usefulness of studying biological processes in animals.
ethics of placing the well-being of humans above that of animals.
obligation to treat information about individual animals with confidentiality.
need to obtain the informed consent of animals used in research.
279. A major issue that has emerged from debates over the use of animals in psychological research centers on
whether operational definitions help to distinguish between animal and human functioning.
when use of the double-blind procedure is most appropriate in animal studies.
whether experimental methods can reduce the need for descriptive methods in research involving animals.
what safeguards should protect the well-being of animals used in research.
280. In an effort to prevent participants in an experiment from trying to confirm the researchers' predictions, psychologists sometimes
obtain written promises from participants to respond honestly.
treat information about individual participants confidentially.
deceive participants about the true purpose of an experiment.
allow people to decide for themselves whether they want to participate in an experiment.
281. Professor X is studying the effect of exposure to sexual content on sexual thoughts. She assigns students to one of two conditions. In the first condition, participants are exposed to explicit sexual content and then given a word-completion task, which involves filling in the letter missing from each word. Based on the letter added, the word could be of a sexual nature or not. For instance, b_d could be completed as "bed," indicating sexual thought, or as "bad," which has no sexual connotation. In the second condition, participants are not exposed to explicit sexual content but are assigned the same word-completion task. To ensure ethical treatment of participants, Professor X will NOT need to
obtain participants' informed consent prior to participation.
keep personal information about participants confidential.
protect his participants from harm and discomfort.
report individual participant results.
282. Which of the following is NOT included in the ethics code of the APA for using human participants in research?
Researchers must obtain potential participants' informed consent to participate.
Researchers must keep personal information of participants confidential.
Researchers must fully debrief participants following participation in a research study.
Researchers must report the results of individual participants.
283. Potential research participants are told enough about an upcoming study to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate. This illustrates the practice of seeking
a placebo effect.
284. The ethics codes of the American Psychological Association and the British Psychological Society urge researchers to
avoid the use of monetary incentives in recruiting people to participate in research.
forewarn potential research participants of the exact hypotheses that the research will test.
avoid the manipulation of independent variables in research involving human participants.
explain the research to the participants after the study has been completed.
285. After an experiment, research participants are told its purpose and about any deception they may have experienced. This is called
286. Once Professor Caste completes running data collection for her research study, she will explain to the participants the true purpose of the study and any deceptions that were used. Her explanations are referred to as
287. Psychologists' personal values and goals
are carefully tested by means of observation and experimentation.
lead them to avoid experiments involving human participants.
can bias their observations and interpretations.
have very little influence on the process of scientific observation.
288. The study of psychology is potentially dangerous because
psychological knowledge can be used for destructive purposes.
psychologists generally believe that people are not personally responsible for their actions.
psychological research usually necessitates performing stressful experiments on people.
psychological research typically violates personal privacy rights.
289. Researchers have demonstrated that the way a question is phrased can affect how people respond. This reveals that
we tend to generalize from samples that we observe.
the words used can reflect values.
an experiment manipulates a factor to determine its effect.
290. Psychological research indicates that people who are both happier and healthier than average tend to be those who
perceive their intellectual abilities as fixed by their heredity.
live spontaneously without focusing on long-term goals.
give priority to relationships with supportive friends.
are more physically attractive than average.
291. Psychological research indicates that regular aerobic exercise is an effective way to minimize
mild depression.
diabetes.
292. Which of the following is NOT a suggestion provided in the text for how to be a stronger person and a better student?
Get a full night's sleep.
Set short-term goals.
Exercise.
Prioritize relationships
293. The testing effect refers to the ________ that accompanies repeated retrieval of learned information.
enhanced memory
increasing boredom
294. The testing effect is sometimes called
the retrieval practice effect.
test-enhanced learning.
both the retrieval practice effect and test-enhanced learning.
neither the retrieval practice effect nor test-enhanced learning.
295. Students learn and remember course materials best when they
give informed consent.
engage in massed practice.
process information actively.
avoid operational definitions.
296. Bria, who is taking her first psychology class, earned a C on her first exam. While C is a passing grade, Bria would like to earn an A in this class. What can she do to help improve not only her grade but also her retention of the material?
Set long-term goals.
Break up with her boyfriend.
Cram for the test the night before the exam.
Use the SQ3R method when studying.
297. SQ3R is a study method incorporating five steps: survey, question, read, ________, and review.
revise
reason
retrieve
research
298. The SQ3R study method emphasizes the importance of
retrieving information.
299. Discerning the unstated assumptions and values that underlie conclusions best illustrates ________, which is an important learning tool.
the testing effect
spaced practice
SQ3R
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