13. In an experiment, it is best to divide participants into the control or experimental group by ______.
a. studying each participant’s personality.
b. using random assignment.
c. surveying the participants first.
d. determining the participants’ familiarity with the study.
Answer: b
Difficulty: Moderate
Topic: Scientific Research
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective (LO): 1.8 Identify the steps involved in designing an experiment.
Bloom’s taxonomy: Comprehension
14. If a researcher is observing a third grade classroom in full view of the students and finds that all the students are extremely quiet, polite, and attentive, what would the researcher most likely conclude?
a. The students’ behavior is due to the observer effect.
b. A survey would be a better approach.
c. The teacher is very strict.
d. The students are gifted.
Answer: a
Difficulty: Moderate
Topic: Scientific Research
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective (LO): 1.6 Compare and contrast some of the methods used to describe behavior.
Bloom’s taxonomy: Comprehension
15. If a researcher finds that people’s shoe sizes increase as their height increases, then shoe size and height have a(n) ______.
a. negative correlation. c. inverse relationship.
b. positive correlation. d. modest correlation.
Answer: b
Difficulty: Moderate
Topic: Scientific Research
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective (LO): 1.7 Explain how researchers use the correlational technique to study relationships between two or more variables.
Bloom’s taxonomy: Comprehension
16. If deception is necessary, participants must then be ________ after the study.
a. apologized to c. escorted from the facility
b. paid off d. debriefed
Answer: d
Difficulty: Moderate
Topic: Ethics of Psychological Research
Skill: Remember the Facts
Objective (LO): 1.10 Identify some of the common ethical guidelines for doing research with people.
Bloom’s taxonomy: Knowledge
17. Which of the following is a reason researchers prefer to use animals in experiments instead of humans?
a. Animals handle pain and suffering much easier than humans.
b. There are no limits to what researchers can do with animals.
c. Studying long-term effects is much easier.
d. Researchers need not use anesthesia for surgery.
Answer: c
Difficulty: Moderate
Topic: Ethics of Psychological Research
Skill: Understand the Concepts
Objective (LO): 1.11 Explain why psychologists sometimes use animals in their research.
Bloom’s taxonomy: Comprehension
18. ________ is the rule of thumb stating that if there are two explanations for a phenomenon, the simplest explanation is more often the best one.
a. The law of parsimony c. Cognitive perspective-taking
b. Positive correlation d. Counter conditioning