STA630

http://groups.google.com/group/vuZs
http://www.vuzs.info/

What is the basis of the Scientific Method?

a) To test hypotheses in conditions that are condusive to its success.

b) To formulate a research problem and disprove the hypothesis.
c) To formulate a research problem, test the hypothesis in carefully controlled conditions that
challenge the hypothesis.
d) To test hypotheses and if they are disproved, they should be abandoned completely

The scientific method requires the formulation and testing of a problem in a variety of controlled
conditions. The hypothesis should be challenged in a negative sense. If the hypothesis can be
supported (proven), then it can be suggested that implementation of the scientific method improves
the predictive power of the theoretical model.
1. Mrs. Smith is writing her daily observations of a student and writes, without interpretation, that the
student is not completing the class work and is constantly speaking out of turn. Which of the following
objectives does she appear to be using?
a. prediction
b. description
c. explanation
d. exploration
2. Which of the following is a form of research typically conducted by teachers, counselors, and other
professionals to answer questions they have and to specifically help them solve local problems?
a. action research
b. basic research
c. predictive research
d. orientational research

3. How much confidence should you place in a single research study?

a. you should completely trust a single research study.
b. you should trust research findings after different researchers have found the same findings
c. neither a nor b
d. both a and b

4. The development of a solid foundation of reliable knowledge typically is built from which type of
research?
a. basic research
b. action research
c. evaluation research
d. orientational research

5. Which form of reasoning is the process of drawing a specific conclusion from a set of premises?
a. rationalism
b. deductive reasoning
c. inductive reasoning
d. probabilistic
6. The idea that when selecting between two different theories with equal explanatory value, one
should select the theory that is the most simple, concise, and succinct is known as ____________.
a. criterion of falsifiability
b. critical theory
c. guide of simplicity
d. rule of parsimony

7. Research that is done to examine the findings of someone else using the "same variables but
different people" is which of the following?
a. exploration
b. hypothesis
c. replication
d. empiricism

8. ________________ is the idea that knowledge comes from experience.

a. rationalism
b. deductive reasoning
c. logic
d. empiricism

9. According to your text, what are the five key objectives of science?
a. prediction, summary, conclusion, explanation, description
b. influence, prediction, questions, exploration, answers
c. exploration, description, explanation, prediction, influence
d. questions, answers, prediction, explanation, summary

10. A researcher designs an experiment to test how variables interact to influence how well children
learn spelling words. In this case, the main purpose of the study was:
a. Explanation
b. Description
c. Influence
d. Prediction
11. There is a set of churches in the U.S. where part of the service involves snake handling. The
researcher wants to find out why the people attending these churches do this and how they feel and
think about it. In this case, the primary purpose of the study is:
a. Exploration
b. Description
c. Influence
d. Prediction
12. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a good theory or explanation?
a. It is parsimonious
b. It is testable
c. It is general enough to apply to more than one place, situation, or person
d. All of the above are characteristics of good theories
13. Which of the following is not a basic assumption of science?
a. Science cannot provide answers to all questions
b. It is possible to distinguish between more and less plausible claims
c. Researchers should follow certain agreed upon norms and practices
d. Science is best at solving value conflicts, such as whether abortion is immoral
14. What general type of research is focused on collecting information to help a researcher advance
an ideological or political position?
a. Evaluation research
b. Basic research
c. Action research
d. Orientational research
15. Which “scientific method” follows these steps: 1) observation/data, 2) patterns, 3) theory?
a. Inductive
b. Deductive
c. Imductive
d. Top down
16. Rene Descartes is associated with which of the following approached to knowledge generation?
a. Empiricism
b. Rationalism
c. Expert opinion
d. None of the above
17. Which scientific method is a top-down or confirmatory approach?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
18. Which scientific method is a bottom-up or generative approach to research?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
19. Which scientific method focuses on testing hypotheses developed from theories?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
20. Which scientific method often focuses on generating new hypotheses and theories?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
21. Which of the following statements is true of a theory?
a. it most simply means “explanation”
b. it answers the “how” and “why” questions
c. it can be a well developed explanatory system
d. all of the above are correct

Physycalogy

1. A psychologist using the method of naturalistic observation would

a.carefully design controlled situations in which to observe behavior.
b.rely on observations of subjects' responses to questionnaires.
c.observe behavior as it happens outside the laboratory or clinic.
d.make records of the behavior of clients treated in therapy.

2.In a study of effects of alcohol on driving ability, the control group should be
given
a.a high dosage of alcohol.
b.one-half the dosage given the experimental group.
c.a driving test before and after drinking alcohol.
d.no alcohol at all.

3. A scientific explanation that remains tentative until it has been adequately

tested is called a(n)
a.theory.
b.law.
c.hypothesis.
d.experiment.

4. A study to determine the degree of relationship between two events is called

a.naturalistic observation.
b.the correlational method.
c.a controlled experiment.
d.the survey method.

5. __________ is an ability to evaluate, compare, analyze, critique, and

synthesize information.
a.Critical thinking
b.Transductive thinking
c.Deductive thinking
d.Creative thinking
6. The phrase "a theory must also be falsifiable" means
a.researchers misrepresent their data.
b.a theory must be defined so it can be disconfirmed.
c.theories are a rich array of observations regarding behavior but with few facts to
support them.
d.nothing.

7. The products of naturalistic observation are best described in terms of

a.explanation.
b.theory.
c.prediction.
d.description.

8. A teacher believes that one group of children is very bright and that a
second is below average in ability. Actually, the groups are identical, but the
first group progresses more rapidly than the second. This demonstrates
a.the self-fulfilling prophecy.
b.the placebo effect in a natural experiment.
c.observer bias in naturalistic observation.
d.the ethical problems of field experiments.

9. A psychologist observes the confrontation between two rival neighborhood

gangs from the window of an abandoned building. This method of collecting
observations is best described as
a.experimental regression.
b.naturalistic observation.
c.controlled experimentation.
d.clinical case study.

10. In an experiment to find out if taking ginseng increases IQ scores, the IQ

scores would be
a.the independent variable.
b.a control variable.
c.an extraneous variable.
d.the dependent variable.

11. Which of the following is considered a disadvantage of naturalistic

observation?
a.It provides an overabundance of information.
b.It deals with behavior not tampered with by outside influences.
c.It limits biased observations through careful record keeping.
d.It does not identify the cause of observed behavior.

12. Subjects are said to be assigned randomly when

a.they are assigned to experimental and control groups from a sample which is
representative of the larger population.
b.they each have an equal chance of being assigned to either the experimental or
control group.
c.they are assigned to experimental and control groups so that the groups differ on
some critical variable before the experiment begins.
d.neither the experimenter nor the subject knows whether the subject is in the
experimental or control group.

13. A psychologist watches the rapid eye movements of sleeping subjects and
wakes them to find they report that they were dreaming. She concludes that
dreams are linked to rapid eye movements. This conclusion is based on
a.pure speculation.
b.direct observation.
c.deduction from direct observation.
d.prior prediction.

14. To prevent ethical abuse in psychological research, the APA has

suggested that
a.psychologists must treat all subjects with respect and concern for the
subject's dignity.
b.psychologists must avoid deception with using human subjects.
c.all data collected from a person must be made public.
d.all psychological harm to subjects must be corrected by counseling.

15. A common method for selecting representative samples is to select them

a.randomly from the larger population.
b.strictly from volunteers.
c.by threatening or coercing institutionalized populations.
d.from confidential lists of mail order firms.

16. Three major ethical concerns of psychological researchers are deception, lasting
harm to subjects, and
a.morality of the question under investigation.
b.loss of future research possibilities.
c.falsified results.
d.invasion of privacy.

17. An experimenter conducts an experiment on the effects of a drug to control

hallucinations. He declares the results to be "statistically significant," which
usually means that
a.even though appropriate statistics were used, no differences could be detected
between experimental and control groups.
b.the results have important implications for theory or practice.
c.differences between experimental and control groups of this size occur by chance
only 5 times out of 100 (or less).
d.differences between experimental and control groups were so large they could
never occur by chance alone.
18. We wish to test the hypothesis that music improves learning. We compare
test scores of students who study to music with those who study in silence.
Which of the following is an extraneous variable in this experiment?
a.the presence or absence of music
b.the students' test scores
c.the amount of time allowed for the studying
d.silence

19. The statistical technique that combines results of a large number of

studies is called
a.experimental correlation.
b.statistical linear analysist.
c.meta-analysis.
d.hypothetical analysis.

20. An experiment is performed to see if background music improves learning.

Two groups study the same material, one while listening to music and another
without music. The independent variable is
a.learning.
b.the size of the group.
c.the material studied.
d.music.

21 The chief function of the control group in an experiment is that it

a. allows mathematical relationships to be established.
b. provides a point of reference against which the behavior of the experimental group
can be compared.
c. balances the experiment to eliminate all extraneous variables.
d.is not really necessary.

22. Which of the following coefficients of correlation indicates the strongest

relationship between two sets of variables?
a.-0.98
b. 0.90
c. 0.00
d. 1.20

23. The most powerful research tool is a (an)

a.clinical study.
b.experiment.
c.survey.
d.correlational study.
ANSWER: B

24. A major disadvantage of the experimental method is that

a.private funding can never be obtained.
b.APA Ethical Review Committees often do not approve of the research techniques.
c.there is a certain amount of artificiality attached to it.
d.subjects are difficult to find for research projects.
ANSWER: C

25. A researcher determines that the crime rate in a large city fluctuates with
the phases of the moon. He concludes that the gravitational pull of the moon
influences human behavior. He has committed what error?
a.He incorrectly inferred correlation from causation.
b.He incorrectly inferred causation from correlation.
c.He failed to measure the gravitational pull to test his hypothesis.
d.He has overlooked the placebo effect.
ANSWER: B

26. Students who do better in high school tend to do better in college. This is
an example of
a.a negative correlation.
b.a zero correlation.
c.a positive correlation.
d.a perfect correlation.
ANSWER: C

27. In the traditional learning experiment, the effect of practice on performance

is investigated. Performance is the __________ variable.
a.independent
b.extraneous
c.dependent
d.control
ANSWER: C

28. Collection of observable evidence, precise definition, and replication of

results all form the basis for
a.scientific observation.
b.the scientific method.
c.defining a scientific problem.
d.hypothesis generation.
ANSWER: B

29. An advantage of the experimental method in psychology is

a.the identification of a cause- and-effect relationship.
b.similar to the correlational method in that causality is determined.
c.that the surroundings are always similar to real life experiences.
d.that it is an informal way to investigate behavior.
ANSWER: A

30.A correlation coefficient of 0 means that there is

a.a strong negative relationship between the two variables.
b.a strong positive relationship between the two variables.
c.a perfect positive relationship between the two variables.
d.no relationship between the two variables.
ANSWER: D