Social Psychology Research Methods, Exams of Advanced Education

Download Social Psychology Research Methods and more Exams Advanced Education in PDF only on Docsity!

CHAPTER 2 TESTBANK

The introduction to Chapter 2 began with descriptions of disagreements over the relation between television violence and aggressive behaviour, and of situations in which people won't intervene to stop violence. Why would authors begin Chapter 2 by describing these phenomena? A) There are competing explanations for both phenomena, and research methods can be used to establish the best explanation. B) These topics address the most difficult issues that social psychologists will ever study. C) Definitive explanations for both phenomena have been provided by social-psychological research. D) These topics are a good example of what has yet to be studied in social psychology. E) There is more literature on violence and aggression than on any other topic of interest to social psychologists. - A) There are competing explanations for both phenomena, and research methods can be used to establish the best explanation. According to the authors, why are people often wrong in asserting that social psychology only reflects common sense? A) People's inferences about psychological phenomena are rarely based in fact. B) Common sense is never correct. C) People are largely ignorant about what exactly social psychologists study. D) Most grandmothers' advice is based on common experience, not scientific evidence. E) So-called common sense findings often make more sense in retrospect than in advance. - E) So-called common sense findings often make more sense in retrospect than in advance. In which of the following disciplines are students most likely—by virtue of their experiences—to sigh, "Big deal. I could have predicted that"? A) particle physics B) organic chemistry C) marine biology

D) social psychology E) theoretical mathematics - D) social psychology In Chapter 2, the authors included a brief quiz about research findings. This quiz was designed to illustrate that A) most research findings directly contradict folk wisdom. B) so-called "obvious" research findings are not all that easy to predict in advance. C) although people are not insightful "physicists," they are insightful "social psychologists." D) social psychology is really little more than common sense. E) the wording of a quiz can easily be manipulated to trick the reader. - B) so-called "obvious" research findings are not all that easy to predict in advance. The precise specification of how variables are measured or manipulated in a social psychological experiment is called A) ethnography. B) interjudge reliability. C) random assignment. D) operational definition. E) reliability. - D) operational definition. The Kitty Genovese murder inspired research on bystander apathy. This example illustrates the usefulness of relying on ________ in formulating research hypotheses. A) casual observations of everyday life B) folk wisdom C) common sense D) social-psychological theory E) personal experience - A) casual observations of everyday life

The _______ led Bibb Latané and John Darley to systematically test the situational factors that influence people's responses to emergencies. A) Bay of Pigs fiasco B) Iran-Contra affair C) Vietnam War D) Watergate scandal E) murder of Kitty Genovese - E) murder of Kitty Genovese Which of the following is NOT an example of an operational definition? A) Defining "liking" as the number of times two people smile at each other. B) Defining "liking" as the number of times people get together in one week. C) Defining "aggression" as the number of times a child yells at a peer. D) Defining "love" as a unique and special feeling. E) Defining "aggression" as hitting another person. - D) Defining "love" as a unique and special feeling. Professionals like actors, writers, and filmmakers employ observational methods to learn about social situations. What makes their work different from the work of social psychologists? A) Social psychologists are more likely to be participant observers. B) These professionals seldom set out to answer a specific question. C) The situations or events that these professionals observe are not of interest to scientific social psychologists. D) Social psychologists tend to employ a pre-arranged set of criteria to guide their observations. E) These professionals are more interested in individual personality differences than a social psychologist would be. - D) Social psychologists tend to employ a pre-arranged set of criteria to guide their observations.

What makes the observations conducted by social scientists different from the kinds of observations that anyone might make in the course of a day? Social scientists A) will only sample people from their own culture. B) make sure to observe a random sample of people. C) observe and code behaviours according to prearranged criteria. D) always rely on technology (e.g., hidden cameras or tape recorders) to record behaviours. E) make it a point never to interact with the people they are observing. - C) observe and code behaviours according to prearranged criteria. A researcher has recorded that on the playground, boys are more likely to use physical aggression to get what they want, but girls are more likely to use verbal aggression to get what they want. This researcher most likely employed a(n) ________ research method. A) experimental B) observational C) clinical D) interview E) archival - B) observational A social psychologist employing the ________ method of research is most like a video camera. A) experimental B) co-reactive C) archival analysis D) observational E) correlational - D) observational Professor Atkins wonders whether more people attend confession during the Christmas season than at other times of the year. Three times per week during the months of February, April, September, and

December, he sits quietly at the back of a church and records how many people come in for confession. Professor Atkins is using A) the observational method. B) obtrusive observation. C) the experimental method. D) archival analysis. E) a correlational design. - A) the observational method. Professor Swenson is interested in university students' reactions to the death of a popular rock star. For two weeks, Professor Swenson spends one hour a day in a popular cafeteria, inconspicuously listening to students, joining in their conversations when the topic of the dead rock star comes up, and recording what the students have to say. Professor Swenson is conducting ________ research. A) interactive experimentation B) ethnographic C) historical D) correlational E) archival - B) ethnographic Which of the following is the best example of the observational method? A) Chris puts a glass to the wall so that he can hear his parents argue. B) Xena sends out a questionnaire to gain information on people's eating habits. C) Gary stops people on the street to ask them how they voted in the last elections. D) Twyla secretly videotapes guests at her sister's wedding. E) Elaine parks her car near a traffic light and records how many drivers run red lights. - E) Elaine parks her car near a traffic light and records how many drivers run red lights.

Out of curiosity, you wonder whether some coworkers in your office are more likely than others to use profanity. During the day, each and every time a coworker curses, you write down his or her name, and the words he or she said. Your informal research is most like the ________ research conducted by social psychologists. A) archival B) survey C) correlational D) ethnographic E) experimental - D) ethnographic What is the major difference between ethnography and other kinds of systematic observation used by social scientists? In ethnography A) scientists interact with the people they are observing. B) the people who are observed are paid for their part in the research study. C) scientists randomly assign people to conditions. D) scientists observe anything that seems surprising or interesting. E) scientists record their own behaviours, as well as the behaviours of others. - A) scientists interact with the people they are observing. Festinger, Riecken, & Schacter's (1956) study of a doomsday cult was conducted using A) archival analysis. B) quasi-experimental methods. C) systematic observation. D) ethnography. E) correlational analysis. - D) ethnography. Observational research allows a researcher to

A) describe the nature of a phenomenon. B) match participants to conditions of an experiment. C) make predictions about one variable based on knowledge of another. D) randomly assign participants to conditions of an experiment. E) make statements about causality. - A) describe the nature of a phenomenon. Which of the following is a drawback to the observational method? A) People's behaviours often change when they know they are being observed. B) The observational method requires researchers to interact with their subjects for long periods of time. C) No interesting or important questions can be answered using this method. D) The observational method is statistically unreliable. E) The observational method cannot impact a well-accepted theory. - A) People's behaviours often change when they know they are being observed. Your text describes a study in which social psychologists infiltrated a cult who believed that a spaceship would rescue them just before the world would be destroyed. These social psychologists were conducting A) correlational research. B) archival analysis. C) a field experiment. D) a survey. E) observational research. - E) observational research. The research approach that provides information on the relationship between two variables is called A) unobtrusive observation.

B) the experimental method. C) archival analysis. D) the correlational method. E) systematic observation. - D) the correlational method. Whereas observational research is designed to ________ behaviour, correlational research is designed to ________. A) systematically describe; assess relations between variables B) explain; systematically describe C) explain; assess relations between variables D) systematically describe; determine what causes behaviour E) systematically describe; explain behaviour - A) systematically describe; assess relations between variables Researchers interested in determining how people's responses to one question can predict their other responses use the A) archival method. B) correlational method. C) descriptive method. D) experimental method. E) observational method. - B) correlational method. When three observers record children's behaviour in a park, it is essential to establish A) internal validity. B) interjudge reliability. C) extrinsic reinforcement. D) demand characteristics.

E) a theory. - B) interjudge reliability. Which of the following refers to the level of agreement between two or more people who independently observe and code the same information? A) archival analysis B) external validity C) interjudge reliability D) archival validity E) coding validity - C) interjudge reliability Patricia and John have each independently recorded the number of times the words "right" and "responsibility" appeared in a social studies textbook. They compared their counts, and found that of the thousands of references to rights and responsibilities, they only disagreed by two occurrences. This example illustrates high A) external validity. B) external reliability. C) internal reliability. D) internal validity. E) interjudge reliability. - E) interjudge reliability. Why are social psychologists concerned with the issue of interjudge reliability? A) Interjudge reliability makes causal explanations possible in archival research. B) Interjudge reliability helps researchers determine relationships between variables. C) Independent agreement reduces the possibility of bias or distortion. D) Without it, there is no hope of reforming the legal system. E) Coding criteria must be objective and determined before observation begins. - C) Independent agreement reduces the possibility of bias or distortion.

In what way is archival research most like the systematic observation of ongoing behaviours? Both methods A) are controversial methods of research in social psychology. B) look for relationships between variables. C) rely on the subjective judgments of trained observers. D) make use of specific, well-defined categories for coding. E) make use of random sampling techniques. - D) make use of specific, well-defined categories for coding. _______ research involves systematic examination of the documents or records of a culture. A) Archival B) Quasi-experimental C) Cross-sectional D) Experimental E) Systematic - A) Archival A researcher is interested in how enemies are depicted in times of international conflict. He watches old films and newsreels from the Second World War in which enemy soldiers are depicted as crazed, vicious killers who enjoy torturing people. The researcher is using A) participant observation. B) the correlational method. C) archival analysis. D) an experimental method. E) a quasi-experimental method. - C) archival analysis.

Professor Yarnofsky wonders whether recent acts of airline terrorism have made the public more fearful of airline flight. He secures records of the number of times passengers have cancelled their travel plans within 3 days of flying, and compares the cancellation rates before the last hijacking to cancellation rates after the last hijacking. Professor Yarnofsky has employed a(n) ________ research method. A) correlational B) participant observation C) archival D) systematic observation E) experimental - C) archival A researcher is interested in the changing nature of sex roles in contemporary society. If she were to employ an archival analysis, what would she be most likely to do? A) Participate in the daily activities of a family in which the woman works and the man stays home. B) Observe both men and women in "non-traditional" occupations. C) Interview both male and female doctors to determine how they are treated by colleagues. D) Record how boys and girls are portrayed in children's books. E) Randomly assign people to "non-traditional" roles and record their behaviour. - D) Record how boys and girls are portrayed in children's books. According to information from the registrar's office, Lee has discovered that people who achieve higher grades in their last year of high school tend to have higher GPAs in their first year of university. Lee has used a(n) ________ research method. A) observational B) field study C) correlational D) experimental E) participant observation - C) correlational

In order to examine the prevalence of drug use in several different generations of North Americans, a researcher decides to collect the lyrics from the fifty most popular songs from each decade, from 1940 to 2000, and to code those lyrics for how often drug-related themes were present. Which of the following methods is this researcher using? A) correlational B) archival C) observational D) cross-sectional E) experimental - B) archival Professor Rothman is interested in tracking changes in racial stereotypes in Canada. If he decides to conduct an archival analysis, he should A) record how minorities are portrayed in newspaper cartoons from 1940 to 2000. B) interview multiple generations in families of different race and ethnicities. C) interview one generation of different races and ethnicities. D) record his subjective impressions of the racial stereotypes contained in newspaper humor columns from 1940 to 2000. E) ask his students to watch television every night for a week and tell him what they saw. - A) record how minorities are portrayed in newspaper cartoons from 1940 to 2000. What is one of the major advantages of archival research? This research method A) enables researchers to detect changes across time and cultures. B) takes less time than systematic observation. C) can show causal relationships. D) does not require trained observers. E) generates information that is easier to code reliably. - A) enables researchers to detect changes across time and cultures.

Lauren is interested in researching whether crime rates in Canada changed between 1970 and 1990. To do this, she is accessing public records about crimes that happened during that time. She is using a(n) __________ design. A) archival B) correlational C) experimental D) cross-sectional E) direct observation - A) archival According to research described in Chapter 2 of the text regarding body-ideals and body sizes of young women and men, A) body sizes of young men have decreased in order to match the depiction of male models in the media. B) the body sizes of young women have decreased to a dangerous point because the ideal body for women, as portrayed in the media, is very slim. C) body sizes of young women have decreased slightly over the past decade because the ideal for women, as portrayed by the media, is very slim. D) body sizes of young men have increased due to more musculature and decreased fat. E) the average woman's body is further from the cultural ideal than it was 40 years ago. - E) the average woman's body is further from the cultural ideal than it was 40 years ago. Research on the impact of media representations of male and female body ideals finds that A) the male muscular ideal shown in fitness magazines has little impact on males' assessment of their own bodies. B) exposure to media representations of the thin female body type has most impact on females who show little interest in their own body image. C) both genders can suffer emotionally or physically if they are exposed to, and accept, media body ideals. D) the only males who respond to muscular ideals in fitness magazines are those who have low self- esteem.

E) exposure to body ideals in the media has greater impact on male ratings of their own body image than on female ratings of their own body image. - C) both genders can suffer emotionally or physically if they are exposed to, and accept, media body ideals. Observational research is to describing a behaviour, as correlational research is to A) determining the causes of behaviour. B) manipulating a behaviour. C) explaining a behaviour. D) documenting relations between behaviours. E) understanding a behaviour. - D) documenting relations between behaviours. A researcher is interested in the relation between the number of a person's past sexual partners and the person's decision to have an HIV test. To determine this, the researcher should use the ________ method. A) correlational B) longitudinal C) experimental D) observational E) participant observation - A) correlational The correlational method most often makes use of ________ data. A) survey B) experimental C) archival D) ethnographic E) longitudinal - A) survey

Are people who are better educated more or less prejudiced than people who have less education? This question is best answered by A) archival analysis. B) correlational research. C) systematic observation. D) participant observation. E) structured interviews. - B) correlational research. A survey would be a good investigative tool for a social psychologist to answer which of the following questions? A) How willing are people to help someone needing medical assistance in a shopping mall? B) Do people take longer to pull out of a parking spot if they notice another car is waiting? C) Do people under increased time pressure give less generous donations? D) What is the relationship between people's assessment of the risks of West Nile virus and their behaviour in preventing it? E) How willing are people to donate money to a well-known charity for disaster relief? - D) What is the relationship between people's assessment of the risks of West Nile virus and their behaviour in preventing it? Assume that instead of conducting experiments, Latané and Darley had used a correlational method to study the relation between the number of bystanders who witness an emergency and how quickly a victim receives help. Assume that the correlational data were compatible with results from experiments: the more bystanders, the longer it took bystanders to help. What type of correlation is this? A) a nonlinear correlation B) a zero correlation C) a positive correlation D) a spurious correlation E) a negative correlation - C) a positive correlation

Before Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine to prevent polio, people noticed a correlation between outside temperature and the incidence of polio: The warmer the temperature over the course of the year, the more outbreaks of polio. This relationship is an example of a(n) ________ correlation. A) positive B) causal C) illusory D) negative E) spurious - A) positive One of the greatest advantages of surveys is that researchers A) can sample representative segments of the population of interest. B) can show causation. C) can be biased, but still collect objective information. D) need not concern themselves with interjudge reliability. E) can be confident that respondents answered honestly. - A) can sample representative segments of the population of interest. The only way to be certain that the results of a survey represent the behaviour of a particular population is to ensure that the respondents are ________ that population. A) randomly selected from B) normally distributed in C) randomly assigned to D) equally distributed in E) matched within - A) randomly selected from Professor Hui didn't bring enough course evaluation surveys to class, so he distributed the surveys he had to students at the front half of the lecture hall. By doing this, he gave up one of the biggest advantages of surveys:

A) honest reports from respondents. B) random assignment to groups. C) the ability to collect large amounts of data. D) random selection to ensure generalizability. E) questions that are easily understood by respondents. - D) random selection to ensure generalizability. Imagine that researchers have found a correlation of -.72 between the frequency of disagreements that couples have and how long they stay together. Based on this correlation, would you start arguments with your significant other in order to sustain your relationship? A) No, because although the two may be correlated, causation has not been proved. B) No, because the correlation is positive. C) Yes, because the correlation is positive. D) No, because in your group of friends, the correlation is negative. E) Yes, because the correlation is relatively strong. - A) No, because although the two may be correlated, causation has not been proved. Which of the following explanations for the failure of neighbours to come to Kitty Genovese's aid best reflects the idea of diffusion of responsibility? A) The cost of intervening was too high, so neighbours didn't help. B) There were so many witnesses that no single person felt responsible to intervene. C) The neighbours did not personally know Kitty Genovese. D) Urban dwellers are especially callous when it comes to giving aid. E) The neighbours did not interpret her cries as an emergency, so they didn't intervene. - B) There were so many witnesses that no single person felt responsible to intervene. Surveys are instruments most often used by social psychologists who conduct ________ research.

A) experimental B) correlational C) descriptive D) observational E) archival - B) correlational A correlation of ________ indicates that two variables are not correlated. A) 1. B) 0. C) -1. D) -2. E) 0.50 - B) 0. Tony has been doing research on age and aggression. He has discovered that the older a person gets, the less likely he or she is to aggress against another person. What kind of relationship best describes Tony's findings? A) positive correlation. B) curvilinear correlation. C) zero correlation. D) negative correlation. E) random correlation. - D) negative correlation. Which of the following pairs of variables are most likely to be positively correlated? A) consumption of fatty foods; risk of heart disease B) income; shoe size C) room temperature; comfort level

D) flossing; cavities E) cigarettes smoked; life expectancy - A) consumption of fatty foods; risk of heart disease Which of the following pairs of variables is most likely to be negatively correlated? A) intelligence; exam scores B) amount of practice; quality of performance C) education; income D) calories consumed; weight loss E) effort; success - D) calories consumed; weight loss A researcher conducted a study and found a high positive correlation between age and income level. In other words, this researcher found that as age ________, income level tends to ________. A) increases; decrease B) increases; stay the same C) decreases; increase D) decreases; stay the same E) increases; increase - E) increases; increase A researcher conducted a survey and found a negative correlation between education and the tendency to resort to violence during disputes. In other words, this researcher found that as education level ________, the tendency to use violence ________. A) increases; also increases B) decreases; also decreases C) increases; remains the same D) increases; decreases E) decreases; remains the same - D) increases; decreases

Which of the following correlations shows the strongest relation between two variables? A) 0. B) -0. C) -0. D) 0. E) 0.00 - C) -0. Television programs such as Survivor and Big Brother, in which television cameras record the activities of people as they interact, are most like ________ research in social psychology. A) cross-cultural B) experimental C) observational D) archival E) correlational - C) observational In many respects, the comedy show Just for Laughs Gags, is similar to observational research in social psychology. In what crucial respect is Just for Laughs Gags most different from observational research? A) The people Funt filmed did not provide informed consent. B) The kind of situations that Funt filmed are not relevant to social psychologists. C) Funt intentionally manipulated the situations. D) Funt's observations were not conducted in a controlled, scientific manner. E) Funt did not use a random sample of people who confronted strange situations. - D) Funt's observations were not conducted in a controlled, scientific manner. Which of the following is a strong advantage of surveys over other research methods? A) Surveys can determine whether variables are directly or inversely related.

B) Surveys are higher in mundane realism. C) Surveys help to establish the causal connections of phenomena evident in everyday life. D) Surveys allow researchers to determine the relationship between variables that are difficult to observe. E) Surveys are higher in external validity. - D) Surveys allow researchers to determine the relationship between variables that are difficult to observe. Social scientists who conduct survey research use a process of random selection to A) allow them to apply the results from their survey sample to the general population. B) allow them to increase the strength of the relationships found. C) allow them to increase the psychological realism of their research. D) allow them to come to causal conclusions on the basis of their survey results. E) allow them to increase the mundane realism of their research. - A) allow them to apply the results from their survey sample to the general population. Based on survey data, the Literary Digest erroneously predicted that Alf Landon would beat Franklin D. Roosevelt in the upcoming presidential election. What cardinal rule of survey methods did the Literary Digest violate? Make sure A) respondents understand the survey. B) you have sampled randomly from the population. C) respondents are given more than one response option. D) responses are made anonymously. E) the survey questions are straightforward. - B) you have sampled randomly from the population. According to the section in your text about political polling, a big drawback of administering surveys over the phone is A) Phones lines are unreliable. B) You cannot manipulate the independent variable.

C) You cannot calculate the correlation coefficient. D) The internal validity is low. E) The sample might not be representative of the whole population because some kinds of people are more likely to have access to phones than others. - E) The sample might not be representative of the whole population because some kinds of people are more likely to have access to phones than others. Which of the following questions would be least likely to yield accurate responses? A) Would you ever consider physician-assisted suicide? B) How many cars do you own? C) How many different magazines do you subscribe to? D) In your opinion, who performed better in the last election debate? E) Have you ever been the victim of a violent crime? - A) Would you ever consider physician-assisted suicide? Consider the following survey item: "If you found yourself on an airplane with engine problems, would you...?" Most social psychologists would not include such an item on their survey because most respondents would A) be offended at such a personal question. B) avoid flying in the future, instead opting for trains. C) never have experienced that situation, yielding too small a sample. D) find it difficult to imagine what they would actually do. E) not understand the question. - D) find it difficult to imagine what they would actually do. Before Jonas Salk discovered a vaccine to prevent polio, people noticed a correlation between outside temperature and the incidence of polio. Polio cases tended to occur more in the summer months than in the winter months, and the public assumed that high temperatures alone contributed to infection. As it turned out, there was a positive correlation between temperature and polio outbreaks because polio tended to be contracted in swimming pools and other places where children congregated. This illustrates which of the following? Correlations are

A) indicative of a causal relation. B) variable. C) invalid. D) no guarantee of a causal relation. E) unreliable. - D) no guarantee of a causal relation. Carlos, the president of a fraternity on campus, randomly sampled 500 students, asked them if they belonged to a fraternity or sorority, and asked them about their current GPA. He discovered that the GPAs of those people in fraternities and sororities are higher than those of people who are not involved in the Greek system. Gleefully, he presented his findings to the Dean, saying that being involved in a fraternity or sorority leads to higher grades. What rule of research methods is Carlos breaking? A) Correlation does not equal causation. B) His sample size of 500 is too small to make such a generalization. C) Correlational data do not have internal validity. D) College students are not representative of the whole sample of people in the world. E) Correlational data do not provide any practical information on a topic. - A) Correlation does not equal causation. One of the most common errors in the social sciences is A) overgeneralizing research findings. B) selecting a biased sample from the population of interest. C) confusing dependent and independent variables. D) prematurely applying research findings to practical problems. E) assuming that correlation automatically implies causation. - E) assuming that correlation automatically implies causation. Why is it unwise to conclude that if two variables are correlated, one must have caused the other? A) Rarely are only two variables correlated.

B) It is impossible to conclude that two variables are related unless one can measure them perfectly. C) Variables can never be measured with complete accuracy. D) Some unmeasured third variable might be responsible for the relationship between the two. E) Any single variable is bound to have multiple causes. - D) Some unmeasured third variable might be responsible for the relationship between the two. Rosenberg and colleagues (1992) conducted a study that found that women who relied on the diaphragm or contraceptive sponges had fewer STDs than women who used condoms. The media jumped to the conclusion that condom use contributes to STDs. Why was this media conclusion inappropriate? A) No such relation between birth control device and STDs exists for men. B) A third variable, like number of sexual partners, might explain the relationship between contraceptive use and STDs. C) The researchers did not have a large enough sample. D) The researchers did not study women who were on the pill. E) The researchers' sample was too large. - B) A third variable, like number of sexual partners, might explain the relationship between contraceptive use and STDs. Which of the following is a serious shortcoming of the correlational approach? A) There is always some third variable that accounts for the correlation. B) Causal inferences based on correlational data are risky at best. C) Surveys are often poorly designed, leading to erroneous conclusions. D) It is difficult to generalize the results. E) It is difficult for social psychologists to secure a random sample. - B) Causal inferences based on correlational data are risky at best. Chapter 2 of the text discusses Tillie the Rainmaker, a woman who believes she has the power to cause rain in drought-stricken areas. According to your text, this belief was probably caused by A) a lack of random assignment.

B) a tendency to infer causality from correlational events. C) the lack of precise operational definitions. D) a lack of random selection. E) such behaviours becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. - B) a tendency to infer causality from correlational events. Why is the experiment the method of choice for many social psychologists? Experiments A) allow cause-and-effect conclusions. B) ensure random sampling. C) are the only way to test hypotheses. D) are easy to conduct. E) are inexpensive to conduct. - A) allow cause-and-effect conclusions. A researcher concludes that frustrating people by giving them a task that is impossible to complete causes them to behave more aggressively. Only ________ warrants this type of conclusion. A) an archival analysis B) experimental research C) participant observation D) observational research E) correlational research - B) experimental research A researcher interested in testing a(n) ________ hypothesis would be most likely to conduct an experiment. A) correlational B) causal C) descriptive D) theoretical