Measuring Variables
True/False: Observer bias can occur when a researcher's expectations influence how they record or interpret behaviors.
True
Blind observer: when the observer in a study doesn't know what the hypothesis is
Snowball sampling is most useful when:
A) The population is hard to access or identify.
B) You want to ensure every individual has an equal chance of being selected.
C) You are studying a large, geographically dispersed population.
D) You need to compare subgroups within the population.
A) The population is hard to access or identify.
True/False: A correlational design can establish causality between the predictor and outcome variables.
False
True/False: Attrition is a threat to internal validity because participants may drop out in a way that affects group comparability.
True
A researcher wants to understand people's attitudes about a new social media app that just launched. She goes around to local high schools in order to ask student’s thoughts.
Identify the research method.
Describe one issue that comes with this method.
Self Report
Social desirability bias: when participants provide responses that they believe are more socially acceptable rather than their true thoughts or behaviors
Which of the following is an example of a discrete measure?
A) The time it takes a participant to run a mile
B) The weight of a participant in kilograms
C) The height of a participant in centimeters
D) The number of students in a classroom
D) The number of students in a classroom
True/False: Nonresponse bias occurs when participants who choose not to respond differ systematically from those who do respond.
True
True/False: A good research article name for a correlational design would be: “Wearing bright colors will make you happier.”
False
What is the main concern when participants drop out of a longitudinal study over time?
A) Attrition
B) Internal validity
C) Fatigue
D) Maturation
A) Attrition
A researcher studies the relationship between sleep duration and GPA. Participants report their average hours of sleep and their GPA for the semester.
Identify the predictor and outcome variables.
Determine whether the study can establish causality and explain why.
Predictor variable: Sleep duration
Outcome variable: GPA
No causality: Correlational design cannot establish causation due to potential confounds and lack of manipulation.
What is the primary difference between an ordinal and interval scale?
A) Ordinal scales have equal intervals between values, while interval scales do not.
B) Ordinal scales rank order items, but the intervals between ranks are not equal.
C) Interval scales include a true zero point, while ordinal scales do not.
D) Ordinal scales measure only qualitative variables, while interval scales measure only quantitative variables.
B) Ordinal scales rank order items, but the intervals between ranks are not equal.
Which of the following is an example of random selection?
A) A researcher who wants to study gym habits only talks to people running on the treadmill.
B) A researcher puts all the names from a school district into a randomizer app that picks out a group of them to participate in their study.
C) A researcher only asks their family to be participants in their study.
D) A researcher goes to the library on a Saturday and asks all of those people to participate in their study.
B) A researcher puts all the names from a school district into a randomizer app that picks out a group of them to participate in their study.
Which of the following indicates the weakest relationship?
A) The points are closely clustered around a steep upward-sloping line.
B) The points form a moderately upward-sloping trend.
C) The points are widely scattered with no clear pattern.
D) The points form a strong downward-sloping trend.
C) The points are widely scattered with no clear pattern.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a between-subjects experiment?
A) Each participant experiences all conditions of the independent variable.
B) Participants are randomly assigned to different conditions, and each participant only experiences one condition.
C) All participants start in one condition and later switch to another condition.
D) The same participants are tested multiple times across different time points.
B) Participants are randomly assigned to different conditions, and each participant only experiences one condition.
A researcher observes how often people interact with strangers in a public park. The researcher remains hidden and does not interfere with the environment.
Identify the research method.
Discuss one potential strength and one limitation of this method.
Naturalistic observation
Strength: High ecological validity
Limitation: Lack of control over confounding variables
Match the following types of measures to their examples:
Self-report measure
Observational measure
Archival research
A) Reviewing government census data
B) Administering a survey about stress levels
C) Watching children interact on a playground
Self-report measure -> B) Administering a survey about stress levels
Observational measure -> C) Watching children interact on a playground
Archival research -> A) Reviewing government census data
A researcher wants to divide the population they are studying into subgroups and ensure representation from each subgroup. What type of sampling is represented here?
Stratified random sampling
A researcher is interested in examining the relationship between number of pets and happiness levels. They think that more pets will be associated with higher happiness levels. What kind of correlation is assumed based on their hypothesis?
Positive correlation
In a ________ experiment, participants are randomly assigned to conditions, while a ________ experiment does not use random assignment.
True Experiment; Quasi-Experiment
A researcher is conducting a study and needs more participants. They ask each of their participants to recruit 5 friends to also participate in this study
Identify their sampling method
Describe what general type of sampling this falls under.
Snowball sampling
Nonprobability sampling: a general type of sampling methods that includes convenience, quota, and snowball
A ________ interview follows a strict set of predetermined questions, while a ________ interview allows for flexibility in follow-up questions based on the participant's responses.
Structured; Semi-structured
In ________ sampling, every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected, while ________ sampling involves selecting participants based on availability.
Probability; Convenience
In a positive correlation, as the ________ variable increases, the ________ variable also increases.
Predictor; Outcome
Match the following terms to their definitions:
Double-blind experiment
Waitlist control group
Placebo
A) Participants receive a treatment after the experimental group finishes.
B) Neither participants nor researchers know who receives the treatment.
C) A treatment with no active ingredient used as a control.
Double-blind experiment B) Neither participants nor researchers know who receives the treatment.
Waitlist control group A) Participants receive a treatment after the experimental group finishes.
Placebo C) A treatment with no active ingredient used as a control.
A researcher randomly assigns participants to take either a memory-enhancing supplement or a placebo and measures their performance on a memory test.
Identify the independent variable, dependent variable, and control group.
Explain how a manipulation check could be used in this study.
Independent variable: Memory-enhancing supplement
Dependent variable: Memory test performance
Control group: Participants taking the placebo
Manipulation check: Assessing whether participants believe they received the supplement