76 c cHAPTER 2: Methods in Psychology

Chapter Review
Key Concept Quiz
1. The belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through 9. When two variables are correlated, what keeps us from concluding
observation is that one is the cause and the other is the effect?
a. parsimony. a. the possibility of third-variable correlation
b. dogmatism. b. random assignment of control groups
c. empiricism. c. the existence of false-positive correlation
d. scientific research. d. correlation strength is impossible to measure accurately
2. Which of the following is the best definition of a hypothesis? 10. A researcher administers a questionnaire concerning attitudes toward
a. empirical evidence global warming to people of both genders and of all ages who live all
b. a scientific investigation across the country. The dependent variable in the study is the _________
c. a falsifiable prediction of the participants.
d. a theoretical idea a. age
3. The methods of psychological investigation take _________ into account b. gender
because when people know they are being studied, they don’t always c. attitudes toward global warming
behave as they otherwise would. d. geographic location
a. reactivity 11. The characteristic of an experiment that allows conclusions about
b. complexity causal relationships to be drawn is called
c. variability a. external validity.
d. sophistication b. internal validity.
4. When a measure produces the same measurement whenever it is c. random assignment.
used to measure the same thing, it is said to have d. self-selection.
a. validity. 12. An experiment that operationally defines variables in a realistic way is
b. reliability. said to be
c. power. a. externally valid.
d. concreteness. b. controlled.
5. Aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as c. operationally defined.
they think they should are called d. statistically significant.
a. observer biases. 13. Research suggests that people are usually
b. reactive conditions. a. open to seeing both sides of an issue.
c. natural habitats. b. able to reason without emotion.
d. demand characteristics. c. able to arrive at conclusions based solely on facts.
6. In a double-blind observation d. none of the above.
a. the participants know what is being measured. 14. When people find evidence that confirms their beliefs, they often
b. people are observed in their natural environments. a. tend to stop looking.
c. the purpose is hidden from both the observer and the person being b. seek evidence that disconfirms their conclusions.
observed. c. seek evidence that presents both sides.
d. only objective, statistical measures are recorded. d. talk to their colleagues.
7. Which of the following describes the average value of all the measure- 15. What are psychologists ethically required to do when reporting re-
ments in a particular distribution? search results?
a. mean a. to report findings truthfully
b. median b. to share credit for research
c. mode c. to make data available for further research
d. range d. All of the above.
8. What does a correlation coefficient show?
a. the value of one specific variable
b. the direction and strength of a correlation
c. the efficiency of the relevant research method
d. the degree of natural correlation
 Chapter Review b 77

Key Terms
empiricism (p. 40) naturalistic observation (p. 45) correlation coefficient (p. 53) dependent variable (p. 58)
scientific method (p. 40) double-blind (p. 47) natural correlation (p. 54) self-selection (p. 59)
theory (p. 40) frequency distribution (p. 48) third-variable correlation (p. 55) random assignment (p. 60)
hypothesis (p. 41) normal distribution (p. 48) matched samples technique (p. 55) internal validity (p. 62)
empirical method (p. 42) mode (p. 49) matched pairs technique (p. 56) external validity (p. 62)
operational definition (p. 43) mean (p. 49) third-variable problem (p. 57) population (p. 63)
instrument (p. 44) median (p. 49) experiment (p. 57) sample (p. 64)
validity (p. 44) range (p. 50) manipulation (p. 57) case method (p. 64)
reliability (p. 44) standard deviation (p. 50) independent variable (p. 58) random sampling (p. 64)
power (p. 44) variable (p. 52) experimental group (p. 58) informed consent (p. 71)
demand characteristics (p. 45) correlation (p. 52) control group (p. 58) debriefing (p. 72)

CHanging Minds
1. Back in Psychology: Evolution of a Science, you read about B. F. S­ kinner, 3. After the first exam, your professor says she’s noticed a strong posi-
who studied the principle of reinforcement, which states that the tive correlation between the location of students’ seats and their exam
consequences of a behavior determine whether it will be more or scores: “The closer students sit to the front of the room, the higher their
less likely to occur in the future. So, for example, a rat’s rate of lever scores on the exam,” she says. After class, your friend suggests that
pressing will increase if it receives food reinforcement after each lever the two of you should sit up front for the rest of the semester to im-
press. When you tell a classmate about this principle, she only shrugs. prove your grades. Having read about correlation and causation, should
“That’s obvious. Anyone who’s ever owned a dog knows how to train you be skeptical? What are some possible reasons for the correlation
animals. If you ask me, psychology is just common sense. You don’t between seating position and good grades? Could you design an ex-
have to conduct scientific experiments to test things that everyone periment to test whether sitting up front actually causes good grades?
already knows are true.” How would you explain the value of studying 4. A classmate in your criminal justice class suggests that mental illness
something that seems like “common sense”? is a major cause of violent crimes in the United States. As evidence,
2. You’re watching TV with a friend when a news program reports that he mentions a highly publicized murder trial in which the convicted
a research study has found that people in Europe who work longer suspect was diagnosed with schizophrenia. What scientific evidence
hours are less happy than those who work shorter hours, but in the would he need to support this claim?
United States it’s the other way around: Americans who work long 5. You ask your friend if he wants to go to the gym with you. “No,” he
hours are happier (Okulicz-Kozaryn, 2011). “That’s an interesting says, “I never exercise.” You tell him that regular exercise has all kinds
experiment,” he says. You point out that the news only said it was a of health benefits, including greatly reducing the risk of heart disease.
research study, not an experiment. What would have to be true for it “I don’t believe that,” he replies, “I had an uncle who got up at 6 a.m.
to be an experiment? Why aren’t all research studies experiments? every day of his life to go jogging, and he still died of a heart attack at
What can’t you learn from this study that you could learn from an age 53.” What would you tell your friend? Does his uncle’s case prove
experiment? that exercise really doesn’t protect against heart disease after all?

Answers to key concept Quiz

1. c; 2. c; 3. a; 4. b; 5. d; 6. c; 7. a; 8. b; 9. a; 10. c; 11. b; 12. a; 13. d;
14. a; 15. d.

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