PSYC300 Research Methods in Psychology Final Exam

Final Exam – Week 8

Question 1

Polly Petunia is Chief Horticulturalist for the Southwest region, encompassing Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. She wants to survey amateur gardeners in her region to determine what, if any, water conservation practices they employ in their home gardening. Polly sends her survey to 150 randomly selected gardeners in each state. Polly is using:

A. purposive sampling.

B. proportional stratified sampling.

C. systematic sampling.

D. stratified random sampling.

Question 2

Danny Drive wants to know the relationship between intrinsic motivation and course grade among math students. He contacts a local professor who teaches several general education math classes and asks about the possibility of gathering data in her classes. Danny is using:

A. simple random sampling.

B. cluster sampling.

C. convenience sampling.

D. systematic sampling.

Question 3

Statistical hypothesis testing involves testing the:

A. research hypothesis

B. probability level

C. significant level

D. null hypothesis

Question 4

“There will be differences in degree of mood elevation seen in depressed clients after receiving either cognitive-behavioral or psychoanalytic therapy.”

A. dependent variable.

B. independent variable.

C. confounding variable.

D. constant.

Question 5

“There will be differences in degree of mood elevation seen in depressed clients after receiving either cognitive-behavioral or psychoanalytic therapy.”

During a test of this hypothesis, it was discovered that some of the participants lived with family members and others lived alone. This variable, living situation, is a/an _____.

A. independent variable.

B. dependent variable.

C. constant.

D. confounding variable.

Question 6

Dr. Dow Jones wants to know whether a problem-based approach to teaching economics will result in higher academic performance than his traditional method. Of the six sections of Economics 101 at his university, Dr. Jones randomly assigns three sections to the traditional method and three sections to the problem-based method. At the end of the semester, all students complete the same final exam. In this design, students studying under the traditional method constitute the:

A. placebo group.

B. treatment group.

C. sample.

D. control group.

PSYC300 Research Methods in Psychology Final Exam Question 7

Dr. Dow Jones wants to know whether a problem-based approach to teaching economics will result in higher academic performance than his traditional method. Of the six sections of Economics 101 at his university, Dr. Jones randomly assigns three sections to the traditional method and three sections to the problem-based method for Unit 1 of the course. Then all sections switch instructional method for Unit 2. He plans to compare the performance of the two groups of sections on their Unit 1 and Unit 2 exams. This study employs a ______ design.

A. within subjects (repeated measures)

B. quasi-experimental

C. true experimental

D. ex post facto

Question 8

Penny Poodle wanted to know which dog obedience training program was more effective: Puppy Pride, the approach she has been using for any years, or Doggie Do-Right, a new approach. Penny convinced 50 human companions of untrained dogs to participate in her study. The dogs and their humans were randomly assigned to complete the Puppy Pride or Doggie Do-Right course. At the end of the training programs, all of the dogs were scored on their level of obedience on a standardized dog obedience checklist (scores could range from 10 to 100). In this study, ______ is the independent variable.

A. Doggie Do-Right

B. type of dog training program

C. score on the dog obedient checklist

D. obedience training versus no training

Question 9

Dr. Robbins wants to know if there are different opinions regarding the value of public school education between Native Americans who have at least one relative who attended Indian Boarding School and Native Americans who have no family experience with Indian Boarding School. Dr. Robbins contacts 35 Native American participants in each group. He wants each group to include younger as well as older adults, and a mix of male and female participants. He asks each person to complete a survey about their attitudes toward public education. In this study, _____ is the dependent variable.

A. score on the “attitude toward public schools” measure

B. experience with Indian boarding school

C. gender of participant

D. age of participant

Question 10

Mixed-methods research is characterized by the use of

A. more than one qualitative method

B. more than one quantitative method

C. quantitative, qualitative, and action research method

D. quantitative and qualitative methods

Question 11

Which of the following is the major advantage of mixed-methods research?

A. It provides unlimited opportunities to collect data

B. It requires a researcher to possess both qualitative and quantitative research skills

C. It incorporates the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative methods

D. It prevents contradictions with traditional research

Question 12

How are inferential statistics different from descriptive statistics?

A. Descriptive statistics allow one to draw inferences from the sample to a target population.

B. Descriptive statistics verify the accuracy of the inferential statistics.

C. Inferential statistics describe the results of a study.

D. Inferential statistics allow one to draw inferences from the sample to a target population.

Question 13

____ are characteristics of samples, whereas _______ are characteristics of populations.

A. Concepts; statistics

B. Parameters; statistics

C. Statistics; parameters

D. Parameters; estimations

Question 14

The mean of this set of scores 5, 3, 7, 3, 6, 2, 5, 3 is ________.

A. 3

B. 4

C. 4.25

D. 4.5

Question 15

The median of this set of scores 5, 3, 7, 3, 6, 2, 5, 3 is _________.

A. 2

B. 3

C. 4

D. 4.5

Question 16

The mode of this set of scores 5, 3, 7, 3, 6, 2, 5, 3 is _________.

A. 3

B. 4

C. 4.22

D. 4.5

Question 17

The z-score, or standard score, allows the research to determine:

A. how far a target individual’s score is from the group mean.

B. what percentage of individuals in the sample scored above the target individual.

C. the mean for the population based on the mean for the sample.

D. what percentage of individuals in the sample scored below the target individual.

Question 18

The percentile rank allows the researcher to determine:

A. how far a target individual’s score is from the group mean.

B. what percentage of individuals in the sample scored above the target individual.

C. the mean for the population based on the mean for the sample.

D. what percentage of individuals in the sample scored below the target individual.

Question 19

An exam was given to two sections of the same course. In Section 1, the exam mean was 51 and the standard deviation was 7. In Section 2, the exam mean was 51 and the standard deviation was 13. Which of the following conclusions is accurate?

A. Section 1 did better on the exam than Section 2.

B. Section 1 scores were more variable than Section 2.

C. Section 1 scores were less variable than Section 2.

D. Section 1 did less well on the exam than Section 2.

Question 20

Danzell is a purchasing agent for a major grocery store chain. He has noticed over the years that the higher the outdoor temperature, the more likely people are to buy fresh fruit. Based on Danzell’s observations, we would say there is ______ relationship between outdoor temperature and buying of fresh fruit.

A. a positive

B. a negative

C. a causal

D. no

Question 21

How can a “researcher acting as an instrument” in a qualitative study best ensure the trustworthiness of the data analysis and the conclusions?

Question 22

The study of how ideas developed over time is a type of conceptual or psychological historical research. Identify a key concept in your own discipline and describe in detail the types of primary sources you could use to understand its history, explaining what each source might add to the study.

PSYC300 Research Methods in Psychology Final Exam Question 23

A medical researcher is concerned about mistakenly concluding that a new medication is effective when it really is not. What type of error is the researcher concerned about making (Type I or Type II)? Describe what the researcher might do to decrease the likelihood of making that type of error. Discuss ramifications of your suggested approach for other types of error in the study.

Question 24

Throughout your textbook the authors return to the importance of interpreting the findings of a research project. Explain why this is an essential element in a high-quality research report.

 

 

MORE INFO 

Research Methods in Psychology

Introduction

Psychology is a science that explores the nature and behavior of human beings. The field of psychology has many sub-disciplines, such as cognitive psychology or social psychology. Psychology researchers use many different methods in their research. These include:

Experimental method

The experimental method is a research method used to test a hypothesis. The experiment is designed and conducted in a controlled environment so that the results can be replicated.

Experiments are often conducted using animals as subjects, but humans can also be used as subjects in experiments. In order to conduct an experiment, you must first come up with your hypothesis (a statement about how you think something works). You then design your experiment based on what you think will prove or disprove your hypothesis (and why). Once all this is done, you set up conditions for testing them out—this could involve creating variables such as different types of stimuli or making sure each group has equal access to resources like food or money

Descriptive method

The descriptive method is used to describe the characteristics of a group of people. For example, you could use this method to describe how many people in your community are depressed or have high blood pressure.

The main problem with using this method is that it can’t tell you anything about individual differences within the group being studied. You would need another method (for instance, experimental research) if you wanted more information about individual differences within groups.

However, descriptive methods are useful for studying social issues and events because they offer an overview of what’s happening across different groups across time periods at the same place/location.”

Correlational method

The correlational method is used to investigate the relationship between two variables. This can be done by asking people questions, or by observing behavior and measuring it using instruments (such as a test).

It is often used in psychology to find out if there is a relationship between two variables. For example: Is it better for your child’s health if they eat fewer processed foods? Or does having a dog make you exercise more often? The answer to these questions can be found through correlational research methods such as this one!

Cases studies

Case studies are one of the most common methods used in psychology research. A case study involves observing and interacting with a single individual to learn about how they think and behave in their everyday life. In this way, it’s similar to an interview or focus group study where multiple participants are interviewed at once on their thoughts, feelings and behavior (what psychologists call “the same issue”).

Case studies can be used for many different kinds of research questions:

• Social psychologists often use them to explore social interactions; for example, what happens if you ask someone who is shy out loud if they would like some ice cream? What do you get when you ask that question? Would it help them if there were more people around them at this moment so they could feel less alone or embarrassed?

• Psychologists interested in reading minds have found that reading facial expressions works best when there are no other people present since we tend not focus on other people’s faces (or lack thereof). So instead of asking everyone else what their opinion was during those moments – try asking yourself instead!

Naturalistic observation

Naturalistic observation is a research method that involves observing and recording what happens in the natural environment. The researcher does not intervene or influence behavior of people being observed, but rather watches them naturally perform tasks and records their performance. For example, if you are conducting a study on how people use sidewalks during lunch hour, you would go out on campus with your camera and observe how students use sidewalks between classes. You would not tell them what exactly to do; instead, you would record their behavior for analysis later when we have more data about this particular situation.

Surveys and questionnaires

Surveys and questionnaires are often used to collect information from a large group of people. They can be anonymous or confidential, depending on who you’re asking. They can also be done by mail, phone, or online (the latter two are more common).

Surveys typically have one question and may ask for demographic information like gender and age; however, some surveys have multiple questions that allow for more detailed responses about their experiences with the topic being studied. For example: “How often do you use the bus system?” is probably not going to provide enough information to understand what someone’s experience with public transportation means in real terms—but asking them whether they’ve had problems paying fares? That might help someone figure out why they haven’t been able to take advantage of this method yet!

Psychology tests

Psychological tests are designed to measure a specific aspect of a person’s personality or mental state. They can be used to diagnose mental disorders, as well as for research purposes. Psychological test results are used to help guide treatment decisions, but also play a role in determining whether an individual is eligible for certain jobs or benefits.

Psychological tests may be administered by a psychologist or self-administered by the client themselves; however, there are many different types of tests available depending on what you’re looking for in your data collection method (e.g., standardized vs manual administration).

There are many ways psychologists conduct research.

There are many ways psychologists conduct research. The methods used depend on the question being asked, the type of research being done and how much precision is required.

The most common way for a psychologist to obtain data is through self-report measures such as questionnaires or interviews. These can be repeated across time or repeated on different subjects during one session in order to get information about their moods or personality traits over time (e.g., see [1]).

Another method that psychologists use involves observation: they watch people do things (e.g., eating lunch). This allows them to observe patterns in behaviour which may provide insight into what makes someone happy or sad at any given point in time (e.g., see [2]).

Conclusion

The methods of psychology research are quite varied, but all involve some type of scientific process. Some involve more direct observations than others and may use more specialized equipment. In most cases, researchers will have a hypothesis about what they hope to find out from the data collected through their experiment, and then collect that data in order to test their theory against reality.