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Research Methods: Concepts and Connections 1st Edition Test Bank

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    Chapter: Chapter 1: Essay Essay 1. The three - door problem plays an integral role in the discussion in chapter 1. Describe the elements of this problem and explain what lessons we can learn about research from understanding the problem and how people (both the general public and scientists) reacted to it. 2. There are at least five ways by which we acquire knowledge. Select three of these approaches. Define each of them, and give a specific example of the approach to acquiring knowledge. 3. The approach to acquiring knowledge called “authority” has both positive and negative aspects (or advantages and disadvantages). Describe the positive and negative aspects of acquiring knowledge via reliance on authority. 4. What is the Molyneux problem and what lessons can we learn from it about how people acquire knowledge of the world around us? 5. One pitfall in acquiring knowledge known to psychologists is “confirmation bias.” Define this term and apply it to a person’ s efforts to gather information as a basis for buying a new car this year. 6. What are the four major goals of science? Define each goal and apply each one to the following situation: The state police have asked psychologists for their help i n gathering data that will help reduce crime in a high - crime neighborhood.

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    7. There are at least three major reasons that research conducted by psychologists is a complex task. Describe these three major reasons and give a concrete example of each of them. 8. What is the major difference between a “hypothesis” and a “theory”? Apply the two terms to a psychologist’s efforts to understand how technology affects learning in a college environment. 9. One of the keys to acquiring knowledge is to state claims so that they meet the criterion of falsifiability. What does this term mean? Give a specific example of a falsifiable and non - falsifiable claim. 10. What are two reasons that operational definitions are so important to researchers? Give an operational definition (involving at least four elements for acquiring knowledge) for each of the following: depression, anxiety, and passion (in teaching). 11. How are applied and basic research related to one another? Give an example of each from the following: the structure of the sleep cycles across the night in the average adult. 12. Suppose you decide that you are interested in pursuing a career in psychology, emphasizing research. Give three ideas that would help you enhance your credentials for possible admission to graduate school in the future. 13. Describe at least three of the critical thinking questions you might pose when faced with a claim in the media, via friends or other sources.

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    Import Settings: Base Settings: Brownstone Default Information Field: Level Information Field: Type Information Field: Page Information Field: Topic Highest Answer Letter: D Multiple Keywords in Same Paragraph: No Chapter: Chapter 1: Multiple - Choice Multiple Choice 1. What is the primary reason the author int roduces the three - door problem? A) to introduce students to the three goals of scientific research B ) to describe the three methods psychologist s use to conduct research C ) to provide insight into how people acquire knowledge and beliefs D ) to present an analogy that illustrates how research affects real - life decisions Ans: C Level: M Type: Applied Page: 2 Topic: The three - door problem 2. A newspaper reporter decides to write a story about the three - door problem and its implications for understanding science, probability, and how we understand the world. Wh ich of these would be the best title for the proposed article? A ) Why we should never bet against chance: Lessons learned the hard way B ) Common sense versus actual data: Decision - making is quite difficult C ) Relying on the experts: Our best chance to make good decisions D ) The best advice: Know when to fold them, know when to hold them

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    Ans: B Level: H Type: Applied Page: 2 Topic: The three - door problem 3 . As part of a research requirement in an Introduction to Psychology class, Alex is taking p a rt in the three - door game in which he might win a car or a goat. After selecting one of the three doors, he has a choice of staying with his current door or switching. What is the best advice that you would give Alex in order to increase his chance of winning? A ) It is best to switch. B ) Go with your first hunch, do not switch. C ) If you switch, your odds of winning are only 50 - 50, so stay put. D ) Your selection makes no difference, as the game is rigged in favor of the “house.” Ans: A Level: M Type: Applied Page: 3 Topic: The three - door problem 4 . A student is taking part in the three - door problem as part of a research requirement. What are the odds that this student will “win” if he decides to switch doors? A ) 2 to 1 in his favor B ) even odds of winning or losing C ) 2 to 1 against winning D ) just over 50% chance of winning Ans: A Level: M Type: Factual Page: 3 Topic: The three - door problem 5 . Your textbook mentions that, i n 1990 Marilyn vos Savant became involved in the three - door problem via her newspaper column. What was the general reaction of the public and academics to her suggestion that the best approach is to switch doors?

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    A ) Most people recognized she had solved the problem correctly. B ) She was seen as having made a n error in offering her solution. C ) Academics accepted her solution but the general public did not. D ) Her solution was obvious to almost everyone once she explained it in detail. Ans: B Level: E Type: Factual Page: 3 Topic: The three - door problem 6. Beth is reading an article about the 1990 three - door controversy involving the “Ask Marilyn” column, which was also mentioned in your textbook. In the article, she reads a number of potential solutions to the three - door problem. Which of the following best describes Marilyn vos Savant’s controversial answer to the three - door problem? A) The participant should “switch” because this will increase his/her odds of winning to 2/3 . B) The participant should “switch” because this will increase his/her odds of winning to 50/50 . C) The participant should “stay” because this will increase his/her odds of winning to 1/3 . D) The participant should “stay” because this will increase his/her odds of winning to 50/50 . Ans: A Level: H Type: Factual Page: 3 Topic: The three - door problem 7 . Dr. Stanley Milgram conducted a famous research study on O bedience . Before revealing his findings, h e asked a group of psychiatrists to predict what percentage of participants would administer 450 volts of shock to a confederate when ordered to do so by a researcher . Milgram’s question is most consistent with which concept? A ) tenacity B ) authority C ) reason D ) experimentation Ans: B Level: E Type: Applied Page: 4 - 5 Topic: Authority: Knowledge gained from others

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    8 . A neighbor believes “all this nonsense” about global warming is hype. He notes that it still snows in winter and it has always been hot in the summer. What way of knowing has your neighbor embraced? A ) tenacity B ) authority C ) reason D ) experimentation Ans: A Level: E Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Tenacity: Knowing by force of habit 9 . Political scientists have described a group of voters who tend not to seek out new information, do not challenge their long - held beliefs, and hold to their views because they always seemed “to have worked” in that past. If these political scientists were to name this group of voters, which term would be consistent with the description in your textbook of Charles P e irce’s views of how we come to hold beliefs? A ) rationale self - interest B ) tenacity C ) direct experience D ) authority Ans: B Level: E Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Tenacity: Knowing by force of habit 10 . As described in your textbook, Charles Pe i rce described one of the four ways we come to hold beliefs with these words: “strength, simplicity , and directness.” Which method fits this descript i on? A ) reason B ) science C ) tenacity

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    D ) authority Ans: C Level: E Type: Factual Page: 4 Topic: Tenacity: Knowing by force of habit 11 . For decades, scientists and the general public were convinced that gastric ulcers resulted from a high level of difficult decision - making and the treatment was a bland diet. We now know this view is si mply wrong. What is one likely explanation that this incorrect view of the cause of ulcers was held on for so long before being completely dismantled? A ) tenacity B ) reason ing C ) empiricism D ) operationism Ans: A Level: M Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Tenacity: Knowing by force of habit 12 . What is one advantage of relying on authority to acqui r e knowledge? A ) Authorities have access to more knowledge than the general public. B ) An authority is an unbiased source of information. C ) Reliance on authority is an efficient way to pass down knowledge . D ) Reliance on authority reduces the need to validate the claims that are made. Ans: C Level: E Type: Factual Page: 5 Topic: Authority: Knowledge gained from others

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    13. As mentioned in your textbook, philosopher and scientist Charles Peirce described four methods by which people come to hold beliefs about the world. Which of the following is one of the four methods described by Peirce? A) persistence B) diligence C) effort D) authority Ans: D Level: E Type: Factual Page: 4 Topic: Tenacity: Knowing by force of habit 14. Which of the following animal analogies best exemplifies philosopher and scientist Charles Pe irce’s description of tenacity. A) a crab burying it’s body in the sand for a mid - day nap B) a n ostrich hiding it’s head in the ground and no longer seeing danger C) a n opossum “playing dead” to deter dangerous predators D) a bulldog walking through the forest without making a sound Ans: B Level: H Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Tenacity: Knowing by force of habit 15. Ralph is in the Army. As a result, he does whatever his commanding officer orders him to do. This situation exemplifies which of the following methods by which people come to hold beliefs about the world? A) t enacity B) a uthority C) r eason D) s cience Ans: B Level: E Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Authority: Knowledge gained from others

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    16. In geography class, a substitute teacher misinforms her students by te lling them that there are no des erts in the continental United States. The students believe her. This situation exemplifies which of the following methods by which people come to hold beliefs about the world? A) t enacity B) a uthority C) r eason D) s cience Ans: B Level: E Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Authority: Knowledge gained from others 17. On a “Rate my Professor” website where students write reviews of their former professors, Jenny reads that Dr. Zwiebel - Pferd is the easiest professor for the Neuroscience course in which she needs to enroll. Based on this review, Jenny enrolls in Dr. Zwiebel - Pferd’s course. This situation exemplifies which of the following methods by whi ch people come t o hold beliefs about the world? A) t enacity B) a uthority C) r eason D) s cience Ans: B Level: E Type: Applied Page: 4 Topic: Authority: Knowledge gained from others 18. Philosopher Ren é Descartes and his contemporaries considered the mind - body problem — the question of whether the mind is an entity separate from the body. This situation exemplifies which of the following methods by which people come to hold beliefs about the world? A) t enacity B) a uthority

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    C) r eason D) s cience Ans: C Level: H Type: Applied Page: 6 Topic: Reason: Relying on logic and rationality 19 . The Molyneux problem is a good example of which way to acqui r e knowledge? A ) reason B ) authority C ) tenacity D ) science Ans: A Level: E Type: Factual Page: 6 Topic: Reason: Relying on logic and rationality 20 . Which of the questions is the best description of the Molyneux problem ? A ) Would people who become color blind sti l l remember the n ames of the colors they had learned ? B ) Would a blin d person who recovers sight be able to distinguish objects by sight ? C ) Why do children learn language apparently with eas e, yet t he same children struggle to learn another language in high school or later? D ) Is tactual contact necessary for the proper development of a child? Ans: B Level: E Type: Factual Page: 6 Topic: Reason: Relying on logic and rationality 21. Over three centuries ago, this question was posed — Suppose that a man, blind from birth, can use his sense of touch to distinguish between a cube and a sphere of the same size. If this

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    man suddenly regains his eyesight and is shown the cube and sphere, would he be able to tell by sight alone which object is which? What is the name of this famous query? A) t he Molyneux p roblem B) t he m otion p arallax C) t he t hree - d oor p roblem D) t he t enacity p arallax Ans: A Level: E Type: Factual Page: 6 Topic: Reason: Relying on logic and rationality 22 . Developing knowledge by collecting and assessing information directly through our senses is a description of which approach to how we gain knowledge? A ) nativism B ) sensation C ) emp i ricism D ) correlation Ans: C Level: E Type: Factual Page: 7 Topic: Empiricism: Knowledge based on experience 23 . Our tendency to selectively seek information that supports our views and avoid disconfirming inf ormation is termed : A) c onfirmation b ias . B) validation b ias . C) endorsement bias. D) verification bias. Ans: A Level: E Type: Factual Page: 8 Topic: Empiricism: Knowledge based on experience

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    24 . A student wants to learn the best way to solve the three - door problem. She deci d es to watch several individuals attempt to solve the problem and takes notes as she observes. From this data, she decides on a strategy she believes will give her the best chance of winning the car . What approach has this student used to arrive at her approach to sol v ing the problem? A ) tenacity B ) reasoning C ) authority D ) emp i ricism Ans: D Level: M Type: Applied Page: 8 Topic: Empiricism: Knowledge based on experience 25 . Most of the people who doubted the solution to the three - door problem that was published in “Ask Marilyn , ” even after the details of the solution were given , seemed to rely on which method of acquiring information? A ) tenacity B ) reasoning C ) authority D ) emp i ricism Ans: A Level: M Type: Applied Page: 8 - 9 Topic: Science: Relying on systematic empiricism 26 . Wh at term is part of another name for confirmation bias ? A ) availability B ) congeniality C ) framing D ) representativeness Ans: B Level: E Type: Factual

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    Page: 8 Topic: Empiricism: Knowledge based on experience 27 . What was the most convincing method that was used to demonstrate the actual odds of winning in the three - door problems? A ) reliance on reason B ) running simulations in classes C ) reading opinions of experts on probability D ) recognizing that chance is all that is involved Ans: B Level: M Type: Factual Page: 9 Topic: Science: Relying on systematic empiricism 28. Which of the following is a fu ndamental objective of science? A) d escription B) clarification C) discipline D) r eplication Ans: A Level: H Type: Factual Page: 9 Topic: Goals of science 29. Dr. Miller and a group of graduate students were interested in studying risk - taking behaviors in college students . To do this, they visited a “semester kick - off” party hosted by one of the more prominent fraternities on their campus. The researchers’ goal was to count the number of times male and female college students engaged in risky behaviors such as consuming alcohol to excess. W hat basic goal of scien ce was addressed in this study? A ) description B ) explanation C ) prediction D ) control

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    Ans: A Level: M Type: Applied Page: 10 Topic: Description 30. Based on previous studies, Dr. Sharma hypothesizes that a family history of alcoholism will predispose students to binge drink during college. What basic goal of science is be ing addressed in this scenario? A ) description B ) explanation C ) replication D ) control Ans: B Level: M Type: Applied Page: 10 Topic: Explanation 31. In her research, Dr. Kelly records videos of doctor - patient interactions and then applies a coding system to categorize these interactions into analyzable units. What basic goal of science is being addressed in this scenar io? A ) description B ) explanation C ) replication D ) control Ans: A Level: M Type: Applied Page: 10 Topic: Description

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    32. Dr. Graham is interested in understanding brain reward mechanisms. In her research, she records participants’ brain activity as they view a variety of tasty desserts. What basic goal of science is be ing addressed in this scenario? A ) description B ) explanation C ) replication D ) control Ans: B Level: M Type: Applied Page: 10 Topic: Explanation 33 . During a seminar in the department of psychology, Arnold and his friends listened to a visiting speaker describe her research. As the speaker described how she developed a coding system for her research , Arnold thought to himself, “It sounds like this will be a talk about a(n) _____ research study. ” A ) descriptive B ) explanatory C ) predictive D ) control led Ans: A Level: M Type: Applied Page: 10 Topic: Description 3 4 . A psychologist wants to write a book about research and use a title that best summarizes what that research is all about. Which title would best convey the essence of the psychologist ’ s research efforts? A ) Focus on the individual: The roots of psychology B ) Research limited by inability to manipulate key factors C ) Variables: Associations, causes, control, and prediction D ) Knowledge under conditions of uncertainty: Knowing the unknowable Ans: C Level: H Type: Applied

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