Essay Summary of Scientific Method and Research

• The _________ variable is the presumed cause of another variable while the ________ variable is the presumed effect.

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1. independent;
2. dependent;

• A(n) ______________ variable is one that is not under the control of the researcher but that may be influencing the outcome of the experiment.

1. independent
2. extraneous
3. mediating
4. moderating

• A researcher is interested in the effects of teaching styles on learning. She randomly assigns students to either a lecture-based class taught at 8:00 a. m. or a discussion-based class taught at 2:00 p. m. Her results reveal that students in the discussion-based class performed better than those in the lecture-based class. In this example the time that the class is taught could be considered a(n) _________ variable, making it impossible to establish a causal connection between teaching method and classroom performance.

1. independent
2. dependent
3. extraneous
4. mediating

• Several recent studies have found that moderate drinkers of alcohol have lowered levels of heart disease risk than non-drinkers. It has been hypothesized that moderate drinking may reduce stress which in turn may lead to a reduction in the risk of heart disease. In this example lowered stress levels would be considered a(n) __________ variable.

1. independent
2. dependent
3. extraneous
4. mediating

• A(n) ___________ variable specifies how a causal relationship between two variables is different depending on a particular situation or circumstance. For example, if a researcher finds that a new experimental drug is effective in alleviating depression in young adult but not older adults.

1. mediating
2. moderating
3. extraneous
4. independent

• According to your text there are three conditions for making justified claims of cause and effect. Which of the following is NOT one of these conditions:

1. the independent and dependent variables must be related
2. the dependent variable must be manipulated by the researcher
3. the independent variable must precede the dependent variable
4. no other plausible explanations between the independent and dependent variables should exist

• What does it mean to say that an observation is "objective”?

1. the observation is empirical
2. it is done by a trained, professional scientist
3. the observation has a rational basis
4. it is unaffected by the observer’s personal biases

• Experimental research, as opposed to qualitative and nonexperimental quantitative research, allows us to make statements about cause-and-effect relationships. Why is this so?

1. Experimental research involves studying how two variables covary.
2. Experimental research uses statistical analysis.
3. In experimental research, we can observe the effects of manipulating variables under controlled conditions.
4. Experimental research uses objective observations.

• According to your text, what is probably the most commonly cited disadvantage of using laboratory experiments to learn about human behavior?

1. because they tend to be done in highly controlled settings, their results may not be generalizable to the real world
2. with their mechanistic approach to human behavior, they ignore the participants' thoughts and emotions
3. operational definitions reduce the abstract concept to a trivial level, making broad interpretations difficult at best
4. because they tend to use other species, the results are usually irrelevant to human behavior

• Which of the following would not be considered a field experiment?

1. effects of computer-based instruction on computing confidence in a teacher training program
2. effects of music on memory performance among introductory psychology students
3. effects of self-selected incentives on productivity among auto workers
4. effects of television violence on playground aggression among kindergarteners.

• What is the main difference between experimentation done in a field setting and experimentation done in a laboratory?

1. in field experimentation, variables are not manipulated
2. in field experimentation, no attempt is made to control extraneous variables
3. in field experimentation, the setting is "real life" and not contrived
4. in field experimentation, one can study only a small number of people

• An increasing number of researchers are conducting experiments over the Internet because of the advantages it affords. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of using the Internet to conduct an experiment?

1. the experiment is brought to the participant instead of the participant coming to the experiment
2. there is a less experimental control
3. there is a greater probability of self-selection
4. there is a greater probability of dropout of participants

• What is the primary weakness of a correlational study?

1. an inability to determine if two variables are associated
2. we cannot determine whether a relationship is direct or inverse
3. correlational studies tend to be artificial
4. we cannot establish cause and effect with a correlational study

• Qualitative research can be described in the following way:

1. it is objective, involves multiple methods, and focuses on people in subcultures
2. it is opinionated, involves two specific methods, and focuses on cultures, not people
3. it is emotional, involves historical methods, and focuses on people with odd cultural practices
4. it is interpretive, involves multiple methods, and focuses on people in their natural environment

• ___________ research is primarily descriptive and useful in theory generation while _______ research is more useful in testing hypotheses.

1. Quantitative; qualitative
2. Qualitative; quantitative
3. Experimental; correlational
4. Cross-sectional; longitudinal

• Qualitative researchers use many methods in part to

1. find one that produces the expected outcome.
2. make the process more like an experiment.
3. provide a better understanding of the phenomenon being investigated.
4. verify their quantitative observations.

• If a researcher joined a religious cult to see how members are recruited and why affiliation is so strong, she would be using the

1. ex post facto method.
2. phenomenological method.
3. participant-observer method.
4. experimental method.

• A "theory" is best defined as

1. a researchers best guess about the reality of the phenomenon he is studying.
2. a series of hypotheses not yet supported by empirical evidence.
3. a group of logically organized and deductively related laws.
4. the best tentative solution to a specific problem, open to change.

• After you have developed a research idea, the next step is to

1. determine if the study is feasible.
2. review the literature.
3. write a scientific hypothesis.
4. write a null hypothesis.

• The primary reason for doing a literature review is to

1. determine which statistical test to use.
2. find the proper phrasing of the scientific hypothesis.
3. determine the current state of knowledge in the area.
4. determine who should be in the participant pool.

• When planning a research project, scientists usually review the literature (published papers, books, etc. on their topic of interest.
• Which of the following is NOT a standard reason to do so?

1. to understand the current state of knowledge about your topic
2. to see whether the study you plan to do has already been done
3. to learn about methodological approaches to and problems with studying your topic
4. to find out about funding sources for your study

• What part of a journal article should you read to get an overview of the research to determine if you want to read the entire article?

1. abstract
2. introduction
3. methods
4. discussion

• E-mail can be used in the research process by

1. using it to get on-line references from the Internet.
2. allowing you to communicate with other scientists and authors.
3. allowing you to send phone messages.
4. none of the above.

• If you find an article that you would like to use for your research but are unable to locate it in your library, your next step should be to

1. drive to the nearest “research” library where you will likely find the article.
2. search through your library’s microfiche files.
3. use inter-library loan.
4. search again using broader search terms.

• Which of the following is probably the major concern about internet resources in exploring your research idea?

1. the accuracy of information at some Web sites
2. the accuracy information posted on Listserv’s
3. the theft of your research idea by hackers
4. the quality of information received by e-mail from other researchers in the field

• When establishing the validity of a web page how should you evaluate its currency?

1. the general rule of thumb is that pages more than 10 years old should not be used in scientific research
2. because scientific advances occur so quickly, web pages more than one year old should not be considered valid
3. it is inappropriate to include information about when the page was produced because hey may be misleading
4. the date of publication and frequency of updating should be posted on the page as a clue to its currency

• Suppose you want the most up-to-date information on a particular topic of psychological research. What is your best option? You should

1. read the Annual Review of Psychology.
2. attend a conference of a psychological association.
3. peruse the journals in that topic's general area.
4. talk to your professors.

• Why do scientists hold and attend annual or semi-annual professional conferences?

1. to catch up on very recent and/or on-going research
2. to meet each other personally, in order to better judge each other's work
3. to get away from teaching commitments
4. to bypass having to read all the literature

• Once you have reviewed the literature on a topic, you are in a position to

1. begin collecting data.
2. determine the feasibility of your study
3. formulate a research problem.
4. write a review article for the Annual Review of Psychology.

• Feasibility of a study refers to

1. how well you have defined the research problem.
2. the specificity of the question.
3. whether the hypothesis is testable.
4. whether or not the study can actually be conducted.

• After you have determined it is feasible to conduct your study, the next step is to

1. prepare a clear and exact statement of the research problem.
2. determine what the null hypothesis will be.
3. conduct a literature review.
4. collect data.

• It is useful for a research problem to be stated as precisely as possible because

1. specific questions are more likely to be proved correct.
2. the more specific the question is, the easier it is to analyze the data.
3. a specific question allows the researcher to focus on only one variable at a time.
4. specific questions help the researcher decide what techniques, participants, and easures to use.

• A research problem states the issue to be studied in question form. A scientific hypothesis

1. states the predicted relationship between/among variables.
2. specifies the procedure that the experimenter will use to answer the question
3. is another name for the research problem.
4. states what statistics will be used to answer the research problem.

• A scientific hypothesis is

1. a predicted relation that exists among the variables.
2. a tentative solution to the research problem.
3. sometimes derived from theories.
4. all of the above.

• The null hypothesis is

1. a tentative solution to the research problem.
2. the hypothesis that is actually tested.
3. the prediction that a negative correlation exists among the variables.
4. all of the above.

• Designing management experiments often presents the researcher with ethical dilemmas, in which he or she must

1. choose the appropriate participant pool without eliminating people who want to participate in the study.
2. decide which coworkers should be co-authors on the resulting paper.
3. weigh potential costs to participants against the potential gain to be realized from the experiment.
4. determine whether to inform participants of the results of the experiment.

• What is meant by "informed consent"?

1. only people over 18 years of age should participate in psychology experiments
2. agreement to participate in a psychological experiment forms a binding contract; the participant cannot back out once he or she consents
3. before they agree to take part in an experiment, participants must be informed of all aspects of the study that may influence their decision to participate
4. participants must approve the results before they are published

• Sometimes it is impossible to “inform” the participant fully at the beginning of an experiment because

1. some participants (e. g. , infants) may not be competent enough to give their informed consent.
2. disclosing all information about the experiment might influence participants' behavior and invalidate the experiment.
3. participants cannot always guarantee their ability to come to all sessions of an experiment.
4. the research design being used is too sophisticated for participants to understand.

• In which of the following studies would it be ethically necessary to obtain informed consent to collect and use the data?

1. trying a new behavior modification technique on a hyperactive 5 year old child
2. seeing what proportion of pedestrians will pick up a piece of litter next to a trash can
3. seeing if a wait person touching a customer on the arm will increase the size of a tip

• When writing the research report Jane thought that Dr. Handle’s summary of a prior study was presented in a very understandable way so she copied the summary and put it in her report. Immediately following the summary she put in a reference to Dr. Handle which she assumed would tell the reader that she had taken the summary from that reference. In copying this summary she has

1. been dishonest.
2. plagiarized.
3. adequately indicated that Handle wrote the summary.
4. demonstrated a lack of sophistication in preparing a research report.

Essay questions

1. Describe the organization of a typical research report from title page to figures.
2. Discuss the information that should be included in the abstract. How long is the typical abstract?
3. Describe the introduction section of a research report including organization and the types of information typically included.
4. Describe the methods section of the research paper. Be sure to describe each subsection typically included.
5. Describe what is included in a results section of a research report. Write a hypothetical results section being careful to include all relevant information.
6. What information is included in a discussion section? Describe the typical organizational structure of this section.
7. Discuss the APA writing guideline relating to language – specificity, sensitivity to labels, and acknowledging participants.
8. Provide examples illustrating several of the rules for in-text citations – e. g. , using direct quotes, paraphrasing without using direct quotes, and citing multiple studies.
9. What is the DOI system? How should it be incorporated in your reference?
10. Describe the steps involved in submitting a manuscript for publication, from selection of the appropriate journal to final publication.

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