Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. If results are statistically significant but have a small effect size, the results may
a. lack practical significance.
b. lack a cause-effect relationship.
c. represent a negative relationship.
d. represent a neutral relationship.
2. In one study, introductory psychology students were fitted with electronically activated recorders so that
researchers could sample their daily activities. The researchers were employing a scientific method known as
a. naturalistic observation.
b. the double-blind procedure.
c. experimentation.
d. the case study.
3. Studies conducted in the late 1990s in which the researcher concluded that children who were administered
the MMR vaccination developed autism were
a. withheld from the public intentionally.
b. accurate.
c. never published by academic journals.
d. discovered to be fraudulent.
4. Seven members of a boys' club reported the following individual earnings from their sale of cookies: $2, $9,
$8, $10, $4, $9, and $7. In this distribution of individual earnings
a. the median is greater than the mean and greater than the mode.
b. the median is less than the mean and less than the mode.
c. the median is greater than the mean and less than the mode.
d. the median is less than the mean and greater than the mode.
5. Professor Valetta believes that identical twins have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share
common genes. His idea is best described as a(n)
a. theory.
b. replication.
c. naturalistic observation.
d. operational definition.
6. The idea that "people's emotions and personal beliefs often override their acceptance of objective facts" is
expressed in the dictionary definition of
a. false news.
b. post-truth.
c. powerful examples.
d. repetition.
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,Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
7. Professor Terrance has conducted a study that examined the relationship between level of physical activity
and academic performance among children. He is most likely to use ________ to determine if a relationship
exists.
a. meta-analysis
b. preregistration
c. a correlation coefficient
d. experimental research
8. The tendency to perceive order in random events often leads to overestimating the value of
a. common sense.
b. operational definitions.
c. informed consent.
d. the double-blind procedure.
9. Dr. Carlson wants to conduct a research study that will examine the sexual behaviors of college students.
Before she can begin data collection she must submit her research proposal to
a. her institution's review board.
b. the APA.
c. the BPS.
d. her department chair for review.
10. Approximately what percentage of the cases represented by the normal curve fall between 3 and +3
standard deviations from the mean?
a. 34
b. 68
c. 95
d. 100
11. Unconscious gut feelings, or ________, provide(s) a sharp contrast to explicit, conscious reasoning.
a. theory
b. chance-based explanation
c. common sense
d. naturalistic observation
12. The explanatory power of a scientific theory is most closely linked to its capacity to generate testable
a. assumptions.
b. correlations.
c. predictions.
d. variables.
13. Several weeks after a political election, voters often exaggerate their ability to have predicted the election
outcome. This best illustrates
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,Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
a. the placebo effect.
b. random assignment.
c. wording effects.
d. hindsight bias.
14. Repeating the essence of a previous research study to verify whether its findings extend to a new group of
research participants and to different circumstances is called
a. replication.
b. random sampling.
c. naturalistic observation.
d. the double-blind procedure.
15. What was the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year in 2017?
a. false news
b. preregistration
c. post-truth
d. repetition
16. Neither the researchers nor the participants in a study of a weight-loss pill know which participants have
actually received a drug designed to help weight loss and which have received a placebo. This investigation
involves the use of
a. naturalistic observation.
b. random sampling.
c. the double-blind procedure.
d. replication.
17. Which of the following correlations between self-esteem and physical appearance would enable you to most
accurately predict physical appearance from knowledge of level of self-esteem?
a. +.60
b. +.01
c. –.10
d. –.06
18. When we ask, for example, how closely related are the intelligence scores of fraternal twins, we are asking
how strongly two ________ are related.
a. experimental groups
b. control groups
c. variables
d. scatterplots
19. When you read a bar graph, it is most important for you to
a. mentally transform the data into a normal curve.
Copyright Macmillan Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 3
, Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
b. identify the value of the standard deviation.
c. note the range and size of the scale values.
d. identify the correct measure of central tendency.
20. Professor Martinez believes that because attractive people are more sensitive, more successful, and more
socially skilled, handsome men will be more successful in getting a job. The professor's prediction regarding
employment success is an example of
a. informed consent.
b. the placebo effect.
c. a hypothesis.
d. a confounding variable.
21. Dr. McClusky conducted a study in which he compared academic achievement among middle school
students who either played video games at least one hour each day or did not play video games for at least one
hour each day. The average scores used for academic achievement were reliable for both groups and the
difference between the two groups was relatively large. This means that the results he found can be considered
a. reliable.
b. valid.
c. statistically significant.
d. correlated.
22. Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "affirmative action" than "preferential treatment."
These survey results best illustrate the importance of
a. random sampling.
b. wording effects.
c. the placebo effect.
d. naturalistic observation.
23. Statisticians Persi Diaconis and Frederick Mosteller commented, "But with a large enough sample, any
outrageous thing is likely to happen." What were they referring to?
a. hindsight bias
b. overconfidence
c. scientific inquiry
d. perceiving patterns in random events
24. Potential research participants are told enough about an upcoming study to enable them to choose whether
they wish to participate. This illustrates the practice of seeking
a. a representative sample.
b. informed consent.
c. an operational definition.
d. a placebo effect.
Copyright Macmillan Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 4
chapter 1
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. If results are statistically significant but have a small effect size, the results may
a. lack practical significance.
b. lack a cause-effect relationship.
c. represent a negative relationship.
d. represent a neutral relationship.
2. In one study, introductory psychology students were fitted with electronically activated recorders so that
researchers could sample their daily activities. The researchers were employing a scientific method known as
a. naturalistic observation.
b. the double-blind procedure.
c. experimentation.
d. the case study.
3. Studies conducted in the late 1990s in which the researcher concluded that children who were administered
the MMR vaccination developed autism were
a. withheld from the public intentionally.
b. accurate.
c. never published by academic journals.
d. discovered to be fraudulent.
4. Seven members of a boys' club reported the following individual earnings from their sale of cookies: $2, $9,
$8, $10, $4, $9, and $7. In this distribution of individual earnings
a. the median is greater than the mean and greater than the mode.
b. the median is less than the mean and less than the mode.
c. the median is greater than the mean and less than the mode.
d. the median is less than the mean and greater than the mode.
5. Professor Valetta believes that identical twins have similar levels of intelligence largely because they share
common genes. His idea is best described as a(n)
a. theory.
b. replication.
c. naturalistic observation.
d. operational definition.
6. The idea that "people's emotions and personal beliefs often override their acceptance of objective facts" is
expressed in the dictionary definition of
a. false news.
b. post-truth.
c. powerful examples.
d. repetition.
Copyright Macmillan Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
7. Professor Terrance has conducted a study that examined the relationship between level of physical activity
and academic performance among children. He is most likely to use ________ to determine if a relationship
exists.
a. meta-analysis
b. preregistration
c. a correlation coefficient
d. experimental research
8. The tendency to perceive order in random events often leads to overestimating the value of
a. common sense.
b. operational definitions.
c. informed consent.
d. the double-blind procedure.
9. Dr. Carlson wants to conduct a research study that will examine the sexual behaviors of college students.
Before she can begin data collection she must submit her research proposal to
a. her institution's review board.
b. the APA.
c. the BPS.
d. her department chair for review.
10. Approximately what percentage of the cases represented by the normal curve fall between 3 and +3
standard deviations from the mean?
a. 34
b. 68
c. 95
d. 100
11. Unconscious gut feelings, or ________, provide(s) a sharp contrast to explicit, conscious reasoning.
a. theory
b. chance-based explanation
c. common sense
d. naturalistic observation
12. The explanatory power of a scientific theory is most closely linked to its capacity to generate testable
a. assumptions.
b. correlations.
c. predictions.
d. variables.
13. Several weeks after a political election, voters often exaggerate their ability to have predicted the election
outcome. This best illustrates
Copyright Macmillan Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 2
,Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
a. the placebo effect.
b. random assignment.
c. wording effects.
d. hindsight bias.
14. Repeating the essence of a previous research study to verify whether its findings extend to a new group of
research participants and to different circumstances is called
a. replication.
b. random sampling.
c. naturalistic observation.
d. the double-blind procedure.
15. What was the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year in 2017?
a. false news
b. preregistration
c. post-truth
d. repetition
16. Neither the researchers nor the participants in a study of a weight-loss pill know which participants have
actually received a drug designed to help weight loss and which have received a placebo. This investigation
involves the use of
a. naturalistic observation.
b. random sampling.
c. the double-blind procedure.
d. replication.
17. Which of the following correlations between self-esteem and physical appearance would enable you to most
accurately predict physical appearance from knowledge of level of self-esteem?
a. +.60
b. +.01
c. –.10
d. –.06
18. When we ask, for example, how closely related are the intelligence scores of fraternal twins, we are asking
how strongly two ________ are related.
a. experimental groups
b. control groups
c. variables
d. scatterplots
19. When you read a bar graph, it is most important for you to
a. mentally transform the data into a normal curve.
Copyright Macmillan Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 3
, Name: Class: Date:
chapter 1
b. identify the value of the standard deviation.
c. note the range and size of the scale values.
d. identify the correct measure of central tendency.
20. Professor Martinez believes that because attractive people are more sensitive, more successful, and more
socially skilled, handsome men will be more successful in getting a job. The professor's prediction regarding
employment success is an example of
a. informed consent.
b. the placebo effect.
c. a hypothesis.
d. a confounding variable.
21. Dr. McClusky conducted a study in which he compared academic achievement among middle school
students who either played video games at least one hour each day or did not play video games for at least one
hour each day. The average scores used for academic achievement were reliable for both groups and the
difference between the two groups was relatively large. This means that the results he found can be considered
a. reliable.
b. valid.
c. statistically significant.
d. correlated.
22. Surveys indicate that people are less likely to support "affirmative action" than "preferential treatment."
These survey results best illustrate the importance of
a. random sampling.
b. wording effects.
c. the placebo effect.
d. naturalistic observation.
23. Statisticians Persi Diaconis and Frederick Mosteller commented, "But with a large enough sample, any
outrageous thing is likely to happen." What were they referring to?
a. hindsight bias
b. overconfidence
c. scientific inquiry
d. perceiving patterns in random events
24. Potential research participants are told enough about an upcoming study to enable them to choose whether
they wish to participate. This illustrates the practice of seeking
a. a representative sample.
b. informed consent.
c. an operational definition.
d. a placebo effect.
Copyright Macmillan Learning. Powered by Cognero. Page 4
