Psychology 225 Midterm Exam
Questions and Verified Answers 100%
Dimitri is interested in understanding the effects of sleep deprivation on short-term memory.
Which of the following is an empirical approach Dimitri could take to answer this question?
1) He could ask his psychology teacher for his opinion on the effects of sleep deprivation on
short-term memory
2) He could design and execute a study that measures short-term memory function following
different amounts of sleep
3) He could watch several movies about sleep deprivation and make a strong, logical argument
about the effects of sleep deprivation on short-term memory, based on the films
4) He could consider his own experiences with sleep and memory - ✔✔2) He could design and
execute a study that measures short-term memory function following different amounts of
sleep
FEEDBACK: Empiricism involves collecting data to develop, support, or challenge a theory.
Seligman (1975, 1991) proposed that animals who cannot escape an aversive outcome don't
even try to avoid the aversive experience later, when they can escape it, because they don't
perceive themselves as having control ("learned helplessness"). Latecia thinks this concept may
apply to people's working conditions. She conducts a study and has 20 research participants
work in an office space with some dilapidated supplies (e.g., pens that barely write, crumpled
papers). The participants are split into two rooms. In one work room, Latecia offers to replace
any of the run-down supplies with newer items. In another work room, Latecia tells the
participants that they have to work with what they have. After a few days of working with this
set-up, both groups' work spaces now include both the old supplies as well as new supplies.
Latecia predicts that the participants who had to work with the dilapidated supplies for the fir -
✔✔a hypothesis
,FEEDBACK: Latecia is hypothesizing when she makes a prediction about a specific outcome she
expect to observe from her study.
Carolyn sometimes taps on the basketball before shooting a free throw. She has noticed the
times when she taps and makes the free throw more than she notices the times she makes the
free throw without tapping the ball. Carolyn is experiencing which of the following?
1) the bias blind spot
2) the present/present bias
3) confound bias
4) cherry-picking - ✔✔2) the present/present bias
FEEDBACK: Carolyn notices the times when the treatment (trapping on the ball) is present and
the outcome (making a basket) is present more often than she notices times she makes a
basket without tapping or tapping without making a basket.
Research suggests that the time a student spends studying for an exam is positively related to
the grade that student receives on the exam. However, last week, you took an exam without
studying and got an A on the exam. What should you conclude about the relationship between
study time and exam scores?
1) You should ignore the research and base your conclusions on your own experience
2) You should conclude that the research finding were probably wrong
,3) Although your experience with one exam is an exception, the research finding explain a
certain proportion of the many possible cases.
4) Because your experience was different than the research, you should conclude there is no
relationship between study time and exam scores - ✔✔3) Although your experience with one
exam is an exception, the research finding explain a certain proportion of the many possible
cases.
FEEDBACK: Research findings do not explain every case, but they explain a certain proportion of
the many possible cases.
Which of the following is NOT a reason why basing one's conclusions on research is superior to
basing one's conclusions on personal experience?
1) Experience is confounded
2) Experience has no comparison group
3) Research involves systematically and objectively comparing conditions
4) Research definitively proves theories - ✔✔4) Research definitively proves theories
FEEDBACK: Research never definitively proves a theory.
Daniel's teacher tells him that his theory about dating is not strong because it is not falsifiable.
What does she mean by this?
1) Daniel's theory is too complicated
, 2) Daniel's theory has already been put forth by another psychologist
3) Daniel's theory has already been tested and the evidence did not support the theory
4) Daniel's theory cannot be disproven - ✔✔4) Daniel's theory cannot be disproven
Hilda is studying the effects of a major natural disaster on people living nearby. She finds that
many of the victims are depressed and show stress-related symptoms. Why can't Hilda
conclude that the natural disaster caused the depression and stress-related symptoms?
1) She doesn't have a comparison group
2) She doesn't have a theory
3) She hasn't done enough background research
4) She is relying on intuition - ✔✔1) She doesn't have a comparison group
It has been reported that half of Americans show road rage. For this claim to have strong
external validity, which of the following would have been the best sample for the researcher to
have used?
1) students from Intro to Psych courses who are earning extra credit
2) A random sample of people from a Los Angeles telephone
3) A cross-section of American driers representing men and women; people from the city,
suburbs and farm; and people of all ages
Questions and Verified Answers 100%
Dimitri is interested in understanding the effects of sleep deprivation on short-term memory.
Which of the following is an empirical approach Dimitri could take to answer this question?
1) He could ask his psychology teacher for his opinion on the effects of sleep deprivation on
short-term memory
2) He could design and execute a study that measures short-term memory function following
different amounts of sleep
3) He could watch several movies about sleep deprivation and make a strong, logical argument
about the effects of sleep deprivation on short-term memory, based on the films
4) He could consider his own experiences with sleep and memory - ✔✔2) He could design and
execute a study that measures short-term memory function following different amounts of
sleep
FEEDBACK: Empiricism involves collecting data to develop, support, or challenge a theory.
Seligman (1975, 1991) proposed that animals who cannot escape an aversive outcome don't
even try to avoid the aversive experience later, when they can escape it, because they don't
perceive themselves as having control ("learned helplessness"). Latecia thinks this concept may
apply to people's working conditions. She conducts a study and has 20 research participants
work in an office space with some dilapidated supplies (e.g., pens that barely write, crumpled
papers). The participants are split into two rooms. In one work room, Latecia offers to replace
any of the run-down supplies with newer items. In another work room, Latecia tells the
participants that they have to work with what they have. After a few days of working with this
set-up, both groups' work spaces now include both the old supplies as well as new supplies.
Latecia predicts that the participants who had to work with the dilapidated supplies for the fir -
✔✔a hypothesis
,FEEDBACK: Latecia is hypothesizing when she makes a prediction about a specific outcome she
expect to observe from her study.
Carolyn sometimes taps on the basketball before shooting a free throw. She has noticed the
times when she taps and makes the free throw more than she notices the times she makes the
free throw without tapping the ball. Carolyn is experiencing which of the following?
1) the bias blind spot
2) the present/present bias
3) confound bias
4) cherry-picking - ✔✔2) the present/present bias
FEEDBACK: Carolyn notices the times when the treatment (trapping on the ball) is present and
the outcome (making a basket) is present more often than she notices times she makes a
basket without tapping or tapping without making a basket.
Research suggests that the time a student spends studying for an exam is positively related to
the grade that student receives on the exam. However, last week, you took an exam without
studying and got an A on the exam. What should you conclude about the relationship between
study time and exam scores?
1) You should ignore the research and base your conclusions on your own experience
2) You should conclude that the research finding were probably wrong
,3) Although your experience with one exam is an exception, the research finding explain a
certain proportion of the many possible cases.
4) Because your experience was different than the research, you should conclude there is no
relationship between study time and exam scores - ✔✔3) Although your experience with one
exam is an exception, the research finding explain a certain proportion of the many possible
cases.
FEEDBACK: Research findings do not explain every case, but they explain a certain proportion of
the many possible cases.
Which of the following is NOT a reason why basing one's conclusions on research is superior to
basing one's conclusions on personal experience?
1) Experience is confounded
2) Experience has no comparison group
3) Research involves systematically and objectively comparing conditions
4) Research definitively proves theories - ✔✔4) Research definitively proves theories
FEEDBACK: Research never definitively proves a theory.
Daniel's teacher tells him that his theory about dating is not strong because it is not falsifiable.
What does she mean by this?
1) Daniel's theory is too complicated
, 2) Daniel's theory has already been put forth by another psychologist
3) Daniel's theory has already been tested and the evidence did not support the theory
4) Daniel's theory cannot be disproven - ✔✔4) Daniel's theory cannot be disproven
Hilda is studying the effects of a major natural disaster on people living nearby. She finds that
many of the victims are depressed and show stress-related symptoms. Why can't Hilda
conclude that the natural disaster caused the depression and stress-related symptoms?
1) She doesn't have a comparison group
2) She doesn't have a theory
3) She hasn't done enough background research
4) She is relying on intuition - ✔✔1) She doesn't have a comparison group
It has been reported that half of Americans show road rage. For this claim to have strong
external validity, which of the following would have been the best sample for the researcher to
have used?
1) students from Intro to Psych courses who are earning extra credit
2) A random sample of people from a Los Angeles telephone
3) A cross-section of American driers representing men and women; people from the city,
suburbs and farm; and people of all ages
