UVA PSYCHOLOGY SELECTION MOCK
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Inkakstudykusingk'blindkobservers'kamongkchildrenkatkakprimarykschoolkinkAmsterdam,kitkwaskfoundkthatktho
se kwhokhadkbeenkbreast-fedkhadkakhigherkIQ,konkaverage,kthankthose kwhokhadknotkbeenkbreast-
fed.kOnkthe kbasiskofkthiskoutcome,kakjournalistkwrotekankarticlekwithkthe kheading:k"Breastfeedingkleadsktok
higherkIQ".Whatkiskthekmainkreasonkthatkthiskconclusionkstatedkinktheknewspaperkheadlinekisknotkjustifiedk
bykthe kstudykdescribedkabove?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-
there kare kotherkpossiblekexplanationskforkthe kresultskof kthe kstudy.
Inkakstresskstudykamongkakgroupkofktestksubjects,kthekresearcherkfindskakcorrelationkbetweenkvariablekAkan
dkvariable kBkthatkiskequalktok0.6.Whatkdoeskthiskmean?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-
The ktestksubjectskwhokscorekhigherkonkvariablekAkalsokscore khigherkonkvariablekB,konkaverage.
Whatkiskaksolutionktokthekeffectkofkobserverkbias?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-Ak'blind'kstudykdesign.
Akresearcherkevaluatesk20kphotographskof kpeoplekwithkdifferentkfacialkexpressionsk(e.g.,kangry,ksad,ketc.).k
He kputskthe kphotographskintokonekofktwokcategories:knegativekfacial kexpressionskandkpositivekfacialkexpres
sions.kUnconsciously, khekputskphotoskofkpeoplekhekfindskattractive kmore koftenkinkthe kpositive kcategory.Wh
atkiskhappeningkhere?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-Observerkbias.
Akresearcherkwouldklikektokknowkmorekaboutkthe kattitudeskofkthekAmsterdamkpopulationkagedkbetweenk1
8kandk50kyearskwithkrespectktokfactorykfarming.kTokdokthis,khekpositionskhimselfkduringkthe kmorningkrushkh
ourkatkthe kmainkentrance kof kAmsterdamkCentral kStationkandkaskskeveryonekwhokhappensktokpasskbykwhet
herktheyklivekinkAmsterdamkandkwhetherktheykwouldklike ktokanswerkakfewkquestionskaboutkfactorykfarming
.kWhatktype kof krandomksamplingkiskthis?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-convenienceksampling.
Observerkbiaskoccurskwhenkakresearcher...k-kCORRECTkANSWER-
incorrectlykobservesktheksituationkbeingkstudied.
Observerkeffectskoccurkwhenkthekobserver...k-kCORRECTkANSWER-...affectsktheksituationkbeingkstudied.
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Inkakstudykusingk'blindkobservers'kamongkchildrenkatkakprimarykschoolkinkAmsterdam,kitkwaskfoundkthatktho
se kwhokhadkbeenkbreast-fedkhadkakhigherkIQ,konkaverage,kthankthose kwhokhadknotkbeenkbreast-
fed.kOnkthe kbasiskofkthiskoutcome,kakjournalistkwrotekankarticlekwithkthe kheading:k"Breastfeedingkleadsktok
higherkIQ".Whatkiskthekmainkreasonkthatkthiskconclusionkstatedkinktheknewspaperkheadlinekisknotkjustifiedk
bykthe kstudykdescribedkabove?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-
there kare kotherkpossiblekexplanationskforkthe kresultskof kthe kstudy.
Inkakstresskstudykamongkakgroupkofktestksubjects,kthekresearcherkfindskakcorrelationkbetweenkvariablekAkan
dkvariable kBkthatkiskequalktok0.6.Whatkdoeskthiskmean?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-
The ktestksubjectskwhokscorekhigherkonkvariablekAkalsokscore khigherkonkvariablekB,konkaverage.
Whatkiskaksolutionktokthekeffectkofkobserverkbias?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-Ak'blind'kstudykdesign.
Akresearcherkevaluatesk20kphotographskof kpeoplekwithkdifferentkfacialkexpressionsk(e.g.,kangry,ksad,ketc.).k
He kputskthe kphotographskintokonekofktwokcategories:knegativekfacial kexpressionskandkpositivekfacialkexpres
sions.kUnconsciously, khekputskphotoskofkpeoplekhekfindskattractive kmore koftenkinkthe kpositive kcategory.Wh
atkiskhappeningkhere?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-Observerkbias.
Akresearcherkwouldklikektokknowkmorekaboutkthe kattitudeskofkthekAmsterdamkpopulationkagedkbetweenk1
8kandk50kyearskwithkrespectktokfactorykfarming.kTokdokthis,khekpositionskhimselfkduringkthe kmorningkrushkh
ourkatkthe kmainkentrance kof kAmsterdamkCentral kStationkandkaskskeveryonekwhokhappensktokpasskbykwhet
herktheyklivekinkAmsterdamkandkwhetherktheykwouldklike ktokanswerkakfewkquestionskaboutkfactorykfarming
.kWhatktype kof krandomksamplingkiskthis?k-kCORRECTkANSWER-convenienceksampling.
Observerkbiaskoccurskwhenkakresearcher...k-kCORRECTkANSWER-
incorrectlykobservesktheksituationkbeingkstudied.
Observerkeffectskoccurkwhenkthekobserver...k-kCORRECTkANSWER-...affectsktheksituationkbeingkstudied.
