Straighterline PSY 101 EXAM PRACTICE QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS VERIFIED 100% CORRECT
Dr. Steinguard wants to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between stress
and memory. Which of the following research methods should he use?
Select one:
a. correlational studies
b. the survey method
c. naturalistic observation
d. the experimental method - ✔✔d. the experimental method
Dr. Simpson found a +.50 correlation between ice cream cone sales and violent crimes in
a community. Which of the following represents the best interpretation of this result?
Select one:
a. Ice cream causes people to become more violent and aggressive.
b. A third variable, such as heat, may account for the association between ice cream
sales and violent crime.
c. Violent people like ice cream more than nonviolent people.
d. Ice cream consumption is not related to violent crime. - ✔✔b. A third variable,
such as heat, may account for the association between ice cream sales and violent
crime.
Professor Stenson is examining the effects of color on patients' anxiety levels. She
randomly assigns patients to either a room painted white or a room painted black, and
then she records their blood pressure. In this case, the independent variable is the
Select one:
a. participant's blood pressure.
b. participant's anxiety level.
,c. room color.
d. building type. - ✔✔c. room color.
In the context of descriptive research methods in psychology, ________ are performed
mainly by clinical psychologists when, for either practical or ethical reasons, the unique
aspects of an individual's life cannot be duplicated and tested in other individuals.
Select one:
a. case studies
b. surveys
c. correlational studies
d. experiments - ✔✔a. case studies
Emma, a psychologist, wants to study the relationship that exists among college girls
who stay in hostels. She disguises herself as a college student and shares a dorm with
some girls for a month. During her stay, she observes their various behaviors and makes
notes when the girls are fast asleep. Which of the following is best exemplified in this
scenario?
Select one:
a. the placebo effect
b. experimenter bias
c. a double-blind experiment
d. naturalistic observation - ✔✔d. naturalistic observation
Which of the following best exemplifies a random sample?
Select one:
a. a sample that consists of all boys whose names begin with an "A"
b. a sample that consists of all girls who have been selected arbitrarily
, c. a sample that consists of all women who are 40 years old
d. a sample that consists of all men who have specialized in accounting - ✔✔b. a
sample that consists of all girls who have been selected arbitrarily
Which of the following is a potential problem of using correlational studies in
psychological research?
Select one:
a. They fail to establish a clear causal relationship between variables.
b. They do not allow researchers to use just one variable to predict the movement of
the other variable.
c. They cannot be used in situations where the issue of ethics is important.
d. They can be used to study the relationship between only two variables. - ✔✔a.
They fail to establish a clear causal relationship between variables.
What can you do to become a better consumer of psychology in everyday life?
Select one:
a. Stay up to date by reading about psychological research online and blogs available
from all sources.
b. Avoid overgeneralizing based on little information.
c. Only believe in psychological principles that have been derived on the basis of
personal experience.
d. Draw causal conclusions from correlational studies. - ✔✔b. Avoid overgeneralizing
based on little information.
Olivia, a research student, wants to determine the effect of alcoholism on domestic
violence as part of her thesis paper. She realizes that informing the participants of her
study about its exact nature will affect the results. The participants are likely to feel
ashamed of openly discussing such sensitive issues. In this scenario, which of the
following would be the best approach for Olivia?
WITH ANSWERS VERIFIED 100% CORRECT
Dr. Steinguard wants to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between stress
and memory. Which of the following research methods should he use?
Select one:
a. correlational studies
b. the survey method
c. naturalistic observation
d. the experimental method - ✔✔d. the experimental method
Dr. Simpson found a +.50 correlation between ice cream cone sales and violent crimes in
a community. Which of the following represents the best interpretation of this result?
Select one:
a. Ice cream causes people to become more violent and aggressive.
b. A third variable, such as heat, may account for the association between ice cream
sales and violent crime.
c. Violent people like ice cream more than nonviolent people.
d. Ice cream consumption is not related to violent crime. - ✔✔b. A third variable,
such as heat, may account for the association between ice cream sales and violent
crime.
Professor Stenson is examining the effects of color on patients' anxiety levels. She
randomly assigns patients to either a room painted white or a room painted black, and
then she records their blood pressure. In this case, the independent variable is the
Select one:
a. participant's blood pressure.
b. participant's anxiety level.
,c. room color.
d. building type. - ✔✔c. room color.
In the context of descriptive research methods in psychology, ________ are performed
mainly by clinical psychologists when, for either practical or ethical reasons, the unique
aspects of an individual's life cannot be duplicated and tested in other individuals.
Select one:
a. case studies
b. surveys
c. correlational studies
d. experiments - ✔✔a. case studies
Emma, a psychologist, wants to study the relationship that exists among college girls
who stay in hostels. She disguises herself as a college student and shares a dorm with
some girls for a month. During her stay, she observes their various behaviors and makes
notes when the girls are fast asleep. Which of the following is best exemplified in this
scenario?
Select one:
a. the placebo effect
b. experimenter bias
c. a double-blind experiment
d. naturalistic observation - ✔✔d. naturalistic observation
Which of the following best exemplifies a random sample?
Select one:
a. a sample that consists of all boys whose names begin with an "A"
b. a sample that consists of all girls who have been selected arbitrarily
, c. a sample that consists of all women who are 40 years old
d. a sample that consists of all men who have specialized in accounting - ✔✔b. a
sample that consists of all girls who have been selected arbitrarily
Which of the following is a potential problem of using correlational studies in
psychological research?
Select one:
a. They fail to establish a clear causal relationship between variables.
b. They do not allow researchers to use just one variable to predict the movement of
the other variable.
c. They cannot be used in situations where the issue of ethics is important.
d. They can be used to study the relationship between only two variables. - ✔✔a.
They fail to establish a clear causal relationship between variables.
What can you do to become a better consumer of psychology in everyday life?
Select one:
a. Stay up to date by reading about psychological research online and blogs available
from all sources.
b. Avoid overgeneralizing based on little information.
c. Only believe in psychological principles that have been derived on the basis of
personal experience.
d. Draw causal conclusions from correlational studies. - ✔✔b. Avoid overgeneralizing
based on little information.
Olivia, a research student, wants to determine the effect of alcoholism on domestic
violence as part of her thesis paper. She realizes that informing the participants of her
study about its exact nature will affect the results. The participants are likely to feel
ashamed of openly discussing such sensitive issues. In this scenario, which of the
following would be the best approach for Olivia?
