AP Psychology Unit 1 Progress Check MCQ
Mastering Research Methods & Statistics in
Psychology Your Essential Study Guide
This guide breaks down key concepts in psychological research methods and
statistics to help you ace your exams
1. Understanding the Domains of Psychology
Which of the following domains of psychology is most applicable to Julie's interest
in developing a test to measure achievement levels of middle school students?
a) personality b) counselling c) biological d) industrial-organizational e)
psychometric
Key Takeaway: Psychometrics focuses on the theory and techniques of
psychological measurement, including the design and validation of tests.
2. Exploring Research Methods: The Case Study
Samantha experienced a traumatic brain injury and afterward began to exhibit
bizarre symptoms that no one had ever documented before. The best research
method to study Samantha would be:
a) an experiment b) a correlational study c) a case study d) a survey e) naturalistic
observation
Key Takeaway: Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single individual,
group, event, or community. They are particularly useful for studying unique or
rare phenomena.
3. The Power of Control Conditions in Experiments
,A researcher was interested in studying the effects of a new medication on
depression. One group received the new medication, and another group received a
standard medication for depression. The researcher asked participants to answer a
series of questions rating their mood levels before and after six weeks of taking the
medications. Which of the following is the control condition in this study?
a) the group receiving the new medication b) the group receiving the standard
medication c) the rating of the participant's mood levels d) the series of questions
e) the participants
Key Takeaway: The control condition serves as a baseline for comparison. In this
case, the group receiving the standard medication helps determine if the new
medication is more effective.
4. Surveys: Gathering Broad Data
What is the primary advantage of conducting a survey rather than using other types
of research methods?
a) surveys can gather information from a diverse representation of and a
large number of people b) surveys can demonstrate cause & effect c) surveys can
provide an in-depth analysis of a unique individual or group d) surveys collect
more descriptive data than other research methods do e) surveys allow the
researcher to control the variables in a study
Study Tip: When to Use Surveys Surveys are excellent for collecting data on
attitudes, opinions, and behaviors from a large sample quickly and efficiently.
5. Schools of Thought: Structuralism
Dr. Sampson follows the structuralist school of thought. Her techniques would
most likely include:
a) presenting a participant with an ambiguous stimuli, such as a picture of an older
woman looking over the shoulder of a younger woman, and then asking the
participant to make up a story about what is going on in the picture b) asking a
participant to describe whatever thoughts come to mind, without censorship c)
, presenting a participant with an object, such as a can of soda, and having the
subject report his or her perceptions or experience of the can d) encouraging a
client to reevaluate distorted or unhelpful thoughts and work on coping strategies
e) rewarding a student with a sticker every day that the student does not talk in
class and with an extra ten minutes of recess after the student accumulates ten
stickers
Key Takeaway: Structuralism focused on breaking down mental processes into
their basic components through introspection (examining one's own conscious
thoughts and feelings).
6. Improving Experimental Design: The Importance of Objectivity
Kara records that the dogs that were trained with her old methods obey her 80
percent of the time, and those trained with the unique methods obey her 90 percent
of the time. Kara concludes that the unique methods work better. Kara can best
improve her experimental design by:
a) using random assignment b) using random selection c) having someone else
test the dogs d) using a computer program to pick the dogs' numbers e) trying a
third training method as well
Study Tip: Minimizing Bias Having an objective third party administer the tests
can help reduce experimenter bias, where the researcher's expectations
unintentionally influence the results.
7. Descriptive Statistics: Finding the Median
7, 5, 10, 4, 4
What is the median of the numbers above?
a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7 e) 10
How to Find the Median:
1. Arrange the numbers in ascending order: 4, 4, 5, 7, 10
Mastering Research Methods & Statistics in
Psychology Your Essential Study Guide
This guide breaks down key concepts in psychological research methods and
statistics to help you ace your exams
1. Understanding the Domains of Psychology
Which of the following domains of psychology is most applicable to Julie's interest
in developing a test to measure achievement levels of middle school students?
a) personality b) counselling c) biological d) industrial-organizational e)
psychometric
Key Takeaway: Psychometrics focuses on the theory and techniques of
psychological measurement, including the design and validation of tests.
2. Exploring Research Methods: The Case Study
Samantha experienced a traumatic brain injury and afterward began to exhibit
bizarre symptoms that no one had ever documented before. The best research
method to study Samantha would be:
a) an experiment b) a correlational study c) a case study d) a survey e) naturalistic
observation
Key Takeaway: Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single individual,
group, event, or community. They are particularly useful for studying unique or
rare phenomena.
3. The Power of Control Conditions in Experiments
,A researcher was interested in studying the effects of a new medication on
depression. One group received the new medication, and another group received a
standard medication for depression. The researcher asked participants to answer a
series of questions rating their mood levels before and after six weeks of taking the
medications. Which of the following is the control condition in this study?
a) the group receiving the new medication b) the group receiving the standard
medication c) the rating of the participant's mood levels d) the series of questions
e) the participants
Key Takeaway: The control condition serves as a baseline for comparison. In this
case, the group receiving the standard medication helps determine if the new
medication is more effective.
4. Surveys: Gathering Broad Data
What is the primary advantage of conducting a survey rather than using other types
of research methods?
a) surveys can gather information from a diverse representation of and a
large number of people b) surveys can demonstrate cause & effect c) surveys can
provide an in-depth analysis of a unique individual or group d) surveys collect
more descriptive data than other research methods do e) surveys allow the
researcher to control the variables in a study
Study Tip: When to Use Surveys Surveys are excellent for collecting data on
attitudes, opinions, and behaviors from a large sample quickly and efficiently.
5. Schools of Thought: Structuralism
Dr. Sampson follows the structuralist school of thought. Her techniques would
most likely include:
a) presenting a participant with an ambiguous stimuli, such as a picture of an older
woman looking over the shoulder of a younger woman, and then asking the
participant to make up a story about what is going on in the picture b) asking a
participant to describe whatever thoughts come to mind, without censorship c)
, presenting a participant with an object, such as a can of soda, and having the
subject report his or her perceptions or experience of the can d) encouraging a
client to reevaluate distorted or unhelpful thoughts and work on coping strategies
e) rewarding a student with a sticker every day that the student does not talk in
class and with an extra ten minutes of recess after the student accumulates ten
stickers
Key Takeaway: Structuralism focused on breaking down mental processes into
their basic components through introspection (examining one's own conscious
thoughts and feelings).
6. Improving Experimental Design: The Importance of Objectivity
Kara records that the dogs that were trained with her old methods obey her 80
percent of the time, and those trained with the unique methods obey her 90 percent
of the time. Kara concludes that the unique methods work better. Kara can best
improve her experimental design by:
a) using random assignment b) using random selection c) having someone else
test the dogs d) using a computer program to pick the dogs' numbers e) trying a
third training method as well
Study Tip: Minimizing Bias Having an objective third party administer the tests
can help reduce experimenter bias, where the researcher's expectations
unintentionally influence the results.
7. Descriptive Statistics: Finding the Median
7, 5, 10, 4, 4
What is the median of the numbers above?
a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7 e) 10
How to Find the Median:
1. Arrange the numbers in ascending order: 4, 4, 5, 7, 10
