PSY 410 FINAL QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
What are empirical data? Give an example of empirical data? (Page 11-12, 92) -
Answers - data that are observable or experienced; capable of being verified or
disproved through investigation
Ex: participants' reaction time
What is informed consent? - Answers - A subject's voluntary agreement to participate in
a research project after the nature and purpose of the study have been explained
What are the characteristics of modern science? (List 5) - Answers - 1. Scientific
Mentality
2. Good Thinking
3. Replication
4. Gathering Empirical Data
5. Self-Correcting
6. Seeking general principles
7. Publizing results
What do we mean by treatment conditions in an experiment? Why must there be at
least two? - Answers - Treatment conditions are created with different antecedents to
test their effect on participants' behavior. At least two must exist to be able to test the
difference between the two levels of a treatment condition.
Plagiarism - Answers - Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone else's information and
claiming it as your own. This can be done through copying word for word or even
paraphrasing without giving clear credit to the original author.
What is "good thinking?" What does it mean? (Pages 13 &14) - Answers - Good
Thinking is organized and rational thought, characterized by open-mindedness,
objectivity, and parsimony; a principal tool of the scientific method.
-Systematic
-Objective
-Rational
-Open-mindedness
What are the main tasks of the institutional review boards (IRB)? Page 63 - Answers -
"The IRB's main tasks are to ensure the safety of human subjects and to conduct a
cost/benefit analysis..."
, What is meant by scientific mentality? (Page 11) - Answers - Behavior must follow a
natural order; therefore, it can be predicted
The psychology department at SDSU hired a researcher to determine how students'
academic performance was impacted by online learning. She wanted to compare an
online PSY 101 class with a traditional in-person PSY 101 class. She decided to test the
effectiveness of online learning by comparing student's final exam scores. She
randomly assigned half of the students registered for PSY 101 to an online course and
half to an in-person course who were instructed on the same days and at the same
time. She compared the students' exam scores of the two groups to determine which
was more effective. - Answers - What is the DV and how is it calculated?
- DV = students' final exam scores
What is the IV? Name the levels.
- IV = the learning environment for the students
- Levels = in-person & online
Write a testable hypothesis for this experiment. (be sure to give it a direction)
- It is hypothesized that the students learning through the
in-person class will receive higher scores than students who
are learning through the online class.
If you were interested in determining whether the amount of exercise affects cognitive
performance... - Answers - What would the IV be?
- The amount of exercise
What would two possible levels of the IV be? (Be precise in your operational definition)
- No exercise during the week & working out for 3 hours out
of the week
Use these two variables to write a hypothesis that is directional and testable.
- It is hypothesized that participants who worked out for 3 hours a week would have
significantly greater cognitive performance than participants who had no exercise during
the week.
What would the DV be and how might you measure it?
The DV is the participants' cognitive performance. We might measure it by
administering a standardized IQ test.
What is the primary purpose of a written research report? Page 484 - Answers - The
primary purpose is communication, by telling others what you did and what you found. A
research report should explain what you are studying and your methodology and
findings so that others may replicate and extend the findings.
ANSWERS
What are empirical data? Give an example of empirical data? (Page 11-12, 92) -
Answers - data that are observable or experienced; capable of being verified or
disproved through investigation
Ex: participants' reaction time
What is informed consent? - Answers - A subject's voluntary agreement to participate in
a research project after the nature and purpose of the study have been explained
What are the characteristics of modern science? (List 5) - Answers - 1. Scientific
Mentality
2. Good Thinking
3. Replication
4. Gathering Empirical Data
5. Self-Correcting
6. Seeking general principles
7. Publizing results
What do we mean by treatment conditions in an experiment? Why must there be at
least two? - Answers - Treatment conditions are created with different antecedents to
test their effect on participants' behavior. At least two must exist to be able to test the
difference between the two levels of a treatment condition.
Plagiarism - Answers - Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone else's information and
claiming it as your own. This can be done through copying word for word or even
paraphrasing without giving clear credit to the original author.
What is "good thinking?" What does it mean? (Pages 13 &14) - Answers - Good
Thinking is organized and rational thought, characterized by open-mindedness,
objectivity, and parsimony; a principal tool of the scientific method.
-Systematic
-Objective
-Rational
-Open-mindedness
What are the main tasks of the institutional review boards (IRB)? Page 63 - Answers -
"The IRB's main tasks are to ensure the safety of human subjects and to conduct a
cost/benefit analysis..."
, What is meant by scientific mentality? (Page 11) - Answers - Behavior must follow a
natural order; therefore, it can be predicted
The psychology department at SDSU hired a researcher to determine how students'
academic performance was impacted by online learning. She wanted to compare an
online PSY 101 class with a traditional in-person PSY 101 class. She decided to test the
effectiveness of online learning by comparing student's final exam scores. She
randomly assigned half of the students registered for PSY 101 to an online course and
half to an in-person course who were instructed on the same days and at the same
time. She compared the students' exam scores of the two groups to determine which
was more effective. - Answers - What is the DV and how is it calculated?
- DV = students' final exam scores
What is the IV? Name the levels.
- IV = the learning environment for the students
- Levels = in-person & online
Write a testable hypothesis for this experiment. (be sure to give it a direction)
- It is hypothesized that the students learning through the
in-person class will receive higher scores than students who
are learning through the online class.
If you were interested in determining whether the amount of exercise affects cognitive
performance... - Answers - What would the IV be?
- The amount of exercise
What would two possible levels of the IV be? (Be precise in your operational definition)
- No exercise during the week & working out for 3 hours out
of the week
Use these two variables to write a hypothesis that is directional and testable.
- It is hypothesized that participants who worked out for 3 hours a week would have
significantly greater cognitive performance than participants who had no exercise during
the week.
What would the DV be and how might you measure it?
The DV is the participants' cognitive performance. We might measure it by
administering a standardized IQ test.
What is the primary purpose of a written research report? Page 484 - Answers - The
primary purpose is communication, by telling others what you did and what you found. A
research report should explain what you are studying and your methodology and
findings so that others may replicate and extend the findings.
