Download 1. The hindsight bias refers to people`s tendency to: A) dismiss the

1. The hindsight bias refers to people's tendency to:
A) dismiss the value of replication.
B) reject any ideas that can't be scientifically tested.
C) exaggerate their ability to have foreseen the outcome of past events.
D) assume that correlation proves causation.
E) overestimate the extent to which others share their opinions.
2. The perception that psychological research findings merely verify our common-sense
understanding is most clearly facilitated by:
A) illusory correlations.
B) the hindsight bias.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) the placebo effect.
3. Giving half the members of a group some purported psychological finding and the other
half an opposite result is an easy way to demonstrate the impact of:
A) the false consensus effect.
B) illusory correlation.
C) the hindsight bias.
D) random sampling.
E) the double-blind procedure.
4. Professor Smith told one class that alcohol consumption has been found to increase
sexual desire. He informed another class that alcohol consumption has been found to
reduce sexual appetite. The fact that neither class was surprised by the information they
received best illustrates the power of:
A) illusory correlation.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) the hindsight bias.
D) the double-blind procedure.
E) the placebo effect.
5. Several weeks after a political election, voters often exaggerate their ability to have
predicted the election outcome. This best illustrates:
A) the placebo effect.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) illusory correlation.
D) the hindsight bias.
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6. Mike Crampton's stockbroker has informed him of substantial investment losses. When
Mike tells his wife, she angrily responds, “I could have told you that your investment
plan would fail!” Her comment best illustrates:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) illusory correlation.
C) the placebo effect.
D) the false consensus effect.
7. Formulating testable hypotheses before conducting research is most directly useful for
restraining a thinking error known as:
A) random sampling.
B) the hindsight bias.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) illusory correlation.
E) random assignment.
8. The scientific attitude of humility is most likely to be undermined by:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) correlational evidence.
C) random assignment.
D) operational definitions.
E) naturalistic observation.
9. Government experts who are convinced of the correctness of their own mistaken
political predictions most clearly demonstrate:
A) illusory correlation.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) overconfidence.
D) the placebo effect.
10. Overconfidence is best described as:
A) a placebo.
B) critical thinking.
C) an illusory correlation.
D) intellectual conceit.
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11. Megan was certain that she would never live far away from her family. However, in
order to develop her career, she decided to move. Megan's experience best illustrates:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) illusory correlation.
C) random assignment.
D) the false consensus effect.
E) overconfidence.
12. Two fundamental characteristics of the scientific attitude are:
A) pride and enthusiasm.
B) ingenuity and practicality.
C) creativity and patience.
D) skepticism and humility.
13. Alicia insists that Dr. Phillip's theory of aggression be checked against observable
evidence. She is demonstrating the scientific attitude of:
A) pride.
B) skepticism.
C) practicality.
D) enthusiasm.
14. The scientific attitude requires an open-minded humility because it involves a
willingness to:
A) perceive order in random events.
B) reject any ideas that can't be scientifically tested.
C) recognize the errors in our own theories.
D) respect any religious beliefs that contradict our own.
15. A questioning attitude regarding psychologists' assumptions and hidden values best
illustrates:
A) the false consensus effect.
B) critical thinking.
C) the hindsight bias.
D) overconfidence.
E) illusory correlation.
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16. A hard-headed curiosity that questions truth claims and demands evidence most clearly
facilitates:
A) an illusion of control.
B) hindsight bias.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) critical thinking.
E) overconfidence.
17. Questioning the generalizability of anecdotal evidence best illustrates:
A) overconfidence.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) the hindsight bias.
D) random assignment.
E) critical thinking.
18. Professor Shalet contends that parents and children have similar levels of intelligence
largely because they share common genes. His idea is best described as a(n):
A) theory.
B) replication.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) illusory correlation.
E) hindsight bias.
19. The explanatory power of a scientific theory is most closely linked to its capacity to
generate testable:
A) assumptions.
B) correlations.
C) predictions.
D) variables.
20. A hypothesis is a(n):
A) observable relationship between specific independent and dependent variables.
B) testable prediction that gives direction to research.
C) set of principles that organizes and explains newly discovered facts.
D) unprovable assumption about the unobservable processes that underlie
psychological functioning.
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21. Professor Delano suggests that because people are especially attracted to those who are
good-looking, handsome men will be more successful than average-looking men in
securing employment. The professor's prediction regarding employment success
exemplifies:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) an hypothesis.
D) illusory correlation.
22. A specification of how a researcher measures a research variable is known as a(n):
A) standard deviation.
B) control condition.
C) replication.
D) operational definition.
E) case study.
23. In a written report of their research, psychologists specify exactly how anxiety is
assessed, thus providing their readers with a(n):
A) hypothesis.
B) independent variable.
C) operational definition.
D) standard deviation.
24. The process of replication is most likely to be facilitated by:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) illusory correlation.
D) operational definitions.
E) the placebo effect.
25. Which technique involves repeating the essence of an earlier research study with
different participants and in different circumstances?
A) replication
B) correlational research
C) random sampling
D) naturalistic observation
E) random assignment
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26. Professor Saxton was very skeptical about the findings of a recently reported experiment
on the effects of sleep deprivation. Which process would best enable her to assess the
reliability of these findings?
A) naturalistic observation
B) replication
C) random sampling
D) the case study
27. The case study is a research method in which:
A) a single individual is studied in great depth.
B) a representative sample of people are questioned regarding their opinions or
behaviors.
C) organisms are carefully observed in a laboratory environment.
D) an investigator manipulates one or more variables that might affect behavior.
28. In order to understand the unusual behavior of an adult client, a clinical psychologist has
carefully investigated the client's current life situation and his physical, social, and
educational history. Which research method has the psychologist employed?
A) the survey
B) the case study
C) experimentation
D) naturalistic observation
29. The biggest danger of relying on case-study evidence is that it:
A) is based on naturalistic observation.
B) may be unrepresentative of what is generally true.
C) is unusually easy to explain in hindsight.
D) leads us to underestimate the causal relationships between events.
30. In which type of research is a representative random sample of people asked to answer
questions about their behaviors or opinions?
A) experimentation
B) the survey
C) the case study
D) naturalistic observation
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31. Which research method would be most appropriate for investigating the relationship
between the religious beliefs of Americans and their attitudes toward abortion?
A) the survey
B) naturalistic observation
C) the case study
D) experimentation
32. Surveys indicate that people are much less likely to support “welfare” than “aid to the
needy.” These somewhat paradoxical survey results best illustrate the importance of:
A) random sampling.
B) wording effects.
C) hindsight bias.
D) the false consensus effect.
E) naturalistic observation.
33. The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our own attitudes is
known as:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) the false consensus effect.
C) illusory correlation.
D) an illusion of control.
34. Conservatives are more likely than liberals to perceive high levels of popular support for
conservative views. This best illustrates:
A) an illusion of control.
B) illusory correlation.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) the hindsight bias.
35. Jeff mistakenly assumes that everybody around him enjoys listening to country music
just as much as he does. Jeff best illustrates:
A) the false consensus effect.
B) the hindsight bias.
C) an illusion of control.
D) the placebo effect.
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36. When conducting a survey, gathering representative samples is most directly useful for
restraining a thinking error known as:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) an illusion of control.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) the placebo effect.
37. In order to learn about the TV viewing habits of all the children attending Oakbridge
School, Professor DeVries randomly selected and interviewed 50 of the school's
students. In this instance, all the children attending the school are considered to be a(n):
A) population.
B) representative sample.
C) case study.
D) independent variable.
E) control condition.
38. In order to assess reactions to a proposed tuition hike at her college, Ariana sent a
questionnaire to every fifteenth person in the college registrar's alphabetical listing of all
currently enrolled students. Ariana employed the technique of:
A) random assignment.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) replication.
D) correlation.
E) random sampling.
39. Psychologists select a random sample of research participants in order to ensure that:
A) the participants are representative of the population they are interested in studying.
B) there will be a large number of participants in the research study.
C) the study will not be influenced by the researcher's personal values.
D) the same number of participants will be assigned to each of the experimental
conditions.
40. Which of the following scientific procedures is most useful for helping researchers
avoid false generalizations?
A) the case study
B) naturalistic observation
C) random sampling
D) operational definitions
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41. The sight of large, enthusiastic crowds at all of his political rallies led Governor
Donavan to become overconfident about his chances of winning the upcoming election.
In this instance, the governor needs to be alerted to the value of:
A) replication.
B) random sampling.
C) experimental control.
D) naturalistic observation.
42. People often fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced
by ________ cases.
A) randomly selected
B) vivid
C) representative
D) the most frequently occurring
43. After noting that a majority of professional basketball players are African-American,
Ervin concluded that African-Americans are better athletes than members of other racial
groups. Ervin's conclusion best illustrates the danger of:
A) replication.
B) the hindsight bias.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) generalizing from vivid cases.
44. Psychologists who carefully watch the behavior of chimpanzee societies in the jungle
are using a research method known as:
A) the survey.
B) experimentation.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) the case study.
E) random sampling.
45. Professor Ober carefully monitors and records the behaviors of children in their
classrooms in order to track the development of their social and intellectual skills.
Professor Ober is most clearly engaged in:
A) survey research.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) experimentation.
D) replication.
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46. In order to compare the pace of life in different countries, investigators measured the
speed with which postal clerks completed a simple request. This best illustrates the use
of a research method known as:
A) the case study.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) random assignment.
D) the double-blind procedure.
E) the survey.
47. A statistical measure that indicates the extent to which changes in one factor are
accompanied by changes in another is called a(n):
A) standard deviation.
B) independent variable.
C) correlation coefficient.
D) mean.
48. Correlational research is most useful for purposes of:
A) explanation.
B) prediction.
C) control.
D) replication.
49. Which of the following is a statistical measure of both the direction and the strength of a
relationship between two variables?
A) correlation coefficient
B) standard deviation
C) range
D) mean
50. In order to determine whether the strength of people's self-esteem is related to their
income levels, researchers would most likely make use of:
A) case studies.
B) correlational research.
C) experimentation.
D) naturalistic observation.
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51. In order to discover the extent to which economic status can be used to predict political
preferences, researchers are most likely to employ:
A) the case study approach.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) correlational measures.
D) experimental research.
52. In order to represent graphically the correlation between two variables, researchers often
construct a:
A) skewed distribution.
B) scatterplot.
C) standard deviation.
D) bar graph.
53. A researcher would be most likely to discover a positive correlation between:
A) intelligence and academic success.
B) financial poverty and physical health.
C) self-esteem and depression.
D) school grades and school absences.
54. If psychologists discovered that wealthy people are less satisfied with their marriages
than poor people are, this would indicate that wealth and marital satisfaction are:
A) causally related.
B) negatively correlated.
C) independent variables.
D) dependent variables.
E) positively correlated.
55. If the correlation between the physical weight and reading ability of elementary school
students is +.85, this would indicate that:
A) the relationship between weight and reading ability among elementary school
students is not statistically significant.
B) low body weight has a negative effect on the reading abilities of elementary school
children.
C) better reading ability is associated with greater physical weight among elementary
school students.
D) body weight has no causal influence on the reading abilities of elementary school
children.
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56. If the points on a scatterplot are clustered in a pattern that extends from the upper left to
the lower right, this would suggest that the two variables depicted are:
A) normally distributed.
B) positively correlated.
C) negatively correlated.
D) not correlated.
57. A correlation between physical attractiveness and dating frequency of +.60 would
indicate that:
A) physical attractiveness has no causal influence on dating frequency.
B) more frequent dating is associated with lower levels of physical attractiveness.
C) it is impossible to predict levels of physical attractiveness based on knowledge of
dating frequency.
D) less frequent dating is associated with lower levels of physical attractiveness.
58. Which of the following correlations between self-esteem and body weight would enable
you to most accurately predict body weight from knowledge of self-esteem level?
A) +.60
B) +.01
C) -.10
D) -.06
E) .00
59. Which of the following correlation coefficients expresses the weakest degree of
relationship between two variables?
A) -.12
B) +1.00
C) -.99
D) +.25
E) -.50
60. If those who watch a lot of TV violence are also particularly likely to behave
aggressively, this would not necessarily indicate that watching TV violence influences
aggressive behavior because:
A) random sequences often don't look random.
B) correlation does not prove causation.
C) sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations.
D) events often seem more probable in hindsight.
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61. An extensive survey revealed that children with relatively high self-esteem tend to
picture God as kind and loving, whereas those with lower self-esteem tend to perceive
God as angry. The researchers concluded that the children's self-esteem had apparently
influenced their views of God. This conclusion best illustrates the danger of:
A) perceiving order in random events.
B) generalizing from extreme examples.
C) randomly sampling children's views.
D) exaggerating the extent to which others share our beliefs.
E) assuming that correlation proves causation.
62. If psychologists discovered that intelligent parents have smarter children than
unintelligent parents, this would demonstrate that:
A) intelligence is inherited.
B) intelligent parents provide their children with greater educational opportunities
than do unintelligent parents.
C) the intelligence of parents and children is positively correlated.
D) all the above are true.
63. A negative correlation between degree of wealth and likelihood of suffering from a
psychological disorder would indicate that:
A) poverty makes people vulnerable to psychological disorders.
B) the poor are more likely to have a psychological disorder than the wealthy.
C) psychological disorders usually prevent people from accumulating wealth.
D) all the above are true.
64. Statistical measurement is most directly useful for restraining a thinking error known as:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) illusory correlation.
C) overconfidence.
D) the placebo effect.
E) random sampling.
65. Illusory correlation refers to:
A) the perception of a relationship between two variables that does not actually exist.
B) a correlation that exceeds the value of +1.00.
C) a cluster of points on a scatterplot that suggests a correlation between two
variables.
D) a correlation that is not statistically significant.
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66. Karen erroneously believes that her test grades are negatively correlated with the
amount of time she studies for her tests. Research on illusory correlation suggests that
she is especially likely to notice instances in which:
A) poor grades follow either brief study or lengthy study.
B) either poor grades or good grades follow lengthy study.
C) good grades follow lengthy study and poor grades follow brief study.
D) poor grades follow lengthy study and good grades follow brief study.
67. The perception that seemingly infertile couples who adopt a child are subsequently more
likely to conceive a child themselves best illustrates:
A) the process of replication.
B) random assignment.
C) an illusory correlation.
D) the placebo effect.
68. Our tendency to notice and remember instances in which a premonition of an unlikely
phone call is actually followed by the call most clearly contributes to:
A) the false consensus effect.
B) an illusory correlation.
C) replication.
D) the placebo effect.
69. Adelle dreamed that a handsome young man she had met the previous day asked her for
a date. When he actually did call for a date several days later, Adelle concluded that
dreams accurately predict future events. Her belief best illustrates:
A) the placebo effect.
B) illusory correlation.
C) random assignment.
D) the false consensus effect.
70. If the total number of boys and girls born each year is exactly equal, which of the
following would be the most likely sequence of boys (B) and girls (G) for the next six
births?
A) G G G G G G
B) G G G B B B
C) G B G B B G
D) All the above would be equally likely.
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71. For randomly generated sequences of numbers, people tend to ________ the sequential
repetition of any particular digit.
A) radically overestimate
B) slightly overestimate
C) accurately estimate
D) underestimate
72. On a series of coin tosses, Oleg has correctly predicted heads or tails seven times in a
row. In this instance, it is reasonable to conclude that Oleg's predictive accuracy:
A) defies the laws of statistical probability.
B) illustrates the phenomenon of illusory correlation.
C) is inconsistent with the false consensus effect.
D) is a random and coincidental occurrence.
73. Six of the children in Mr. Myer's second-grade classroom were born on exactly the same
day. This strikes him as astonishing and improbable. In this instance, he should be
reminded that:
A) random sequences of events often don't look random.
B) events often seem more probable in hindsight.
C) sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations.
D) the tendency to seek confirming evidence promotes overconfidence.
74. The illusion of streak shooting in basketball best illustrates the need to recognize that:
A) random sequences of events often don't look random.
B) sampling extreme cases leads to false generalizations.
C) events often seem more probable in hindsight.
D) correlation does not prove causation.
75. The fact that some basketball fans believe the outcome of a player's last few shots is a
predictor of the outcome of that person's next shot best illustrates:
A) the hindsight bias.
B) random sampling.
C) illusory correlation.
D) the false consensus effect.
76. Which of the following methods is most helpful for revealing cause-effect relationships?
A) the survey
B) the experiment
C) correlational research
D) naturalistic observation
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77. Researchers use experiments rather than other research methods in order to distinguish
between:
A) facts and theories.
B) causes and effects.
C) case studies and surveys.
D) random samples and representative samples.
78. The most accurate way of assessing the impact of breast milk feedings on the
intellectual development of children is by means of:
A) case studies.
B) surveys.
C) naturalistic observations.
D) experiments.
79. Which research method provides the best way of assessing whether cigarette smoking
boosts mental alertness?
A) the case study
B) the survey
C) naturalistic observation
D) the experiment
80. Prediction is to ________ as explanation is to ________.
A) correlation; experimentation
B) case study; survey
C) random assignment; random sampling
D) independent variable; dependent variable
E) the hindsight bias; false consensus
81. In which type of research would an investigator manipulate one factor in order to
observe its effect on some behavior or mental process?
A) the survey
B) the case study
C) experimentation
D) naturalistic observation
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82. In a test of the effects of sleep deprivation on problem-solving skills, research
participants are allowed to sleep either 4 or 8 hours on each of three consecutive nights.
This research is an example of:
A) naturalistic observation.
B) survey research.
C) a case study.
D) an experiment.
E) correlational research.
83. The most foolproof way of testing the true effectiveness of a newly introduced method
of psychological therapy is by means of:
A) survey research.
B) case study research.
C) naturalistic observation.
D) correlational research.
E) experimental research.
84. Participants in an experiment are said to be “blind” if they are uninformed about:
A) what experimental hypothesis is being tested.
B) whether the experimental findings will be statistically significant.
C) how the dependent variable is measured.
D) which experimental treatment, if any, they are receiving.
85. An inert substance that may be administered instead of a drug to see if it produces any
of the same effects as the drug is called a:
A) placebo.
B) median.
C) case study.
D) replication.
86. In a study of the effects of alcohol consumption, some participants drank a nonalcoholic
beverage that actually smelled and tasted like alcohol. This nonalcoholic drink was a:
A) dependent variable.
B) replication.
C) placebo.
D) random sample.
E) double blind.
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87. The relief of pain following the ingestion of an inert substance that is presumed to have
medicinal benefits illustrates:
A) random assignment.
B) the hindsight bias.
C) the false consensus effect.
D) the placebo effect.
E) illusory correlation.
88. The placebo effect best illustrates the effect of ________ on feelings and behaviors.
A) critical thinking
B) random sampling
C) positive expectations
D) random assignment
89. Both the researchers and the participants in a drug-evaluation study are ignorant about
which participants have actually received an experimental drug and which have received
a placebo. This investigation involves the use of:
A) the false consensus effect.
B) the hindsight bias.
C) random sampling.
D) the double-blind procedure.
E) replication.
90. To minimize the extent to which outcome differences between experimental and control
conditions can be attributed to placebo effects, researchers make use of:
A) random sampling.
B) the double-blind procedure.
C) random assignment.
D) operational definitions.
E) replication.
91. In the control condition of an experiment the:
A) experimenter exerts the greatest influence on participants' behavior.
B) research participants are exposed to all the different experimental treatments.
C) research participants are exposed to the most favorable levels of experimental
treatment.
D) experimental treatment is absent.
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92. In order to study the effects of loud noise on worker productivity, Dr. McDuffee had
one group of research participants work in a noisy room and a second group work in a
quiet room. Those who worked in the quiet room were exposed to the ________
condition.
A) experimental
B) survey
C) control
D) correlational
93. In an experimental study, men with symptoms of impotence received either Viagra or a
placebo. Those who received Viagra participated in the ________ condition.
A) correlational
B) control
C) survey
D) experimental
94. Being randomly assigned to the experimental condition in a research project involves
being assigned:
A) to that condition by chance.
B) to the condition in which participants are representative of people in general.
C) in a fashion that ensures that the independent variable will have a strong effect on
the dependent variable.
D) to the condition in which participants are all very similar in personality
characteristics.
95. To accurately infer cause and effect, experimenters should use:
A) random assignment.
B) naturalistic observation.
C) standard deviations.
D) case studies.
E) scatterplots.
96. To assess the effect of televised violence on aggression, researchers plan to expose one
group of children to violent movie scenes and another group to nonviolent scenes. In
order to reduce the chance that the children in one group have more aggressive
personalities than those in the other group, the researchers should make use of:
A) random assignment.
B) the double-blind procedure.
C) naturalistic observations.
D) operational definitions.
E) replication.
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97. Research participants are randomly assigned to different conditions in an experiment in
order to:
A) reduce the likelihood that participants within any condition know each other.
B) increase the likelihood that research participants are representative of people in
general.
C) reduce the likelihood of any preexisting differences between the groups of
participants assigned to the different conditions.
D) increase the likelihood that the different experimental conditions have the same
number of participants.
98. Correlational evidence suggested that postmenopausal women receiving hormone
replacement therapy had _______ health problems than those not receiving such
treatment. Experimental evidence revealed that women receiving replacement hormones
subsequently experienced ________ health problems than did nontreated women.
A) fewer; fewer
B) more; more
C) fewer; more
D) more; fewer
99. In a psychological experiment, the potentially causal factor that is manipulated by the
investigator is called the ________ variable.
A) dependent
B) independent
C) control
D) experimental
100. In an experimental study of the effects of anxiety on self-esteem, anxiety would be the
________ variable.
A) experimental
B) dependent
C) correlational
D) independent
101. In a psychological experiment, the factor that may be influenced by the manipulated
experimental treatment is called the ________ variable.
A) dependent
B) experimental
C) control
D) independent
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102. In order to assess the influence of self-esteem on interpersonal attraction, researchers
either insulted or complimented college students about their physical appearance just
before they went on a blind date. In this research, the dependent variable consisted of:
A) insults or compliments.
B) physical appearance.
C) interpersonal attraction.
D) feelings of self-esteem.
103. Cause is to effect as ________ is to ________.
A) independent variable; dependent variable
B) correlation; experimentation
C) control condition; experimental condition
D) prediction; explanation
E) observation; replication
104. Greenwald and colleagues observed that students who listened to subliminal tapes
designed to improve self-esteem subsequently demonstrated ________ in their
self-esteem test scores.
A) dramatic improvement
B) moderate improvement
C) no improvement
D) dramatic deterioration
105. Many survey respondents thought it would be more reasonable to observe the reactions
of 1000 individuals receiving an untested drug than to give the drug to only 500 people
and compare their reactions to the other 500 who received no drug. These survey
respondents most clearly failed to recognize the value of:
A) testing a random sample.
B) creating a control condition.
C) replicating others' observations.
D) operationally defining research procedures.
106. When you read a bar graph, it is most important for you to:
A) understand the concept of the false consensus effect.
B) mentally transform the data into a scatterplot.
C) identify the value of the standard deviation.
D) note the range and size of the scale values.
E) remember that correlation facilitates prediction.
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107. The most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores is the:
A) mode.
B) median.
C) standard deviation.
D) mean.
108. In a group of five individuals, two report annual incomes of $10,000, and the other three
report incomes of $14,000, $15,000, and $31,000, respectively. The mode of this
group's distribution of annual incomes is:
A) $10,000.
B) $15,000.
C) $16,000.
D) $31,000.
E) $80,000.
109. The mean of a distribution of scores is the:
A) most frequently occurring score.
B) arithmetic average of all the scores.
C) least frequently occurring score.
D) score exceeded by 50 percent of all the scores.
110. Which measure of central tendency is used to calculate your grade-point average?
A) standard deviation
B) median
C) mean
D) mode
111. Mr. and Mrs. Klostreich have six children aged 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, and 16. The mean age of
the Klostreich children is:
A) 5.
B) 8.
C) 6 1/2.
D) 7.
E) 6.
112. The median of a distribution of scores is the:
A) most frequently occurring score.
B) difference between the highest and lowest scores.
C) arithmetic average of all the scores.
D) score exceeded by 50 percent of all the scores.
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113. During the past year, Zara and Ivan each read 2 books, but George read 9, Ali read 12,
and Marsha read 25. The median number of books read by these individuals was:
A) 2.
B) 50.
C) 10.
D) 12.
E) 9.
114. When a statistical average is reported in the news, it is most important for readers to:
A) determine whether it is statistically significant.
B) consider whether it is distorted by a few extreme cases.
C) be sure that it describes a truly random sample.
D) recognize the potential for illusory correlation.
115. When Mr. Adams calculated his students' algebra test scores, he noticed that two
students had extremely low scores. Which measure of central tendency is affected most
by the scores of these two students?
A) mean
B) standard deviation
C) mode
D) median
E) range
116. The 50th percentile of a skewed distribution of scores cannot be equal to:
A) the mode.
B) the median.
C) the mean.
D) any of the above.
117. The mean of a skewed distribution of scores is always:
A) larger than the mode.
B) smaller than the mode.
C) larger than the median.
D) smaller than the median.
E) larger or smaller than the median.
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118. Seven members of a boys' club reported the following individual earnings from their
sale of cookies: $2, $9, $8, $10, $4, $9, and $7. In this distribution of individual
earnings, the median is ________ the mean and ________ the mode.
A) greater than; greater than
B) less than; less than
C) equal to; equal to
D) greater than; less than
E) less than; greater than
119. Seven members of a Girl Scout troop report the following individual earnings from their
sale of candy: $4, $1, $7, $6, $8, $2, and $7. In this distribution of individual earnings,
the mean is ________ the mode and ________ the median.
A) equal to; equal to
B) less than; equal to
C) equal to; greater than
D) greater than; greater than
E) less than; less than
120. For which of the following distributions of scores would the median most clearly be a
more appropriate measure of central tendency than the mean?
A) 9, 8, 9, 8, 7
B) 10, 22, 8, 9, 6
C) 12, 6, 8, 5, 4
D) 12, 15, 12, 9, 12
E) 23, 7, 3, 27, 16
121. Median is to range as ________ is to ________.
A) frequency distribution; bar graph
B) mean; mode
C) scatterplot; correlation
D) central tendency; variation
122. Central tendency is to variation as ________ is to ________.
A) scatterplot; correlation
B) range; normal curve
C) mean; standard deviation
D) median; mode
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123. The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution is the:
A) mean.
B) range.
C) median.
D) standard deviation.
E) percentile rank.
124. During the last Central High School basketball game, the starting five players scored 11,
7, 21, 14, and 7 points, respectively. For this distribution of scores, the range is:
A) 7.
B) 11.
C) 12.
D) 14.
E) 21.
125. Which measure of variation is affected most by a few extreme scores?
A) mode
B) standard deviation
C) mean
D) median
E) range
126. Which of the following is a measure of the degree of variation among a set of events?
A) mean
B) scatterplot
C) standard deviation
D) normal distribution
E) correlation coefficient
127. Evelyn wants to know how consistent her bowling scores have been during the past
season. Which of the following measures would be most relevant to this specific
concern?
A) mean
B) median
C) scatterplot
D) standard deviation
E) correlation coefficient
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128. The intelligence scores of college students have a ________ standard deviation than
those of high school students and a ________ standard deviation than those of graduate
school students.
A) smaller; smaller
B) smaller; larger
C) larger; smaller
D) larger; larger
129. Statistical reasoning can help us to generalize correctly from a ________ to a ________.
A) range; standard deviation
B) standard deviation; mean
C) sample; population
D) scatterplot; skewed distribution
130. The precision with which a sample average approximates a population average increases
as the ________ of the sample ________.
A) standard deviation; increases
B) standard deviation; decreases
C) mean; increases
D) mean; decreases
131. A sample average can be used to estimate a population average with greater precision if
the sample is:
A) large.
B) a skewed distribution.
C) highly variable.
D) vivid and memorable.
132. Which of the following events is the most probable?
A) flipping 6 or more heads in 10 coin flips
B) flipping 60 or more heads in 100 coin flips
C) flipping 600 or more heads in 1000 coin flips
D) All the above are equally probable.
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133. In a single day, 45 babies were born in hospital X, 65 babies in hospital Y, and 25
babies in hospital Z. At which hospital is there the greatest probability that more than 60
percent of the babies are of the same sex?
A) hospital X
B) hospital Y
C) hospital Z
D) The probability is the same at all three hospitals.
134. As the size of a representative sample increases, the ________ of that sample is most
likely to decrease.
A) range
B) mean
C) standard deviation
D) median
135. Differences between two sample averages are most likely to be statistically significant
if:
A) the samples are large.
B) the standard deviations of the samples are large.
C) both samples are drawn from the same population.
D) the sample means are larger than the sample medians.
136. In order to decide whether observed differences between samples reflect actual
differences between populations, it is necessary to determine the ________ of the
observed differences.
A) mean
B) median
C) standard deviation
D) statistical significance
137. A statistically significant difference between two sample groups is not likely to be:
A) a reflection of differences between the populations they represent.
B) due to chance variation within and between the sample groups.
C) observed more than 5 percent of the time the groups are compared.
D) observed when the two groups are very large.
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138. The artificial and simplified reality of laboratory experiments is most helpful in enabling
psychologists to:
A) predict human behavior in a variety of situations.
B) perceive order in completely random events.
C) develop explanatory theories of everyday behaviors.
D) observe random samples of human conduct.
139. An awareness of extensive cultural differences in attitudes and values is most helpful for
avoiding:
A) replication.
B) random assignment.
C) the hindsight bias.
D) the false consensus effect.
E) operational definitions.
140. Psychological differences between the genders are:
A) of little interest to contemporary psychologists.
B) simply reflections of biological differences between the sexes.
C) no longer evident in contemporary Western societies.
D) of little relevance to real life.
E) far outweighed by gender similarities.
141. Psychologists study animals because:
A) animal behavior is just as complex as human behavior.
B) experiments on people are generally considered to be unethical.
C) the ethical treatment of animals is not mandated by professional guidelines.
D) similar processes often underlie animal and human behavior.
142. Coile and Miller's analysis of animal research published during a five-year period in
American Psychological Association journals revealed that psychologists:
A) shocked animals with extremely painful shocks that caused them to die.
B) allowed animals to die slowly from hunger and thirst.
C) placed animals in isolation chambers until they were driven insane.
D) did all the above.
E) did none of the above.
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143. Animal protection organizations are more likely to support the use of animals in
research involving ________ than in research involving ________.
A) experimentation; replication
B) naturalistic observation; experimentation
C) case studies; naturalistic observation
D) random assignment; case studies
144. In an effort to prevent participants in an experiment from trying to confirm the
researchers' predictions, psychologists sometimes:
A) obtain written promises from participants to respond honestly.
B) treat information about individual participants confidentially.
C) deceive participants about the true purpose of an experiment.
D) allow people to decide for themselves whether they want to participate in an
experiment.
145. The American Psychological Association and British Psychological Society have
developed ethical principles urging investigators to:
A) avoid the use of monetary incentives in recruiting people to participate in research.
B) forewarn potential research participants of the exact hypotheses that the research
will test.
C) avoid the manipulation of independent variables in research involving human
participants.
D) explain the research to the participants after the study has been completed.
146. Psychologists' personal values and goals:
A) are carefully tested by means of observation and experimentation.
B) lead them to avoid experiments involving human participants.
C) can bias their observations and interpretations.
D) have very little influence on the process of scientific observation.
147. The study of psychology is potentially dangerous because:
A) psychological knowledge can be used for destructive purposes.
B) psychologists generally believe that people are not personally responsible for their
actions.
C) psychological research necessitates performing stressful experiments on people.
D) people are highly suggestible and can be easily manipulated.
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148. The postmodernist viewpoint suggests that science:
A) leads to increasingly closer approximations of objective truth.
B) has very little influence in contemporary culture.
C) provides the best approach for making moral and legal decisions.
D) is a reflection of cultural assumptions and personal values.
149. Compared to the general adult population of the United States, those who are legally
eligible to serve as jurors in capital punishment cases are ________ likely to be
minorities and ________ likely to be women.
A) less; more
B) more; less
C) more; more
D) less; less
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