Chapter 2 Quiz
The Research Enterprise in
Psychology
Don’t forget to write your answers on a
separate piece of paper to grade when you’re
done!
1. Organized sets of concepts that explain
phenomena are
a) independent variables
b) dependent variables
c) hypotheses
d) theories
2. “Students will be able to read a statement
printed in the Comic Sans font faster than the
same statement written in the Lucida
Calligraphy font.”
The previous statement is a(n)
a) hypothesis
b) theory
c) replication
d) operational definition
3. A theory is
a) a tentative statement about the
relationship between two or more variables
b) a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a
set of observations
c) a statement of research results that have been
proven to be correct
d) a preliminary proposal that has yet to be tested
4. Theoretically, random assignment should
eliminate
a) sampling error
b) the need to use statistics
c) concerns over validity
d) many confounding variables
5. When subjects in the experimental group put a
puzzle piece in the wrong place, the experimenter
unconsciously winced. The experimenter did not
wince when subjects in the control group put a piece
in the wrong place.
The wincing of the experimenter must be eliminated
because it is
a) fraudulent
b) a demand characteristic
c) a confabulation
d) a confounding variable
6. The two basic types of statistics are
a) descriptive and inferential
b) central tendency and variability
c) sampling and correlative
d) parametric and nonparametric
7. Of the following, which research method is
most effective for studying unusually complex
or rare phenomena?
a) controlled experiment
b) surveys
c) naturalistic observation
d) case study
8. Of the following, which research method
would be most appropriate for investigating
the relationship between political party
membership and attitude toward the death
penalty?
a) controlled experiment
b) naturalistic observation
c) test
d) survey
9. Of the following, the strongest positive
correlation would most likely be shown
between
a) an adult’s weight and running speed
b) close friendships and happiness
c) sense of humor and years of education
d) visual acuity and salary
10. John wants to study the effects of alcohol on the
behavior of college students. For his study, he spends
5 hours every night for 2 weeks at a bar near a
college watching how the patrons act before and after
drinking alcoholic beverages. The research method
John is employing is a
a) controlled experiment
b) survey
c) test
d) naturalistic observation
11. What is the median of the following
distribution: 6, 2, 9, 4, 7, 3?
a) 4
b) 5
c) 5.5
d) 6
12. Of the following, the correlation coefficient
that indicates the strongest relationship
between the two variables being measured is
a) +0.65
b) -0.89
c) 0.00
d) +3.45
13. Inferential statistics help us determine
whether ________ played a role in an
experiment
a) chance
b) a dependent variable
c) a normal distribution
d) genetics
14. Placebo effects occur when
a) the sample is not representative of the
population
b) two variables are confounded
c) subjects are influenced by the social
desirability bias
d) due to their expectations, subjects
experience some change from a
nonexistent or ineffective treatment
15. Which set of concepts is NOT a closely
related set?
a) mean, median, mode
b) method, results, discussion
c) experiment, independent variable,
control group
d) correlation, sample, journal
Chapter 2 Answer Key
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. D
5. D
6. A
7. D
8. D
9. B
10. D
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
B
B
A
D
D
Essay Question Possibilities!!

One of the following essay questions will
appear on your test, be familiar with all of
them!!
Essay Question # 1

Design a simple experiment to investigate the
effects of television violence on children’s
aggressive behavior, being sure to identify the
independent and dependent variables, and the
experimental and control groups.
Essay Question # 2

Design a simple descriptive/correlational study
to investigate the relationship between
television violence and children’s aggressive
behavior.
Essay Question # 3

What are the relative weaknesses and strengths
of descriptive/correlational research as
opposed to experimental research? Under
what conditions would a psychologist choose
one method as opposed to the other?
Essay Question # 4

What is the difference between a positive and a
negative correlation? List some specific
variables that you predict would be positively
correlated, and variables that would be
negatively correlated, with alcohol
consumption by college students.
Essay Question # 5

How do you feel about the use of animals as
research subjects in psychological studies?
Back up your position with evidence.
Good Luck!

Make sure to double check all of your answers
and study them for the upcoming exam.
Remember, AT LEAST FIVE of the questions
from this quiz will make some sort of
appearance on the chapter test along with one
of the essay questions.

Take advantage of this study guide and good
luck on your test!