Cognitive Psychology Research Methods
Study Guide Questions
Course Introduction
Cognitive Psychology Research Methods provides an in-depth exploration of the techniques and principles used to investigate mental processes such as perception, memory, attention, language, and problem solving. The course covers experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, and the ethical considerations unique to cognitive research. Emphasis is placed on both classic and contemporary methodologies, including laboratory experiments, neuroimaging, psychophysics, and computational modeling. Students will gain practical experience in designing and conducting studies, as well as critically evaluating published research, preparing them for advanced work in cognitive science and related fields.
Recommended Textbook
Research In Psychology Methods and Design 7th Edition by C. James Goodwin
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
12 Chapters
993 Verified Questions
993 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3896 Page 2
Chapter 1: Scientific Thinking in Psychology
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77580
Sample Questions
Q1) The method of introspection was gradually replaced by behavioral methods because
A) the latter were more objective
B) the latter yielded more in depth descriptions of one's personal experience
C) introspection required considerable training but no training is required to use behavioral methods
D) behavioral methods allowed a closer examination of mental processes
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following is not an important factor when determining that X is causing Y to occur?
A) X and Y covary
B) X and Y should occur simultaneously
C) alternative explanations for Y can be ruled out
D) variation in X produces predictable variation in Y
Answer: B
Q3) B. F. Skinner first uncovered evidence of extinction in his laboratory when
A) he repeated Pavlov's famous experiments (i.e., followed authority)
B) he reasoned that an absence of reinforcement would eliminate a behavior
C) his apparatus malfunctioned
D) he forgot to feed his animals
Answer: C
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: Ethics in Psychological Research
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77579
Sample Questions
Q1) Concerning the assignment of risk, where would you place the participants in Milgram's experiment?
A) at minimal risk
B) at risk
C) experiencing no risk
D) none of the above
Answer: B
Q2) Which of the following is true about an IRB?
A) its membership includes nonscientists
B) it always judges the methodological soundness of studies
C) its approval is not needed for research completed outside a laboratory
D) its decisions can be appealed to the APA ethics board
Answer: A
Q3) ___________ can occur even if a person, when writing a paper, merely paraphrases the words of another person.
Answer: plagiarism
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Developing Ideas for Research in Psychology
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
83 Verified Questions
83 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77578
Sample Questions
Q1) If variables are poorly defined and procedures aren't clearly spelled out by a particular investigator, it will be difficult for another researcher to ___________ the study.
Answer: replicate
Q2) A researcher uses some of the same procedures in her method as in a previous study, but she adds a new variable to be tested. What has she done?
A) engaged in data falsification
B) did an exact replication of the previous study
C) partially replicated the previous study
D) created serendipity in her study
Answer: C
Q3) Hypotheses are derived from theories through the process of A) induction
B) deduction
C) falsification
D) parsimony
Answer: B
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 5
Chapter 4: Measurement, Sampling, and Data Analysis
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
86 Verified Questions
86 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77577
Sample Questions
Q1) A Type I error occurs when the researcher
A) rejects Ho, but Ho is true
B) rejects Ho, but Ho is false
C) fails to reject Ho, but Ho is true
D) fails to reject Ho, but Ho is false
Q2) Define reliability and explain why it is important for behavioral measures to be reliable.
Q3) What is accomplished by a meta-analysis?
A) this analysis determines the probability of making both type I and type II errors
B) this is the statistical technique used to measure power
C) this is the term used to describe the complete statistical analysis of data-both the descriptive and the inferential analyses
D) this is a statistical procedure that combines effect sizes of several studies
Q4) Normally, which of the following outcomes is most desired by the researcher?
A) reject Ho; Ho is true
B) reject Ho; Ho is false
C) fail to reject Ho; Ho is true
D) fail to reject Ho; Ho is false
Q5) Give an example of each of the four types of measurement scales.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Introduction to Experimental Research
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77576
Sample Questions
Q1) The major threat to internal validity that occurs in studies that last for a significant period of time (e.g., five years) is
A) regression
B) maturation
C) attrition
D) selection
Q2) Describe both the ethical and methodological problems with Brady's "ulcers in executive monkeys" study.
Q3) Experimental group is to control group as ________ is to _______.
A) independent variable; dependent variable
B) dependent variable; independent variable
C) untreated; treated
D) treated; untreated
Q4) Explain why selection effects can cause problems for researchers and explain how selection can interact with other threats to internal validity.
Q5) If a study lasts for an appreciable period of time, participants might learn new things or grow wiser in some way, thereby producing a threat to internal validity known as
Q6) How can a researcher be sure that a study has statistical conclusion validity?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: Control Problems in Experimental Research
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
88 Verified Questions
88 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77575
Sample Questions
Q1) Hagemann, Strauss, and Leißing studied the effects of the color of clothing (red versus blue) in referees' judgments of tae kwan do ability. Referees viewed two sets of 11 videos in random order, and each set was counterbalanced. In effect, Hagemann accomplished
A) complete counterbalancing
B) block randomization
C) both a and b
D) none of the above
Q2) In between-subject designs,
A) each subject participates in at least two levels of the independent variable
B) relatively small numbers of participants usually need to be recruited
C) blocked random assignment can be used as a way for forming equivalent groups
D) block randomization can be used as a method of counterbalancing
Q3) A within-subjects design
A) is also known as a repeated-measures design
B) must deal with the problem of equivalent groups
C) includes a minimum of two independent variables
D) must include a subject variable
Q4) Attrition can be a problem for developmental psychologists who do
research.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Experimental Design 1: Single Factor Designs
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77574
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following studies used a single-factor, repeated-measures design?
A) Kroeger et al.'s study, which evaluated the effects of a social skills program for autism
B) the study by Kasser and Sheldon, which compared groups writing two kinds of essays
C) Lee and Aronson's study comparing the effects of having a room move forward or backward
D) the study by McDonald and Flanagan, which examined the effects of traumatic brain injury
Q2) In a study on the effects of caffeine on reaction time, one group of participants ingests two cups of coffee before being tested. A second group takes four cups, and a third group takes eight cups. Before the study, participants are asked about the average number of cups they drink per day and that information is used when assigning participants to groups. What is the design?
A) multilevel, matched groups
B) independent groups, single factor
C) repeated measures, multilevel
D) multilevel, nonequivalent groups
Q3) Multilevel designs enable the researcher to discover ______ effects.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Chapter 8: Experimental Design II: Factorial Designs
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77573
Sample Questions
Q1) A study by Shute compared students who scored high or low on a measure of their tendency to be "exploratory." Half of each group then learned about electricity through a "rule-application" strategy, while the other half learned through a "rule-induction" strategy. Which of the following was true?
A) this is a 2x2 mixed design
B) she was predicted a main effect for strategy type
C) the study includes a subject variable and a manipulated variable
D) this is an independent groups design
Q2) A mixed factorial design has
A) at least one between-subjects factor and at least one within-subjects factor
B) at least one manipulated factor and at least one subject variable
C) both males and females serving as subjects
D) both two-level and multilevel factors operating
Q3) If a study is a P x E factorial design, it could also be a
A) single-factor multilevel design
B) nonequivalent groups factorial design
C) independent groups factorial design
D) a mixed factorial design
Q4) What is the basic difference between a mixed factorial design and a PxE factorial design?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Correlational Research
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
86 Verified Questions
86 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77572
Sample Questions
Q1) Use Eron's study on TV violence and aggression to show how both the directionality problem and the third variable problem can be solved.
Q2) Multiple regression involves
A) one bivariate procedure and two multivariate procedures
B) one criterion variable and two or more predictor variables
C) one predictor variable and two or more criterion variables
D) performing a bivariate regression procedure several times
Q3) The correlation between verbal SAT scores (maximum score = 800) and freshman GPA will be lowest at a school
A) with an open enrollment policy
B) that only accepts students with a minimum of 400 on the verbal SAT
C) that only accepts students with a minimum of 500 on the verbal SAT
D) that only accepts students with a minimum of 600 on the verbal SAT
Q4) In order for a Pearson's r to reflect a meaningful relationship, which of the following must be true?
A) the relationship must be linear
B) the relationship must be nonlinear
C) the relationship must be inverse
D) the relationship must be a positive one
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 10: Quasi-Experimental Designs Applied Research
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
93 Verified Questions
93 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77571
Sample Questions
Q1) __________ often includes a survey of people who will be affected by the program in question.
Q2) What is the advantage of doing a formative evaluation?
A) it enables the agency to decide whether or not to implement the program
B) it allows program changes to be made before it is too late
C) it allows the researcher to complete an experimental study instead of a quasi-experimental study
D) it allows for a final "formed" evaluation of the success or failure of the program
Q3) In a nonequivalent control group study,
A) the experiment group gets a pretest, then the experimental treatment, then a posttest
B) subjects have to be assigned to the control group by means of a matching procedure
C) to interpret the results, the pretest scores have to be identical for the two groups
D) random assignment can be used if sample size is large enough
Q4) What is a nonequivalent control group design and how does it differ from a simple nonequivalent groups design?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 12
Chapter 11: Small N Designs
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
84 Verified Questions
84 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77570
Sample Questions
Q1) According to Skinner's experimental analysis of behavior,
A) the goal is to identify the stimuli that cause each of our behaviors to occur
B) it is important to study both how often a behavior occurs and how quickly it occurs
C) the consequences of behavior determine the future probability of the behavior occurring again
D) behaviors that lead to rewards do not have to be learned - they are innate
Q2) Describe the basic logic behind the use of a withdrawal design, and explain why an A-B-A-B design is preferred over an A-B-A design.
Q3) Early research on visual discrimination learning, in which data from many subjects were averaged, supported which theory of discrimination learning?
A) discrimination learning occurs when children hit upon the correct hypothesis
B) discrimination learning occurs in a noncontinuous fashion
C) discrimination learning results from a gradual accumulation of habit strength
D) discrimination learning is essentially insight learning
Q4) In operant conditioning research, rate of response is measured by means of a(n)
Q5) An A-B-A and an A-B-A-B are both examples of ________ designs.
Q6) Describe the three basic varieties of the multiple baseline design.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 12: Descriptive Research Methods
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
83 Verified Questions
83 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/77569
Sample Questions
Q1) In an study of chimpanzees by Boesch-Achermann and Boesch, parents were observed teaching their offspring how to use tools. What does this finding illustrate about observational research?
A) it can call into question previously held beliefs (i.e., that such teaching does not occur)
B) that it can be used to identify the causes of behavior
C) that when studying animals, subject reactivity is a serious problem
D) that animals can learn from humans
Q2) On a survey, subjects sometimes respond the way they think they should respond, rather than in terms of how they truly feel; that is, they show a(n) _______ bias.
Q3) Which of the following is true of observational research?
A) if done carefully, cause and effect conclusions can be drawn
B) subject reactivity is seldom a problem
C) results can support a theory, but cannot serve to raise questions about a theory
D) the descriptive information can provide hypotheses for more controlled studies
Q4) What is meant by nonresponse bias and how can it affect the interpretation of survey data?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 14