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Example Questions
Example Question #1521 : Ap Psychology
Which of the following best describes the conclusions of Harlow’s famous experiment with rhesus monkeys separated from their mothers at birth?
Monkeys often rose to an alpha position when exposed to other normally-reared monkeys
Monkeys socialized only with humans and completely ignored other monkeys
Monkeys were excellent mothers who attentively nursed and otherwise cared for their young
Monkeys exhibited bizarre and infantile sexual postures
Monkeys exhibited bizarre and infantile sexual postures
In the 1950s and 1960s, Harry Harlow separated rhesus monkeys from their mothers very shortly after birth and put them in an environment where they only had access to inanimate “surrogate mothers.” One available “mother” was made of rough wire and the other was made of soft terry cloth; however, only the wire “mother” dispensed milk. The researchers found that while the monkeys fed from the wire “mother,” they spent far more time clinging to the cloth “mother.” This revealed that attachment is not solely related to the parent’s ability to provide food. In adult life, the monkeys were incredibly damaged by this experience. They could not show or respond to natural sexual postures with other monkeys and eventually were aloof—and sometimes abusive—parents.
Example Question #1522 : Ap Psychology
What is the objective for selecting a sample out of the population?
To achieve a large sample
To achieve a random sample
To achieve a small, random sample
To achieve a representative sample
To achieve a fully formed sample
To achieve a representative sample
The ideal sample that is chosen out of a population is a representative sample, which means that the makeup of the sample generally matches the makeup of the population. The sample is often chosen through the process of random sampling, but the sample itself is not random. Also, increasing the size of the sample increases the chance that it will be representative but a large sample is not the goal of picking the sample.
Example Question #1523 : Ap Psychology
What is the main benefit of choosing a large sample for a study (as opposed to a smaller one)?
It is less time consuming
It is guaranteed to be representative of the population
It is less difficult to coordinate
It is less costly
It is more likely to be representative of the population
It is more likely to be representative of the population
The ideal sample that is chosen out of a population is a representative sample, which means that the makeup of the sample generally matches the makeup of the population. The main benefit of choosing a larger sample is that it is more likely to be representative of the population; however, unless the sample includes the entire population (which it rarely, rarely does), it does not guarantee that it will be representative. However, larger samples are often more time consuming, harder to coordinate, and more costly, so those drawbacks have to be balanced.
Example Question #1524 : Ap Psychology
What is the main difference between laboratory experiments and field experiments?
Laboratory experiments are conducted in the real world and field experiments are conducted in the lab
Field experiments are more easily controlled
Laboratory and field experiments differ based on the number of subjects
Laboratory experiments are conducted in the lab and field experiments are conducted in the real world
Laboratory experiments are more realistic
Laboratory experiments are conducted in the lab and field experiments are conducted in the real world
The difference between laboratory experiments and field experiments is not the number of subjects, but the place where they are conducted-the lab or the outside world. Lab experiments are more easily controlled whereas field experiments are more realistic.
Example Question #1525 : Ap Psychology
A researcher wants to run a study to find out whether people who drink water are happier than people who drink soda. She happens to know which subjects are assigned water and which are assigned soda and therefore subconsciously treats the water subjects nicer. If those nicer-treated water subjects are then found to be happier, which experimental error is this?
Confounding Variable
Experimenter Bias
Placebo Effect
Participant Bias
Order Effects
Experimenter Bias
Experimenter bias is when the experimenter affects the results of their own study because of their expectations.
Confounding variable is when a variable besides the IV affects the DV in a systematic way that makes it hard to tell what the IV’s effect is on the DV.
Participant bias is when the participant accidentally affects the results of the study by doing or saying what they think the experimenter wants them to do or say rather than what they naturally would.
The placebo effect occurs when a participant does not have the treatment but has effects from believing that they had the treatment.
Order effects occur when the order of the tasks in a study affects the outcomes.
Example Question #1526 : Ap Psychology
A researcher wants to run a study to figure out whether people who drink water are happier than people who drink soda. If a subject who gets water believes that people who drink water are happier and therefore acts happier, which experimental error is this?
Order Effects
Confounding Variable
Participant Bias
Placebo Effect
Experimenter Bias
Participant Bias
Participant bias is when the participant accidentally affects the results of the study by doing or saying what they think the experimenter wants them to do or say rather than what they naturally would.
Experimenter bias is when the experimenter affects the results of their own study because of their expectations.
A confounding variable is a variable besides the IV affects the DV in a systematic way that makes it hard to tell what the IV’s effect is on the DV.
The placebo effect occurs when a participant does not have the treatment but has effects from believing that they had the treatment.
Order effects occur when the order of the tasks in a study affects the outcomes.
Example Question #1527 : Ap Psychology
A researcher wants to run a study to figure out whether people who drink water are happier than people who drink soda. When the drinks are given to the subjects, all the water is put in blue cups and all the soda is put in red cups. What kind of experimental error is the change in color?
Confounding Variable
Order Effects
Participant Bias
Experimenter Bias
Placebo Effects
Confounding Variable
A confounding variable is a variable besides the IV affects the DV in a systematic way that makes it hard to tell what the IV’s effect is on the DV.
Participant bias is when the participant accidentally affects the results of the study by doing or saying what they think the experimenter wants them to do or say rather than what they naturally would.
Experimenter bias is when the experimenter affects the results of their own study because of their expectations.
The placebo effect occurs when a participant does not have the treatment but has effects from believing that they had the treatment.
Order effects occur when the order of the tasks in a study affects the outcomes.
Example Question #1528 : Ap Psychology
A researcher wants to run a study to figure out whether people who drink water are happier than people who drink soda. In order to figure this out, the researcher tests the happiness of the subjects, has them do a long puzzle to distract them, has them drink either the water or the soda, and then tests their happiness again. If the subjects' happiness goes down because they did the puzzle in between the two happiness tests, what kind of experimental error is this?
Placebo Effect
Experimenter Bias
Order Effects
Participant Bias
Confounding Variable
Order Effects
Order effects occur when the order of the tasks in a study affects the outcomes.
A confounding variable is a variable besides the IV affects the DV in a systematic way that makes it hard to tell what the IV’s effect is on the DV.
Participant bias is when the participant accidentally affects the results of the study by doing or saying what they think the experimenter wants them to do or say rather than what they naturally would.
Experimenter bias is when the experimenter affects the results of their own study because of their expectations.
The placebo effect occurs when a participant does not have the treatment but has effects from believing that they had the treatment.
Example Question #1529 : Ap Psychology
A researcher wants to run a study to figure out whether people who drink water are happier than people who drink soda. If some of the subjects are led to believe that they drank something (when they didn't) and their happiness changes, what experimental error is this an example of?
Experimenter Bias
Confounding Variable
Participant Effect
Order Effects
Placebo Effect
Placebo Effect
The placebo effect occurs when a participant does not have the treatment but has effects from believing that they had the treatment.
Order effects occur when the order of the tasks in a study affects the outcomes.
A confounding variable is a variable besides the IV affects the DV in a systematic way that makes it hard to tell what the IV’s effect is on the DV.
Participant bias is when the participant accidentally affects the results of the study by doing or saying what they think the experimenter wants them to do or say rather than what they naturally would.
Experimenter bias is when the experimenter affects the results of their own study because of their expectations.
Example Question #1530 : Ap Psychology
What is the experimental design term for a study in which the subjects do not know whether they belong to the experimental or control group?
Correlation
Control
Counterbalancing
Double Blind
Single Blind
Single Blind
A single blind experiment is when the subjects do not know all of the information about the study while it is occurring, especially which group (experimental or control) they belong to.
A double blind experiment is when neither the experimenter nor the subjects know which subjects are in the experimental and which are in the control group.
Counterbalancing is when different sets of participants get all of the conditions of the study in different orders so that order effects are accounted for.
Control is the way that experimenters try to minimize the effects of any other variables besides the IV and DV.
Correlation is a number that describes the relationship between two variables.
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