Free Research Methods and Statistics MCQs with Answers

• A. Open and closed ended questions
• B. Validity
• C. Diagnostic interview
• D. Crisis interview

Explanation: Open-ended questions invite a detailed response, while closed-ended questions restrict the response to specific choices or brief answers…

• A. the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables
• B. the effects of the observer on the observed
• C. cause-effect relationships
• D. the relationship between two events

Explanation: Correlation measures whether two variables or events vary together, without establishing that one causes the other.

• A. anecdotal definition
• B. controlled observation
• C. analysis formulation
• D. adherence to inductive thinking or common sense reasoning

Explanation: Controlled observation is a characteristic of the scientific method because it allows behaviour to be recorded systematically while…

• A. uses the "real world" as a laboratory
• B. tests a field or "range" of independent variables
• C. differs little from naturalistic observation
• D. requires no measurement of dependent variables

Explanation: A field experiment manipulates variables in a natural, real-world setting rather than in a laboratory.

• A. tentative
• B. testable
• C. based on theory
• D. novel

Explanation: A proposed explanation of behaviour must be testable so that evidence can support or contradict it.

• A. dependent variable
• B. independent variable
• C. extraneous variables
• D. replication variables

Explanation: The independent variable is the factor deliberately changed by the researcher, so it is the only intended difference between the…

• A. measure of the extent of the relationship between two variables
• B. index of the causal direction between an independent and dependent variable
• C. indication of the likelihood that an experimental finding will be replicated by others
• D. measure of the likelihood that observed differences may be attributed to chance

Explanation: A correlation coefficient describes the strength and direction of association between two variables, not causation.

• A. experimental control
• B. a hypothesis
• C. an experimental variables
• D. a theory

Explanation: A hypothesis is a tentative, testable prediction about what may control or explain behaviour.

• A. accurate calculation of correlations
• B. obtaining direct reports from subjects about their subjective experiences
• C. careful measurement and record keeping
• D. using control to identify cause-and effect connections

Explanation: The defining feature of an experiment is control, especially manipulating an independent variable while controlling alternatives, so…

• A. clinical study
• B. experimental
• C. survey
• D. correlational

Explanation: An experiment is needed to test whether changing exposure to a reinforcer causes performance to increase.

• A. Interview people to get their opinions
• B. Correlate news paper accounts and the types of beverages consumed
• C. test the idea by conducting an experiment
• D. research what other experts had thought

Explanation: Correlating records of beverage consumption with reports of aggressive behaviour can reveal whether the two variables are related…

• A. survey method
• B. psychoanalytic method
• C. natural experiment or case study
• D. clinical method

Explanation: Surveys use a sample to estimate the attitudes or behaviours of a larger population, so the sample must represent that population.

• A. experimental method
• B. case study method
• C. naturalistic observation method
• D. survey method

Explanation: A case study is suited to examining unusual or naturally occurring cases, such as how a particular brain injury affects personality.

• A. strong positive correlation
• B. strong negative correlation
• C. cause/effect relationship
• D. error in computation

Explanation: A correlation coefficient can range only from -1.00 to +1.00, so -1.09 cannot be a real correlation and indicates a computational or…

• A. there are few subjects for which it is applicable
• B. there are no control groups
• C. it is not applicable to the study of bizarre behavior
• D. it requires a large and expensive sample size

Explanation: Case studies examine an individual or a small unit in depth but generally lack a control group for comparison.

• A. 0.08
• B. -0.29
• C. 0.48
• D. -1.00Try Prep Courses

Explanation: The strength of a correlation is judged by its absolute value, or distance from zero.

• A. counteract the random assignment of subjects
• B. counteract the side effect of the drug
• C. control for the effects of suggestion and expectation
• D. keep control subjects from knowing they have been given the drug

Explanation: A placebo controls for changes caused by participants' expectations and suggestions rather than by the drug's active ingredients.

• A. rely only on naturalistic observations
• B. guide research for future studies
• C. rely only on surveys
• D. rely only on case studies

Explanation: A theory organizes findings and generates predictions, while also directing researchers toward new questions and studies.

• A. they show a strong positive correlation
• B. all extraneous variables are controlled and the independent variable creates consistent differences in behavior of the experimental group
• C. they are observed to co-vary on many separate occasions
• D. they have been observed in a laboratory settingBook Online Therapy

Explanation: Causation requires more than correlation: the independent variable must produce consistent differences while alternative explanations are…

• A. observer bias
• B. the experimenter effect
• C. the effects of the observer
• D. the halo effect

Explanation: Observer bias occurs when an observer notices or interprets behavior in line with prior expectations.