Psychology Assignment
ASSIGNMENT ONE – SPRING 2013
What is the best research method to answer the following questions (items 1 - 8)?
1. What would lead a person to murder more than 20 children and adults at a school?
ANSWER: Case study method.
2-3. How many drivers exceed the speed limit on the interstate on a typical weekday? (Note: We could use several methods to answer this question. Select the best method and explain why it is the best method.)
ANSWER: Naturalistic observation is the best method because the best way to obtain this figure is to count the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit without intervening.
4. Does the color of a car (red) cause it to be ticketed for speeding more often than cars of other colors (e.g., white, black, tan, etc.)? (a little tricky, so be careful)
ANSWER: Qualitative research method.
5. Does a college basketball teams’ winning percentage cause total attendance to increase at their home games?
ANSWER: Correlation research method.
6. What is the relation between class size and the average grade students earn in classes?
ANSWER: Experimental research method.6
7. How many people are taking a new antidepressant drug called Upmood?
ANSWER: Survey research method.
8. How do voters feel about “negative” political ads?
ANSWER: Survey research method.
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9. Denise signs up for medical research on effectiveness of a new anti-depressant drug, Blueslift. After the six-month study, the researcher tells her that she was in the “control group.” What term will the researcher use for the pill Denise took each day for six months?
ANSWER: placebo
10. College XYZ wants to collect information from students concerning a plus/minus grading system (the college administration wants to add minus grades to the plus values it already uses). One member of the faculty committee suggests surveying students in
What is the best research method to answer the following questions (items 1 - 8)?
1. What would lead a person to murder more than 20 children and adults at a school?
ANSWER: Case study method.
2-3. How many drivers exceed the speed limit on the interstate on a typical weekday? (Note: We could use several methods to answer this question. Select the best method and explain why it is the best method.)
ANSWER: Naturalistic observation is the best method because the best way to obtain this figure is to count the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit without intervening.
4. Does the color of a car (red) cause it to be ticketed for speeding more often than cars of other colors (e.g., white, black, tan, etc.)? (a little tricky, so be careful)
ANSWER: Qualitative research method.
5. Does a college basketball teams’ winning percentage cause total attendance to increase at their home games?
ANSWER: Correlation research method.
6. What is the relation between class size and the average grade students earn in classes?
ANSWER: Experimental research method.6
7. How many people are taking a new antidepressant drug called Upmood?
ANSWER: Survey research method.
8. How do voters feel about “negative” political ads?
ANSWER: Survey research method.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Denise signs up for medical research on effectiveness of a new anti-depressant drug, Blueslift. After the six-month study, the researcher tells her that she was in the “control group.” What term will the researcher use for the pill Denise took each day for six months?
ANSWER: placebo
10. College XYZ wants to collect information from students concerning a plus/minus grading system (the college administration wants to add minus grades to the plus values it already uses). One member of the faculty committee suggests surveying students in