Research methods in psychology worksheet with answers

Selecting every 10th name from a list of the population is an example of:

1. AStratified sampling
2. BOpportunity sampling
3. CSnowball sampling
4. DSystematic sampling

Which sampling method selects people who happen to be available at the time, such as students in a canteen?

1. ARandom sampling
2. BStratified sampling
3. CSystematic sampling
4. DOpportunity sampling

In research ethics, debriefing means:

1. APaying participants for their time
2. BExplaining the true aims of the study to participants after they take part
3. CRemoving names from the data
4. DAsking participants for informed consent before the study begins and explaining the procedure

Which test is suitable for comparing the means of two independent groups with interval data that are roughly normal?

1. AWilcoxon signed-rank test
2. BIndependent samples t-test
3. CPearson correlation
4. DChi-square test

Why are behaviour categories in an observation operationalised before data collection?

1. ASo observers record the same behaviours consistently, improving reliability
2. BSo the hypothesis can be changed after the data are seen
3. CSo the observation becomes an experiment
4. DSo participants know exactly what is being recorded

A test is so easy that almost all participants score near the maximum. This is called:

1. AA practice effect
2. BA ceiling effect
3. CAn order effect
4. DA floor effect

In Milgram's obedience studies, participants believed they were giving real electric shocks. Which ethical issue is most directly raised, and how was it partly addressed?

1. AUse of children, addressed by parental consent
2. BLack of confidentiality, addressed by publishing names
3. CDeception and potential distress, addressed by a thorough debriefing
4. DLack of a control group, addressed by randomly allocating participants to conditions

Exercise reduces depression, and the effect occurs because exercise improves sleep, which in turn lowers depression. Sleep is best described as a:

1. AExtraneous variable
2. BModerator
3. CControl variable
4. DMediator