ASPPB Research Methods & Psychological Foundations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Pavlov's discovery that a neutral stimulus can elicit a conditioned response after repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus best illustrates:
- Operant conditioning
- Classical conditioning (Correct answer)
- Observational learning
- Insight learning
Correct answer: Classical conditioning
Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning involves pairing a neutral conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus until the conditioned stimulus alone elicits the response.
Question 2: The concept of 'regression to the mean' is most relevant when interpreting:
- Pre-test scores of extreme performers on a retest (Correct answer)
- The direction of a statistically significant interaction
- Between-subjects variance in a factorial ANOVA
- The effect size of a meta-analysis
Correct answer: Pre-test scores of extreme performers on a retest
Regression to the mean predicts that individuals who score at extremes on one assessment tend to score closer to the group mean on a subsequent assessment.
Question 3: Which of the following is a key assumption of parametric tests such as the independent-samples t-test?
- Ordinal level of measurement
- Homogeneity of variance across groups (Correct answer)
- Non-normal population distributions
- Dependent observations within groups
Correct answer: Homogeneity of variance across groups
The independent-samples t-test assumes homogeneity of variance (equal population variances) across the groups being compared.
Question 4: A researcher uses a double-blind procedure in a drug efficacy study. This controls for:
- Maturation and history threats
- Placebo effects and experimenter expectancy bias (Correct answer)
- Attrition and mortality in the sample
- Multicollinearity among predictors
Correct answer: Placebo effects and experimenter expectancy bias
Double-blind procedures prevent both participants and researchers from knowing group assignments, controlling placebo effects and experimenter bias.
Question 5: In Erikson's theory, the central conflict of young adulthood (approximately ages 20–40) is:
- Identity vs. role confusion
- Intimacy vs. isolation (Correct answer)
- Generativity vs. stagnation
- Industry vs. inferiority
Correct answer: Intimacy vs. isolation
Erikson identified intimacy vs. isolation as the core psychosocial crisis of young adulthood, focused on forming close relationships.
Question 6: A meta-analysis that includes only published studies may suffer from:
- Lack of statistical power
- Publication bias favoring significant results (Correct answer)
- Over-inclusion of qualitative data
- Inadequate inter-rater reliability
Correct answer: Publication bias favoring significant results
Publication bias occurs because journals preferentially publish significant findings, causing meta-analyses restricted to published work to overestimate effect sizes.
Question 7: Chronbach's alpha is a measure of:
- Test-retest reliability
- Parallel-forms reliability
- Internal consistency reliability (Correct answer)
- Inter-rater reliability
Correct answer: Internal consistency reliability
Cronbach's alpha estimates internal consistency by assessing the average correlation among items within a scale.
ASPPB Research Methods & Psychological Foundations 3
Pavlov's discovery that a neutral stimulus can elicit a conditioned response after repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus best illustrates: