LSP Research Methods & Psychological Theories 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher uses a single group of participants measured before and after an intervention with no control group. This design is called a:
- Randomized controlled trial
- Pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design (Correct answer)
- Quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design
- Solomon four-group design
Correct answer: Pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design
A one-group pretest-posttest design lacks a control group, making it pre-experimental and vulnerable to many threats to internal validity.
Question 2: According to Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory, the central conflict during adolescence is:
- Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
- Identity vs. role confusion (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. isolation
- Generativity vs. stagnation
Correct answer: Identity vs. role confusion
Erikson identified identity vs. role confusion as the core crisis of adolescence, during which individuals explore roles and develop a sense of self.
Question 3: In factor analysis, the proportion of a variable's variance explained by the common factors is called:
- Eigenvalue
- Factor loading
- Communality (Correct answer)
- Scree slope
Correct answer: Communality
Communality refers to the proportion of a variable's total variance that is accounted for by the extracted common factors.
Question 4: Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable feelings to another person?
- Rationalization
- Reaction formation
- Projection (Correct answer)
- Displacement
Correct answer: Projection
Projection is the unconscious attribution of one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or impulses onto another person.
Question 5: A study finds r = 0.50 between stress and illness. What percentage of variance in illness is explained by stress?
- 50%
- 25% (Correct answer)
- 70.7%
- 5%
Correct answer: 25%
The coefficient of determination (r²) equals 0.50² = 0.25, meaning stress explains 25% of the variance in illness.
Question 6: Skinner's operant conditioning differs from Pavlov's classical conditioning primarily in that operant conditioning involves:
- Involuntary reflexive responses
- Stimulus substitution
- Behavior controlled by its consequences (Correct answer)
- Repeated pairing of CS and US
Correct answer: Behavior controlled by its consequences
Operant conditioning focuses on voluntary behaviors that are strengthened or weakened by their consequences (reinforcement or punishment).
Question 7: The ethical principle of beneficence in psychological research most directly requires researchers to:
- Ensure participants can withdraw at any time
- Maximize benefits and minimize risks to participants (Correct answer)
- Keep all data strictly confidential
- Obtain written consent from all participants
Correct answer: Maximize benefits and minimize risks to participants
Beneficence obligates researchers to actively promote participant well-being and minimize potential harm.
LSP Research Methods & Psychological Theories 2
A researcher uses a single group of participants measured before and after an intervention with no control group.
This design is called a: