LSP Research Methods & Psychological Theories 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'learned helplessness,' developed by Seligman, suggests that depression results from:
- Excessive punishment without guidance
- Repeated exposure to uncontrollable aversive events leading to passivity (Correct answer)
- Lack of positive reinforcement in the environment
- Maladaptive schemas formed in early childhood
Correct answer: Repeated exposure to uncontrollable aversive events leading to passivity
Seligman found that exposure to inescapable aversive events teaches organisms that outcomes are independent of their responses, producing helplessness and depressive symptoms.
Question 2: In multiple regression, multicollinearity is a concern when:
- The dependent variable is non-normally distributed
- Predictor variables are highly correlated with each other (Correct answer)
- The sample size is too small relative to the number of predictors
- Residuals show a non-random pattern
Correct answer: Predictor variables are highly correlated with each other
Multicollinearity occurs when predictor variables are highly intercorrelated, making it difficult to isolate each predictor's unique contribution to the outcome.
Question 3: Gestalt psychology's principle of figure-ground refers to the perceptual tendency to:
- Group similar elements together as a unit
- Organize visual fields into a focal object against a background (Correct answer)
- Perceive incomplete figures as complete wholes
- Maintain perceptual constancy across viewing conditions
Correct answer: Organize visual fields into a focal object against a background
Figure-ground organization is the perceptual separation of a stimulus into a salient figure that stands out against a less distinct background.
Question 4: An IRB (Institutional Review Board) is primarily responsible for:
- Funding research studies and allocating grants
- Reviewing research protocols to protect human participants (Correct answer)
- Publishing peer-reviewed psychological research
- Training researchers in statistical methods
Correct answer: Reviewing research protocols to protect human participants
IRBs evaluate the ethical dimensions of proposed research, ensuring that risks are minimized and participants' rights and welfare are protected.
Question 5: According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which need must generally be satisfied before esteem needs can be fully addressed?
- Self-actualization
- Cognitive needs
- Love and belonging needs (Correct answer)
- Transcendence needs
Correct answer: Love and belonging needs
Maslow's hierarchy places love and belonging (social) needs below esteem needs, suggesting social connection must be met before esteem can be pursued.
Question 6: The ecological validity of a research study refers to:
- The consistency of results across independent replications
- The degree to which findings generalize to real-world settings and behaviors (Correct answer)
- The accuracy of environmental measurements in field studies
- The representativeness of the sample relative to the population
Correct answer: The degree to which findings generalize to real-world settings and behaviors
Ecological validity concerns whether experimental conditions and findings reflect and generalize to real-life situations outside the laboratory.
Question 7: In Freud's structural model of the psyche, the reality principle governs which psychic structure?
- Id
- Superego
- Ego (Correct answer)
- Preconscious
Correct answer: Ego
The ego operates according to the reality principle, mediating between the id's demands and the constraints of the external world in a rational, adaptive manner.
LSP Research Methods & Psychological Theories 5
The concept of 'learned helplessness,' developed by Seligman, suggests that depression results from: