Psychology Degree Psychological Research Methods 4

Question 1

Which of the following is a key advantage of longitudinal research over cross-sectional research?

Accepted Answer

It allows examination of developmental changes within the same individuals over time

Answer

Longitudinal designs track the same participants over time, enabling true developmental change to be observed rather than inferred from age comparisons.

Question 2

In signal detection theory, a 'hit' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Correctly identifying a stimulus as present when it is present

Answer

A hit is a correct detection — the participant correctly reports a signal when the signal is actually present.

Question 3

The Hawthorne effect refers to participants:

Accepted Answer

Changing their behavior because they know they are being observed

Answer

The Hawthorne effect describes behavior changes that occur simply because participants know they are being watched or studied.

Question 4

Which sampling method gives every member of a population an equal chance of being selected?

Accepted Answer

Simple random sampling

Answer

Simple random sampling ensures every population member has an equal probability of selection, making it the gold standard for representativeness.

Question 5

Cronbach's alpha is used to assess:

Accepted Answer

Internal consistency reliability

Answer

Cronbach's alpha measures internal consistency — how well items on a scale correlate with each other and measure the same construct.

Psychology Degree Practice Test

Psychology Degree Practice Test

Psychology Degree Psychological Research Methods 4