Research Methods, Statistics and Ethics in Psychology MCQs 2026

The right to withdraw means participants may

1. AChange the published results✓
2. BLeave the study without penalty✓
3. CSelect the hypothesis✓
4. DDemand higher scores✓

Peer review is the process in which research is evaluated by

1. AOnly participants✓
2. BOther qualified experts✓
3. COnly politicians✓
4. DOnly advertisers✓

Internal validity refers to the degree to which a study supports

1. AAttractive formatting✓
2. BLarge page count✓
3. CA causal conclusion within the study✓
4. DA famous author name✓

A longitudinal study follows

1. AOne or more participants over time✓
2. BOnly one questionnaire item✓
3. COnly a control group for one minute✓
4. DDifferent samples on one day✓

A cross-sectional study compares

1. AThe same participants repeatedly✓
2. BOnly twins over time✓
3. CDifferent age groups at one time✓
4. DOnly one clinical case✓

A pilot study is conducted mainly to

1. APublish final results immediately✓
2. BAvoid hypotheses✓
3. CTest procedures before the main study✓
4. DReplace all participants✓

In animal research, ethical guidelines emphasize

1. AHumane treatment and scientific justification✓
2. BNo oversight at all✓
3. CMaximum pain for accuracy✓
4. DAvoiding all records✓

The ethical principle of beneficence requires researchers to

1. AIgnore risks✓
2. BCollect names publicly✓
3. CAvoid statistics✓
4. DMaximize benefits and minimize harm✓

Deception in psychological research is ethically acceptable only when it is

1. AUsed for convenience only✓
2. BNever explained later✓
3. CUsed to increase fear✓
4. DJustified and followed by debriefing✓

Debriefing is usually done

1. ABefore recruitment only✓
2. BInstead of consent✓
3. CAfter participation to explain the study✓
4. DOnly during sampling✓

Confidentiality in research means participant information should be

1. APublished with full names✓
2. BProtected from unauthorized disclosure✓
3. CShared with all students✓
4. DUsed without consent✓

Informed consent requires that participants

1. ANever leave a study✓
2. BGuess the hypothesis✓
3. CReceive relevant information before agreeing✓
4. DAvoid all questions✓

Replication means

1. AChanging every procedure✓
2. BRepeating a study to check findings✓
3. CRemoving the control group✓
4. DSelecting only one case✓

Experimenter bias occurs when researcher expectations

1. AInfluence the study outcome✓
2. BIncrease sample size only✓
3. CCreate a population✓
4. DEliminate variables✓

A testable prediction about the relationship between variables is called a

1. AHypothesis✓
2. BTheory✓
3. CNorm✓
4. DSample✓

A broad explanation supported by evidence is called a scientific

1. ABias✓
2. BTheory✓
3. CSample✓
4. DInterview✓

The variable manipulated by the researcher in an experiment is the

1. ADependent variable✓
2. BConfounding variable✓
3. CExtraneous variable✓
4. DIndependent variable✓

The outcome measured in an experiment is the

1. AIndependent variable✓
2. BDependent variable✓
3. CControl variable✓
4. DSampling variable✓

A precise definition of how a variable will be measured is an

1. AOperational definition✓
2. BEthical code✓
3. CCase history✓
4. DSampling frame✓

Random assignment is used mainly to

1. ASelect a population✓
2. BIncrease demand characteristics✓
3. CReplace measurement✓
4. DEqualize groups before treatment✓

Random sampling is primarily used to improve

1. ATest difficulty✓
2. BExperimenter bias✓
3. CTreatment intensity✓
4. DRepresentativeness of the sample✓

A group that does not receive the experimental treatment is the

1. ASample group✓
2. BPilot group✓
3. CControl group✓
4. DBiased group✓

A placebo is best described as

1. AA statistical average✓
2. BA sampling error✓
3. CA strong correlation✓
4. DAn inactive treatment✓

In a double-blind study, information about group assignment is withheld from

1. AOnly participants✓
2. BOnly statisticians✓
3. CParticipants and researchers interacting with them✓
4. DOnly the ethics committee✓

The method best suited for establishing cause and effect is the

1. AExperiment✓
2. BSurvey✓
3. CCase study✓
4. DNaturalistic observation✓

A correlation coefficient of -0.80 indicates

1. ANo relationship✓
2. BA weak positive relationship✓
3. CA perfect relationship✓
4. DA strong negative relationship✓

A correlation coefficient can range from

1. A-1.00 to +1.00✓
2. B0 to 10✓
3. C-10 to +10✓
4. D1 to 100✓

A positive correlation means that two variables tend to

1. AMove in opposite directions✓
2. BIncrease or decrease together✓
3. CHave no measurable link✓
4. DCause each other directly✓

Correlation does not by itself prove

1. AAssociation✓
2. BPrediction✓
3. CCausation✓
4. DCovariation✓

A case study is an intensive investigation of

1. AOne person, group or event✓
2. BOnly national census data✓
3. COnly random samples✓
4. DOnly laboratory animals✓

Observing behavior in its usual setting without interference is

1. AExperimental manipulation✓
2. BNaturalistic observation✓
3. CFactor analysis✓
4. DRandom assignment✓

A survey is especially useful for studying

1. ARare brain lesions only✓
2. BLaboratory reflexes only✓
3. CAttitudes and self-reports from many people✓
4. DSingle-neuron firing only✓

The group from which a sample is drawn is called the

1. AStatistic✓
2. BPopulation✓
3. CVariable✓
4. DTreatment✓

A sample is

1. AA causal explanation✓
2. BA measurement error✓
3. CA research hypothesis✓
4. DA subset of a population✓

The arithmetic average of a set of scores is the

1. AMean✓
2. BMedian✓
3. CMode✓
4. DRange✓

The middle score in an ordered distribution is the

1. AMode✓
2. BMean✓
3. CVariance✓
4. DMedian✓

The most frequently occurring score is the

1. AMean✓
2. BMedian✓
3. CRange✓
4. DMode✓

The range is calculated by subtracting the

1. ALowest score from highest score✓
2. BMean from median✓
3. CMode from mean✓
4. DSample from population✓

Standard deviation measures

1. ACentral tendency✓
2. BCorrelation direction✓
3. CSample size only✓
4. DSpread of scores around the mean✓

Inferential statistics are used to

1. ADescribe one score only✓
2. BName variables✓
3. CDraw conclusions about populations from samples✓
4. DReplace research ethics✓

Descriptive statistics are used to

1. ASummarize and organize data✓
2. BGuarantee causation✓
3. CEliminate all bias✓
4. DProve a theory permanently✓

A p-value is commonly used to judge

1. AStatistical significance✓
2. BParticipant age only✓
3. CInterview length✓
4. DPopulation size only✓

A normal distribution is commonly described as

1. AFlat and irregular✓
2. BBell-shaped and symmetrical✓
3. CAlways negatively skewed✓
4. DHaving no mean✓

A z-score tells how many standard deviations a score is from the

1. AMean✓
2. BMode✓
3. CRange✓
4. DSample size✓

Reliability refers to the

1. APopularity of a test✓
2. BCost of a test✓
3. CLength of a test✓
4. DConsistency of measurement✓

Validity refers to whether a test

1. AMeasures what it claims to measure✓
2. BIs always short✓
3. CIs easy to score only✓
4. DHas many items✓

Test-retest reliability is assessed by

1. AComparing two different populations✓
2. BGiving the same test twice✓
3. CChanging all items✓
4. DRemoving the scoring key✓

Inter-rater reliability is important when data depend on

1. AAutomatic machine scoring only✓
2. BRandom assignment only✓
3. CJudgments by different observers✓
4. DThe number of pages✓

A confounding variable is a factor that

1. AImproves ethics automatically✓
2. BMay influence results besides the independent variable✓
3. CIs always the dependent variable✓
4. DHas no relation to outcomes✓

Demand characteristics are cues that may lead participants to

1. AForget consent forms✓
2. BBe randomly selected✓
3. CGuess the study purpose and alter behavior✓
4. DLose all motivation✓