The most important factor to ensure that one's results apply to other people in other settings is to use
A) a convenience sample.
B) extremely small sample sizes.
C) random assignment.
D) a random sample.
Answer: D
Rationale: In order for a sample to generalize to a population psychologists prefer to use random sampling and large sample sizes whenever possible. The idea of random sampling is distinct from random assignment, which is a technique used in experiments to make groups as similar as possible before manipulating the independent variable.
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What distinguishes a reflex from an instinct?
a. In contrast to an instinct, a reflex does not depend on prior experience. b. In contrast to a reflex, an instinct does not depend on prior experience. c. An instinct is a more complex behavior than a reflex. d. A behavior is a more complex behavior than an instinct.
Of these four women, which one is showing evidence of stagnation?
A) Dionne, who worries about the state of the Earth and regularly contributes money to environmental organizations B) Mallory, who spends much of her income on plastic surgery, spa treatments, and high-end makeup C) Nancy, whose abstract sculptures are on view at the local modern art museum D) Sheila, who enjoys volunteering at an after-school program for autistic children
All populations have associated ______ that can be computed from the scores in the distribution.
a. dispersions b. parameters c. normalizations d. densities
The best way to prevent the Hawthorne effect is to use
a. post-factor research technique b. objective observers c. a separate control group d. none of these, since preventing the Hawthorne effect is itself a major research error