Psyc 318w Exam 1 Instructions Please Respond To 5 Of The Fol

Psyc 318w Exam 1instructionsplease Respond To5of The Following 6 Qu

Psyc 318w Exam 1 Instructions: Please respond to 5 of the following 6 questions listed below. If you answer all 6 questions, only your first 5 responses will be graded. Each question is worth 11 points. Be sure to fully answer all parts of the question. Quotations should not be used in any response—each response must be completely in your own words. Every quote will result in a 50% grade penalty. All responses must be in full sentences; responses that are not in complete sentences will also result in a 50% grade penalty. Paraphrases from other sources must be entirely in your own words; copying from the text or other sources will result in a 100% grade penalty for that question. This exam is untimed, and you may work on it as long as it is available, although it should take approximately 2 hours. You may use your textbook, notes, or information posted on Blackboard; internet use beyond Blackboard is not allowed. Discussing these questions with others is prohibited. The exam is due by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, June 24th. Submissions should be typed and uploaded via the SafeAssign “Exam 1 - Short Answer Drop Box” on Blackboard. Late submissions will incur penalties: 1% deduction per hour until Friday, June 26th at 11:59 pm, after which submissions lose 50% of their total possible points if submitted between Saturday, June 27th and Wednesday, July 1. No credit is awarded for submissions more than 1 week late.

Paper For Above instruction

Question 1

There are five ways of acquiring knowledge described in your textbook. Define each in your own words and give a specific example of how you would use each to draw conclusions about how playing video games might impact aggressive behaviors.

Question 2

Researchers use informed consent and debriefing sessions to educate participants about studies. Explain the purpose and components of each, including:

• The purpose of informed consent and the ethical principles involved if not used.
• The major elements of informed consent.
• The purpose of debriefing sessions and the ethical principles involved if not used when necessary.
• When debriefing sessions are required, providing an example of such a research design and explaining why debriefing is necessary in that context.

Question 3

The bystander effect suggests people are less likely to help in emergencies if others are present. When studying this, is a laboratory or field setting preferable? Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each, and state your preferred setting with justification. Describe a study design appropriate for your chosen setting to explore this phenomenon.

Question 4

The Sensation Seeking Scale measures interest in adventure, risk-taking, and boredom susceptibility. Discuss how to use construct validity to support its validity, including:

• Definition of construct validity in your own words.
• Two examples of how you could use construct validity to validate the scale, explaining each example's reflection of construct validity.

Question 5

Naturalistic and structured observation are two observational methods. Define each, then discuss one benefit and one drawback for each method, including when each is preferred. Provide an example topic suitable for each method and justify your choices.

Question 6

Writing effective survey questions can be challenging. Identify four problems to avoid when creating survey items and explain why. Provide an example of each problem and demonstrate how the item exemplifies it. Also, offer two general suggestions for writing good survey questions.

Paper For Above instruction

Question 1

There are five primary methods of acquiring knowledge: empirical observation, reasoning, authority, intuition, and tradition. Empirical observation involves gaining knowledge through direct sensory experience or experimentation. For example, to assess how playing video games impacts aggression, I might observe children’s behavior before and after engaging with violent video games to see if aggression levels change. Reasoning involves logical analysis; I might analyze existing literature to infer that violent media could lead to increased aggression due to observed patterns and theoretical frameworks such as social learning theory. Authority refers to accepting information from credible sources; consulting experts or authoritative texts, I could cite studies suggesting a correlation between violent games and aggressive tendencies. Intuition is relying on instinct or immediate insight; I might feel that exposure to violent games makes individuals more aggressive and look for supporting evidence afterward. Tradition involves relying on long-standing beliefs or practices; for instance, acknowledging cultural narratives linking violent entertainment with aggressive behavior, thus providing a historical context for understanding these effects. Combining these methods offers a comprehensive approach to understanding the potential influence of video games on aggression.

Question 2

Informed consent aims to ensure participants are fully aware of the nature of a study, its risks, and their rights before agreeing to participate, aligning with the ethical principles of respect for persons and autonomy. If informed consent is not used, participants’ rights to make voluntary decisions are violated, which breaches ethical standards. Key components of informed consent include providing clear information about the study’s purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and participants’ rights, including withdrawal without penalty. Debriefing occurs after participation to explain the study’s true purpose, address any deception, and reduce potential harm, thereby upholding the ethical principle of beneficence. Without debriefing when necessary, participants might experience confusion, distress, or misconceptions, violating ethical principles of beneficence and respect. Debriefing is required especially in studies involving deception, such as a social psychology experiment on conformity, where participants might believe they are observing genuine behavior but are part of a manipulated scenario. In this study, debriefing clarifies the deception, ensuring participants leave without misconceptions, and alleviating any potential stress or harm.

Question 3

A laboratory setting involves conducting research in a controlled environment, whereas a field setting takes place in natural, real-world contexts. An advantage of the laboratory is the high level of control over extraneous variables, allowing for precise manipulation of independent variables and clearer causal inferences. However, a disadvantage is that artificial conditions may reduce ecological validity, meaning findings may not generalize well to real-world situations. Conversely, field studies offer high ecological validity, as they observe behavior in natural environments, but they face less control over extraneous variables, which can complicate interpretations. For studying the bystander effect, a field setting is preferable because it captures real-life situations where social dynamics naturally unfold, providing more authentic insights into helping behavior. A relevant study design in this context could involve covertly staging an emergency on a busy street and observing whether bystanders intervene, thereby emphasizing real-world applicability. The naturalistic setting allows for genuine interaction, although it poses ethical considerations regarding deception and consent.

Question 4

Construct validity refers to how well a test or scale measures the theoretical construct it intends to assess. To validate the Sensation Seeking Scale, I could examine whether scores correlate with behaviors theoretically linked to sensation seeking, such as engagement in extreme sports or thrill-seeking activities, demonstrating convergent validity. Alternatively, I could compare the scale's results with measures of related traits, like impulsivity, expecting some correlation but not complete overlap, which would indicate discriminant validity. These approaches support the scale’s validity by confirming that it accurately measures the construct of sensation seeking and not unrelated traits.

Question 5

Naturalistic observation involves recording behavior in its natural environment without interference, while structured observation involves observing behavior in a controlled setting where specific behaviors are predefined for measurement. One benefit of naturalistic observation is ecological validity; it reflects genuine behavior. A drawback is less control over extraneous variables, which can lead to confounding factors. Structured observation provides more control and easier measurement but may lack ecological validity and influence participant behavior due to the artificial setting. For studying children’s playground interactions, naturalistic observation is appropriate due to the authentic environment. Conversely, structured observation might suit studying specific social behaviors in a laboratory setting, such as cooperative tasks designed for observation. Both methods are valuable depending on the research question, with naturalistic being ideal for genuine behavior and structured for controlled measurement.

Question 6

Writing effective survey questions involves avoiding several problems. First, double-barreled questions ask about two issues simultaneously, confusing respondents and muddying results. Second, leading questions suggest a preferred answer, biasing responses. Third, ambiguous or vague wording can confuse participants and reduce reliability. Fourth, using overly complex language or technical jargon can be misunderstood, especially in diverse populations. For example, a double-barreled question: "Do you think that video games and television influence aggression?" combines two topics, making it unclear which influence is being assessed. To write better questions, avoid ambiguity by using clear, simple language and focus each question on a single idea. Additionally, pre-testing questions on a small sample allows detection of problematic wording, improving clarity and validity.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
• DHS. (2009). National Infrastructure Protection Plan. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L. B. (2019). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Myers, D. G. (2018). Psychology (12th ed.). Worth Publishers.
• Reber, P. J., Allen, R., & Reber, A. S. (2018). Psychology (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Sears, D. O., & Boal, A. (2020). Social psychology (3rd ed.). Routledge.
• Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.
• Smith, E. R., & Mackie, D. M. (2016). Social psychology (4th ed.). Psychology Press.
• Trochim, W. M., & Donnelly, J. P. (2006). Research methods knowledge base. Atomic Dog Publishing.
• Worrall, J., & Cooper, B. (2018). Survey methodology: The basics. Sage Publications.