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Identification Quiz I
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Identify the researcher’s goal in each of the following brief descriptions of research studies. Then, identify whether the researcher is conducting basic or applied research, and whether the research is nomothetic or idiographic.

Goal?Basic or Applied?Nomothetic or Idiographic?
____ description____ basic____ nomothetic
____ prediction____ applied____ idiographic
____ understanding  
____ creating change  

1


A child psychologist works with a child to identify antecedent situations that result in the child’s inattentiveness, and then implements a treatment plan to increase the child’s ability to pay attention in these situations.
2


In order to provide preliminary support for a theory that individuals exhibit specific patterns of brain functioning following prolonged alcohol use, a neuropsychologist examines the brain scans of 50 patients in an alcoholism treatment center.
3


A social psychologist theorizes that apologies have no effect on individuals’ aggressive responses when they are harmed in a stressful situation compared to when they are harmed in a less stressful situation. In a field experiment, the researcher has assistants take cuts into crowded lines in which individuals with concert tickets are waiting to be admitted to general admission, nonreserved seating (the stressful condition). In the less stressful condition, assistants cut into lines of individuals waiting to be admitted to their reserved seats. In all cases, the assistant apologizes to the individuals in the line, but gives no explanation. Another assistant records the verbal responses of the six nearest individuals standing in line; these responses are later coded for their aggressive content. The assistants conduct this procedure in 4 different lines of individuals waiting to attend the concert.
4


In order to decide whether changes should be made in health plans and company resources available for dependent care, an organizational psychologist surveys employees at a manufacturing firm to learn whether they feel their health care and child/dependent care needs are adequately met. The psychologist also examines whether employees’ satisfaction in these areas is related to their productivity in the company.
Answer choices for questions 1 through 4
A)creating change, applied, idiographic
B)prediction, applied, nomothetic
C)understanding, basic, nomothetic
D)description, basic, nomothetic





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