Deck 6: Research Methods and Statistics

Question 1

In the context of controlling threats to internal validity in a study, there is a difference between random assignment and random selection. Which of the following statements is true regarding random assignment and random selection?

A)Assignment is how people are chosen.
B)Selection is what group people are placed in.
C)Selection is adding additional groups.
D)Selection is how people are chosen for a study.

Answer 1

Selection is how people are chosen for a study.

Question 2

What does cluster sampling refer to, in the context of increasing the external validity of a study?

A)It ensures proportional representation.
B)The sampling unit is a naturally occurring group.
C)It ensures a sample representative of the population.
D)Subjects do not know which group they are in.

Answer 2

The sampling unit is a naturally occurring group.

Question 3

In developmental research, variables are assessed as a function of time. How does cross-sectional design work?

A)Groups divided by age are assessed at the same time.
B)One group is studied at different points over a long period of time.
C)Representative samples of different age groups are assessed multiple times over a long period.
D)It combines longitudinal and cross-sequential design.

Answer 3

Groups divided by age are assessed at the same time.

Question 4

Different research designs and strategies are used to gain specific types of information. How does correlational research work?

A)Investigators assign subjects to groups at random and they receive different levels of a variable.
B)Investigators can't infer causal relationships.
C)Variables are assessed as a function of time.
D)Investigators use naturally occurring groups.

Question 5

When determining test construction, researchers consider number and type of variables, as well as ethical concerns. When would researchers choose to use multiple-baseline design?

A)When assignment is not possible
B)When reversal is not possible
C)When selection is not possible
D)When there is not enough data available

Question 6

In qualitative research like case studies, theory is developed based on data and refines hypotheses. Which of the following statements about case studies is not correct?

A)They are used to measure attitude, preferences, and satisfaction.
B)They are based on the assumption that specific cases can be generalized.
C)They are based on close examination of one case.
D)They are most useful as pilot studies to identify variables to study using different methods.

Question 7

There are three types of research design. A study comparing alcohol consumption rates between adolescent males and females is what type of research?

A)True experimental
B)Quasi-experimental
C)Observational
D)Non-manipulated

Question 8

There are three main types of group design in research. Which design sometimes requires the process of counterbalancing?

A)Between groups design
B)Mixed design
C)Passive design
D)Within subjects design

Question 9

There are three main types of group design in research. Which design involves groups that are both correlated and independent?

A)Between groups design
B)Mixed design
C)Repeated measure design
D)Within subjects design

Question 10

Single-subject design in research studies one or a few subjects closely, rather than studying groups. What is one of the most common problems associated with single subject design?

A)Autocorrelation
B)Non-manipulation
C)Carryover effects
D)Cohort effects

Question 11

Single-subject design in research studies one or a few subjects closely, rather than studying groups. Multiple baseline design resolves common problems associated with other single-subject designs, but has its own limitations. Which of the following is a problem associated with multiple baseline design?

A)Time investment
B)Ethical concerns
C)Threat of history
D)Failure of variable to return to baseline

Question 12

Statistics is a method used to measure variables and analyze data. Statistical method has a scale of measurement and can be descriptive or inferential. In this method, what does ratio data refer to?

A)It divides variables into unordered categories.
B)It is scaled and at equal distances with no absolute zero.
C)It orders variables with no information about quantity.
D)It is interval data with an absolute zero.

Question 13

Meta-analysis is used to study outcomes of psychotherapy and evaluate effectiveness of various therapeutic methods. What does meta-analysis utilize to draw conclusions about outcomes?

A)Available research literature
B)Feedback from therapists
C)Feedback from patients who have received therapy
D)Effect size of individual studies

Question 14

Meta-analysis is used to study outcomes of psychotherapy and evaluate effectiveness. In 1952, Hans Eysenck conducted one of the earliest meta-analysis on the improvement of neurotic disorders. What were his findings?

A)One-third of neurotics improved over a two-year period regardless of treatment
B)Two-thirds of neurotics improved over a two-year period regardless of treatment
C)Two-thirds of neurotics improved over a two-year period with treatment
D)One-half of neurotics improved over a one-year period without treatment

Question 15

Meta-analysis is used to study outcomes of psychotherapy and evaluate effectiveness. What were the findings of a 1978 study of psychotherapy outcomes?

A)Spontaneous improvement rate is roughly 40%
B)Improvement with treatment rate is roughly 40%
C)Spontaneous improvement rate is roughly 60%
D)Both spontaneous improvement and improvement with treatment rates are roughly 60%

Question 16

Frequency distribution provides a summary of a data set and indicates number of cases at any given score within a given range. Which of the following statements refers to skewed distribution?

A)It has asymmetrical frequency distributions.
B)It is known as the bell-shaped curve.
C)It is most often used for a high number of data points.
D)Half the data fall above the mean and half fall below it.

Question 17

In statistics, there are three ways to measure the central tendency in a data set: median, mean, and mode. Which of the following refers to the mode?

A)It is more useful for skewed distributions.
B)It is less sensitive to extreme values than the mean.
C)It is the most frequently occurring number.
D)It is sensitive to extreme values and skewed distributions.

Question 18

In statistics, standard error of the mean refers to the expected error of a given sample mean. Which of the following statements is not true about standard error of the mean?

A)The score increases as N decreases.
B)It is the extent to which a sample mean can be expected to deviate from the corresponding population mean.
C)We know that one mean is greater or less than another mean.
D)The score can be expected to deviate +/- SE mean points from the population mean.

Question 19

Squaring decimals is one of the basic mathematical principles used in statistics. What is the square of .3 (.3²)?

A).09
B).9
C).006
D).06

Question 20

Square-rooting decimals is one of the basic mathematical principles used in statistics. What is the square root of .64?

A).40
B).8
C).08
D).064

Question 21

Basic theoretical principles of statistics include relationships in equations. In the following equation, what is the relationship between the variables? x = y (1 - z)

A)x varies indirectly with y and directly with z
B)x varies directly with y and indirectly with z
C)x varies directly with both y and z
D)x varies indirectly with both y and z

Question 22

There are four types of data resulting from research that determine what kind of statistical test is used in analysis. What type of data involves obtaining numerical scores for each individual in a study, such as weight or age, where scores have an absolute zero?

A)Nominal data
B)Ordinal data
C)Ratio data
D)Interval data

Question 23

There are four types of data resulting from research that determine what kind of statistical test is used in analysis. What type of data involves tallying everyone in a group in order to obtain frequencies for non-ordered categories?

A)Ordinal data
B)Nominal data
C)Ratio data
D)Interval data

Question 24

There are four types of data resulting from research that determine what kind of statistical test is used in analysis. What type of data involves tallying everyone in a group in order to obtain frequencies for ordered categories?

A)Ordinal data
B)Nominal data
C)Interval data
D)Ratio data

Question 25

There are four types of data resulting from research that determine what kind of statistical test is used in analysis. What type of data involves obtaining numerical scores for each individual in a group, where scores values have equal intervals and no absolute zero?

A)Ordinal data
B)Nominal data
C)Interval data
D)Ratio data

Question 26

Descriptive statistics is used to describe the data collected from a group (the dependent variables). Group data is described using measures of central tendency. Which of those measures is the arithmetic average of a group's data?

A)Mean
B)Median
C)Mode
D)Range

Question 27

Descriptive statistics is used to describe the data collected from a group (the dependent variables). Group data is described using measures of central tendency. Which of those measures is the most frequently-occurring score?

A)Mean
B)Median
C)Mode
D)Average

Question 28

Descriptive statistics is used to describe the data collected from a group (the dependent variables). Group data, such as median, is described using measures of central tendency. What is the median of the following data set? 24, 7, 32, 36, 19, 41, 26

A)26
B)27
C)34
D)17

Question 29

In addition to being measured by central tendency, group data can be measured by variability in descriptive statistics. The standard deviation from the mean is a measure of average deviation from the mean in a set of scores. Which of the following sets of scores will have the greatest standard deviation?

A)3, 7, 10
B)15, 17, 23, 27
C)4, 7, 8, 20
D)4, 7, 8, 10

Question 30

In addition to being measured by central tendency, group data can be measured by variability in descriptive statistics. The standard deviation from the mean is a measure of average deviation from the mean in a set of scores. What is the standard deviation of the following set? 2, 5, 20

A)9
B)18
C)13.6
D)62

Question 31

In addition to being measured by central tendency, group data can be measured by variability in descriptive statistics. What is the range of the following set? 2, 5, 20

A)9
B)18
C)13.6
D)11

Question 32

In addition to being measured by central tendency, group data can be measured by variability in descriptive statistics. How is variance calculated?

A)Square root the standard deviation
B)Square the standard deviation
C)Square the range, then divide by number of scores
D)Square the standard deviation, then divide by number of scores

Question 33

Graphs are sometimes used to represent a group's data in descriptive statistics. On a graph, the X-axis always represents categories or scores and the Y-axis always represents frequency. Interval and ratio data are depicted the same way on graphs; how are those two types of data graphed?

A)Bar graph
B)Rectangular or linear graph
C)Curved graph
D)Histogram

Question 34

Graphs are sometimes used to represent a group's data in descriptive statistics. How is a curve graph with a higher proportion of scores in the higher range of values described?

A)Positively skewed
B)Negatively skewed
C)Kurtotic
D)Mean skewed

Question 35

When considering individual scores in descriptive statistics, researchers are usually most concerned with how an individual scored relative to the group. The score that provides that information is called:

A)Criterion-referenced score
B)Norm-referenced score
C)Domain-referenced score
D)Group-referenced score

Question 36

Inferential statistics procedures are used to make inferences about the general population from a study sample. Research in this field is based on a hypothesis that applies to the population and is tested using a sample. There are different types of hypotheses used in research. Which of those states that the independent variable has no effect on the dependent variable?

A)Alternative hypothesis
B)Null hypothesis
C)Rejection hypothesis
D)Zero effect hypothesis

Question 37

The central limit theorem discusses the relationship between sample size (assuming an infinite number of equally-sized samples) and mean distribution of those samples on a graph. According the theorem the standard deviation of the means will equal what?

A)The standard deviation of the population
B)The standard deviation of the population divided by number of samples
C)The standard deviation of the population divided by the square root of sample size
D)The population mean divided by the square root of sample size

Question 38

The central limit theorem is a hypothetical construct that states that when plotted, a normal distribution of means will result from drawing an infinite number of equal samples from the population and calculating their means. How is this theorem useful in research?

A)Researchers can determine if they have calculated an accurate standard deviation of the mean
B)Researchers can determine if obtained mean is due to experimental effects or to chance
C)Researchers can determine if inferences about the population can be made from their samples
D)Researchers can determine if obtained mean is due to sampling error or to poor test construction

Question 39

In an experiment designed to enhance IQ with a sample size of 25, where population mean for IQ is 100, what would be considered a statistically insignificant sample mean IQ?

A)99
B)110
C)95
D)105

Question 40

In hypothesis testing, the area of the curve in which it is unlikely a researcher will obtain means is called the rejection region (or region of unlikely values). What conclusions are drawn when obtained values fall in the rejection region?

A)The experiment was unsuccessful and needs to be redesigned
B)Null hypothesis is rejected; there are differences between groups
C)Null hypothesis is rejected; there are no statistically significant differences between groups
D)Null hypothesis is accepted; there are no statistically significant differences between groups

Question 41

There are four possible outcomes of a researcher's decision to accept or reject the null hypothesis. If a null hypothesis is accepted and it turns out to be the wrong decision, what kind of error has occurred?

A)Type I error
B)Type II error
C)Type III error
D)Power error

Question 42

There are four possible outcomes of a researcher's decision to accept or reject the null hypothesis. A correct decision wherein the null hypothesis is rejected is called power. Which of the following values does power have an inverse relationship with?

A)Alpha
B)Beta
C)Standard error of the mean
D)z-score

Question 43

Z-scores are a type of standard score (scores based on the standard deviation of the sample). Why is it useful to transform raw scores into z-scores?

A)To normalize distribution of a sample
B)To determine population parameters
C)Because they correspond to percentile ranks
D)Because they can be used to calculate standard error of the mean

Question 44

Choosing the most appropriate statistical test depends on what type of question the research is addressing. In the study with post-cardiac patients, where a number of measure of cardiac and physical functioning were related to the participation in one of many psychological treatment models, what is the best test choice?

A)ANOVA
B)Chi-square
C)MANOVA
D)t-test

Question 45

Choosing the most appropriate statistical test depends on what type of question the research is addressing and what type of data is collected. ANOVAs and MANOVAs are both useful in analyzing interval and ratio data. Using multiple ANOVAs instead of one MANOVA where there is more than one dependent variable has what effect on results?

A)Increases the likelihood of a type I error
B)Increases the likelihood of a type II error
C)Decreases the likelihood of a type I error
D)Decreases the likelihood of a type II error

Question 46

Choosing the most appropriate statistical test depends on what type of question the research is addressing and what type of data is collected. Which of the following studies would you least likely use a chi-square test to analyze?

A)Percentage of subjects who have continued or discontinued substance use after a substance abuse treatment program as compared to pre-treatment baseline behavior.
B)Proportion of male and female voters who describe themselves as liberal, moderate, or conservative
C)Number of high school students who admitted to anorexic eating behavior as compared to the number of college freshman who admitted to anorexic eating behavior.
D)Frequency of passing the EPPP in a group of males and females by ethnicity

Question 47

Two students take a test. Student F scores in the 92^nd percentile and student K scores in the 47^th percentile. If three points are added to each student's raw score, whose percentile will be more impacted?

A)Student K
B)Student F
C)Both students K and F
D)Neither student

Question 48

Choosing the most appropriate statistical test depends on what type of question the research is addressing and what type of data is collected. Which of the following factors does NOT play a significant role in determining choice of statistical test?

A)Number of dependent variables
B)Number of independent variables
C)Group correlation
D)Sample size

Question 49

A study collects information from 50 people about their ethnicity, where options are Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, and African; and their religious views, where options are agnostic, Christian, atheist, and other. How many degrees of freedom are there?

A)9
B)12
C)20
D)3

Question 50

When analyzing a one-way ANOVA, what value is used to determine significance?

A)Standard error of the mean
B)F ratio
C)t-scores
D)Percentiles

Question 51

In statistical analysis, what is the Kuder-Richardson 20 used to analyze?

A)Potential discrimination in test construction
B)Internal reliability of test
C)Standard error of measurement
D)Factors that might affect validity

Question 52

In statistical analysis, a z-score is a standard score used to evaluate the standard deviation of factors. What information would you use to calculate a z-score?

A)Raw score and mean of the population
B)Raw score and standard deviation of the mean of the population
C)Raw score, standard deviation of the mean of the population, and mean of the population

Question 53

In statistical analysis, when would trend analysis likely be used?

A)When there are two qualitative independent variables
B)When there is one dependent variable and one independent variable
C)When there is a large number of samples to compare
D)When there is one quantitative independent variable

Question 54

Tests of relationship and predication are divided into bivariate and multivariate tests. Bivariate correlations look at the relationship of two variables-one is a predictor and the other is the criterion. What does the correlation coefficient describe?

A)The effect of the predictor variable on the criterion variable
B)The effect of the predictor variable on the criterion variable in terms of strength and direction
C)The relationship between the predictor variable and the criterion variable in terms of strength and direction
D)The relationship between the predictor variable and the criterion variable in terms of absolute value

Question 55

One of the values used in bivariate correlation tests is the coefficient of determination. If there is a correlation coefficient of .50 between education and income, what is the coefficient of determination?

A).50
B).25
C).07
D)75%

Question 56

On a correlational graph of a bivariate test, a lot of scatter around the regression line implies that there is:

A)A low correlation coefficient
B)A negative correlation coefficient
C)A curvilinear relationship
D)A positive correlation coefficient

Question 57

You have conducted a study to test the relationship between personality and sex appeal in which there are two indicators for each latent variable (personality and sex appeal). When analyzing the results of this study, you might want to use LISREL in order to:

A)Assess a causal model involving observed variables that are believed to operate unidirectionally
B)Assess a causal model involving observed and latent variables that are believed to operate unidirectionally
C)Assess a causal model involving observed variables that are believed to operate bidirectionally
D)Assess a causal model involving observed and latent variables that are believed to operate bidirectionally

Question 58

Choosing what type of bivariate correlation coefficient to use in statistical analysis depends on what type of data variable X and variable Y are. You are analyzing the results of a survey about satisfaction with current political happenings in which subjects answered questions on a scale of 0-5, 0 being not at all satisfied and 5 being completely satisfied. They also answered questions about amount of time spent reading or watching news on a similar scale. What bivariate correlation coefficient might you use?

A)Pearson r
B)Spearman's Rho
C)Phi
D)Tetrachoric

Question 59

Choosing what type of bivariate correlation coefficient to use in statistical analysis depends on what type of data variable X and variable Y are. In a study where X is gender and Y is weight, what correlation coefficient might you use?

A)Pearson r
B)Kendall's Tau
C)Point-Biserial
D)Phi

Question 60

Multiple regression tests are used when there are several predictors (or independent variables) and one or more criterion (dependent variables). What does multicollinearity refer to?

A)Predictors are highly correlated, and therefore redundant
B)Predictors are too lowly correlated to be useful
C)Criterion are highly correlated, and therefore redundant
D)There is a high correlation between each predictor and criterion

Question 61

Factor analysis aims to identify as many factors from data as possible. What does the process of factor analysis start with?

A)Factor loading
B)Determining eigenvalues
C)Making a correlation matrix
D)Determining strength of each found factor

Question 62

Research aims to draw conclusion about relationships among variables. There are a number of threats to validity-factors that interfere with making reliable and clear conclusions. Which of the following concerns is a threat to internal validity?

A)Instrumentation
B)Demand characteristics
C)Sample characteristics
D)Experimenter expectancies

Question 63

Research aims to draw conclusions about relationships among variables. There are a number of threats to validity-factors that interfere with making reliable and clear conclusions. Which of the following is a threat to construct validity?

A)The Hawthorne effect
B)The John Henry effect
C)Diffusion
D)Experimental mortality

Question 64

Research aims to draw conclusions about relationships among variables. There are a number of threats to validity-factors that interfere with making reliable and clear conclusions. Which of the following is a threat to external validity?

A)The Hawthorne effect
B)The Rosenthal effect
C)Diffusion
D)Contact with clients

Question 65

Research aims to draw conclusion about relationships among variables. There are a number of threats to validity-factors that interfere with making reliable and clear conclusions. Which of the following designs is a control for a threat to internal validity?

A)ABAB design
B)The Solomon Four-Group design
C)Whole interval sampling design
D)Controlled dependent variable design

Question 66

Research aims to draw conclusions about relationships among variables. There are a number of threats to validity-factors that interfere with making reliable and clear conclusions. Variability in procedures is a threat to which type of validity?

A)Construct validity
B)Internal validity
C)Statistical conclusion validity
D)External validity

Question 67

A study is investigating the effect of different methods of therapy-cognitive behavioral, Gestalt, and psychoanalytic-on self-reports of symptom improvement. Improvement is rated on a 0-10 scale, where 10 represents complete improvement. Researchers are deciding what type of statistical analysis to use, a one-way ANOVA or three t-tests. What should they be most concerned about when making this choice?

A)Type I error
B)The number of subjects in each group
C)Violations of homoscedasticity
D)Method of symptom improvement rating

Question 68

If Tessa wants to ask about the major social categories in the demographics section of her research questionnaire, she should ask about gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, and:

A)History of interpersonal violence
B)Which parent raised the individual
C)Number of children.
D)Sexual orientation

Question 69

Observing children at a playground, then using a methodical means of collecting data is an example of __________ .

A)Systematic observation
B)Scientific observation
C)Informative observation
D)Casual observation

Question 70

Experimental psychology uses research experiments to explore human behavior. Conducting these experiments includes all except the following:

A)Random assignment of participants
B)Defining variables
C)Making a hypothesis
D)Manipulating dependent variables

Question 71

Some examples of qualitative methods of obtaining data are through conducting focus groups, asking open-ended survey questions, or role-playing. What does qualitative data provide that quantitative data does not?

A)Evidence
B)Depth and description
C)It provides no data
D)Facts and figures

Question 72

A researcher designs a study in which he investigates whether drug A is superior to drug B in elevating the mood of a depressed patient. The independent variable in his study is:

A)Drug A
B)Drug B
C)Depressive mood
D)Drug A and B

Question 73

The dependent variable is symbolized with the letter:

A)D
B)X
C)Y
D)Z

Question 74

A researcher noticed that when a client's socioeconomic status increased they tended to miss appointments with their psychologists less frequently. When their socioeconomic status increased, they had access to a vehicle more frequently. When they had access to a car more frequently they attended therapy more frequently. In this example, having a car is the:

A)Independent variable
B)Dependent variable
C)Moderator
D)Confounding variable

Question 75

When the number of vacation hours increases, the number of study hours decreases. Summer is positively correlated with the number of vacation hours and negatively correlated with the number of study hours. In this example, summer is the:

A)Dependent variable
B)Independent variable
C)Moderator
D)Confounding variable

Question 76

Some studies suggest that listening to Mozart can increase a person's spatial reasoning abilities but only if that person likes Mozart. The preference for Mozart in this study is the:

A)Independent variable
B)Dependent variable
C)Mediating variable
D)Moderating variable

Question 77

There is a strong correlation between drowning and eating ice-cream. Both of the variables seem to be related to summertime. During summer, people both eat ice-cream and drown more often. Thus, in this example, summertime is a:

A)Independent variable
B)Dependent variable
C)Mediating variable
D)Third variable

Question 78

A study finds that therapy reduces anxiety symptoms only in men. What is the moderating variable in this study?

A)Sex
B)Men
C)Therapy
D)Anxiety symptoms

Question 79

When the goal of a study is to observe behavior in multiple settings, researchers are likely to use:

A)Behavioral sampling
B)Interval recording
C)Event sampling
D)Situational sampling

Question 80

A researcher who wants to make sure they are sampling participants from all education levels is likely to use a:

A)Simple random sampling
B)Stratified random sampling
C)Cluster sampling
D)Multistage random sampling