Deck 3: A Statistics Refresher

Question 1

Alfred Binet conceived the assignment of numbers to the results of a person's response to questions on an intelligence test to be what type of scale?

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Numbers are assigned to each player on the university basketball team.This use of numbers could BEST be characterized as

A) a nominal scale.
B) an ordinal scale.
C) an interval scale.
D) a ratio scale.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Yards gained by running backs during a football game is an example of which type of scale?

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In doing research on family therapy,a researcher reports on the number of children in each family studied.This reporting on the number of children in each family is BEST described as which type of scale?

A) continuous
B) discrete
C) interval
D) None of these

Question 5

Measures of central tendency refer to which part of the frequency distribution?

A) the high end of the distribution
B) the middle of the distribution
C) the low end of the distribution
D) the very end of the distribution

Question 6

In calculating the mean of a distribution of test scores,the person analyzing the data takes account of:

A) only the extreme scores in the distribution.
B) only the middle scores in the distribution.
C) every score in the distribution.
D) the standard scores in the distribution.

Question 7

The French word for "black" is a convenient acronym for

A) five factors measured by Binet's test.
B) four levels of measurement.
C) four parts of the partitioned normal curve.
D) five families of frequency distributions.

Question 8

Which is the only type of scale that has an absolute zero point?

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) ratio
D) interval

Question 9

An instructor rank-orders students in her measurement class based on their performance on a quiz of Chapter 3 in the textbook.In this instance,the instructor is using which type of scale?

A) nominal
B) interval
C) ordinal
D) comparative

Question 10

In a scale used in a psychology experiment,a value of "1" is assigned to subjects with black hair,and a value of "2" is assigned to subjects with blonde hair.The type of scale used in this experiment is:

A) ordinal.
B) ratio.
C) interval.
D) nominal.

Question 11

In a grouped frequency distribution

A) the total of the frequency column is equal to the total number of scores in the distribution.
B) test-score intervals replace the actual test scores.
C) each test score must fall in only one test-score interval.
D) All of these

Question 12

A frequency distribution typically includes

A) the average score and a measure of diversion around it.
B) each possible score and how often it occurs.
C) an estimate of how spread out the scores are.
D) an index of how "popular" a particular frequency is.

Question 13

Measuring temperature with a Fahrenheit thermometer entails the use of which type of scale?

A) ratio.
B) ordinal.
C) interval.
D) nominal.

Question 14

Statistical tools are used for

A) describing numbers.
B) making inferences about numbers.
C) drawing conclusions about numbers.
D) All of these

Question 15

Which is the most common type of scale used in psychological tests?

A) continuous
B) discrete
C) contiguous
D) None of these

Question 16

Which is the MOST common factor influencing a decision as to the size of class interval in a grouped frequency distribution?

A) the number of scores above the mean
B) the size of the mean
C) convenience
D) the size of the mean and the standard deviation

Question 17

Miles-per-hour is an example of which type of scale?

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) ratio
D) interval

Question 18

The mean,the median,and the mode are all

A) measures of central tendency.
B) measures of variability.
C) measures of dispersion.
D) standard scores.

Question 19

The data from most psychological tests could BEST be characterized as which level of measurement?

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Question 20

Frequency distributions may be illustrated in a variety of ways.Which of the following illustrations is the MOST popular of illustrating a frequency distribution?

A) a histogram
B) a scatterplot
C) a pie chart
D) a radio dial

Question 21

For which type of distribution of scores is the mean the preferred measure of central tendency?

A) a symmetrical distribution
B) a skewed distribution
C) a flat distribution
D) a curved distribution

Question 22

For the distribution of test scores 85,76,71,86,and 92,the arithmetic mean is equal to

A) 71.
B) 85.
C) 82.
D) 80.

Question 23

A distribution of test scores is: 75,92,96,88,75,62,and 88.This distribution can be characterized as:

A) unimodal with a mode of 75.
B) bimodal with the modes of 75 and 88.
C) unimodal with a mode of 88.
D) trimodal with the modes of 96, 92, and 62.

Question 24

Which statistic conveys the LEAST precise measure of dispersion?

A) the range
B) the variance
C) the standard deviation
D) the semi-interquartile range

Question 25

Which quartile may also be referred to as the median?

A) the first quartile
B) the second quartile
C) the third quartile
D) the fourth quartile

Question 26

Which statistic describes the most frequently occurring test score?

A) the mean
B) the median
C) the mode
D) the range

Question 27

If a distribution of scores has a few extremely low scores and no corresponding high scores,which of the following would be TRUE?

A) The mean would be smaller than the median.
B) The mean would be larger than the median.
C) The mean and the median would be equal.
D) The mean, median, and mode would all be the same.

Question 28

The mean for the set of scores 8,9,and 7 is

A) 7.
B) 8.
C) 9.
D) 24.

Question 29

A 100-item achievement test is administered to 30 students.Students earn 1 point for each correct answer.In the test results there are three scores of 95.All of the other students score between 10 and 30.What measure of central tendency would be MOST representative of this set of scores?

A) average deviation
B) the median
C) the mode
D) the standard deviation

Question 30

Which statement is TRUE regarding this distribution of scores: 1,2,2,3?

A) The arithmetic mean is not an integer value.
B) The distribution is bimodal.
C) There is no mode.
D) The arithmetic mean is equal to the mode.

Question 31

Which statement is TRUE regarding this distribution of scores: 0,11,10,0,0,5,4,3,2,1,1,1?

A) There is no mode.
B) The mode is 0.
C) The mode is 1.
D) There are two modes, 0 and 1.

Question 32

For which type of data is the mode most frequently used?

A) nominal data
B) ordinal data
C) interval data
D) ratio data

Question 33

What is the formula for the arithmetic mean as calculated from a frequency distribution?

A) "summation of fx" divided by N
B) "summation of the absolute deviations" divided by N
C) "summation of x" divided by N
D) None of these

Question 34

The median and the interquartile range are __________ in nature.

A) reciprocal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) opposite

Question 35

If the standard deviation of a set of test scores is equal to 25,the variance is equal to

A) 625.
B) 5.
C) 50.
D) 12.5.

Question 36

When graphing ratio data,why is it preferable to set the ordinate of the y-axis at 0?

A) It is simply the traditional way of doing things, and has no inherent benefit.
B) Setting the ordinate to other values may yield an exaggerated impression of the changes in the variable.
C) Doing so is the best protection against statistic-based challenges regarding methodology, findings, and conclusions.
D) Ratio-level data has a theoretical range from 0 to plus or minus infinity.

Question 37

A distribution of test scores has a three-way tie for the most frequently occurring score.This distribution could be described as

A) trimedial.
B) kurtotic.
C) trimodal.
D) skewed.

Question 38

Which is the only measure of central tendency that can be used for all nominal,ordinal,interval,and ratio scales of measurement?

A) the mode
B) the median
C) the mean
D) the standard deviation

Question 39

Which of the following statistics is the preferred measure of central tendency for a skewed distribution?

A) the mean
B) the median
C) the mode
D) None of these

Question 40

T score is to 50 as:

A) z score is to 10.
B) percentile is to 100.
C) stanine is to 5.
D) stanine is to 9.

Question 41

In summation notation,the Greek uppercase letter sigma is used to signify:

A) some.
B) sum.
C) don't sum.
D) dim sum.

Question 42

To make data more manageable,it is sometimes converted to graphs or tables.Graphs or tables can be created from

A) nominal level data.
B) ordinal level data.
C) ratio level data.
D) All of these

Question 43

In theory,the distribution of the normal curve ranges from

A) +3 to -3.
B) 0 to 100.
C) 0 to infinity.
D) negative infinity to positive infinity.

Question 44

Unlike the arithmetic mean of scores in a distribution,the mode

A) may be totally atypical of other scores in the distribution.
B) may lie at the extreme end of the distribution.
C) is determined by counting the scores and determining which occurs most frequently.
D) All of these

Question 45

One general statement that can be made with regard to the use of statistics in analyzing test data is that the choice of statistic frequently depends on

A) the "school of statistics" learned by the person doing the analysis.
B) the degree of precision in measurement that is required.
C) the importance of the findings in the grand scheme of things.
D) the attention to detail that the project requires.

Question 46

A distribution of test scores can be described by

A) a measure of central tendency
B) a measure of deviation
C) a graph
D) All of these

Question 47

A simple frequency distribution is labeled as such to indicate that the data in it

A) occurs with no particular frequency.
B) have not been grouped.
C) are not particularly complex.
D) have only been averaged using the arithmetic mean.

Question 48

The range is a measure of variation that is simple enough to calculate,but its value is

A) greatly affected by extreme scores in the distribution.
B) not affected enough by extreme scores in the distribution.
C) extremely limited when a distribution is relatively platykurtic.
D) too exaggerated for use with a normal distribution.

Question 49

The tail portion of a normal curve is the area of the curve between

A) 2 and 3 standard deviations above the mean.
B) -2 and -3 standard deviations below the mean.
C) Both a and b
D) None of these

Question 50

X is to abscissa as Y is to

A) oblongata.
B) kudos.
C) kurtotic.
D) ordinate.

Question 51

A raw score is so called because it is

A) a straightforward, unmodified accounting of performance, usually numerical in nature.
B) an untreated estimate of performance on a test prior to placement in a frequency distribution.
C) ratio level measurement that has not yet been converted into any sort of graphic form.
D) None of these

Question 52

There are 100 scores in a distribution of test scores and the average deviation (AD)is 12.The AD of 12 tells us that the 100 scores in this distribution varied,on average

A) 12 points from the mean.
B) 12 points from each other.
C) 12 points from 100.
D) None of these

Question 53

The U.S.Navy is highly selective when it comes to applications for Navy Seal training.A distribution of test scores on a Navy Seal Qualifying and Screening Examination administered to a class of high school seniors would be expected to yield

A) a normal distribution of test scores.
B) a negatively skewed distribution of test scores.
C) a positively skewed distribution of test scores.
D) a trimodal distribution.

Question 54

Users of psychological tests are frequently tempted to treat ordinal data as if it were interval data.This is the case because of the

A) difficulties that would be encountered if the data were treated as ratio data.
B) frequent need to do more than simply rank order test scores.
C) data manipulation capabilities given the equal intervals between points measured.
D) added flexibility of interval level data for statistical manipulation.

Question 55

If all scores in a set of test scores were the same,the variance would be equal to

A) zero.
B) one.
C) two.
D) None of these

Question 56

Test users who treat ordinal data as if they were interval data must be constantly alert to the possibility of

A) a highly skewed standard error.
B) gross inequality of intervals.
C) extreme kurtosis in a graphed distribution of test scores.
D) legal challenges from the ACLU.

Question 57

A histogram is a

A) graph with vertical lines drawn at each class interval.
B) frequency distribution with horizontal lines at each class interval.
C) a graphic illustration from history with ratio level data.
D) surgical procedure once performed on women to treat depression.

Question 58

On a bar graph comparing men to women with regard to test scores,one would expect to find the gender variable listed on the

A) abscissa.
B) ordinate.
C) frequency polygon.
D) appendix.

Question 59

In a grouped frequency distribution,test-score intervals are also referred to as

A) class intervals.
B) bandwidth intervals.
C) range intervals.
D) group intervals.

Question 60

Mode is to nominal statistic as median is to:

A) nominal statistic.
B) ordinal statistic.
C) interval statistic.
D) ratio statistic.

Question 61

A z score scale has sometimes been referred to as a "zero plus or minus one" scale because a z score scale

A) has a mean set at 0 and a standard deviation set at 1.
B) has a mean set at 0 and a standard deviation set at -1.
C) has a standard deviation set at 0, and a mean set at 1.
D) None of these

Question 62

Which is NOT a part of the formula for calculating a standard deviation?

A) each test score
B) the total number of items in the test
C) the mean of the distribution
D) the total number of test scores

Question 63

If the results of an examination are negatively skewed,the exam questions were likely:

A) easy.
B) difficult.
C) biased.
D) quite novel in many respects.

Question 64

If the results of an examination are positively skewed,the exam questions were likely

A) easy.
B) difficult.
C) biased.
D) part of a make-up examination.

Question 65

In a distribution that is positively skewed,what is the relationship between the measures of central tendency?

A) The mean, the median, and the mode are equal.
B) The mean is greater than the median, which is greater than the mode.
C) The mean is greater than the mode, which is greater than the median.
D) The standard deviation is larger than the variance, which is larger than the range.

Question 66

Arithmetic mean is to ________ as median is to ________.

A) semi-interquartile range; standard deviation
B) standard deviation; semi-interquartile range
C) variance; standard deviation
D) dispersion; variance

Question 67

If few scores fall on the negative side of the distribution,the distribution is ________ skewed.

A) positively
B) negatively
C) symmetrically
D) asymmetrically

Question 68

Kurtosis refers to steepness in the ________ of the distribution.

A) center
B) positive end
C) negative end
D) outliers

Question 69

Which of the following describes the shape of the normal curve?

A) positively skewed
B) negatively skewed
C) symmetrical
D) bimodal

Question 70

A nonlinear transformation of test scores into standard scores may be required when the test data under consideration:

A) are normally distributed.
B) are not normally distributed.
C) were originally converted into A scores.
D) were not obtained under standardized conditions.

Question 71

A standard score obtained by a linear transformation is one in which

A) a direct numerical relationship to the original score is retained.
B) only the directionality of the relationship to the original score is retained.
C) the relationship to the original score has been completely erased.
D) None of these

Question 72

In a distribution that is symmetrical,which of the following is true?

A) The distances from Q1 and Q4 to the median are the same.
B) The distances from Q1 and Q2 to the median are the same.
C) The distances from Q1 and Q3 to the median are the same.
D) The distances from Q2 and Q3 to the median are the same.

Question 73

What is the relationship between the mean,the median,and the mode for a distribution of scores that is normally distributed?

A) The mean and the median are larger than the mode.
B) The mean and the median are smaller than the mode.
C) The mean and the mode are larger than the median.
D) The mean, the median, and the mode are equal.

Question 74

The T in T-scores came about because this variety of standard score was named after

A) Thurstone.
B) Titchener
C) Thorndike.
D) Terman

Question 75

The distribution of scores from a "Citywide Math Test" scores results in a mean of 70 and a standard deviation of 12.Here,a score equal to 2 standard deviations above the mean would be:

A) 72.
B) 82.
C) 84.
D) 94.

Question 76

Today,when someone tells you what their recently measured "IQ" is,the value quoted is most likely

A) a standard score.
B) a z-score.
C) a T-score.
D) a quotient.

Question 77

Raw scores may be converted to standard scores

A) because raw scores are more readily interpretable than standard scores.
B) to better understand a test-taker's performance relative to others
C) Both a and b
D) None of these

Question 78

Which of the following is TRUE of kurtosis?

A) Computer programs provide an index of skewness that ranges from -3 to +3.
B) Computer program provide an index of skewness that ranges from -1 to +1.
C) No widely accepted definition of this concept exists.
D) It was first conceived and named by a Swedish statistician named Kurt.

Question 79

A student received a z score of 1 on a test of English as a Second Language and the distribution of test scores on that test was normal.This same student received a z score of 1 on another test of English as Second Language and the distribution of test scores on this second test were highly skewed.In all probability,

A) these two standard scores mean the same thing.
B) the T-scores on both test would be equal to 80.
C) the student speaks English better than many native-born Americans.
D) these two standard scores do not mean the same thing.

Question 80

In a positively skewed distribution,which of the following is true?

A) Q3-Q2 will be greater than the distance of Q2-Q1.
B) Q3-Q2 will be less than the distance of Q2-Q1.
C) Q4-Q2 will be greater than the distance of Q2-Q1.
D) Q4-Q2 will be less than the distance of Q2-Q1.