Chapter 1 quiz

Question 1

Nominal Scale

Answer 1

Categories are identified by name:
Gender: male, female
Political orientation: Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, Green
Categories represent qualitative differences

Question 2

Ordinal Scale

Answer 2

A scale of measurement using ranks rather than actual numbers.(Birth order in family: first, second, third
Socioeconomic class: low, middle, high)

Question 3

Interval Scale

Answer 3

An ordered series of equal-sized units.
We can determine the direction and size of a difference: how much higher, better, hotter.
It has an arbitrary zero.
It does not allow ratio comparison of measurements.

Question 4

Ratio Scale

Answer 4

measurement that has a natural, or absolute, zero and therefore allows the comparison of absolute magnitudes of the numbers

Question 5

What do psychologists use Statistics for?

Answer 5

Populations and Samples
Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Variables
Scales of Measurement
Types of Studies
Statistical Notation

Question 6

Population

Answer 6

The entire group of individuals we are interested in.(Do women smoke more than men? ex: Smokers)

Question 7

Sample

Answer 7

Small group selected to represent the population.

Question 8

Goal of Population and Sample

Answer 8

Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups. Includes measures of central tendency and measures of variation. (e.g., sample size, mean, standard deviation)

Question 9

Parameter

Answer 9

Numerical summary of a population

Question 10

Statistic

Answer 10

A numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a sample

Question 11

N

Answer 11

Population size

Question 12

n

Answer 12

Sample size

Question 13

μ

Answer 13

Population mean

Question 14

M

Answer 14

Sample mean

Question 15

σ

Answer 15

Standard deviation of a population

Question 16

SD

Answer 16

Standard deviation of a sample

Question 17

Inferential Statistics

Answer 17

Procedures used to draw conclusions about larger populations from small samples of data

Question 18

sampling error

Answer 18

an error that occurs when a sample somehow does not represent the target population

Question 19

Variable

Answer 19

A factor that can change in an experiment ( ex: Does treatment X improve depression symptoms as compared with no treatment?
Treatment condition/ depression)

Question 20

Construct

Answer 20

Internal characteristic that can not be directly observed

Question 21

Discrete variables

Answer 21

Consist of separate, indivisible categories. No values can exist between two neighboring categories. (ex: Number of children a woman has = 2 or 3, not 2.6)

Question 22

Continuous variables

Answer 22

Infinitely divisible into whatever units a researcher may choose
(Ex: Height = 64 inches or 64.4 inches or 64.3719 inches)

Question 23

Scales of Measurement (Variables)

Answer 23

nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio

Question 24

Experiments

Answer 24

to test the cause-effect relationship between two variables.
In an experiment one variable is manipulated, independent variable, and the other variable is measured, dependent variable.

Question 25

Quasi-Experiments or Nonexperimental Studies

Answer 25

Ex: Effects of gender on verbal ability
-IV: gender
-Levels of IV: boys and girls
-DV: verbal scores.
A comparison is made b/w scores of two conditions of the IV. However,
No random assignment of participants to conditions occurs.
The effect may be the result of gender or something that varies with gender (e.g., verbal exposure).
Experiments in which pre-existing groups are used are quasi-experiments.

Question 26

correlational study

Answer 26

A research project designed to discover the degree to which two variables are related to each other (Intelligence/academic performance: IQ tests, Academic tests)

Question 27

Correlation does not mean causation

Answer 27

This shows the relation between two things, not how they were caused. You cannot determine causality, you can only determine correlation. For example, you can’t say less sleep causes more stress or vice versa.

Question 28

Correlation

Answer 28

The relation of the variables is measured using a statistic

Question 29

X

Answer 29

Score on a 5-point quiz, If there is only one variable, the scores for that variable are represented by this…..

Question 30

Y

Answer 30

If there is a second variable, the scores for that variable are represented by this…..

Question 31

Σ

Answer 31

“the sum of”

Question 32

ΣX

Answer 32

Sum of the X scores

Question 33

Σ (X-1)

Answer 33

Parentheses indicate that you should perform the operation in parentheses before you do the summation

Question 34

Example of Statistical Notation

Answer 34

X: quiz scores
X: 3, 3, 5, 2, 5, 4
ΣX: 3+3+5+2+5+4
ΣX= 22
Σ (X-1)= (3-1)+ (3-1)+ (5-1)+ (2-1) + (5-1) + (4-1)
Σ (X-1)= 2+ 2+ 4+1+4+3
Σ (X-1)= 16

Question 35

Order of Operations

Answer 35

the order in which operations in an expression to be evaluated are carried out.
1. parentheses
2. exponents
3. multiplication and division
4. addition and subtraction