EPPP- Research Methods and Statistics

Question 1

Under null hypothesis significance testing, when a test statistic is deemed statistically significant, it indicates that:

a. the findings are clinically important
b. the measures used to test study hypotheses were highly reliable
c. the null hypothesis must be false in reality
d. the data would occur relatively infrequently given the specified null hypothesis and Alpha level

Answer 1

d. the data would occur relatively infrequently given the specified null hypothesis and Alpha level

Question 2

If one can confirm the presence of an internal validity threat it would suggest:

a. a limit to the generality of the relevant cause-effect relationship
b. an alternative explanation for the active ingredients of an intervention
c. the original study was a quasi experiment
d. the alternative explanation for the relevant cause-effect relationship

Answer 2

d. the alternative explanation for the relevant cause-effect relationship

Question 3

Final grades in a class with grade inflation would result in a distribution with _____, whereas assessing the frequency of daily alcohol use in a sample of 5th graders would result in a distribution with _____.

a. negative skew, positive skew
b. negative kurtosis, positive kurtosis
c. positive skew, negative skew
d. heavier tails, lighter tails

Answer 3

a. negative skew, positive skew

Question 4

In a symmetrical distribution of exam scores with a single mode, which set of statistics would result in a higher percentile for an exam score of 87?

a. M= 90, SD= 3
b. M= 91, SD= 8.5
c. M= 95, SD= 5
d. M= 89, SD= 4

Answer 4

b. M= 91, SD= 8.5

Question 5

A some scale on a new measure that was developed is found to have a cronbach alpha of 0.92. this indicates:

a. the subscale items load onto a single factor
b. a subscale score based on the items would demonstrate adequate criterion validity
c. the items adequately capture the content domain of the relevant construct
d. the relevant items are intercorrelated

Answer 5

d. the relevant items are intercorrelated

Question 6

_____ factor analysis is used to test a priori hypotheses regarding a construct’s _____.

a. exploratory, internal consistency
b. confirmatory, dimensionality
c. confirmatory, principal components
d. confirmatory, content

Answer 6

b. confirmatory, dimensionality

Question 7

Which of the following statements are always true?

a. the standard deviation must be less than the range
b. there must be a single mode
c. a Z score of 0 must correspond to the median
d. both A and C

Answer 7

a. the standard deviation must be less than the range

Question 8

All of the following study features would increase the chances of finding an intervention effect if one exists in the population except:

a. recruiting a larger sample of participants
b. using a more stringent Alpha level
c. increasing the strength of the intervention
d. conducting statistical analyses using latent variables

Answer 8

b. using a more stringent Alpha level

Question 9

The standard error of mean:

a. is the average distance between all sample means and the population mean, for all random samples of a given size
b. always equals the population standard deviation
c. will increase as sample size increases
d. will decrease as sample size decreases

Answer 9

a. is the average distance between all sample means and the population mean, for all random samples of a given size

Question 10

The use of a directional hypothesis test would be most appropriate if:

a. researchers contrasted to active treatments to see if they can be differentiated
b. researchers contrast it a novel treatment with a new treatment control condition
c. researchers believed they had created a treatment that would result in significant benefit over an existing treatment
d. researchers were interested in comparing the relative efficacy of two treatments and community-based clinical settings. In prior research the two treatments had demonstrated comparable benefits When delivered in University based clinics

Answer 10

c. researchers believed they had created a treatment that would result in significant benefit over an existing treatment

Question 11

Which sampling strategy is more likely to violate the independence assumption of standard parametric statistical tests?

a. individuals are randomly sampled from neighborhoods ( one individual per neighborhood)
b. individuals are sampled from Community Mental Health Clinics ( one person per Clinic)
c. students are sampled from hundreds of school districts across the United States (one student per district)
d. clusters of students from various schools across the United States ( 50 students per) students person were sampled

Answer 11

d. clusters of students from various schools across the United States ( 50 students per) students person were sampled

Question 12

In a mixed model ANOVA examining the effects of sex ( men vs women), time of assessment ( pretest vs posttest), and the sex by time of assessment interaction on depression, all of the following are true except:

a. A sex by time of assessment interaction would indicate that the pre-test to post test change for men is different than the pre-test to postest change for women
b. a main effect of time would indicate that on average participants changed from pretest to post-test
c. a simple sex affect at post test would indicate that men and women differ in their post test depression levels
d. a simple time effect for men would indicate that men and women reported different levels of pretest depression

Answer 12

d. a simple time effect for men would indicate that men and women reported different levels of pretest depression

Question 13

A clinician interested in examining whether a bridge self-report of Life satisfaction increase for a sample of 15 clients between the intake and termination sessions (i.e., the only two sessions at which life satisfaction was assessed), could use a:

a. one way between subjects ANOVA
b. One Way Within subjects ANOVA
c. a paired samples T Test
d. both B and C

Answer 13

d. both B and C

Question 14

A full factorial ANOVA model based on a study examining two treatments (cognitive behavioral vs. interpersonal) delivered in two doses (6 week vs 12 week) with participants assessed at bold pretest and posttest Woody yield _____ effects.

a. 4
b. 3
c. 7
d. 6

Answer 14

c. 7

Question 15

A researcher is interested in testing and intervention effect (parent management training vs. play therapy) on post test ADHD symptoms in a sample of middle school students while statistically controlling for parent motivation to seek treatment. what would satisfaction of the homogeneity of regression lines assumption indicate?

a. An ANCOVA test would not be an appropriate analysis
b. the three-way intervention Group by parent motivation to seek treatment by ADHD symptoms interaction would be significant
c. the effect of parent motivation to seek treatment on post test ADHD symptoms is similar in the parent management training and play therapy interventions groups
d. there is significant interaction between intervention group and parent motivation to seek treatment in predicting post test ADHD symptoms

Answer 15

c. the effect of parent motivation to seek treatment on post test ADHD symptoms is similar in the parent management training and play therapy interventions groups

Question 16

A researcher examining a residual plot from a regression analysis in which alcohol use is predicted from age, which ranges from 12 to 19, notices that the residuals are more tightly clustered for ages 12 through 15 relative to ages 16 through 19. these data suggest the residuals:

a. are homoscedastic
b. are heteroscedastic
c. Violate the independence assumption
d. Both A and C

Answer 16

b. are heteroscedastic

Question 17

The following statements reflects statistical interactions except:

a. cognitive distortions and hopelessness are unique predictors of depression
b. the effects of stress on anxiety vary as a function of participant sex
c. the effect of alcohol use escalation during adolescence on alcohol use disorders in young adulthood depends on family history of alcoholism
d. academic self-efficacy is more strongly related to undergraduate GPA in lower income students relative to higher income students

Answer 17

a. cognitive distortions and hopelessness are unique predictors of depression

Question 18

If a researcher estimated a hierarchical regression model predicting substance use frequency in late adolescence from 3 predictor block capturing 5 predictors (entered in this order): 1. demographics- age and sex; 2. symptoms- internalizing and externalizing; 3. deviant peer association:

a. the researcher could test whether the unique effects of age and sex were significant in a model including no additional predictors
b. the researcher could test whether the demographic predictor block accounted for significant incremental Marion’s over and above the symptom predictor block
c. the researcher could test whether the internalizing by externalizing interaction is significant
d. both A and B

Answer 18

a. the researcher could test whether the unique effects of age and sex were significant in a model including no additional predictors

Question 19

If a researcher was interested in examining whether an intervention produced lower levels of problematic alcohol use for clients with a higher level of baseline motivation, motivation would be a _____.

a. Moderator
b. mediator
c. covariate
d. construct validity threat

Answer 19

a. Moderator

Question 20

A developmental Psychopathology just interested in predicting Oppositional Defiant Disorder diagnoses (0= no diagnosis, 1= diagnosis) from (a) child temperament, (b) parent antisociality, and (c) parent-child conflict, should use:

a. An ordinary least squares multiple regression model
b. a three factor ANOVA model
c. a logistic regression model
d. A three factor MANOVA model

Answer 20

c. a logistic regression model

Question 21

Assume that a researcher is interested in studying parent-child conflict in low-income Spanish-speaking Mexican families living in the United States towns along the California and Mexican border. He properly translate and instrument developed on middle-class American families of European descent. In his first study he demonstrates that the scales internal consistency is similar to that reported in fryer studies on middle-class American families:

a. although internal consistency is similar to prior work the measure might fail to capture relevant dimensions of parent-child conflict in low-income Mexican families
b. the measure might have a different pattern of Criterion validity in the low income Mexican families
c. the measure might sufficiently capture the construct in low-income Mexican families
d. all of the above

Answer 21

d. all of the above

Question 22

Which of the following designs would likely result in the best relative balance between internal and external validity?

a. an efficacy trial with a homogeneous participant pool
b. a quasi experiment with a homogeneous participant pool
c. a randomized experiment conducted in a real-world setting with a diverse participant pool
d. a quasi experiment conducted in a real-world setting

Answer 22

c. a randomized experiment conducted in a real-world setting with a diverse participant pool

Question 23

Quasi experiments:

a. can never be used to support a causal connection between an intervention and an outcome
b. are generally more vulnerable to external validity threats than are well conducted randomized experiments
c. Lack random assignment of units to conditions
d. Both A and C

Answer 23

c. Lack random assignment of units to conditions

Question 24

A researcher is interested in examining the possible causal influence of sensation-seeking on risky sexual behavior in a sample of residential University students. She conducts a cross-sectional survey in which sensation-seeking, risky sexual behavior, and other psychosocial outcomes are assessed (N=200). She finds a strong positive Association between sensation-seeking and risky sexual behavior (r squared = .27). Which issues limits a valid causal inference?

a. Ambiguous temporal precedence
b. a possible spurious association between sensation-seeking and risky sexual behavior
c. Lack of random selection
d. Both A and B

Answer 24

d. Both A and B

Question 25

A researcher is interested in developing a theory that better account for how online members of a mental health website relate with one another. The current theory that is available is not easily generalized to smaller populations. She decides to observe the website without administering psychological or self-report measures. What research method should she use to help develop her theory?

a. quantitative design- experimental method
b. quantitative design- quasi-experimental method
c. qualitative design- phenomenological method
d. qualitative design- grounded theory method

Answer 25

d. qualitative design- grounded theory method

Question 26

The process of identifying and analyzing patterns within qualitative data is known as:

a. thematic analysis
b. meta-analysis
c. content analysis
d. Trend analysis

Answer 26

a. thematic analysis

Question 27

Dr. Smith is interested in evaluating an existing programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy. The agency she works with has been funding this programs for the past year and is interested in determining whether or not the program should continue to be funded next year, and whether it has been effective at a cheating desired outcome. Her evaluation include pre and post intervention data on variables such as teen self esteem, knowledge of high-risk behaviors, and perceived peer pressure. What type of evaluation research Will dr. Smith carry out with these data?

a. formative evaluation
b. cost benefit analysis
c. summative evaluation
d. needs assessment

Answer 27

c. summative evaluation

Question 28

Dr. Perez is studying a difficult to treat population, intravenous drug users at high risk for HIV infection. Which of the following sampling type is feasible and might be helpful to her in accessing this population?

a. a purposive sampling method
b. a chain referral sampling method
c. a simple random sample of the population
d. a stratified random sample of the population

Answer 28

b. a chain referral sampling method

Question 29

Researchers interested in establishing the past year prevalence of major depressive disorder among the United States high school students would likely Implement which of the following design features?

a. simple random sample
b. convenience sampling
c. simple random assignment
d. pilot studies

Answer 29

a. simple random sample

Question 30

Research that encourages the engagement of community members, community based participatory research, office except:

a. researchers first approaching community members following completion of a research study for feedback on next steps
b. inclusion of community stakeholders in important studying decisions (design, methods, etc.)
c. development of objectives that include direct benefits to the community from ongoing research activities
d. development of an equitable partnership between researchers and community members

Answer 30

a. researchers first approaching community members following completion of a research study for feedback on next steps