RM Exam Questions

Question 1

What are the rules for using parametric statistics tests such as the t test

Answer 1

Data must have been measured on a parametric scale (interval/ratio), the data must have come from a population with a normal distribution, the groups must have similar variance and have been randomly chosen

Question 2

What are repeated measures design experiments? What are their advantages and disadvantages compared to indent groups

Answer 2

Repeated measures is where the same subjects are tested under each condition

However differences may be due to fatigue, learning effect etc

Question 3

Explain the logic behind Popper’s idea and give an example

Answer 3

Poppers falsification referred to whether theories could be exposed to disagreement i order to be a theory.

Method of deduction

For example you can prove, it will rain today to be false’.

Limitations - theories are usually complex and mange current theories would have been discarded even though they are scientific

Question 4

Define internal validity

Answer 4

Whether the manipulation of the IV really caused a change in the DV

Question 5

Explain the terms normal science and paradigm shift

Answer 5

Normal science increases precision of measurement, is conservative, uses different conditions.

Paradigm shift is when evidence builds up too much that current theory wrong so whole theory must change

Question 6

What are the 4 levels of measurement that data can have

Answer 6

nominal
ordinal
ratio

Question 7

What is a meta analysis

Answer 7

A statistical method of combining the results of a series of independent , previously published studies carried out for the same general purpose

it is a type of systematic lit review

Question 8

Give the equation for relative risk

Answer 8

incidence rate in exposed population / incidence rate in non exposed population

Question 9

Define risk factor

Answer 9

A factor which is associated with prevalence of a disease

E.g inactivity

Question 10

What does epidemiological research refer to

Answer 10

the study of the distribution of health related status/events in populations and the application of this to control health problems

Question 11

distinguish prospective longitudinal surveys from retroactive

Answer 11

Prospective longitudinal surveys are where the same group of subjects are followed over time

retroactive is where a group of people are asked to recall matters from the past

Question 12

describe the process of a meta analysis

Answer 12

research Q
define criteria 
identify all relevant literature 
read full text and evaluate 
extract study characteristics 
calculate effect size 
apply statistical techniques to analyse significance

Question 13

give 5 characteristics of research

Answer 13

logical 
systematic 
empirical 
reductive 
replicable

Question 14

what did Kuhn name science which is conservative and adds clauses

Answer 14

normal science

Question 15

what did Kuhn name science that occurs when the scientific community decides that anomalies have become too serious

Answer 15

revolutionary

Question 16

what is research called which aims to become familiar with basic facts where there is little/no prior knowledge

Answer 16

exploratory

Question 17

give threats to internal validity

Answer 17

selection
outside events
repeated learning (learning effect and fatigue)
john henry effect
problems related to the calibration of instrumentation

Question 18

define external validity

Answer 18

whether you can generalise the results to other people/situations

Question 19

what is a type 1 error

Answer 19

rejection of a true null hypothesis (found an effect when there isn’t one)

Question 20

what is a type 2 error

Answer 20

rejection a false null hypothesis (believe there isn’t an effect when there is)

Question 21

what is the difference between a systematic literature review and a meta analysis

Answer 21

a meta analysis is qualitative
a meta analysis combines the results of a series of independent published studies and this is a type of systematic review
Meta-analysis: data from papers are used for statistical analysis

Question 22

what is the difference between incidence and prevalence

Answer 22

prevalence is the number of existing cases of a disease at a given point of time

incidence is the number of new cases of a disease in a specified time period

Question 23

how do you calculate relative risk

Answer 23

incidence rate in exposed population/ incidence rate in non exposed population

Question 24

what is the ability of a study to spot a real effect called

Answer 24

power

Question 25

how do you calculate coefficient of variation and when is this used

Answer 25

standard deviation / mean x 100
used to compare variables with different units or when a larger mean will naturally have a larger spread and you want to correct for that (normalised measure of spread)

Question 26

What would british rankings data type be

Answer 26

ordinal

Question 27

how could you improve the design of a study to improve the internal validity

Answer 27

randomise order/counterbalance

this is a cross over design

Question 28

what is the non-parametric test for comparing two conditions

Answer 28

wilcoxon signed rank

Question 29

what is the Mann Whitney U test used for

Answer 29

non parametric for independent samples

Question 30

what does it mean if p > alpha (0.05)

Answer 30

not significant

Question 31

what does p stand for

Answer 31

‘p’ stands for the probability that the observed difference (between distribution data and normal distribution in this case) is coincidental.

Question 32

What do the r and r2 stand for

Answer 32

Correlation coefficient and the coefficient of determination.

Question 33

What does the value of r2 (= 0.81) mean?

Answer 33

The coefficient of determination tells us that 81% of the variability in jump distance can be explained by the variability in the run-up speed.

Question 34

What is an informed consent, what does it need to include?

Answer 34

Informed consent is an ethical principle that requires obtaining the consent of the individual to participate in a study based on full prior disclosure of risks and benefits. Informing the participant, states that the participant can withdraw at any time.

Question 35

if you increase the significance level, does the chance of a type II error then increase or
decrease as a result?

Answer 35

increase

Question 36

What is meant by the ‘power’ of a test?

Answer 36

the chance of finding an effect, if there really is one

Question 37

how can you make sure his data will NOT be affected by the John Henry effect

Answer 37

use a placebo or double blinding

Question 38

What is this mechanism to increase questionnaire reliability called?

Answer 38

internal check

Question 39

how do you calculate effect size

Answer 39

subtract the mean of one group from the other (M1 – M2) and divide the result by the standard deviation

Question 40

A p value of 0.02 means that there is a 2% chance that …

Answer 40

the result is coincidental

Question 41

How should Ann enter all the data in SPSS, considering she chose an independent groups design

Answer 41

one line per person; one column with the grouping variable (lane 1 or 8) and another with the
scores (RT)

Question 42

what does a shapiro wilk p value of 0.034 mean

Answer 42

Since this is below 0.05, the distribution of the scores at baseline is deviating from the normal distribution.

Question 43

What does the value of r2 (= 0.81) mean

Answer 43

The coefficient of determination tells us that 81% of the variability in jump distance can be explained by the variability in the run-up speed.

Question 44

Why is it important to consider the order of the questions in a questionnaire?

Answer 44

Previous questions may direct person to certain answer (questions about crime,
then CCTV question versus questions about privacy, then CCTV question). Or: if more difficult questions first, people may not continue completing the questionnaire (funnel technique: first general/factual/easy questions, gender etc., then more specific about topic).

Question 45

What is the difference between a review of several studies and a meta- analysis?

Answer 45

Meta-analysis uses data from a number of studies for statistical analysis (has methodology and results). Review contains description of studies, no statistical analysis.

Question 46

What is inductive reasoning?

Answer 46

Generating theory by generalising from repeated observations. I see white swans => All swans are white.

Question 47

Why is inductive reasoning problematic?

Answer 47

The main reason why inductive reasoning is problematic is that generalising from
observations is not logical. “The fact that the sun has risen every morning for as long as I can remember, does not guarantee that the sun will rise tomorrow.” (Hume) How many observations are needed to conclude that it will always happen? Arriving at scientific law through repeated observation is not logical therefore. Many of you mentioned that observations are subjective, which is also a problem.

Question 48

Describe Poppers method

Answer 48

Falsificationism (2 marks). Method of deduction: define problem (usually a problem with current theory), proposed solution (new theory), deduction of testable propositions, tests (to falsify new theory), choose between old and new theory (2 marks).

Question 49

If the data is NOT normally distributed, what statistical tests should be used

Answer 49

the mean and standard deviation are NOT appropriate for describing the central tendency and the spread, respectively (the standard deviation is linked to the normal distribution). The median and interquartile range are in this case much better.