Sample test Flashcards
Which of the following is a problem for the principle of induction?
a. Past events tell us nothing about future events.
b. We can’t be certain that we have considered the full range of relevant conditions
c. It ignores contradictory evidence
d. It relies on single observations
b. We can’t be certain that we have considered the full range of relevant conditions
A researcher is interested in the effect of income on self-reported quality of life. However, there are other variables that are related to the quality of life, such as marital satisfaction, age and mental health, which might influence the findings. The researcher measures all of the above variables. In this study:
1) marital satisfaction is:
2) income is:
3) self-reported quality of life is:
4) the design is:
a. an extraneous variable
b. independent groups (true-experimental)
c. independent groups (quasi-experimental)
d. repeated measures
e. the independent variable
f. the dependent variable
1) marital satisfaction is: (a) an extraneous variable
2) income is: (e) the independent variable
3) self-reported quality of life is: (f) the dependent variable
4) the design is: (c) independent groups (quasi-experimental)
A researcher is interested in the effects of poverty on crime; he gathers data to investigate whether crime rates are higher in areas of poverty. Classify each of the following.
1) Crime rates will be higher in areas of poverty compared to more affluent areas
2) Level of poverty
3) Poverty: a certain level of material deprivation below which an individual suffers physically, emotionally and socially
4) Poverty causes crime
5) Rate of crime
6) Poverty is an income of half the national average
a.theory
b.confounding variable
c.construct
d.independent variable
e.dependent variable
f.hypothesis
g.operational definition
1) Crime rates will be higher in areas of poverty compared to more affluent areas =
(f) hypothesis
2) Level of poverty = (d) independent variable
3) Poverty: a certain level of material deprivation below which an individual suffers physically, emotionally and socially =
(c) construct
4) Poverty causes crime = (a) theory
5) Rate of crime = (e) dependent variable
6) Poverty is an income of half the national average = (g) operational definition
Generally speaking, which broad research approach is likely to result in good external validity at the expense of internal validity?
a. Quantitative (e.g. experimental manipulations)
b. Qualitative (e.g. interviews, observation)
b. Qualitative (e.g. interviews, observation)
A researcher is interested in how an individual’s preference for reading material affects their general knowledge. He recruits participants who prefer to read either: science fiction, romance, horror or biographies. The participants are given a short general knowledge quiz and the researcher records their scores. Identify the elements of this research:
1) What is the independent variable?
2) How many independent variables are there?
3) What is the research design?
4) Is the independent variable true- or quasi-experimental?
5) What is the dependent variable?
a. Quasi-experimental
b. Score on the general knowledge quiz
c. Independent groups
d. 3
e. 2
f. 1
g. Time spent reading
h. Repeated measures
i. Reading material preferred
j. 4
k. True-experimental
1) What is the independent variable? =
(i) Reading material preferred
2) How many independent variables are there? = (f) 1
3) What is the research design? =
(c) Independent groups
4) Is the independent variable true- or quasi-experimental? = (a) Quasi-experimental
5) What is the dependent variable? =
(b) Score on the general knowledge quiz
A researcher defines frustration as the number of teeth marks a student makes on a pencil while trying to solve a difficult problem. This is an example of:
a. a theoretical definition
b. a conceptual definition
c. an experimental definition
d. an operational definition
d. an operational definition
It is an operational definition as it describes the variable the researcher is using to measure frustration.
Brad has designed a test to measure intelligence, however, he is concerned that scores on the test simply reflect the participant’s motivation. In other words, Brad is concerned about the instrument’s:
Select all that apply, negative points for incorrect responses
a.validity
b.precision
c.reliability
d.accuracy
a.validity
d.accuracy
Brad is concerned about the instrument’s validity and accuracy to measure intelligence, i.e. is the instrument measuring what he set out to measure?
A student is investigating the relationship between signs of the zodiac and flirtatious behaviour for her final year project. She believes that participants born under Sagittarius will be more flirtatious than participants born under Cancer. In order to measure their flirtatiousness, she rates their behaviour while interacting with members of the opposite sex. In order to safeguard against reactivity she doesn’t ask participants which zodiac sign they are until she has rated their behaviour. This is an example of a:
a. single blind procedure
b. double blind procedure
b. double blind procedure
A developmental psychologist speculates that children who are exposed to higher levels of aggression in the home are more likely to show aggressive behaviours when playing with other children. Which broad research approach would be the obvious choice to address this?
a. Experimental research
b. Relational research
c. Descriptive research
b. Relational research
While delivering a 10-week therapeutic programme designed to reduce aggression in children, a researcher asks judges to take a note of any aggressive behaviours shown by children in the playground . She hopes to establish that the number and severity of aggressive behaviours will be reduced over the course of the therapeutic programme.
Find the appropriate match for the following questions.
1) Over time the researcher becomes concerned that the judges are getting better at differentiating aggressive and non-aggressive behaviours. What threat to internal validity does this pose?
2) What should the researcher measure in order to establish the raters’ consistency over time?
3) The researcher becomes concerned that the influence of the judges’ presence on the children’s behaviours changes over time (e.g. the children were more aware of the judges at the start of the 10 weeks than toward the end of the 10 weeks). What threat to internal validity does this pose?
4) The researcher is concerned that her sample is restricted to middle-class children. What threat to external validity does this pose?
a. Population validity
b. Test-retest reliability
c. Ecological validity
d. Reactivity
e. Instrumentation
f. Maturation
g. History
h. Criterion validity
i. Inter-rater reliability
1) Over time the researcher becomes concerned that the judges are getting better at differentiating aggressive and non-aggressive behaviours. What threat to internal validity does this pose?
= (e) Instrumentation
-This is because the instrument to assess behaviours may be reducing the validity by changing over time.
2) What should the researcher measure in order to establish the raters’ consistency over time?
= (b) Test-retest reliability
3) The researcher becomes concerned that the influence of the judges’ presence on the children’s behaviours changes over time (e.g. the children were more aware of the judges at the start of the 10 weeks than toward the end of the 10 weeks). What threat to internal validity does this pose?
= (d) Reactivity
4) The researcher is concerned that her sample is restricted to middle-class children. What threat to external validity does this pose?
= (a) Population validity
Krish has designed a questionnaire to measure anxiety levels among new mothers. He wants to know how good his measure is and so he carries out a number of checks. Identify what Krish is assessing in each example.
1) He compares the results obtained using his questionnaire with results obtained using an established questionnaire of anxiety.
2) He makes sure that he recruits mothers from a variety of social classes.
3) He asks the participants to complete the full questionnaire on two separate occasions.
4) He checks that his questionnaire asks about anxiety related to feeding issues AND sleeping issues.
a. Content validity
b. Criterion (concurrent) validity
c. Internal consistency
d. Population validity
e. Criterion (predictive) validity
f. Test-retest reliability
g. Ecological validity
h. Inter-rater reliability
i. Face validity
1) He compares the results obtained using his questionnaire with results obtained using an established questionnaire of anxiety.
= (b) Criterion (concurrent) validity
2) He makes sure that he recruits mothers from a variety of social classes.
= (d) Population validity
3) He asks the participants to complete the full questionnaire on two separate occasions.
= (f) Test-retest reliability
4) He checks that his questionnaire asks about anxiety related to feeding issues AND sleeping issues.
= (a) Content validity
Which of the following statements are true of mixed factorial design experiments?
Select all that apply, negative points for incorrect responses
a. They always contain at least 2 independent variables
b. They always contain a within-subjects independent variable
c. They are always quasi-experimental
d. The independent variable always has more than 2 levels
a. They always contain at least 2 independent variables
b. They always contain a within-subjects independent variable
Which of the following are problems associated with repeated measures designs relative to independent groups designs?
Select all that apply, negative points for incorrect responses
a. There is an increased likelihood of fatigue effects
b. There is an increased likelihood of individual difference effects
c. There is an increased likelihood of reactivity
d. They require more participants
a. There is an increased likelihood of fatigue effects
c. There is an increased likelihood of reactivity
In a study with nationality as the only independent variable, the research design has to be:
Select all that apply, negative points for incorrect responses.
a. true-experimental
b. quasi-experimental
c. independent groups
d. repeated measures
b. quasi-experimental
c. independent groups
Jenni always sets her watch ten minutes fast so that she can avoid being late for lectures. Jenni is introducing _____________ to her measurement of time.
a. random error
b. constant error
b. constant error
