Stats Quiz Questions

Question 1

Your research study involves assessing the effects of two independent variables on three dependent variables. In this situation, you should conduct a MANOVA to analyze the data collected rather than separate factorial ANOVAs to_____

Answer 1

control the experiment wise error rate.

Question 2

A researcher uses a factorial ANOVA to statistically analyze the effects of four types of training strategies and three levels of self-efficacy on a measure of job performance. Based on the results, there are significant main effects of each independent variable and a significant interaction. The researcher will conclude that:

Answer 2

the most effective type of training depends on level of self-efficacy.

Question 3

A moderator variable:

Answer 3

affects the direction or strength of the relationship between independent and dependent variables.

Question 4

To use scores obtained on the eight subscales of the Parental Activities Scale to predict scores on the five subscales of the Child Adjustment Profile, you would use:

Answer 4

canonical correlation.

Question 5

Researchers use structural equation modeling (SEM) to_____.

Answer 5

evaluate the causal (predictive) influences of multiple latent factors

Question 6

When conducting a one-way ANOVA to compare the effects of four different diets on weight loss, an F-ratio of _____ suggests that there may be a significant difference between the types of diets?

Answer 6

15.5 (must be greater than 1)

Question 7

A multiple regression equation yields a predicted criterion score for an examinee based on the examinee’s scores on the predictors included in a test battery. When computing a multiple regression equation, each test is weighted_____.

Answer 7

in direct proportion to its correlation with the criterion and in inverse proportion to its correlation with the other predictors in the test battery

Question 8

A researcher would choose an ANCOVA to _____.

Answer 8

statistically remove error variance that is attributable to a known extraneous variable

Question 9

You would use a factorial ANOVA to statistically analyze data when_____.

Answer 9

the study includes two or more independent variables

Question 10

A distribution of scores is _____ when it is more “peaked” than a normal distribution.

Answer 10

Leptokurtic

Question 11

In a normal distribution of test scores, approximately ____% of scores are more than two standard deviations above the mean.

Answer 11

2.5

Question 12

When conducting a one-way ANOVA, you calculate an F-ratio by_____.

Answer 12

dividing the mean square between (MSB) by the mean square within (MSW)

MSB over MSW- because a Masters in Biology is over an MSW

Question 13

When using the analysis of variance, calculation of the F-ratio involves_____.

Answer 13

comparing between-group variability to within-group variability

Question 14

A developmental psychologist finds that low birthweight is associated with a higher risk for ADHD in boys but not girls. In this situation, gender is a(n)_____.

Answer 14

Moderator variable

Question 15

When the homogeneity of variance assumption for the analysis of variance is violated, the results of your statistical analysis are least likely to be invalid when_____

Answer 15

the groups contain the same number of participants.

Question 16

A research study includes three independent variables and four dependent variables. All of the dependent variables are measured on an interval or ratio scale. To control the “experiment-wise error rate,” it would be best to use which of the following statistical tests to analyze the data collected in this study?

Answer 16

MANOVA

Question 17

The best way to maximize a research study’s external validity is to_____

Answer 17

randomly select research participants from the target population.

Question 18

Which of the following research designs would be useful for controlling the effects of a potential confounding organismic variable on the results of a research study when participants’ scores on that variable are known at the beginning of the study?

Answer 18

Randomized block

Question 19

The owner of several used-car lots wants to determine the effectiveness of sales training for their salespeople. The owner randomly assigns one lot to Training Program #1, another to Training Program #2, and a third to a no-treatment condition. One of the training group lots happens to be in a low-income neighborhood, while the other two lots are in a middle-income neighborhood. The owner will compare the gross sales of the three lots during a randomly-chosen week in the middle of the summer after the training programs have been completed. The effects of the location of the car lots_____

Answer 19

Is a threat to internal validity

Question 20

The Solomon four-group design is used to evaluate the effects of pretesting on a research study’s_____

Answer 20

internal and external validity.

Question 21

A researcher wants to investigate the effects of a brief treatment for a group of 10 therapy clients before and after the treatment is applied. The researcher will measure symptom severity three times at regular intervals before administering the treatment to the clients and then three times at regular intervals after the clients complete the 10 sessions. The researcher is using which of the following research designs?

Answer 21

Interrupted time-series design

Question 22

If the relationship between level of anxiety (the independent variable) and number of words recalled (the dependent variable) is nonlinear, which of the following would be most useful for statistically evaluating the relationship between the two variables?

Answer 22

Trend analysis

Question 23

Interval recording is most useful _____.

Answer 23

for behaviors without a clear beginning or end (e.g., on-task behavior) and involves recording whether or not the behavior occurred during each interval

Question 24

Cluster sampling involves_____.

Answer 24

selecting units rather than individuals

Question 25

A researcher instructs a participant to “think aloud” while solving complex geometry problems to identify the thought processes that underlie successful and unsuccessful problem-solving. The participant’s verbalizations will be recorded and analyzed. This technique is known as_____.

Answer 25

Protocol analysis

Question 26

The primary characteristic that distinguishes true experimental research from quasi-experimental research is that, in the former,_____.

Answer 26

Random assignment

Question 27

When using the technique known as blocking _____.

Answer 27

the researcher is trying to control the effects of a (confounding) extraneous variable

Question 28

To assess the effects of a stimulus control procedure on eating behaviors, Dr. Barry Buvette obtains a sample of 20 overweight females and 20 overweight males and determines their average daily caloric intake and satisfaction with their food consumption during the seven days before and seven days after training in the procedure. The dependent variable(s) in this study is/are_____.

Answer 28

average daily caloric intake and satisfaction with their food consumption

Question 29

Dr. Angela Angst is using a repeated measures design to compare the effects of different techniques for reducing free-floating anxiety. To control potential carryover effects, Dr. Angst should use which of the following?

Answer 29

Counterbalancing

Question 30

An interviewer unintentionally nods whenever research participants answer the questions in ways that confirm the study’s research hypothesis. The interviewer’s behavior is best described as an example of which of the following?

Answer 30

Demand characteristics

Question 31

A psychologist evaluates the effects of a 15-month training program on the conservation skills of preoperational children by administering a measure of conservation to the same group of children before and at the end of training. The psychologist finds that significantly more children are able to conserve after the program than before the program. The biggest threat to this study’s internal validity is_____.

Answer 31

Maturation

Question 32

: In which of the following types of research studies do participants act as their own “controls”?

Answer 32

Single-subject

Question 33

A psychologist obtains a statistically significant F-ratio for the interaction between two independent variables (IVs). This means that_____.

Answer 33

the relationship between a factor and the response differs by the level of the other factor

Question 34

A researcher would use the Solomon four-group design to control which of the following threats to the validity of a research study?

Answer 34

Pre-testing effects

Question 35

As applied to research design, “external validity” refers to which of the following?

Answer 35

The extent to which a researcher can apply or generalize the results of a study to the larger population (i.e., other situations, groups, or events).

Question 36

For children with ADHD, an academic achievement test has a mean of 40 and a standard deviation of 8. Assuming that the distribution of scores is normally shaped, you can conclude that 16% of these children obtained scores below a score of_____.

Answer 36

32 (1SD)

Question 37

In a negatively skewed distribution of scores_____.

Answer 37

most of the scores fall in the high end with few falling in the low end. The mean is less than the mode.

Question 38

To conclude that one research participant has twice as much of a characteristic than another participant, your measure of that characteristic must produce scores that represent which scale of measurement?

Answer 38

Ratio (need to be ratio to use mathematical comparisons)

Question 39

In a leptokurtic distribution,_____.

Answer 39

the distribution is more “peaked” than normal

Lepto like repto (reptile up on its hind legs, tall and peaky)

Question 40

In a platykurtic distribution,_____.

Answer 40

the distribution is “flatter” than normal

Question 41

Researchers use non-parametric tests to analyze data on variables measured_____.

Answer 41

on a nominal or ordinal scale

Question 42

When assessing the impact of gender on preference for three different study methods (written materials, workshop, combination of written materials and workshop), you would use which of the following statistical tests to analyze the data you collect from 100 psychologists who have just started preparing for the licensing exam?

Answer 42

Different category of preparation are nominal variables, so its multiple same chi square test
- multiple sample bc its impact of gender on prep

Question 43

When a researcher compares the difference between two means to assess the effects of an independent variable on a dependent variable, they will have the most confidence in their decision to reject the null hypothesis if the results are statistically significant at the ___ level of significance.

Answer 43

.01 (smallest number available)

Question 44

Changing the level of significance (alpha) from .01 to .05 will_____.

Answer 44

increase the probability of committing a Type-I error and thus incorrectly rejecting a true null hypothesis

Question 45

The standard error of the mean (SEM) decreases as_____.

Answer 45

sample size increases

Question 46

According to the Central Limit Theorem, the shape of the sampling distribution of means_____.

Answer 46

will approach normality as the sample size increases

Question 47

What increases the power of a statistical test?

Answer 47

Increasing alpha

Question 48

Dr. Terry Tas obtains SAT scores from a sample of 30 high school seniors following their participation in a workshop designed to improve SAT scores. The appropriate statistical test for comparing the mean score obtained by these students to the national mean is which of the following?

Answer 48

Single samples t-test

Question 49

Meta-analysis is used to describe _____.

Answer 49

a quantitative integration of research studies involving the calculation and aggregation of “effect size” estimates

Question 50

The t-test for dependent samples is used to analyze the data collected in a study involving 36 participants whose depressive symptoms are measured before and after receiving 12 sessions of therapy. The degrees of freedom for this study are_____.

Answer 50

35 (n-1)

Question 51

: A researcher will use trend analysis to analyze the collected data in a research study when _____.

Answer 51

the study involves one or more quantitative independent variables and the researcher wants to evaluate the shape, pattern, or form of the relationship between independent and dependent variables

Question 52

A researcher would use a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to analyze the data collected in a study when _____.

Answer 52

the study includes one or more independent variables and two or more dependent variables that are each measured on an interval or ratio scale

Question 53

A high school counselor uses a battery of tests to help high school juniors and seniors choose a college major. Which of the following multivariate techniques would be most helpful in this situation?

Answer 53

Discriminant function analysis (trying to produce a nominal score based on an interval scale)

Question 54

The correlation coefficient for Test A and Test B is -.40. This means that ___% of variability in Test A scores is shared in common with Test B scores.

Answer 54

16 (0.4^2x100)

Question 55

To determine the degree of association between gender and attitude toward abortion when the attitude measure represents an interval scale, you would use which of the following correlation coefficients?

Answer 55

Point biserial (comparing a dichotomy to an interval or ratio)

Question 56

When using path analysis, you are _____.

Answer 56

testing the validity of a model that describes the causal relationship between a dependent variable and two or more independent variables

Question 57

Eta is used _____.

Answer 57

to measure the relationship between two continuous (interval or ratio) variables when their relationship is nonlinear

Question 58

Autocorrelation would most likely be a problem when an investigator uses which of the following research designs?

Answer 58

Time-series

Question 59

For their dissertation research, a graduate student administered a measure of state anxiety to a group of college students on five consecutive days before and after the students participated in a stress reduction workshop. Which of the following research designs did the graduate student use?

Answer 59

Time-series

Question 60

Which of the following would be useful for measuring the strength of the relationship between two continuous variables when their relationship is nonlinear?

Answer 60

Eta coefficient

Question 61

The phi coefficient is used

Answer 61

when both variables are true dichotomies.

Question 62

Spearman rho is used

Answer 62

when both variables are ranks.

Question 63

The Pearson r is used when

Answer 63

both variables are continuous and their relationship is linear.

Question 64

When using protocol analysis, a researcher asks an individual to _____.

Answer 64

think aloud while solving a complex problem

Question 65

When reviewing the data collected from their study’s three treatment groups, a researcher discovers that the standard deviations of the three groups differ. If the researcher analyzes the data using the t-test for independent samples, this is _____.

Answer 65

not likely to be a problem as long as the three groups have the same number of participants

Question 66

An investigator uses a factorial ANOVA to assess the effects of two independent variables on a dependent variable and obtains significant main and interaction effects. When interpreting the results, the investigator should _____.

Answer 66

interpret the main effects with caution since the interaction is significant

Question 67

To analyze the data collected in a study that includes a single independent variable and three dependent variables, we would use a MANOVA (multivariate analysis of variance) rather than three separate one-way ANOVAs because _____.

Answer 67

we want to reduce the probability of making a Type I error

(If three separate ANOVAs were conducted at a level of significance of .05 each, the “experiment wise error rate” (probability of making a Type I error) would be increased to approximately .15. By conducting a single MANOVA at the .05 level, the experiment wise error rate remains at .05.)

Question 68

Squaring the multiple correlation coefficient (R) produces a measure of the _____.

Answer 68

the amount of variability shared by three or more variables

Question 69

A researcher would use an ABAB design rather than an AB design in order to control which of the following threats to the study’s validity?

Answer 69

History

Question 70

A research participant’s score on the dependent variable is the amount of time (minutes) it took to complete a task. When assigning scores to participants, the researcher discovers that three of the 60 participants did not complete the task, and the researcher assigns them the maximum amount of time given to participants to work on the task. Which of the following is the best measure of central tendency for the data collected in this study?

Answer 70

Median (The mean is affected by the magnitude of every score in a distribution, but the median is not. In this situation, the median would not be affected by the magnitude of the three missing scores and, therefore, would be a more accurate measure of central tendency.)

Question 71

When the correlation between high school students’ GPA and amount of time they spend studying each week is _____, this means that about 15% of variability in GPA is accounted for by the amount of time spent studying.

Answer 71

0.39 (sq root of .15)

Question 72

In which of the following types of research do research participants act as their own no-treatment “controls”?

Answer 72

Single-subject

Question 73

Researchers would use an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to _____.

Answer 73

statistically control variability in the dependent variable due to the effects of an extraneous variable

Question 74

A psychologist conducts a t-test and concludes that the results are “significant at the .01 level.” This means that _____.

Answer 74

there is a 1% chance the psychologist will incorrectly reject the null hypothesis

Question 75

A researcher would use “counterbalancing” to _____.

Answer 75

control multiple treatment interference

Question 76

“Sampling error” is _____.

Answer 76

the tendency of sample statistics to vary from population parameters due to the effects of random error

Question 77

To assess the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention on the caloric intake of young women with anorexia nervosa, you obtain a sample of women who have just received this diagnosis and determine the average number of calories each woman consumes each day during the week before and the week after the intervention is applied. Which of the following statistical tests will you use to analyze the collected data?

Answer 77

T-test for dependent samples

Question 78

The t-test for a single sample is used to

Answer 78

compare an obtained sample mean to a known population mean.

Question 79

The t-test for independent samples is used to

Answer 79

compare the means from two unrelated groups.

Question 80

When using a “multiple-baseline” design, a researcher will _____.

Answer 80

sequentially apply a treatment to different behaviors or participants

Question 81

Which of the following bivariate correlation coefficients would you use to determine the degree of association between gender and reaction time (as measured in seconds)?

Answer 81

Point biserial

Question 82

The scattergram for scores on a measure of test anxiety and a measure of math achievement reveals that students with moderate levels of anxiety obtain the highest achievement scores, while students with low and high levels of anxiety obtain lower achievement scores. If the Pearson r is used to measure the degree of the association between test anxiety and math achievement scores, the resulting correlation coefficient will _____.

Answer 82

underestimate the relationship between the variables (nonlinear relationship, Pearson r assumes linearity and underestimates if assumption of linearity is violated)

Question 83

Which of the following behavioral observation techniques would be most useful for evaluating the extent to which a student remains on-task while the teacher is talking?

Answer 83

Interval recording

Question 84

Trend analysis is a type of analysis of variance used when _____.

Answer 84

the independent variable is quantitative

Question 85

In a scatterplot, the correlation between two variables is equal or close to zero when _____.

Answer 85

the range of Y scores at each value of X is equal to the total range of Y scores

Question 86

To reduce the likelihood that experimenter expectancy will bias the results of a research study, you would use which of the following techniques?

Answer 86

Double-blind

Question 87

When a distribution of scores is normally shaped, approximately what percent of scores fall between the mean and the score that is one standard deviation above the mean?

Answer 87

34

Question 88

To increase statistical power, you would _____.

Answer 88

increase alpha from .01 to .05

Question 89

To test the validity of a model that describes the causal relationships among a set of variables, you would use which of the following techniques?

Answer 89

Path analysis

Question 90

A teacher converts students’ raw scores on a 200-item test to percent correct scores. What scale of measurement do the converted scores represent?

Answer 90

ratio

Question 91

An educational psychologist conducts a study to assess the effects of an educational program designed to improve the academic performance of children diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability. The psychologist matches 30 children with mild intellectual disability on the basis of their IQ test scores and randomly assigns the members of each matched pair so one member is assigned to the experimental group and the other is assigned to the control group. The psychologist administers the program to the children in the experimental group and following completion of the program, administers an achievement test to all children and calculates a total correct score for each child. Which of the following should the psychologist use to assess the effects of the treatment on achievement test scores?

Answer 91

T-test for dependent (related) samples

Question 92

An organizational psychologist consulting for a manufacturing company is developing a selection battery to help the company answer the following question: “What group (assembly-line workers or clerical workers) does the job applicant most closely resemble?” Which of the following multivariate techniques would be useful for this purpose?

Answer 92

Discriminant analysis (scores on two or more predictors to predict membership in a criterion group)

Question 93

When designing a research study, an investigator would be concerned about the impact of pretest sensitization on the study’s external validity if _____.

Answer 93

taking the pretest changes how the participants react to the treatment

Question 94

The Central Limit Theorem predicts that the sampling distribution of means increasingly approaches _____.

Answer 94

a normal shape as the sample size increases regardless of the shape of the distribution of scores in the population

Question 95

Statistical regression is a potential threat to a study’s internal validity when _____.

Answer 95

participants are selected for inclusion in the study because of their extremely high or low scores on the pretest

Question 96

When using stepwise multiple regression, the addition of predictors to the equation is usually based on _____.

Answer 96

the magnitude of R-squared

Question 97

A researcher calculated a Cohen’s d of .50 for the data collected in a study comparing two brief treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. This means that _____.

Answer 97

there was a difference of one-half standard deviation between the means of the two groups

Question 98

LISREL (linear structural relations analysis) would be the appropriate method of analysis if your causal model _____.

Answer 98

includes both measured (observed) attributes and latent traits

Question 99

A factorial design _____.

Answer 99

always includes two or more independent variables

Question 100

A researcher fears that the results of the study have been biased by aspects of the experimental situation that provided participants with cues about the responses or reactions that were expected of them. This researcher is concerned about which of the following?

Answer 100

Demand characteristics

Question 101

Treatment diffusion (also known as treatment spillover) occurs when participants in one group

Answer 101

inadvertently receive (or learn about) the intervention that has been applied to participants in another group.

Question 102

The denominator term in the F-ratio is reduced in magnitude by _____.

Answer 102

decreasing within-group variability

Question 103

A researcher is conducting a study to evaluate the effects of a behavioral treatment for controlling severe, self-destructive behaviors. Which of the following single-subject designs would the researcher most likely use for ethical reasons?

Answer 103

Multiple baseline (because it does not require removal of a successful treatment)

Question 104

A psychologist uses a single-subject design to assess the impact of an educational intervention designed to increase on-task behavior. When conducting the study, the psychologist will measure the participant’s on-task behavior _____.

Answer 104

at regular intervals during the baseline and the treatment phases of the study

Question 105

A bivariate correlation coefficient of .60 indicates ________ times as much shared variability between variables as does a bivariate correlation coefficient of .30.

Answer 105

four (The correlation coefficient is squared to determine the amount of shared variability.)

Question 106

A researcher makes a Type II error when they _____.

Answer 106

retain the null hypothesis when it is false

Question 107

A researcher investigates the nature of client-therapist interactions during the initial therapy session by having psychology graduate students assume the role of either the therapist or therapy client and role-play the first session of therapy. The researcher’s study is best described as which of the following?

Answer 107

Analogue

Question 108

Which of the following statistical tests would be most appropriate for analyzing the relationship between gender and Holland’s six occupational themes?

Answer 108

Multiple-sample chi-square (bc nominal)

Question 109

The least squares criterion is used for _____.

Answer 109

identifying the line of best fit in a regression analysis

Question 110

In what type of study would an investigator use the split-plot ANOVA to analyze the collected data?

Answer 110

A study in which each participant received only one level of Variable A but all levels of Variable B

Question 111

An assumption underlying the use of regression analysis is that _____.

Answer 111

the relationship between X and Y is linear

Question 112

To statistically analyze rank-ordered data obtained from two correlated groups, you would use which of the following?

Answer 112

Wilcoxon

Question 113

The Mann-Whitney U test is used to

Answer 113

analyze rank-ordered data from two independent group

Question 114

The Kruskal-Wallis test is used to

Answer 114

analyze rank-ordered data from two or more independent groups.

Question 115

The analysis of variance produces an F-ratio, which is calculated by dividing MSB by MSW. The denominator of the F-ratio (MSW) is a measure of which of the following?

Answer 115

Error only

Question 116

Which of the following is the appropriate multivariate technique when using two or more continuous predictors to predict status on two or more continuous criteria?

Answer 116

Canonical correlation

Question 117

In the context of bivariate correlational techniques, “homoscedasticity” refers to _____.

Answer 117

the same range of Y scores at different values of X

Question 118

When a distribution of scores is flatter than the normal distribution, we refer to it as _____.

Answer 118

Platykurtic (like flat)

Question 119

A researcher assigns 100 high school students who are either high or low in math aptitude to one of the following groups: the traditional instruction, computer-assisted instruction, or combination (traditional plus computer-assisted instruction) group. After ten weeks of instruction, the researcher determines each student’s score on a math achievement test. In this study, the independent variable(s) is/are _____.

Answer 119

type of instruction and math aptitude

Question 120

As a behavioral observation technique, event sampling (recording) is useful for behaviors that _____.

Answer 120

occur infrequently or have a long duration

Question 121

An extraneous variable is a variable that is irrelevant to the purpose of a research study but confounds a study’s results because it _____.

Answer 121

has a systematic effect on the study’s dependent variable

Question 122

An investigator is studying the impact of stress on the ability to perform a complex mental rotation task. The investigator is trying to eliminate all confounds to the experiment so they can conclude that increased stress causes decrements in processing speed. What type of validity is the investigator trying to establish?

Answer 122

Internal validity

Question 123

Campbell and Stanley (1966) identify which of the following as a direct threat to a study’s external, but not internal, validity?

Answer 123

Multiple treatment interference

Question 124

Statistical regression, maturation, and attrition are all threats to

Answer 124

Internal validity

Question 125

When the number of participants in a research study is too small to use a completely counterbalanced research design, a researcher would use which of the following?

Answer 125

Latin square design

Question 126

The Solomon four-group design is used to

Answer 126

evaluate the effects of pretesting on a study’s internal and external validity.

Question 127

A researcher would use which of the following techniques to evaluate the cause-and-effect or predictive relationships between measured variables and latent factors?

Answer 127

Structural equation modeling