Unit 3 - RM: Processing and Evaluating 2016

Question 1

What are the three ways quantitative data can be displayed?

Answer 1

• tables
• graphs
• diagrams

Question 2

What are the different types of graphs?

Answer 2

• histograms
• bar graphs
• line graphs
• scatterplots
• frequency polygon

Question 3

What are the four measures of central tendency?

Answer 3

• mean
• median
• mode
• range

Question 4

What does mode mean?

Answer 4

Mode of the most frequently occurring number in a data set.

Question 5

What does median mean?

Answer 5

The median is the middle number of the data set.

Question 6

What is the mean?

Answer 6

The average number of the data set.

Question 7

What is the range?

Answer 7

The lowest number in the data set subtracted by the highest number of the same data set.

Question 8

What are the three measures of dispersion?

Answer 8

• bell curve/normal curve
• variance
• standard deviation

Question 9

Explain using words, what a low variance bell curve looks like.

Answer 9

Little spread of scores from the mean or mid point.

Question 10

Explain using words, what a high variance bell curve looks like.

Answer 10

The bell curve has a lot of spread in the scores from the mean or mid point.

Question 11

What does it mean by a positive skew?

Answer 11

More low than high scores in the data set.

Question 12

What does it mean by a negative skew?

Answer 12

More high than low scores in the data set.

Question 13

What is bi-modal distribution?

Answer 13

Scores are distributed around two different mid points in the data set.

Question 14

What is the definition of the p-value?

Answer 14

The level of probability that the results are due to chance alone.

Question 15

What does p

Answer 15

• results are statistically significant
• hypothesis is accepted
• results are likely to be due to the IV

Question 16

What does p>0.05 mean?

Answer 16

• results are not statistically significant
• hypothesis is rejected
• results are likely to be due to chance

Question 17

What are the three types of correlational studies?

Answer 17

• naturalistic observation
• the survey method
• archival research

Question 18

What is a positive correlation?

Answer 18

When both variables increase or decrease in relation to each other.

Question 19

What is a negative correlation?

Answer 19

When one variable increases the other decreases, or vice versa.

Question 20

What is a strong correlation?

Answer 20

When the points (dots) are close to forming or are tightly bunched together.

Question 21

What is a weak correlation?

Answer 21

When the points (dots) are shown being further apart.

Question 22

What is naturalistic observation?

Answer 22

When an individual observes another individual or a group of people in a natural environment with no interference and recording observations about behaviours they witness.

Question 23

What is archival research?

Answer 23

Analysing studies conducted by other researchers or by looking at historical patient records.

Question 24

Ms Overend wants to test the effects of caffeine on studying habits. To do this, she designs an experiment with an independent group design, with a sample size of 12 students. Identify a source of error in her experiment.

Answer 24

The sample size was too small to analyse the effects.

Question 25

What are some sources of error?

Answer 25

• sample size
• experiment bias
• placebo effect
• inappropriate experiment designs

Question 26

A psychology professor has been asked to do a topic test in order to determine students place in her class. She takes her class of 40 students, 2 of which she is friends with and 4 of which she is related to. Those students were placed higher than the others when the results came through. Identify a source of error.

Answer 26

• experimental bias due to knowing 6 of the students from her class.

Question 27

In evaluating a research question, what types of things could you improve in an experiment?

Answer 27

• situational variables
• environmental variables (weather, lab, outside)
• participant variables (mood, competence)