Validity, reliability, data analysis, and normal distribution

Question 1

what is criterion validity?

Answer 1

it is a way of assessing the validity of a task by comparing the results with another measure. there are two types.

Question 2

how many types of criterion validity is there?

Answer 2

two

Question 3

name the two types of criterion validity

Answer 3

concurrent and predictive

Question 4

explain concurrent criterion validity

Answer 4

This is the degree to which a test corresponds to an external criterion that is known concurrently (i.e. occurring at the same time). If the new test is validated by a comparison with a currently existing criterion, we have concurrent validity.

Question 5

explain predictive criterion validity

Answer 5

Predictive validity refers to the extent to which a survey measure forecasts future performance. A graduate school entry examination that predicts who will do well in graduate school has predictive validity.

Question 6

what does construct mean, in terms of validity?

Answer 6

the degree to which a test or instrument is capable of measuring a concept, trait, or other theoretical entity.

Question 7

what does population validity mean?

Answer 7

this refers to how well the sample used in the study can be extrapolated to the target population and then the population as a whole.

Question 8

What does subjectivity mean?

Answer 8

it refers to researchers analysing data by judging it from their own personal opinion and feelings.

Question 9

what must be used when quantitative data is analysed, and why?

Answer 9

subjectivity, to some degree, as there are no statistical analyses that researchers can perform on it.

Question 10

what does objectivity mean?

Answer 10

it refers to analysing data based on fact with no need to use personal judgements.

Question 11

explain the four steps of a test-retest analysis

Answer 11

1. create a questionaire that generates numerical data
2. allow a group of participants to complete the questionaire
3. after a set time period (usually longer than 2 weeks)
   get the same participants to complete the same questinaire
4. correlate the overall scores for the two time points and see whether a positive correlation occurs. If a strong positive correlation occurs than the quesionaire is said to be a reliable measure.

Question 12

what is the measure of spread?

Answer 12

it gives an index of how spread the data is around a measure of central tendency.

Question 13

what is an alternate name for measure of spread?

Answer 13

measure of dispersion

Question 14

What is the strength of conducting useful research?

Answer 14

it can be used to improve human behaviour in some way.

Question 15

what are the two problems with conducting useful research?

Answer 15

studies may be unethical to gain more valid results.
Studies need to be high in ecological validity to be of more use to society but this can be quite difficult if they are conducted in a laboratory, for instance.

Question 16

what does individual explanation mean?

Answer 16

it accounts for behaviours using factors within the person (called dispositional factors, such as personality)

Question 17

what does situational explanation mean?

Answer 17

it accounts for behaviours using factors from the external environment (situations that people find themselves in)

Question 18

what are the four approaches to psychology?

Answer 18

biological, cognitive, learning, and social.

Question 19

what do physiological psychologists do?

Answer 19

they look at how our biology affects our psychology

Question 20

what do cognitive psychologists do?

Answer 20

they look at how we process information

Question 21

what do behaviourist psychologists do?

Answer 21

they are interested in the ways in which humans and animals learn

Question 22

what do social psychologists do?

Answer 22

they are interested in how we ‘work’ in the social world.

Question 23

what are the two general assumptions regarding biological psychology? (behaviour cognitions and emotions:, similarities and differences between people:)

Answer 23

1. behaviour, cognitions and emotions can be explained in terms of the working of the brain and the effects of hormones
2. similarities and differences between people can be understood in terms of biological factors and their interactions with other factors

Question 24

what are the two general assumptions regarding cognitive psychology? (behaviour cognitions and emotions:, similarities and differences between people:)

Answer 24

1. behaviour, cognitions and emotions can be explained in terms of the role of cognitive processes such as attention, language, thinking and memory.
2. similarities and differences between people can be understood in terms of individual patterns of cognition

Question 25

what are the two general assumptions regarding learning psychology?

Answer 25

1. conditioning helps explain changes in behaviour

2. social learning helps to explain changes in behaviour

Question 26

what are the two general assumptions regarding social psychology? (behaviour cognitions and emotions:, behaviour cognitions and emotions:)

Answer 26

1. behaviour, cognitions and emotions can be influenced by other individuals
2. behaviour cognitions and emotions can be influenced by groups and social contexts

Question 27

what are normal distributions sometimes referred to as?

Answer 27

a bell-shaped curve

Question 28

what does it mean if data is normally distributed?

Answer 28

the mean, median and mode are all the same value