Question 1

In the context of procedural considerations of designing the dependent variable, the order of the administration of instruments can have an effect on the responses obtained.

Accepted Answer

The order in which instruments are given can influence the responses obtained, especially if some instruments affect how participants respond to later instruments. This is why researchers often use counterbalancing to ensure that all participants receive the instruments in a different order to avoid any order effects.

Question 2

Self-reports can be biased by a number of factors, whereas measures of physiological responses can be made directly and are often presumed to be free of bias.

Accepted Answer

Physiological measures such as heart rate or brain activity can be obtained directly and objectively, without being influenced by a person's subjective interpretation or biases. Self-reports, on the other hand, are based on a person's perception and memory of their experiences, which can be influenced by a range of factors such as social desirability bias, demand characteristics, or memory biases. Therefore, physiological measures are often considered more objective and accurate than self-reports.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of reliability?&#10;A) The reliability of a measure suggests that the measure is reliable with all participants.&#10;B) The reliability of scores indicates what the true scores are measuring.&#10;C) The reliability of scores is based on the accuracy of the measuring instrument.&#10;D) The reliability properties of scores are associated with observations in a given study.

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure or the extent to which it produces stable results under consistent conditions. It is about the repeatability of measurements and how well the measurement process avoids random error. The statement in D correctly captures this concept by indicating that reliability is related to the consistency (or properties) of observations within a specific study context. The other options either misrepresent reliability or describe aspects more closely related to validity (B) or general applicability (A, C) rather than reliability itself.

Question 4

In the context of calculating estimates of reliability, _____ is a metric based on the average interitem correlations and the number of items on the measure.&#10;A) the test-retest correlate&#10;B) split-half reliability coefficient&#10;C) coefficient alpha&#10;D) the transient effect correlate

Accepted Answer

Coefficient alpha, also known as Cronbach's alpha, is a metric based on the average interitem correlations and the number of items on the measure. It is commonly used as an estimate of internal consistency reliability. The other options listed, such as test-retest reliability and split-half reliability, are also measures of reliability but are not based on average interitem correlations. The transient effect correlate is not a known measure of reliability.

Question 5

The validity of a study is concerned with whether the construct being measured is the construct of interest.

Accepted Answer

Validity is concerned with whether a study actually measures the construct (or phenomenon) of interest.

Question 6

Method variance appears in counseling research when various aspects of counseling are rated from different perspectives.

Accepted Answer

Method variance refers to the variance that is attributable to the measurement method rather than to the constructs the measures represent. It is not specifically about rating various aspects of counseling from different perspectives, but rather about the variance introduced by the way in which data are collected, such as through a particular survey design or measurement tool.

Question 7

In the context of the methods of data collection, the rationale behind projective techniques is that:&#10;A) human interaction provides an added advantage while evaluating participant responses.&#10;B) participants' responses to ambiguous stimuli will reveal some facet of their personality.&#10;C) respondents rate characteristics of participants or events of interest.&#10;D) participants assess the degree to which some characteristic is present.

Accepted Answer

The rationale behind projective techniques is that participants' responses to ambiguous stimuli will reveal some facet of their personality. These techniques involve presenting participants with vague or ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots or incomplete sentences, and asking them to interpret or complete them. This is believed to tap into participants' unconscious thoughts and feelings, providing insight into their personality and motivations.

Question 8

Which of the following is mentioned under the heading &#34;Reliability estimates&#34; in the Methods section of a thesis?&#10;A) Factors and their definitions&#10;B) Key references&#10;C) Cronbach's alpha coefficients&#10;D) Examples of sample items

Accepted Answer

Reliability estimates typically pertain to measures or instruments used in the study, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients are a commonly used method for estimating internal consistency reliability. Factors and their definitions are usually mentioned under the heading "Variables and Definitions", key references may be mentioned under "Literature Review", and examples of sample items would be mentioned under "Instrumentation" or "Data Collection".

Question 9

For a variable X, a reliability coefficient of r_xx that equals .75 indicates that _____ of the variance in the scores is due to true differences in the level of the characteristic of interest, and that _____ is due to other factors.

A) 75%; 25%
B) 25%; 75%
C) 75%; 75%
D) 50%; 25%

Accepted Answer

The reliability coefficient is defined as the proportion of true variance in the scores relative to the total variance in the scores. In this case, r_xx = .75, which means that 75% of the variance in the scores is due to true differences in the level of the characteristic of interest (i.e., the variable being measured), and 25% is due to other factors (e.g., measurement error, situational factors, individual differences, etc.). Therefore, the correct answer is A (75%; 25%).

Question 10

Discriminant validity is said to exist when:&#10;A) significant correlations exist between instruments that measure the same construct.&#10;B) correlations cannot be made between instruments that measure the same construct.&#10;C) the correlations of measures of different constructs are smaller than correlations of measures of the same construct.&#10;D) the correlations of measures of different constructs are larger than correlations of measures of the same construct.

Accepted Answer

Discriminant validity refers to the ability of an instrument to distinguish between different constructs. It is demonstrated by showing that the correlations between measures of different constructs are smaller than the correlations between measures of the same construct. Option A is incorrect because significant correlations between instruments measuring the same construct indicate convergent validity, not discriminant validity. Option B is incorrect because if correlations cannot be made between instruments measuring the same construct, it would indicate poor reliability rather than discriminant validity. Option D is incorrect because larger correlations between measures of different constructs would indicate poor discriminant validity.

Question 11

In the context of using raters for obtaining assessments, interrater agreement is both necessary and sufficient for reliable assessments.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the context of using raters for...

Question 12

In which of the following methods of data collection are participants unaware of the assessment procedure, thus eliminating reactivity?&#10;A) Self-reports&#10;B) Personal interviews&#10;C) Unobtrusive measures&#10;D) Behavioral observations

Accepted Answer

The answer of In which of the following methods of...

Question 13

No one variable can adequately operationalize a construct because some of the variance in that variable is due to other constructs and some is due to error.

Accepted Answer

The answer of No one variable can adequately operationalize a...

Question 14

It is important that the dependent variables be designed to reflect the construct designated as the effect or outcome of the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is important that the dependent variables...

Question 15

Mood transitioning is a general tendency to evaluate oneself negatively on all dimensions.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mood transitioning is a general tendency to...

Question 16

In the context of measuring a construct, the degree to which obtained scores reflect the true scores for individuals is called the _____ of the scores.&#10;A) saliency&#10;B) reflexivity&#10;C) reliability&#10;D) dependency

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the context of measuring a construct,...

Question 17

The purpose of the dependent variable is to:&#10;A) measure the construct that is hypothesized to be the effect.&#10;B) represent the cause of the independent variable accurately.&#10;C) establish a relationship between manipulated and status variables.&#10;D) operationalize the independent variable.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The purpose of the dependent variable is...

Question 18

To indicate how a participant functions normally, an assessment process should affect the characteristics of the participant directly.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To indicate how a participant functions normally,...

Question 19

For a study to be informative, scores on the dependent measure need to be similar among the study's participants.

Accepted Answer

The answer of For a study to be informative, scores...

Question 20

A key disadvantage of self-reports is that they are _____.&#10;A) vulnerable to distortions by participants&#10;B) incompatible with phenomenological views of counseling&#10;C) relatively difficult to administer to participants&#10;D) incapable of assessing private cognitions and feelings

Accepted Answer

The answer of A key disadvantage of self-reports is that...

Deck 19: The Dependent Variable: Skillfully Measuring Intended Outcomes