Question 1

When a researcher asks the question, "Was the subject dropout rate during the course of the study equal over the various conditions or more pronounced in certain treatment groups?", she is concerned with which one of the following potential confounds
A) regression
B) random error
C) mortality
D) events outside the laboratory history)

Accepted Answer

The researcher is concerned with the dropout rate, which is a potential confound related to mortality (subjects dropping out of the study).

Question 2

If people who drop out of study are systematically different from those who stay, we have which threat to validity?
A) selection
B) mortality
C) regression to the mean
D) maturation

Accepted Answer

Mortality refers to the loss of participants from a study, and when those who drop out are different from those who stay, it can lead to biased results. This is a threat to internal validity as it may impact the generalizability of the findings. Selection bias refers to differences in groups at the outset of the study, regression to the mean refers to extreme scores becoming less extreme over time, and maturation refers to developmental changes that occur naturally over time. While these threats may also impact the validity of a study, they are not directly related to the issue of dropouts.

Question 3

A loose connection between theory and method threatens _________ validity.
A) internal
B) external
C) construct
D) statistical

Accepted Answer

A loose connection between theory and method threatens construct validity, as it undermines the accuracy with which a test measures what it claims to be measuring.

Question 4

When a researcher asks the question, "Have changes in some developmental process within the subjects paralleled the treatment effects?", she is concerned with which one of the following potential threats to internal validity?
A) maturation
B) subject selection
C) regression effect
D) testing effect

Accepted Answer

The researcher is concerned with maturation, which refers to changes within the subjects that occur naturally over time and could be mistaken for treatment effects.

Question 5

If you were studying the effects of success and failure on feelings of depression and all of the participants experienced the failure condition on a rainy Monday and the success condition on a sunny Wednesday, ______ might be a threat to internal validity.
A) maturation
B) history
C) subject selection
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

The difference in weather conditions between the failure and success conditions could be a potential confounding variable, known as history, that affects the dependent variable (feelings of depression) and threatens internal validity. The change in weather conditions could have influenced participants' moods, directly or indirectly, and affected the results. Maturation refers to changes that occur naturally over time, subject selection refers to biases in choosing participants, and mortality refers to attrition or losing participants during the study. These are not directly relevant to the weather condition confound.

Question 6

A participant who interprets the instructions differently than the researcher intended most threatens the
A) external validity of the experiment
B) replicability of the experiment
C) theoretical interpretation of the results
D) validity of the statistics

Accepted Answer

Misinterpretation of instructions by a participant can lead to results that do not accurately reflect the underlying theory being tested, thus threatening the theoretical interpretation of the results.

Question 7

Students as a group tend to perform better on the second exam. This is similar to ______, which is a threat to validity
A) experimenter bias
B) effects of testing
C) history
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

The tendency for students to perform better on the second exam can be attributed to the effects of testing. This refers to the fact that taking the first exam can serve as a practice run, allowing students to become more familiar with the material and better prepared for the second exam. This is a threat to validity because it can affect the accuracy of the results by artificially inflating scores on the second exam. The other options do not apply to this scenario. Experimenter bias involves the researcher unintentionally influencing the results, history refers to external events that can affect the results, and mortality refers to participants dropping out of a study.

Question 8

Regression to the mean can occur when
A) performance on two measures is not completely correlated
B) there is selection on the basis of a measure correlated with the measure of interest
C) a person who scores on the extremes on one test scores closer to the middle on a later test
D) All of these are true.

Accepted Answer

Regression to the mean is a statistical phenomenon that occurs when two variables are not perfectly correlated, when there is selection based on extreme scores, and when individuals who score at the extremes on one occasion tend to score closer to the average on subsequent occasions. This means all the provided options (A, B, C) are instances where regression to the mean can occur.

Question 9

Loss of subjects during the course of a research project usually introduces bias because
A) the resulting sample is too small
B) subjects are not lost on a random basis
C) descriptive statistics cannot be used on the resulting data
D) inferential statistics cannot be used on the resulting data

Accepted Answer

Losing subjects on a non-random basis (such as those who drop out because they dislike the treatment) can introduce bias into the sample that remains. This bias can affect the validity and generalizability of the findings. The other options are not necessarily true in all cases. A small sample size can still be valid if it is representative and properly powered, and both descriptive and inferential statistics can be used on the resulting data as long as the assumptions are met.

Question 10

Any bias in selecting subjects for an experiment threatens the _____________ of the experiment.
A) internal validity
B) internal reliability
C) statistical validity
D) statistical reliability

Accepted Answer

Internal validity refers to the accuracy of the experiment in determining a cause-and-effect relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Any bias in subject selection may lead to confounding variables that affect the internal validity of the experiment. Internal reliability, statistical validity, and statistical reliability are not directly affected by subject selection bias.

Question 11

If a researcher runs an ad in a paper in order to recruit subjects, and places the first 10 people who call in one group and the next 10 people who call in another group, what sort of threat to internal validity has been introduced?
A) Mortality
B) Experimenter bias
C) Selection bias
D) Regression effect

Accepted Answer

Selection bias has been introduced because the researcher is not randomly assigning participants to groups. The groups are being formed based on who calls in first, which could result in the two groups being different from each other before any manipulation or intervention has even occurred.

Question 12

A change in behavior simply as a result of earlier experience in the study is a threat to _________validity.
A) internal
B) external
C) construct
D) statistical

Accepted Answer

A change in behavior as a result of earlier experience in the study can affect the internal validity of the research, which refers to the extent to which the study identifies a causal relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. If participants change their behavior as a result of previous experience or exposure to the study, the researcher cannot ascertain if changes in behavior or outcomes are due to the independent variable or due to external factors.

Question 13

Because the theoretical concept of aggression in cats can be operationally defined as either hunting or fighting, problems with ________ can potentially creep into experiments.
A) internal
B) external
C) construct
D) statistical

Accepted Answer

Since the operational definition of aggression can vary, there is potential for construct validity issues where different researchers may be measuring different aspects of aggression.

Question 14

Jolene just got a 17 out of 100 on a psychology test. Her friend Melba tries to cheer her up by pointing out that she should perform better on the next test, simply due to_____
A) the regression effect
B) maturation
C) history
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

The regression effect suggests that extreme scores on a measure are likely to be closer to the mean on a subsequent measure. Therefore, Jolene is likely to score higher on the next psychology test simply due to regression to the mean.

Question 15

The assumption that poverty causes level of performance in school suffers from
A) Problems in statistical construct validity
B) Ambiguous temporal precedence
C) Problems with maturation
D) Problems with history

Accepted Answer

The assumption that poverty causes level of performance in school suffers from ambiguous temporal precedence, meaning it is unclear whether poverty caused poor school performance or poor school performance caused poverty.

Question 16

Which one of the following is not a threat to the internal validity of an experiment?
A) maturation
B) regression effect
C) random error
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

Random error is not a threat to internal validity as it is a type of error that is caused by chance and not related to any specific factor that could affect the validity of the experiment. Maturation, regression effect, and mortality are all factors that could potentially threaten the internal validity of an experiment.

Question 17

When a researcher asks the question, "Have subjects been pre-selected so as to represent the extremes on the variable of interest?" she is concerned with which one of the following potential threats to internal validity?
A) testing effect
B) maturation
C) subject selection
D) regression effect

Accepted Answer

The regression effect, also known as regression to the mean, occurs when subjects are selected based on extreme scores and their scores tend to move towards the average on subsequent testing, potentially affecting the study's internal validity.

Question 18

Because the test itself is not a perfect measure a particular construct, all measurements contain some level of
A) random error
B) maturation
C) regression effect
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

Random error refers to the variability in scores that is not attributed to the construct being measured, but rather to extraneous factors in the testing situation, such as the individual's mood or distractions in the environment. This means that all measurements contain some level of random error due to factors beyond the control of the test itself. Maturation refers to changes that occur naturally over time, such as changes in development or life experiences, and is not necessarily related to the test itself. Regression effect refers to the tendency for extreme scores to move closer to the mean on subsequent tests, which may occur in some situations but is not a universal effect of all tests. Mortality refers to the loss of participants in a study or test, which can impact the sample size and generalizability of the results, but is not a feature of the test itself.

Question 19

Suppose a researcher is performing an experiment on children. She tests the children on one level of the independent variable at the beginning of the school year, but cannot return to test the second level until mid-April, when the school year is almost completed. What threat to internal validity may be a problem?
A) History
B) Selection bias
C) Maturation
D) Experimenter bias

Accepted Answer

Maturation is a threat to internal validity in this case, as the children may have naturally matured and developed over the course of the school year, independent of any manipulation of the independent variable. This could potentially confound the results of the experiment when comparing the two levels of the independent variable. The other options (history, selection bias, experimenter bias) are not as relevant to this specific situation.

Question 20

People tend to deviate from their true score on a test due to
A) random error
B) maturation
C) regression effect
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

People tend to deviate from their true score on a test due to random error, which can be caused by factors such as mood, distractions, and luck. Maturation refers to natural changes in behavior or development over time, regression effect refers to the tendency for extreme scores to move closer to the mean on a subsequent testing, and mortality refers to participants dropping out of a study.

Quiz 6: Validity

When a researcher asks the question, "Was the subject dropout rate during the course of the study equal over the various conditions or more pronounced in certain treatment groups?", she is concerned with which one of the following potential confounds

If people who drop out of study are systematically different from those who stay, we have which threat to validity?

A loose connection between theory and method threatens _________ validity.

When a researcher asks the question, "Have changes in some developmental process within the subjects paralleled the treatment effects?", she is concerned with which one of the following potential threats to internal validity?

If you were studying the effects of success and failure on feelings of depression and all of the participants experienced the failure condition on a rainy Monday and the success condition on a sunny Wednesday, ______ might be a threat to internal validity.

A participant who interprets the instructions differently than the researcher intended most threatens the

Students as a group tend to perform better on the second exam. This is similar to ______, which is a threat to validity

Regression to the mean can occur when

Loss of subjects during the course of a research project usually introduces bias because

Any bias in selecting subjects for an experiment threatens the _____________ of the experiment.

If a researcher runs an ad in a paper in order to recruit subjects, and places the first 10 people who call in one group and the next 10 people who call in another group, what sort of threat to internal validity has been introduced?

A change in behavior simply as a result of earlier experience in the study is a threat to _________validity.

Because the theoretical concept of aggression in cats can be operationally defined as either hunting or fighting, problems with ________ can potentially creep into experiments.

Jolene just got a 17 out of 100 on a psychology test. Her friend Melba tries to cheer her up by pointing out that she should perform better on the next test, simply due to_____

The assumption that poverty causes level of performance in school suffers from

Which one of the following is not a threat to the internal validity of an experiment?

When a researcher asks the question, "Have subjects been pre-selected so as to represent the extremes on the variable of interest?" she is concerned with which one of the following potential threats to internal validity?

Because the test itself is not a perfect measure a particular construct, all measurements contain some level of

People tend to deviate from their true score on a test due to