Question 1

Kappa is used
A)to test the construct validity of a measure.
B)to test the criterion validity of a measure.
C)to compute the reliability of a set of nominal variables.
D)to eliminate items from a Likert scale.

Accepted Answer

Kappa is a statistical measure used to assess the reliability of a set of nominal variables. It measures the agreement between two raters or observers who categorize the same set of items. Therefore, it is the best choice among the given options.

Question 2

A researcher has found that his new measure designed to assess the conceptual variable of "exoticism" correlates about +.85 with an existing measure designed to assess "unusualness." The researcher needs to worry about the __________ of his measure.
A)random error
B)measurement bias
C)face validity
D)discriminant validity

Accepted Answer

A high correlation between two measures that are conceptually different (in this case "exoticism" and "unusualness") suggests that there is little discriminant validity. Discriminant validity refers to the extent to which a measure does not correlate strongly with measures of different constructs. Therefore, the researcher should be worried about the discriminant validity of his measure.

Question 3

Which of the following two techniques can be used to assess the internal consistency of a scale?
A)Coefficient alpha, split-half reliability
B)Coefficient alpha, test-retest reliability
C)Test-retest reliability, equivalent forms reliability
D)Test-retest reliability, split-half reliability

Accepted Answer

Coefficient alpha and split-half reliability are both measures of internal consistency, which assess the degree to which items in a scale or questionnaire are measuring the same construct. Test-retest reliability and equivalent forms reliability are measures of stability and equivalence, respectively, which assess the degree to which the same instrument or test produces consistent results over time or across different forms.

Question 4

Errors in recording the scores on a test that occur because the keypuncher is not paying attention are likely to produce
A)spurious relationships.
B)low face validity.
C)random error.
D)systematic error.

Accepted Answer

Errors caused by lack of attention are likely to be random in nature, meaning they are not consistently higher or lower than the true scores. This can result in a loss of precision and accuracy but does not introduce any consistent bias or systematic error into the data.

Question 5

Cronbach's coefficient alpha is a measure of which of the following?
A)The average validity of an item
B)The correlation between one item and the total scale score
C)The average correlation among the items
D)The face validity of a scale

Accepted Answer

Cronbach's coefficient alpha is a measure of internal consistency reliability, specifically the average correlation among the items in a scale or test. It indicates how well the items in a scale correlate with each other and therefore how well they measure the same construct. The higher the coefficient alpha, the more reliable the scale is considered to be.

Question 6

Consider the following item that might appear on a Likert scale: "I normally do not get along well with other people." Such an item has high __________ validity, but may not have __________ validity because respondents may not answer it honestly.
A)face; construct
B)construct; face
C)face; criterion
D)construct; criterion

Accepted Answer

The item has high face validity because it appears to measure what it claims to measure - getting along with other people. However, since it is a self-report measure, respondents may not answer it honestly, leading to issues with construct validity.

Question 7

The reliability of a test refers to the extent that the test is free from
A)random error.
B)measurement bias.
C)systematic error.
D)individual traits.

Accepted Answer

The reliability of a test refers to the extent that the results of the test are consistent and stable over time, free from random error or fluctuations that can occur as a result of a variety of factors such as mood, fatigue, or distractions. Measurement bias refers to systematic errors that occur consistently in one direction or another, while individual traits are not necessarily related to the reliability of a test.

Question 8

A measured variable that contains a large proportion of random error is said to be
A)unreliable.
B)invalid.
C)a state variable.
D)a trait variable.

Accepted Answer

A variable that contains a large proportion of random error is said to be unreliable, as it cannot be depended upon to consistently measure the desired construct or phenomenon accurately.

Question 9

Consider a researcher who developed a test of driving skills that involved measuring the ability to effectively shift gears in a manual transmission car.One might criticize this test for having low
A)content validity.
B)criterion validity.
C)predictive validity.
D)discriminant validity.

Accepted Answer

Content validity refers to whether a test measures what it is intended to measure. In this case, the test of driving skills only measures the ability to shift gears in a manual transmission car and does not assess other important factors such as knowledge of traffic rules, ability to anticipate and respond to hazards, or ability to make safe and smart decisions while driving. Therefore, the test has low content validity.

Question 10

If it is found that people's self-esteem changes quickly-for instance, from day to day-then self-esteem should be considered to be
A)a trait variable.
B)a state variable.
C)an unreliable variable.
D)an invalid variable.

Accepted Answer

If self-esteem changes quickly and frequently, it is more likely to be a state variable rather than a trait variable, which refers to a stable characteristic of a person that does not easily change. Self-esteem may still be reliable and valid as a state variable, depending on how it is measured and defined.

Question 11

A researcher has developed a new test of "interpersonal skills." It consists of measuring a person's shoe size.The test shows a test-retest reliability of .85.It appears that this test has __________ and ___________.
A)high reliability; high face validity
B)high reliability; low face validity
C)low reliability; high face validity
D)low reliability; low face validity

Accepted Answer

The test has high reliability (test-retest reliability of .85), indicating consistency in results. However, the test lacks face validity as the measure of shoe size does not seem to be a valid measure of interpersonal skills.

Question 12

A researcher is developing a Likert scale to measure the self-esteem of a group of college students.He considers self-esteem to be a state, in the sense that it will change from day to day based on a person's experiences.Which of the following forms of reliability should he use to assess self-esteem?
A)Internal consistency
B)Interrater
C)Test-retest
D)Equivalent forms

Accepted Answer

The answer of A researcher is developing a Likert scale...

Question 13

Which of the following equations represents the relationship between true score, actual score, and reliability?
A)Reliability equals true score divided by actual score.
B)Reliability equals true score plus actual score.
C)Reliability equals actual score divided by true score.
D)Reliability equals actual score minus true score.

Accepted Answer

Reliability in the context of psychological testing and measurement is defined as the ratio of the variance of the true score to the variance of the observed (actual) score. However, none of the options provided directly matches this definition. The closest option, based on a misunderstanding, is A, but it incorrectly represents the relationship as a simple division of scores rather than a ratio of variances. In reality, reliability is a more complex concept that cannot be accurately captured by any of the options given.

Question 14

Which of the following statistics would be used to assess the reliability of a set of raters who used a nominal variable to code behavior?
A)Kappa
B)Coefficient alpha
C)Pearson R
D)The reliability statistic

Accepted Answer

Kappa is a statistic that measures inter-rater reliability for categorical variables, which aligns with the situation described in the question where raters used a nominal variable to code behavior. The other options (B, C, D) are not appropriate for this type of data.

Question 15

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) uses which approach to assess reliability?
A)Interrater
B)Equivalent forms
C)Item to total
D)Unexpected item

Accepted Answer

The GRE uses the equivalent forms approach to assess reliability. This means that two different forms of the test are given to a group of individuals and the scores on both forms are compared to ensure consistency and reliability of the test.

Question 16

Donna is in a two-part experiment.She completed a self-esteem measure one week ago and is now taking the same measure again.Which of the following problems may arise from this process?
A)Systematic error phenomenon
B)Violation of face validity
C)Equivalent form effects
D)Retesting effects

Accepted Answer

Retesting effects may arise from administering the same measure to the same participant more than once, as they may remember their previous responses and alter their answers accordingly.

Question 17

Changes in a person's current mood, a misreading or misunderstanding of the question, and measuring individuals on different days or in different places are all likely to contribute to
A)random error.
B)systematic error.
C)reliable error.
D)operational error.

Accepted Answer

Random errors are unpredictable and can be caused by factors such as changes in a person's current mood or environmental factors such as measuring individuals on different days or in different places. Systematic errors, on the other hand, are consistent and predictable and are typically caused by problems with the measuring instrument or experimental design. Reliable error is not a term typically used in statistics, and operational error refers to errors in the operation of a machine or system, not in data collection or analysis.

Question 18

Cronbach's coefficient alpha is a measure of which of the following?
A)The internal consistency of a scale
B)Test-retest reliability
C)Interrater reliability
D)Construct reliability

Accepted Answer

Cronbach's coefficient alpha is a measure of internal consistency, or how well the items on a scale correlate with each other. It is not a measure of test-retest or interrater reliability, nor is it specifically related to construct reliability.

Question 19

Which of the following is true about the difference between random and systematic error?
A)Random error is self-canceling, whereas systematic error tends to increase or decrease the scores on the measured variable.
B)Random error tends to increase or decrease the scores on the dependent variable, whereas systematic error is self-canceling.
C)Both random error and systematic error are self-canceling.
D)Because systematic error is self-canceling, it is less problematic in research than is random error.

Accepted Answer

Random error is caused by unpredictable factors and tends to be distributed equally across the sample, resulting in a cancellation effect when the scores are averaged. On the other hand, systematic error is caused by consistent and predictable factors, and it can lead to a constant bias that either increases or decreases the observed scores on the variable. Therefore, systematic error is less likely to cancel out or be corrected by averaging, leading to a greater impact on the research results.

Question 20

A form of reliability that is used to assess the consistency of judgment when more than one person has observed a set of events is known as
A)judgment reliability.
B)interrater reliability.
C)construct reliability.
D)internal reliability.

Accepted Answer

Interrater reliability is specifically used to assess the consistency of judgment between multiple raters or observers. Judgment reliability is not a commonly used term in reliability assessment. Construct reliability refers to the consistency of measurement of a particular construct over time or across different samples, and internal reliability refers to the consistency of measurements within a single test or measure. Therefore, B is the most appropriate choice for this question.

Quiz 5: Reliability and Validity

Kappa is used

A researcher has found that his new measure designed to assess the conceptual variable of "exoticism" correlates about +.85 with an existing measure designed to assess "unusualness." The researcher needs to worry about the __________ of his measure.

Which of the following two techniques can be used to assess the internal consistency of a scale?

Errors in recording the scores on a test that occur because the keypuncher is not paying attention are likely to produce

Cronbach's coefficient alpha is a measure of which of the following?

Consider the following item that might appear on a Likert scale: "I normally do not get along well with other people." Such an item has high validity, but may not have validity because respondents may not answer it honestly.

The reliability of a test refers to the extent that the test is free from

A measured variable that contains a large proportion of random error is said to be

Consider a researcher who developed a test of driving skills that involved measuring the ability to effectively shift gears in a manual transmission car.One might criticize this test for having low

If it is found that people's self-esteem changes quickly-for instance, from day to day-then self-esteem should be considered to be

A researcher has developed a new test of "interpersonal skills." It consists of measuring a person's shoe size.The test shows a test-retest reliability of .85.It appears that this test has and _.

Which of the following equations represents the relationship between true score, actual score, and reliability?

Which of the following statistics would be used to assess the reliability of a set of raters who used a nominal variable to code behavior?

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) uses which approach to assess reliability?

Donna is in a two-part experiment.She completed a self-esteem measure one week ago and is now taking the same measure again.Which of the following problems may arise from this process?

Changes in a person's current mood, a misreading or misunderstanding of the question, and measuring individuals on different days or in different places are all likely to contribute to

Cronbach's coefficient alpha is a measure of which of the following?

Which of the following is true about the difference between random and systematic error?

A form of reliability that is used to assess the consistency of judgment when more than one person has observed a set of events is known as