Question 1

A researcher determined that two variables were correlated. Which of the following statements would be a true statement about the strength of this relationship:

Accepted Answer

A correlation of -.75 is stronger than a correlation of .3 because the strength of a correlation is determined by the absolute value of the correlation coefficient, not its sign. Both -0.75 and 0.3 indicate a relationship, but -0.75 indicates a stronger relationship due to its larger absolute value.

Question 2

The Pearson r correlation coefficient is used to measure

Accepted Answer

The Pearson r correlation coefficient can be used in various contexts, including assessing test-retest reliability, predictive validity, and construct validity, depending on how it is applied.

Question 3

This exam is an example of a ______________ test; whereas the NEO-PI-R is an example of a____________ test.

Accepted Answer

The first blank should be filled with "criterion-referenced" as it refers to tests that measure student performance against a fixed set of criteria or standards. The NEO-PI-R is a "norm-referenced" test, which means it compares an individual's performance to a norm group.

Question 4

According to classical test theory which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

All of the statements are true according to classical test theory. A) describes the fundamental equation of classical test theory, where a person's observed score is the sum of their true score and error. B) defines reliability as the proportion of variance in observed scores that reflects variance in true scores. C) indicates that as reliability increases, the amount of error (unsystematic error) in the test scores decreases.

Question 5

A common internal consistency reliability measure is:

Accepted Answer

Coefficient alpha, often denoted as Cronbach's alpha, is a common measure used to assess the internal consistency or reliability of a psychometric test or survey. It evaluates how closely related a set of items are as a group.

Question 6

The developer of a new personality test wanted the test's norms to be comprised of certain percentages of different racial-ethnic groups, therefore she used a ___________ technique for obtaining the standardization group.

Accepted Answer

Stratified sampling is used when a researcher wants to ensure that specific subgroups are adequately represented within the sample. In this case, the developer wants the norms to include certain percentages of different racial-ethnic groups, which is precisely what stratified sampling is designed to achieve.

Question 7

A counselor researcher developed a new PTSD test. She gave the test to 100 clients and also gave those same clients two other tests, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Mini Mental Status Evaluation. She correlated the scores of the tests in order to assess the ____________ of her PTSD test.

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is assessed by examining whether a test correlates with other measures that it theoretically should correlate with. In this case, correlating a new PTSD test with established tests like the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Mini Mental Status Evaluation helps to determine if the new test is actually measuring PTSD, as it should theoretically correlate with measures of related constructs like anxiety and mental status.

Question 8

The concept of reliability refers to:

Accepted Answer

Reliability in the context of tests or measurements refers to the consistency and stability of the scores produced by the instrument over time. It is about whether the test can produce the same results under consistent conditions, not directly about what it measures or the test taker's consistency.

Question 9

The reliability of a test can be affected by:

Accepted Answer

The number of items on the test can affect reliability because more items generally provide a more accurate measure of the construct being tested, reducing the impact of random error.

Question 10

If a test has construct validity then which of the following statements are true?

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is demonstrated when a test correlates well with measures of the same construct (high correlation) and poorly with measures of different constructs (low correlation). This shows that the test accurately measures the construct it is intended to measure, distinguishing it from unrelated constructs.

Question 11

When using psychological tests to make predictions about an individual's future status, for example diagnosis, or behavior, tests will be most helpful when the condition of behavior in question has a base rate of:

Accepted Answer

Tests are most helpful when the base rate of the condition or behavior is around 50%, as this allows for the greatest potential for the test to provide meaningful information that can alter pre-test probabilities.

Question 12

Counselors may decide to use a test based on its sensitivity. Sensitivity refers to:

Accepted Answer

Sensitivity refers to the ability of a test to accurately identify an individual as having a condition or disorder.

Question 13

The concept of incremental validity refers to:

Accepted Answer

Incremental validity refers to the value of adding a new test or measure to an assessment battery in terms of increasing the accuracy of predictions or decisions made based on the combined set of tests, rather than the predictive validity of each test in isolation.

Question 14

The statistic that quantifies the degree to which a test can predict the range of scores on some kind of outcome measure or criterion is the:

Accepted Answer

The Coefficient of Determination quantifies how well a test can predict outcomes by determining the proportion of variance in the criterion that is accounted for by the test scores.

Question 15

What are the three different types of reliability and how do they differ?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the three different types of...

Question 16

How do test developers demonstrate evidence of their test's construct validity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do test developers demonstrate evidence of...

Question 17

What does the concept of incremental validity mean?

Accepted Answer

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Question 18

What does the correlation coefficient measure?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What does the correlation coefficient measure?...

Question 19

Which psychometric factors need to be considered when choosing a test or measure?

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 7: Reliability and Validity