Deck 3: Defining and Measuring Variables

Question 1

If people score high on one measure and also score high on another measure,there is

A)a positive relationship between the two measures.
B)a negative relationship between the two measures.
C)no relationship between the two measures.
D)a cause-and-effect relationship between the two measures.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Research results indicate that the more time individuals spend watching educational television programs as preschool children,the higher their high school grades will be.This is an example of a _________ relationship between variables.

A)cause-and-effect
B)coincidental
C)positive
D)negative

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The advantage of using an operational definition is

A)it guarantees a valid measurement.
B)it guarantees a reliable measurement.
C)it guarantees that other researchers will know exactly how you defined and measured your variable.
D)all of the other options are correct.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A disadvantage of using an operational definition is that

A)the operational definition may not be an accurate reflection of the construct.
B)the operational definition may leave out important components of the construct.
C)the operational definition may include extra components that are not part of the construct.
D)All of the other options are disadvantages.

Question 5

You develop a new measure of honesty and other researchers agree that it looks like an appropriate way to measure honesty.You have demonstrated

A)concurrent validity.
B)discriminate validity.
C)face validity.
D)reliability.

Question 6

What kind of validity requires that a researcher create two different measures of the same variable?

A)face
B)predictive
C)concurrent
D)convergent

Question 7

A(n)________ measure produces similar results when the same individuals are measured under identical conditions.

A)valid
B)accurate
C)good
D)reliable

Question 8

Which type of validity requires multiple research studies,usually conducted over a long period of time?

A)face
B)concurrent
C)predictive
D)construct

Question 9

A variable such as intelligence that cannot be seen or measured directly is know as a(n)

A)theory.
B)theoretical variable.
C)operational variable.
D)construct.

Question 10

A researcher developed a new intelligence test for elementary school children.However,the researcher fears that the scores from the test may actually be measuring the children's reading ability.To show that the test is really measuring intelligence and not reading ability,the researcher must demonstrate ________ validity.

A)face
B)concurrent
C)convergent
D)divergent

Question 11

A measurement procedure is valid if it

A)produces measurements that are stable and consistent.
B)measures what you intend it to measure.
C)produces measurements that make sense.
D)produces measurements that are obvious.

Question 12

If people score high on one measure and score low on another measure,there is

A)a positive relationship between the two measures.
B)a negative relationship between the two measures.
C)no relationship between the two measures.
D)a cause-and-effect relationship between the two measures.

Question 13

One measurement concern is that

A)the measurement may not be an accurate reflection of the construct.
B)the measurement may leave out important components of the construct.
C)the measurement may include extra components that are not part of the construct.
D)All of the other options are concerns.

Question 14

You develop a new measure of honesty and you find that people who score high on your measure show more honest behavior than people who score low.You have demonstrated

A)concurrent validity.
B)divergent validity.
C)predictive validity.
D)reliability.

Question 15

The textbook describes a study by McClelland (1958)in which the need-for-achievement test was administered to a group of children and then the children were observed while they played a ring-toss game.The purpose of this study was to establish _______ validity for the test.

A)face
B)concurrent
C)predictive
D)convergent

Question 16

You develop a new measure of self-efficacy and you find that people who score high on your measure also score high on a standardized measure of self-efficacy.You have demonstrated

A)concurrent validity.
B)divergent validity.
C)predictive validity.
D)reliability.

Question 17

Using number of facial smiles in a 60-second period as a definition and a measurement of happiness is an example of ________ happiness.

A)validating
B)operationalizing
C)desynchronizing
D)sensitizing

Question 18

If people score low on one measure and also score low on another measure,there is

A)a positive relationship between the two measures.
B)a negative relationship between the two measures.
C)no relationship between the two measures.
D)a cause-and-effect relationship between the two measures.

Question 19

A research study reports that participants who scored high on a new test measuring self-esteem made eye contact during an interview whereas participants who scored low on the test avoided eye contact.Assuming that more eye contact is associated with higher self-esteem,this study is a demonstration of ________ validity.

A)face
B)concurrent
C)predictive
D)convergent

Question 20

It is possible for psychologists to study variables such as hunger,motivation,and self-esteem because these variables can be measured by

A)hypothetical constructs.
B)interval or ratio scales.
C)operational definitions.
D)participant reactivity.

Question 21

Two observers record similar measurements of behavior for a group of children they are watching.The researchers have established what kind reliability?

A)split-half reliability
B)internal reliability
C)test-retest reliability
D)inter-rater reliability

Question 22

The behavior observed in a research study may be very different from behavior in normal circumstances because the participants modify their behavior when they know that they are being studied.This problem is known as

A)reactivity.
B)novelty.
C)experimenter bias.
D)volunteerism.

Question 23

Determining a person's reaction time (in milliseconds)would involve measurement on a(n)_____ scale of measurement.

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Question 24

Using letter grades (A,B,C,D,and F)to classify student performance on an exam is an example of measurement on a(n)_______ scale of measurement.

A)nominal
B)ordinal
C)interval
D)ratio

Question 25

Which of the following is not a procedure for assessing the validity of a measurement procedure?

A)split-half
B)concurrent
C)predictive
D)convergent

Question 26

Suppose a researcher wants to evaluate a self-esteem program by measuring students' self-esteem before and after a self-esteem program is administered.If all of the students score very high in self-esteem before the program begins,then the measurement procedure has a sensitivity problem known as

A)a floor effect.
B)a ceiling effect.
C)a hypersensitive effect.
D)a hyposensitive effect.

Question 27

Participants taking on the negativistic subject role are participants who

A)are concerned that their performance in the study will be used to evaluate them.
B)try to act so that their data are in contrast to the hypothesis.
C)try to act so that their data are consistent with the hypothesis.
D)try to avoid acting on the basis of their suspicions.

Question 28

After measuring a set of individuals,a researcher finds that Bob's score is three times greater than Jane's score.These measurements must come from a(n)________ scale.

A)nominal
B)ordinal
C)interval
D)ratio

Question 29

Cues given to the participants about how they are expected to behave is the definition of

A)experimenter bias.
B)volunteer bias.
C)reactivity.
D)demand characteristics.

Question 30

Which modality of measurement is least likely to be distorted by the participant's or the researcher's subjective interpretation?

A)self-report
B)behavioral
C)observational
D)physiological

Question 31

What is demonstrated by showing that the scores measured today for a group of individuals are nearly identical to the scores obtained with the same measurement procedure last week?

A)predictive validity
B)test-retest reliability
C)inter-rater reliability
D)construct validity

Question 32

Counting the number of people who smile at a baby in a stroller as they pass by is an example of a ________ measure.

A)self-report
B)survey
C)behavioral
D)physiological

Question 33

What additional information is obtained by measuring on an interval scale compared to an ordinal scale?

A)whether the measurements are the same or different
B)the direction of the differences
C)the size of the differences
D)none of the above

Question 34

A strategy for reducing experimenter bias is to

A)standardize the experiment.
B)use a "blind" experiment.
C)standardize the experiment and use a "blind" experiment.
D)none of the above

Question 35

Artifacts

A)distort measurement.
B)threaten validity of measures.
C)threaten reliability of measures.
D)all of the above

Question 36

Measurement that includes a large error component will have very low

A)face validity.
B)concurrent validity.
C)reliability.
D)all of the above

Question 37

After measuring two individuals,a researcher can say that Tom's score is 4 points higher than Bill's.The measurements must come from a(n)_______ scale.

A)nominal
B)ordinal
C)interval
D)interval or ratio

Question 38

Establishing the reliability of a measurement procedure by using the procedure to measure the same individuals twice and comparing the two sets of scores is known as

A)split-half reliability.
B)internal reliability.
C)test-retest reliability.
D)inter-rater reliability.

Question 39

An EEG,heart rate,and brain activity are all examples of ________ measures.

A)self-report
B)survey
C)behavioral
D)physiological

Question 40

What additional information is obtained by measuring on an ordinal scale compared to a nominal scale?

A)whether the measurements are the same or different
B)the direction of the differences
C)the size of the differences
D)none of the above

Question 41

Validity of a measurement procedure is usually established with a correlation.

Question 42

If a researcher measures two individuals on a nominal scale,it is impossible to determine which individual has the larger score.

Question 43

In psychological research there is often not a one-to-one relationship between the variable being measured and the measurement obtained.

Question 44

Operational definitions are necessary to convert hypothetical constructs into observable variables.

Question 45

A reliable measurement procedure produces similar scores when the same individuals are measured twice under similar conditions.

Question 46

To determine how much difference there is between two individuals,you must use either an interval or a ratio scale of measurement.

Question 47

A ratio scale has an arbitrary zero point.

Question 48

Demonstrating that scores from a new measurement procedure are related to scores from an established measure is called convergent validity.

Question 49

Using shoe size as a measure of intelligence would produce measurements that have very high test-retest reliability.

Question 50

A researcher records the number of mathematics problems answered correctly during a 15-minute period.This is an example of measurement on a ratio scale.

Question 51

Reliability of a measurement procedure is usually established with a correlation.

Question 52

A valid measure is one that yields highly similar results across different experimental conditions.

Question 53

A floor effect means that a measurement procedure is not likely to detect a decrease in scores.

Question 54

Demand characteristics are cues within a research study that suggest how the participants are expected to behave or respond.

Question 55

To establish split-half reliability you must administer the same measurement to the same group of people at two different times.

Question 56

Demonstrating the grade point averages for a group of college students are positively related to their SAT scores is a demonstration of predictive validity for the SAT.

Question 57

A measurement procedure can be reliable without being valid.

Question 58

Men's shirt sizes are classified as small,medium,large,and extra large.This is an example of measurement on a nominal scale.

Question 59

Using the amount of class participation as a definition of self-confidence is an example of an operational definition.

Question 60

Whenever an operational definition is used for a hypothetical construct,the question of reliability is important to consider.

Question 61

Describe one type of range effect and explain how a range effect can influence the results of a research study.

Question 62

Describe what new information is obtained from measurements on an interval scale compared to measurements from an ordinal scale.

Question 63

One researcher is comparing two brands of fertilizer to determine whether one produces larger pumpkins than the other.A second researcher is comparing two different elementary school physical education programs to determine whether one program produces higher self-esteem than the other.Explain why the first researcher is probably not concerned about reliability and validity of measurement,whereas the second researcher probably is.

Question 64

Describe how a researcher can establish construct validity.

Question 65

What is meant by the reliability of measurement and describe three methods for measuring reliability.

Question 66

Describe one of the modes of measurement (behavioral,self-report,physiological).Discuss both the advantages and the limitations of this mode of measuring.

Question 67

Describe one potential artifact (experimenter bias or reactivity)and how it threatens both the validity and reliability of measurements.Reliability refers to the consistency of the measurements.A measurement procedure is reliable if the same individuals measured under the same conditions produce the same (or very similar)scores.Reliability can be established over time by using test-retest reliability.The same group of individuals is measured under the same conditions at two different times.If the two measurements are the same or similar,the measurement is reliable.You can also establish the internal consistency of a test or questionnaire consisting of several items by measuring split-half reliability.The full set of items is divided in half and a separate score is computed for each half.If the two scores agree,the measurement is reliable.Finally,it is possible to demonstrate the reliability of measurement with inter-rater reliability.Two separate individuals observe and record behavior simultaneously.If their two recordings agree,the measurement is reliable.

Question 68

Define a construct and explain why psychologists often need to use an operational definition to measure constructs.