Deck 2: Assessment and Methods

Question 1

Which correlation would generally be considered to be high and negative?

A) .62
B) .29
C) .00
D) -.71

Answer 1

-.71

Question 2

The term statistically significant means having a probability of less than __________ that the results are due to random chance.

A) 3%
B) 5%
C) 8%
D) 15%

Answer 2

5%

Question 3

Tanya loves to complete questionnaires that she finds online and in magazines. "It's fun and easy!" Tanya exclaims. "I circle 'strongly agree' for every item to show how much I appreciate the test makers' time and effort and to let them know I'm helping them with their research!" What questionnaire-taking style is Tanya demonstrating?

A) reverse-scored items
B) an acquiescence response set
C) underestimating her true responses
D) social undesirability

Answer 3

an acquiescence response set

Question 4

Which correlation shows the strongest degree of association between two variables?

A) .72
B) .34
C) -.58
D) -.91

Question 5

When a scale, questionnaire, or other instrument demonstrates consistent measurement, it is described as having __________.

A) validity
B) reliability
C) statistical significance
D) convergent validity

Question 6

A questionnaire asking people to report on their own personalities, usually by rating themselves on a list of adjectives or statements, is called a __________.

A) direct measure
B) naturalistic observation
C) case study
D) self-report measure

Question 7

What are reverse-scored items?

A) items scored in the opposite direction from the order of the response scale
B) items scored with a zero
C) items that a test taker skipped
D) items that are thrown out of the assessment

Question 8

What is a significant limitation of self-report measures of personality?

A) If a person is unaware of the psychological processes that underlie her or his motivations, behaviors, or feelings, those motivations, behaviors, and feelings can't accurately be reported.
B) There is no way to identify socially desirable or acquiescent response tendencies.
C) Very few self-report measures exist, so application of those measures to understanding personality on a large scale is limited.
D) Most people are reluctant to answer questions about themselves.

Question 9

Which correlation would generally be considered to be high and positive?

A) .80
B) .10
C) .00
D) -.40

Question 10

__________ responding is the tendency for people to make themselves appear better than they actually are when completing a self-report measure.

A) Acquiescent
B) Assimilated
C) Socially desirable
D) Reverse desirable

Question 11

What does the statement r = .12 mean?

A) There is a strong positive correlation between the two variables under consideration.
B) The variables under consideration show a strong negative association.
C) There is a small positive correlation between the two variables under consideration.
D) The variables under consideration show no relationship to one another.

Question 12

Which of these response options represents a Likert scale?

A) Rank your preferences from highest to lowest.
B) Yes/No
C) Please circle True or False.
D) 1 (strongly disagree), 2 (disagree), 3 (neutral), 4 (agree), 5 (strongly agree)

Question 13

Ice cream sales tend to increase as the temperature outside increases. This relationship is an example of a(n) __________.

A) negative correlation
B) inverse relationship
C) positive correlation
D) reverse scoring procedure

Question 14

Marisol has noticed that the more she exercises, the more her weight goes down. This is an example of a __________.

A) negative correlation
B) positive correlation
C) reverse scoring procedure
D) nondirectional hypothesis

Question 15

Which correlation represents a null relationship between variables?

A) .62
B) .30
C) .00
D) -.55

Question 16

To demonstrate __________, the responses to items on a questionnaire should all correlate consistently with one another.

A) test-retest reliability
B) internal reliability
C) validity
D) statistical significance

Question 17

What do correlations reveal to a researcher?

A) the extent of agreement a respondent shows for a questionnaire item
B) both the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables
C) a consistent pattern of responding to items on a questionnaire
D) the direction of causality between two variables

Question 18

Why would a test developer include reverse-scored items in a self-report measure of personality?

A) to trick a test taker into responding in a socially desirable way
B) to mask the true nature of what was being measured
C) to assess whether a test taker showed a consistent and logical pattern of responding
D) to be able to later compare self-reports with the reports of others

Question 19

The practice of personality __________ seeks to define personality by using a variety of methods to measure it.

A) evaluation
B) interpretation
C) assessment
D) identification

Question 20

What does Cronbach's alpha reveal to a researcher?

A) whether a measuring device is valid or not
B) the intercoder reliability among a set of judges
C) the extent to which a questionnaire has internal reliability
D) how much test-retest reliability a questionnaire has

Question 21

The average score on a scale is found by computing the __________.

A) mean
B) mode
C) median
D) standard deviation

Question 22

The mean, mode, and median are all examples of __________.

A) statistical significance
B) a standard deviation
C) correlations
D) descriptive statistics

Question 23

Angelo wants to ensure that his newly developed measure of empathy does not correlate well with other scales measuring different constructs, such as nonverbal decoding ability, mood awareness, or self-consciousness. Angelo would like to establish __________ for his new measuring instrument.

A) face validity
B) internal reliability
C) discriminant validity
D) convergent validity

Question 24

When a scale measures what it is supposed to measure, it is said to have __________.

A) validity
B) internal reliability
C) test-retest reliability
D) intercoder reliability

Question 25

Which of the following situations is extraordinarily unlikely?

A) A reliable test is valid.
B) A valid test is unreliable.
C) A invalid test is unreliable.
D) An unreliable test is invalid.

Question 26

Gunther read his horoscope in the morning newspaper: Don't turn down invitations today; your relationship with others could change. Your firmly held beliefs should be your guide. Your untapped potential will be fulfilled in unexpected ways. Remember, good things come to good people. "Yup," Gunther concluded, "that's me all right . . . good, firm, untapped." What tendency is Gunther falling prey to?

A) the Barnum effect
B) low face validity
C) the discriminant validity effect
D) the social undesirability effect

Question 27

Dr. Mabuse recruits three judges to read the diaries of a group of respondents and rate the extent to which each person mentions self-words (such as I, me, mine, or my). Dr. Mabuse then correlates the ratings of the judges and finds that r = .87. What can Dr. Mabuse conclude?

A) Test-retest reliability is within an acceptable range.
B) The internal consistency of this methodology is weak.
C) There is high intercoder reliability for this judgment task.
D) The diary-writing task is a valid measure of personality.

Question 28

Dr. Sardonicus administers a test of self-esteem to her class during the first week in the semester. Three weeks later she administers the same test to the same group of test takers in the same setting. What can Dr. Sardonicus determine by correlating to two sets of scores?

A) validity
B) internal reliability
C) test-retest reliability
D) convergent validity

Question 29

To be considered reliable, a test-retest correlation between two administrations of the same questionnaire ideally should be ________ or greater.

A) -.40
B) .00
C) .25
D) .70

Question 30

The score that falls in the middle of all the scores on a test, leaving half of the scores above it and the other half of the scores below it, is called the __________.

A) standard deviation
B) mean
C) median
D) mode

Question 31

When a scale is related to a concrete outcome or other behavior, it is said to demonstrate __________.

A) discriminant validity
B) predictive validity
C) face validity
D) convergent validity

Question 32

When a scale correlates with other scales that measure the same underlying construct, it is said to demonstrate __________.

A) face validity
B) predictive validity
C) discriminant validity
D) convergent validity

Question 33

Five test takers completed a questionnaire, and their responses to the first item were 10, 10, 12, 12, and 6. What is the mean score for this item?

A) 10
B) 12
C) 15
D) 50

Question 34

The score that appears most often in a set of measurements is called the __________.

A) median
B) mode
C) mean
D) standard deviation

Question 35

A normal distribution is sometimes referred to as a __________.

A) mean
B) standard deviation
C) mode
D) bell curve

Question 36

Why is it important to consider the nature of what is being measured when interpreting a test-retest reliability correlation?

A) There is no agreed-on standard for how high test-retest reliability correlations should be.
B) Stable personality dimensions should show greater test-retest reliability than changeable, unstable personality attributes.
C) The time interval between administrations is always constant; therefore, any degree of change is due to the nature of what is being measured.
D) The consistency of most measures of personality dimensions can't be assessed using test-retest reliability.

Question 37

A group of test takers provided the following responses for an item on a scale: 10, 12, 15, 18, and 20. What is the median of these scores?

A) 10
B) 15
C) 20
D) 60

Question 38

A __________ is a measure of the amount of spread, scatter, or variability of the data around the mean.

A) percentile score
B) median
C) standard deviation
D) normal distribution

Question 39

A group of test takers provided the following responses for an item on a scale: 10, 10, 11, 15, 15, 15, 15, 16, 17, and 17. What is the mode of this set of scores?

A) 10
B) 11
C) 15
D) 17

Question 40

Mario wants to ensure that his newly developed measure of empathy correlates with other, established scales measuring empathy. Mario would like to establish __________ for his new measuring instrument.

A) test-retest reliability
B) intercoder reliability
C) face validity
D) convergent validity

Question 41

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is an example of a __________.

A) projective test
B) physiological measure
C) clinical interview
D) self-report

Question 42

Murray wants to examine stability and change in personality over time. He enlists a group of elementary school children and measures their personality when they are in the first grade, then again when they are in the third grade, and then again when they progress to the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. What kind of study is Murray conducting?

A) a longitudinal study
B) an archival study
C) an experiment
D) a clinical interview

Question 43

In a normal distribution, what percentage of people scores within two standard deviations of the mean?

A) 95 percent
B) 60 percent
C) 33 percent
D) 20 percent

Question 44

Which statement is correct regarding responses to the Marlowe-Crowne scale?

A) As a group, Americans born in the 1970s show the same pattern of results on the Marlowe-Crowne as Americans born in the 1940s.
B) Compared to Americans born in the 1940s, those born in the 1970s score higher on the Marlowe-Crowne.
C) Compared to Americans born in the 1940s, those born in the 1970s score lower on the Marlowe-Crowne.
D) Marlowe-Crowne scores for Americans born in the 1940s are unreliable, whereas Marlowe-Crowne scores for Americans born in the 1970s show good internal reliability.

Question 45

Using different methods to answer the same research question is called __________.

A) test-retest reliability
B) statistical significance
C) triangulation
D) correlation

Question 46

Which assessment procedure involves asking someone familiar with and close to an individual to complete a questionnaire about that person?

A) clinical interview
B) archival data
C) projective test
D) informant report

Question 47

Dr. Bricker wants to find out which part of her volunteers' brains react to seeing unusual information by measuring relative amounts of blood flow to various brain regions. She will most likely collect her data by using __________.

A) archival data
B) a clinical interview
C) fMRI
D) projective tests

Question 48

Mei Ling has a high percentile score on the Marlowe-Crowne questionnaire. What does this indicate?

A) Mei Ling has a higher need for approval than most people do.
B) Mei Ling has a lower need for approval than most people do.
C) Mei Ling has a higher degree of extraversion than most people do.
D) Mei Ling has a lower degree of extraversion than most people do.

Question 49

Dr. Smith is designing a study in which 50 people will be administered an experimental drug and 50 people will be administered a placebo. He will make sure that all potential respondents are equally likely to end up in either the experimental or control group. What is this practice called?

A) selective assignment
B) random assignment
C) determined assignment
D) confounding assignment

Question 50

A research team in Boston, Massachusetts, another team in Mumbai, India, and a third team in Sydney, Australia, are all conducting the same psychological study simultaneously. What is this practice called?

A) many labs approach
B) open practices
C) meta-analysis
D) archival data collection

Question 51

Which assessment procedure is designed to elicit personality characteristics without directly asking?

A) clinical interviews
B) archival data
C) projective tests
D) informant reports

Question 52

Dr. Caligari is assessing Matteo's physical reactions to stimuli such as bright lights and loud sounds in order to estimate Matteo's degree of openness to experience. Dr. Caligari is using a __________ to collect information.

A) projective test
B) psychological measure
C) retest measure
D) physiological measure

Question 53

A correlation of .95 has been found between levels of extraversion and liking for parties. What can be concluded from this result?

A) Being more extraverted causes people to like parties to a greater extent.
B) Fear of loneliness causes both high levels of extraversion and increased liking for parties.
C) Liking to go to parties causes people to become more extraverted.
D) There is a strong association between extraversion and liking for parties.

Question 54

In a normal distribution, __________ of all people score within one standard deviation of the mean.

A) one-quarter
B) one-third
C) one-half
D) two-thirds

Question 55

In a study in which college students are pampered (given large amounts of money, subscription television services, and spicy Chinese food) to see whether this treatment will improve their scores in their psychology course, what is the independent variable?

A) whether students were pampered or not
B) students' scores on the next psychology midterm
C) students' previous scores (or baseline) on psychology midterms
D) students' scores on the next midterm minus the baseline score

Question 56

Before asking people to participate in a research project, an investigator must provide them with a document providing __________.

A) a meta-analysis
B) debriefing
C) open practices
D) informed consent

Question 57

Under what circumstances would using a clinical interview be a desirable method of gathering information about an individual?

A) when large groups of respondents are being measured simultaneously
B) when internal reliability needs to be established
C) when the person being evaluated is likely to have extreme or disordered levels of a personality characteristic
D) when the researcher is trying to establish discriminant validity for the scale or questionnaire being used

Question 58

Annabella is considered a repressive coper. What is Annabella most likely to do when under stress?

A) show her anxiety to the extent to which she feels it
B) exaggerates her anxiety to get attention from others
C) deny her anxiety even though she experiences it
D) hide her anxiety but overeat

Question 59

Geraldo scored in the top 10 percent of test takers on a measure of personality. What percentile score corresponds to Geraldo's performance?

A) 10th percentile
B) 45th percentile
C) 50th percentile
D) 90th percentile

Question 60

An extraneous variable that affects the primary variables in a study and makes it appear as if those primary variables are causing one another to happen is called a __________ variable.

A) confounding
B) independent
C) dependent
D) random

Question 61

Why does a confounding variable cause problems in a study?

Question 62

A researcher finds correlations of -.75 and .35 between a set of variables under consideration. Which correlation is stronger, and why?

Question 63

What are open practices, and why are they important to the scientific enterprise?

Question 64

Which of the following is an example of a self-report measure?

A) having people fill out a questionnaire to describe themselves
B) having researchers observe and assess participants in a study
C) having researchers study documents that a person wrote
D) having people react to strenuous situations

Question 65

Describe and give an example of a positive correlation.

Question 66

Explain the difference between a positive and a negative correlation, and give an example of each.

Question 67

How can personality be measured without using self-report questionnaires?

Question 68

Why is triangulation important when measuring someone's personality?

Question 69

Can a measuring instrument be reliable but not valid? Provide an example.

Question 70

Why is meta-analysis an important technique for verifying scientific outcomes?

Question 71

Why would gathering data from archival sources, such as Facebook, newspaper accounts, or federal databases, be advantageous to a researcher?

Question 72

How can a researcher ensure that a measure has test-retest reliability?

Question 73

Discuss descriptive statistics and what they reveal to a researcher. Give an example of when each type of statistic would be most useful.

Question 74

Why do people respond in socially desirable ways?

Question 75

Explain the acquiescence response set, why it is a problem, and what can be done to combat it.

Question 76

Why is having a sufficiently large sample important to the research process?

Question 77

Dr. Zarkov is investigating whether drinking white milk or chocolate milk before bedtime makes someone sleepy. What are the independent and dependent variables in this study?

Question 78

What does a mode of 3 and mean of 10 indicate about respondents' scores on a scale?

Question 79

How can a researcher establish convergent and discriminant validity?

Question 80

The scores from a set of responses to a scale are 5, 5, 5, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 11, and 12. What are the mode, median, and mean scores of this data set?