Question 1

Eduardo decided to assess the reliability of the carbohydrate craving inventory he constructed. He had constructed two identical versions of the inventory and a group of 50 people took both versions. Then Eduardo compared the responses of these 50 people on the two versions of the craving inventory for his assessment of the reliability of the inventory. Eduardo used what method to assess reliability?
A) test-retest
B) equivalent forms
C) split-half
D) Cronbach's alpha

Accepted Answer

Eduardo used the equivalent forms method to assess reliability by comparing responses from two identical versions of the inventory taken by the same group of people.

Question 2

In order to establish the reliability of a measure of intelligence, Kevin administers two forms of the test to a group of students. Which of the following reliability coefficient values would indicate the most reliability for the test?
A) 0.35
B) 0.85
C) -0.85
D) 2.20

Accepted Answer

Reliability coefficients range from 0 to 1, where values closer to 1 indicate higher reliability. A coefficient of 0.85 suggests a high level of consistency in the test results, making it the most reliable option among those listed.

Question 3

Which of the following would represent scores on a nominal scale?
A) Attractiveness ratings on a scale of 1-5
B) Coding religion as protestant = 1; catholic = 2, etc.
C) Temperature on a Celsius scale
D) Exam scores

Accepted Answer

Nominal scales categorize data without any order or ranking among the categories. Coding religion as different numbers is an example of a nominal scale because the numbers are used only to categorize and do not imply any order or ranking among the categories.

Question 4

Tom wanted to assess the reliability of his measure of anxiety so he had a group of introductory psychology students complete the measure of anxiety on March 3^rd and again on March 25^th. He then compared the scores that the students made on the two testing occasions using a statistical technique called correlation. He used this quantitative index as his measure of reliability. Tom used what method to assess reliability? A) test-retest B) equivalent forms C) split-half D) Cronbach's alpha

Accepted Answer

Tom used the test-retest method to assess reliability by having the same group of students complete the measure of anxiety at two different times and then comparing the scores from the two occasions using correlation.

Question 5

Jenna would like to establish the reliability of a new measure of self-esteem but she doesn't have enough time to administer her test more than once. Which of the following methods of establishing reliability would you suggest to Jenna?
A) Equivalent forms
B) Internal consistency
C) Multidimensional
D) Concurrent

Accepted Answer

Internal consistency is a measure of reliability that assesses the consistency of results across items within a test. Since Jenna can only administer her test once, assessing internal consistency (e.g., using Cronbach's alpha) would allow her to evaluate the reliability of her self-esteem measure without needing to administer multiple forms of the test or retest participants.

Question 6

_____refers to the consistency of results and __________is the extent to which you are measuring what you think you are measuring.
A) Reliability; periodicity
B) Validity; reliability
C) Reliability; validity
D) Convergence; divergence

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of results over time, meaning if the measurement is repeated under the same conditions, it would yield similar results. Validity, on the other hand, is about whether the tool or method accurately measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 7

Construct validity
A) is not needed if you use a good operational definition.
B) is supported when similar results are obtained from different operationalizations of the dependent variable.
C) is not needed if your measure if reliable.
D) is determined by replicating the results of your experiment.

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is supported when different operationalizations of the dependent variable yield similar results, indicating that the variable being measured is indeed capturing the intended construct.

Question 8

Which of the following is TRUE?
A) A reliable measure is always valid
B) A valid measure is never reliable.
C) A valid measure is always reliable.
D) A reliable measure is never valid.

Accepted Answer

A valid measure implies that it accurately assesses the concept it is intended to measure. If a measure is valid, it must also be reliable, meaning it produces consistent results under consistent conditions. However, reliability alone does not guarantee validity, as a measure could consistently yield the same results without accurately assessing the intended concept.

Question 9

Temperature on a Kelvin scale is an example of
A) nominal measurement.
B) ordinal measurement.
C) interval measurement.
D) ratio measurement.

Accepted Answer

Temperature on a Kelvin scale has a true zero point, which means that the ratio of two temperatures is meaningful. For example, a temperature of 300 Kelvin is twice as hot as a temperature of 150 Kelvin.

Question 10

_________is the assignment of symbols or numbers to something according to a set of rules.
A) Variable
B) Measurement
C) Validity
D) Reliability

Accepted Answer

Measurement is the process of assigning symbols or numbers to entities (objects, people, events, etc.) according to specific rules to represent quantities or qualities of attributes.

Question 11

__________is the simplest scale of measurement.
A) Ordinal
B) Nominal
C) Ratio
D) Interval

Accepted Answer

Nominal scale is the simplest form of measurement as it categorizes data without any order or ranking.

Question 12

Suppose you have created a new method of diagnosing anxiety disorders. How could you demonstrate that your method is construct valid?
A) teach several licensed clinicians to use and evaluate your method.
B) use your method to diagnose the same group of participants repeatedly over the course of several years, and see if you consistently arrive at the same diagnosis for a given individual
C) have several specialists read about your new technique and invite their opinions
D) use your method to diagnose a group of participants, then see if your diagnoses match with diagnoses taken from other, established methods

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is demonstrated by showing that a new method measures what it is supposed to measure. Comparing the diagnoses from the new method with those from established methods (criterion validity) is a direct way to assess if the new method is accurately identifying anxiety disorders, thus supporting its construct validity.

Question 13

Which of the following illustrates reliability?
A) Dean takes an IQ test and scores at the 60th percentile.
B) Scores on a new test of reading comprehension correlate highly with scores on well established reading comprehension tests.
C) Fred scores poorly on one school's entrance exam but does better on another.
D) Jacquie takes three practice GRE verbal exams and scores 300, 299, and 301.

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. Jacquie's scores are very consistent across three different tests, illustrating high reliability.

Question 14

A variable shows reliability when A) enough experimenters decide to use it in their research. B) it is accepted in the Encyclopedia of Psychology. C) other researchers demonstrate that it does measure what it is supposed to measure. D) similar results are obtained each time it is measured.

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, meaning that similar results are obtained each time it is measured.

Question 15

The measurement of a variable has validity when
A) the same results are obtained each time it is measured.
B) it becomes an accepted variable in a given area of research.
C) it can be measured quantitatively.
D) the inferences that are made from the measurement are accurate.

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the accuracy of the inferences, interpretations, or actions made based on a measurement's results. It is about how well a test measures what it is supposed to measure. The other options describe reliability (A), acceptance in the research community (B), and the ability to be quantified (C), none of which directly pertain to the accuracy of the inferences drawn from the measurement.

Question 16

What differentiates interval from ratio scales of measurement?
A) Interval scales use rank order; ratio scales do not
B) In a ratio scale equal distance on the dimension represent equal distance on the dimension being measured; this is not true for interval
C) Scores of zero are not possible on interval scales
D) Ratio scales include an absolute zero point - indicating the absence of what is being measured

Accepted Answer

Ratio scales have an absolute zero point, which signifies the absence of the quantity being measured, distinguishing them from interval scales that do not have this feature.

Question 17

When conducting psychological research we want the research to be valid. Reliability and validity are necessary ingredients of valid research. The relationship between validity and reliability is that
A) if the research is reliable you can be certain that it is valid.
B) reliability causes validity.
C) the research must be reliable for it to be valid but a reliable research measurement is not necessarily valid.
D) the research must be valid for it to be reliable

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, while validity refers to the accuracy of a measure. For research to be valid (accurately measure what it is supposed to measure), it first needs to be reliable (produce consistent results under consistent conditions). However, just because a measure is reliable does not guarantee its validity; a measure could consistently produce the same results (reliable) but still not accurately measure what it's supposed to (valid).

Question 18

In the context of an experiment, a variable is
A) any factor that can vary across participants or situations.
B) any phenomenon or characteristic that can be measured.
C) any phenomenon or characteristic of a participant or situation that has a specific value.
D) the unknown quantity that the experiment will determine.

Accepted Answer

A variable in an experiment is any factor that can vary across participants or situations, which is essential for testing hypotheses and analyzing results.

Question 19

If we include items assessing memory, logic, and verbal comprehension on an intelligence test - as opposed to food preferences or shoe size - then we have satisfied which of the following types of validity?
A) Discriminant
B) Convergent
C) Face
D) Internal

Accepted Answer

Face validity refers to the extent to which a test appears to measure what it is supposed to measure. Including items that assess memory, logic, and verbal comprehension on an intelligence test directly relates to the construct of intelligence, making it appear valid at face value for its intended purpose.

Question 20

Which of the following measurement scales is accurately paired with an example?
A) Interval-rankings of tennis players
B) Ratio-zip codes
C) Nominal-test scores on an exam
D) Ordinal-a professor listing his students from the best to worst

Accepted Answer

Ordinal scales are used for ranking order without specifying the exact differences between the ranks, which matches the example of a professor ranking students from best to worst.

Quiz 5: Measuring Variables and Sampling

In order to establish the reliability of a measure of intelligence, Kevin administers two forms of the test to a group of students. Which of the following reliability coefficient values would indicate the most reliability for the test?

Which of the following would represent scores on a nominal scale?

Jenna would like to establish the reliability of a new measure of self-esteem but she doesn't have enough time to administer her test more than once. Which of the following methods of establishing reliability would you suggest to Jenna?

_refers to the consistency of results and ______is the extent to which you are measuring what you think you are measuring.

Construct validity

Which of the following is TRUE?

Temperature on a Kelvin scale is an example of

_________is the assignment of symbols or numbers to something according to a set of rules.

__________is the simplest scale of measurement.

Suppose you have created a new method of diagnosing anxiety disorders. How could you demonstrate that your method is construct valid?

Which of the following illustrates reliability?

A variable shows reliability when

The measurement of a variable has validity when

What differentiates interval from ratio scales of measurement?

When conducting psychological research we want the research to be valid. Reliability and validity are necessary ingredients of valid research. The relationship between validity and reliability is that

In the context of an experiment, a variable is

If we include items assessing memory, logic, and verbal comprehension on an intelligence test - as opposed to food preferences or shoe size - then we have satisfied which of the following types of validity?

Which of the following measurement scales is accurately paired with an example?