N-Research 1,2

Front 1

Psychologists use the standard deviation to report test scores. What percentage of scores falls within 1 standard deviation of the mean and what percentage falls within 2 standard deviations?

Back 1

More than 68% of scores falls within 1 standard deviation of the mean and more than 95% falls within 2 standard deviations.

Front 2

Which relationship best illustrates a negative correlation?

Back 2

The relationship between automobile engine size and fuel economy best illustrates a negative correlation. A negative correlation is a relationship existing between two variables such that an increase in one is associated with a decrease in the other; also called an inverse relationship.

Front 3

The relationship between_______ best illustrates a positive correlation.

Back 3

The relationship between wearing seat belts and life expectancy best illustrates a positive correlation. A positive correlation is the relationship between two measures such that an increase in the value of one is associated with an increase in the value of the other; also called a direct relationship.

Front 4

In a "true" experiment, an experimenter _______ the independent variable and _______ the dependent variable.

Back 4

In a "true" experiment, an experimenter manipulates the independent variable and measures the dependent variable.

Front 5

The _______ is the specific behavior we expect to change due to our experimental intervention.

Back 5

The dependent variable is the specific behavior we expect to change due to our experimental intervention.

Front 6

Why do researchers randomly assign subjects to experimental conditions?

Back 6

To control individual differences.

Researchers randomly assign subjects to experimental conditions to prevent confounding due to subject variables like intelligence.

Front 7

Which is used to determine the degree to which two or more traits, behaviors, or events are related?

Back 7

A correlational study is used to determine the degree to which two or more traits, behaviors, or events are related. A correlational study is designed to determine the correlation between two traits, behaviors, or events. In a correlational study, a researcher obtains interval or ratio data for variables X and Y and then calculates a correlation coefficient. This design is low in manipulation of antecedent conditions and high in imposition of units.

Front 8

We do not know which population our sample represents when we use

Back 8

We do not know which population our sample represents when we use convenience sampling or quota sampling. This is because these procedures use nonprobability sampling procedures in which subjects are not chosen at random.

Front 9

Which of these correlations permits the most accurate prediction?

Back 9

A -.93 correlation permits the most accurate prediction because it has the greatest magnitude.

Front 10

"Levels of the independent variable" refers to

Back 10

"Levels of the independent variable" refers to the number of treatment conditions for an independent variable. These are the two or more values of the independent variable manipulated by the experimenter.

Front 11

To measure opinion about lowering the legal blood alcohol level to 0.08 from 0.10 grams percent, voters are randomly chosen to receive a questionnaire within selected zip codes. This is an example of

Back 11

Voters are randomly chosen to receive a questionnaire within selected zip codes. This is an example of cluster sampling. Cluster sampling is a form of probability sampling in which a researcher samples entire clusters, or naturally occurring groups, that exist within the population.

Front 12

Statisticians prefer probability samples over nonprobability samples because they

Back 12

Statisticians prefer probability samples over nonprobability samples because they often better represent the population of interest. A probability sample involves selecting samples in such a way that the odds of any subject being selected for the study are known or can be calculated.

Front 13

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient ranges between

Back 13

The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient ranges between -1 and +1.

Front 14

Which of these is the average squared deviation of scores from the mean?

Back 14

The variance is the average squared deviation of scores from the mean and is one of the measures of variability.

Front 15

In order to conduct a psychology experiment, a researcher must create at least ____ treatment condition(s).

Back 15

In order to conduct a psychology experiment, a researcher must create at least 2 treatment condition(s).

Front 16

An experimenter manipulates the _______ in an experiment to assess its effect on behavior.

Back 16

An experimenter manipulates the independent variable in an experiment to assess its effect on behavior. An independent variable is the variable (antecedent condition) that the experimenter intentionally manipulates.

Front 17

A researcher randomly selects every tenth name from a list of ADHD patients. These adolescents constitute a _____ or subset of the population from which they were drawn.

Back 17

A researcher randomly selects every tenth name from a list of ADHD patients. These adolescents constitute a sample or subset of the population from which they were drawn. A sample is a selected subset of the population of interest.

Front 18

The ______ of a correlation coefficient indexes its strength.

Back 18

The absolute value of a correlation coefficient indexes its strength. The closer this value is to 1, the stronger the relationship between the two variables.

Front 19

The term, _______, refers to all people, animals, or objects that share at least one characteristic.

Back 19

The term, population, refers to all people, animals, or objects that share at least one characteristic.

Front 20

What does a sample's representativeness affect?

Back 20

A sample's representativeness affects the ability to generalize experimental findings. Representativeness is the extent to which the sample responses we observe and measure reflect those we would obtain if we could sample the entire population.

Front 21

If a researcher presents three levels of an independent variable (e.g., problem difficulty), there must be ____ different treatment conditions.

Back 21

If a researcher presents three levels of an independent variable (e.g., problem difficulty), there must be 3 different treatment conditions.

Front 22

Shawn observes that web pages use a range of font sizes and he questions how this affects readability. He reproduces an actual 250-word news report in 10, 11, and 12-point fonts. Then, he randomly assigns subjects to read the report in one of the font sizes and measures their reading comprehension. Font size is the _______ in Shawn's experiment.

Back 22

Font size is the independent variable in Shawn's experiment. The independent variable is the variable (antecedent condition) that the experimenter intentionally manipulates.

Front 23

When we are certain that the changes in behavior that we observe across the different treatment conditions of our experiment were actually caused by our independent variable, our experiment _______.

Back 23

When we are certain that the changes in behavior that we observe across the different treatment conditions of our experiment were actually caused by our independent variable, our experiment is internally valid.

Front 24

When an extraneous variable changes value across conditions along with the independent variable, the experiment _______.

Back 24

When an extraneous variable changes value across conditions along with the independent variable, the experiment is confounded. Confounding refers to an error that occurs when the value of an extraneous variable changes systematically along with the independent variable in an experiment; an alternative explanation for the finding that threatens internal validity.

Front 25

_______ assesses whether we have succeeded in creating a measuring device that assesses only the hypothetical entity we want to test.

Back 25

Construct validity assesses whether we have succeeded in creating a measuring device that assesses only the hypothetical entity we want to test.

Front 26

When a researcher constructs a multiple-item questionnaire to measure a single construct like anxiety, she can measure _______ to evaluate the scale's internal consistency.

Back 26

She can measure interitem reliability to evaluate the scale's internal consistency. Interitem reliability refers to the degree to which different items measuring the same variable attain consistent results. Researchers assess interitem reliability by evaluating the internal consistency of an entire set of items or by measuring a test's split-half reliability.

Front 27

The ____ is the average deviation of scores about the mean.

Back 27

The standard deviation is the average deviation of scores about the mean.

Front 28

Heath participated in a study of the effect of meditation on blood pressure. Since he had never used a self-inflating cuff, he was afraid that the cuff would keep inflating and cut off blood to his arm. This fear caused his blood pressure to rise when he was measured during the pretest phase of the experiment. The experimenter also measured Heath's blood pressure after meditation training during the posttest phase. Since he was now used to the self-inflating cuff, his blood pressure was lower due to lack of panic. Based on Heath's experience, a _______ threat may have confounded this experiment.

Back 28

This fear caused his blood pressure to rise when he was measured during the pretest phase of the experiment. The experimenter also measured Heath's blood pressure after meditation training during the posttest phase. Since he was now used to the self-inflating cuff, his blood pressure was lower due to lack of panic. Based on Heath's experience, a testing threat may have confounded this experiment. A testing threat is a threat to internal validity produced by a previous administration of the same test or other measure.

Front 29

Psychologists can evaluate ______ when they administer the MMPI-2 twice to the same subjects two weeks apart.

Back 29

Psychologists can evaluate test-retest reliability when they administer the MMPI-2 twice to the same subjects two weeks apart. Test-retest reliability refers to the consistency between an individual's scores on the same test taken at two or more different times.

Front 30

When a researcher develops an assessment device to help parole boards decide which prisoners would be safest to parole, she should be most concerned with the measure's _______.

Back 30

When a researcher develops an assessment device to help parole boards decide which prisoners would be safest to parole, she should be most concerned with the measure's predictive validity. Predictive validity refers to the degree to which a measuring instrument yields information allowing prediction of actual behavior or performance.

Front 31

Sam is studying the effectiveness of a new method of strength training. If he measures the experimental group before "happy hour" and the control group after "happy hour," his results could be confounded by a ______ threat.

Back 31

If he measures the experimental group before "happy hour" and the control group after "happy hour," his results could be confounded by a history threat. A history threat refers to a threat to internal validity in which an outside event or occurrence might have produced effects on the dependent variable.

Front 32

_______ are physical aspects of the testing situation that the experimenter directly controls.

Back 32

Environmental variables are physical aspects of the testing situation that the experimenter directly controls.

Front 33

Which kind of reliability can be measured when several psychologists score all subjects' essays for aggressiveness?

Back 33

Interrater reliability can be measured when several psychologists score all subjects' essays for aggressiveness. Interrater reliability refers to the degree of agreement among different observers or raters.

Front 34

Mack claims to have a revolutionary way to measure intelligence. He places a cloth tape around a subject's forehead and calculates the circumference. This procedure is a(n) _______ operational definition of intelligence.

Back 34

Mack claims to have a revolutionary way to measure intelligence. He places a cloth tape around a subject's forehead and calculates the circumference. This procedure is a(n) reliable operational definition of intelligence. Reliability refers to the consistency of experimental procedures and measurements.

Front 35

An operational definition is _______ when it measures what we intend it to measure.

Back 35

An operational definition is valid when it measures what we intend it to measure.

Front 36

Professor Smith's class was stunned. She mistakenly included questions from chapter 5 on an exam that was supposed to cover chapters 1-4. In appealing their low grades, the students should diplomatically question the ______ of this exam.

Back 36

Professor Smith's class was stunned. She mistakenly included questions from chapter 5 on an exam that was supposed to cover chapters 1-4. In appealing their low grades, the students should diplomatically question the content validity of this exam. Content validity refers to the degree to which the content of a measure reflects the content of what is being measured.

Front 37

Psychologists evaluate _______ by comparing scores on a measuring instrument with another known standard for the variable being studied.

Back 37

Psychologists evaluate concurrent validity by comparing scores on a measuring instrument with another known standard for the variable being studied. Concurrent validity refers to the degree to which scores on the measuring instrument correlate with another known standard for measuring the variable being studied.

Front 38

An experimenter _______ values of the independent variable in an experiment.

Back 38

An experimenter manipulates values of the independent variable in an experiment.

Front 39

An experimenter provided two groups of rats different quantities of food for successfully completing the same maze. She controlled the kind of food and the amount of time the rats had access to the food. She reported that both groups of rats committed the same number of errors in learning the maze. The number of errors was _______.

Back 39

The number of errors was the dependent variable. The dependent variable is the specific behavior that a researcher tries to explain in an experiment; the variable that is measured.

Front 40

If a team of observers gradually changes the criteria for judging the aggressiveness of children's play as they became more familiar with the procedure, the study's internal validity could be jeopardized by a(n) _______ threat.

Back 40

If a team of observers gradually changes the criteria for judging the aggressiveness of children's play as they became more familiar with the procedure, the study's internal validity could be jeopardized by a(n) instrumentation threat. An instrumentation threat is a threat to internal validity produced by changes in the measuring instrument itself.