Deck 7: Behavioral and Social Learning Theories

Question 1

Confounds introduce:

A) nonsystematic bias.
B) systematic bias.
C) both systematic and nonsystematic bias.
D) error variance.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In the Bransford and Johnson study, the independent variable was ____ and the dependent variable was ____.

A) age; attitudes toward the elderly
B) gender; depression ratings
C) gender; the picture
D) the picture; comprehensibility and recall of a passage

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When interpreting the results of an experiment, we first consider the possibility that the results are due to ____, then second, to ____, and then third, to ____.

A) independent variable; chance; unknown factor
B) unknown factor; independent variable; confounding variable
C) chance; unknown factor; independent variable
D) Type I variable; Type II variable; independent variable

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Chance or ____ refers to factors that affect subjects in a nonsystematic way.

A) bias variation
B) error variation
C) confounding variation
D) validity variation

Question 5

F equals:

A) 2t
B) square root of t
C) t²
D) T

Question 6

If the null hypothesis is true, the value of the F ratio is:

A) 0
B) 1
C) >1
D) <1

Question 7

Uncontrolled systematic variance in an experiment is due to:

A) chance.
B) confound.
C) treatment.
D) either treatment or a confound.

Question 8

A variable that occurs along with the independent variable and differentially affects performance in different groups is called:

A) a confound.
B) error.
C) nonsystematic variation.
D) the dependent variable.

Question 9

Of the following, which is not a type of variation?

A) systematic variation due to chance
B) chance variation
C) systematic variation due to the independent variable
D) systematic variation due to confounds

Question 10

The statistical decision process involves:

A) a test of whether the independent variable caused differences between groups.
B) a test of whether confound variables caused differences between groups.
C) a test of the research hypothesis.
D) a test of the null hypothesis.

Question 11

In every experiment there are individual differences between participants. This variation is:

A) systematic.
B) unsystematic.
C) systematic error.
D) nonsystematic error.

Question 12

Chance variation can be attributed primarily to:

A) confounds.
B) individual differences.
C) systematic variation.
D) between-groups variance.

Question 13

Systematic variation in an experiment may be due to:

A) the independent variable.
B) confounds.
C) the independent variable and confounds.
D) error.

Question 14

Between-groups variance may reflect:

A) chance.
B) treatment.
C) a possible confound.
D) all of these

Question 15

If the results of an experiment are statistically significant then they are likely due to:

A) the independent variable.
B) the dependent variable.
C) a confounding variable.
D) either the independent variable or a confounding variable.

Question 16

Nonsystematic variation is also called:

A) confound variance.
B) uncontrolled variance.
C) between-groups variance.
D) error variance.

Question 17

Variance in an experiment may be due to:

A) chance.
B) the independent variable.
C) a confound.
D) all of these

Question 18

Within-groups variance is used as a measure of:

A) chance.
B) the independent variable.
C) a confound.
D) the F ratio.

Question 19

What is the first question that you should ask after completing an experiment?

A) Did the independent variable cause the outcome?
B) Could chance alone account for the outcome?
C) Is the experiment internally valid?
D) Is the research hypothesis accurate?

Question 20

If there is no effect of the independent variable in an experiment, then:

A) between-groups variance equals zero.
B) between-groups variance is greater than within-groups variance.
C) between-groups variance is less than within-groups variance.
D) between-groups variance equals within-groups variance.

Question 21

A researcher conducts an experiment on a new drug for enhancing memory and the researcher concludes that the drug is effective. However, by chance alone the many participants having excellent memories were placed in the experimental group. This may lead to a:

A) Type I error.
B) Type II error.
C) correct rejection.
D) correct acceptance.

Question 22

If we reject the null hypothesis when it is true, we make a:

A) Type I error.
B) Type II error.
C) correct rejection.
D) correct acceptance.

Question 23

Kim has conducted a study and based on her statistical analysis of the results has incorrectly rejected the null hypothesis. Kim is committing a:

A) correct rejection.
B) correct acceptance.
C) Type I error.
D) Type II error.

Question 24

____ can be determined by calculating the difference between the results obtained in the experimental and control groups.

A) Between-groups variance.
B) Within-groups variance.
C) Effect size.
D) Power.

Question 25

If we fail to reject the null hypothesis when it is true, we make a:

A) correct rejection.
B) correct acceptance.
C) Type I error.
D) Type II error.

Question 26

The magnitude of the change that the independent variable has on the dependent variable is called:

A) between-groups variance.
B) within-groups variance.
C) effect size.
D) power.

Question 27

The power of a statistical test is the probability of:

A) 1- between-groups variance
B) 1 - F
C) 1- $\sigma$
D) 1 - $\beta$

Question 28

The probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is true is called:

A) alpha.
B) beta.
C) power.
D) 1 - beta.

Question 29

If we retain the null hypothesis when it is true, we make a:

A) Type I error.
B) Type II error.
C) correct rejection.
D) correct acceptance.

Question 30

If we fail to reject the null hypothesis when it is false, we make a:

A) correct rejection.
B) correct acceptance.
C) Type I error.
D) Type II error.

Question 31

The larger the F ratio:

A) the less likely we are to reject the null hypothesis.
B) the less likely our results are due to chance.
C) the greater the probability of a Type I error.
D) the less likely there is a confound.

Question 32

We may reject the null hypothesis when the value of F:

A) 0
B) 1
C) >1
D) <1

Question 33

A large F can be produced by:

A) decreasing power.
B) reducing within-groups variance.
C) increasing between-groups variance.
D) increasing between-groups variance, reducing within-groups variance, or both.

Question 34

If within-groups variance is large relative to between-groups variance, then there is increased probability of:

A) rejecting the null hypothesis.
B) making a Type I error.
C) making a Type II error.
D) accepting the research hypothesis.

Question 35

In order to increase the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis, we should ____ treatment variance and ____ error variance.

A) maximize; maximize
B) maximize; minimize
C) minimize; maximize
D) minimize; eliminate

Question 36

The probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false is called:

A) alpha.
B) beta.
C) 1- alpha.
D) 1 - beta.

Question 37

The F ratio tells us how likely it is that :

A) our independent variable caused a change in our dependent variable.
B) our results occurred by chance.
C) our results were caused by a confound.
D) all of these

Question 38

Extraneous variables that affect groups equally:

A) are called confounds.
B) introduce systematic bias.
C) do not affect rejection of the null hypothesis.
D) add overall variability.

Question 39

The probability of making a Type II error is called:

A) alpha.
B) beta.
C) 1 - alpha.
D) 1 - beta.

Question 40

Alpha is symbolized by ____ and tells us about the probability of making a ____ error.

A) $\sigma$ ; Type I
B) $\chi$ ; Type II
C) $\alpha$ ; Type I
D) $\mu$ ; Type II

Question 41

The major steps in the experimentation process reflect a circular process. This is a sign of:

A) Kuhn's influence on science.
B) how science responds to threats to internal validity.
C) difficulty dealing with variation due to independent variables.
D) the self-correcting nature of science.

Question 42

When comparing children to adults, an important confound that you must consider is:

A) mortality.
B) selection-maturation interaction.
C) statistical regression.
D) maturation.

Question 43

What are the three questions that must be asked when the results of an experiment are evaluated, and in what order should they be asked?

Question 44

A third grade class participated in a special reading program. Only the poorest readers in the class showed any improvement in reading. This outcome may have been obtained because of:

A) diffusion.
B) instrumentation.
C) statistical regression.
D) maturation.

Question 45

Sometimes participants in an experiment may drop out before completing the experiment. If this occurs more in one condition than in others, it introduces a confound called:

A) mortality.
B) maturation.
C) statistical regression.
D) selection-maturation interaction.

Question 46

What is the F-ratio? What role does it play in hypothesis testing?

Question 47

Suppose you were conducting an experiment to test the effectiveness of a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The experimental group in the study was given the real drug and the control group received a "fake" drug. What are the consequences in this experiment of making a Type I error? A Type II error?

Question 48

A variable such as room temperature may add variance to the results of an experiment because it is an independent variable, a confound, or just error. Discuss these three possibilities and the conditions under which each might be true.

Question 49

The probability of making a Type II error can be reduced by maximizing:

A) within-groups variance.
B) mortality.
C) treatment effect.
D) none of these

Question 50

Tamara's class experiment involves measuring reaction time. She uses one timer for the experimental group and a second timer for the control group. Conducting the experiment this way can possibly introduce a confound based on:

A) mortality.
B) statistical regression.
C) instrumentation.
D) maturation.

Question 51

The confound that refers to events other than the independent variable, that occur during an experiment is called:

A) maturation.
B) instrumentation.
C) history.
D) selection.

Question 52

A confound will:

A) decrease the likelihood of rejecting the null hypothesis.
B) increase the probability of a Type II error.
C) decrease the size of the F ratio.
D) increase the size of the F ratio.

Question 53

Describe the Type I and Type II errors. What reflects the probability of making each type of error? What is power and what factors influence it?

Question 54

The fact that research participants may become fatigued or bored in the course of an experiment introduces a confound called:

A) maturation.
B) history.
C) mortality.
D) statistical regression.

Question 55

When participants in an experiment communicate with each other, the difference between groups may be reduced. This is called:

A) diffusion.
B) dissension.
C) dissemination.
D) statistical regression.

Question 56

Discuss how error variance affects the statistical decision process.

Question 57

If in the course of an experiment you repeat measurements of the same individual, you introduce a confound called:

A) maturation.
B) history.
C) selection.
D) testing.

Question 58

Confidence that the treatment effect is not due to chance is directly related to ____ and inversely related to ____.

A) effect size; within-groups variance
B) the independent variable; the dependent variable
C) within-groups variance; between-groups variance
D) effect size; between-groups variance

Question 59

Suppose you wanted to test the effects of a college writing program on success in other classes. The experimental group consisted of freshmen who had enrolled in the writing class; the control group consisted of freshmen who had not enrolled in the writing class. Subsequent performance of both groups in a writing-intensive history class was measured. A potential confound in this study is:

A) maturation.
B) testing.
C) selection.
D) mortality.

Question 60

Why must the null hypothesis always be one possible interpretation of the results of an experiment?

Question 61

Describe between-groups variance and within-groups variance and their role in testing hypotheses.

Question 62

Can you ever be certain that you have achieved internal validity in a study? Do you think it is possible that threats to internal validity have gone undetected in some studies and thus affected the conclusions? What sorts of implications could this situation cause?

Question 63

Discuss different possible threats to internal validity and how they might be eliminated.

Question 64

Discuss how the following three sources of variance in an experiment affect the F ratio and the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis: error variance, confound variance, variance due to the independent variable.