Deck 16: Understanding Measures of Central Tendency and Distribution Skewness in Statistical Analysis

Question 1

A p value of 0.05 means that there is a _____ percent chance the result is occurring due to chance.

A) 0.05
B) 0.5
C) 5
D) 50

Answer 1

5

Question 2

Indri's study reached statistical significance. She can now conclude that her data set:

A) has a positively skewed distribution.
B) has a standard deviation that is too large.
C) supported her study's hypothesis.
D) has a negatively skewed distribution.

Answer 2

supported her study's hypothesis.

Question 3

A _____ distribution has more low numbers than high.

A) positively skewed
B) negatively skewed
C) normal
D) statistical

Answer 3

positively skewed

Question 4

A _____ distribution has more high numbers than low.

A) positively skewed
B) negatively skewed
C) normal
D) statistical

Question 5

Sai is measuring how many sit-ups she can do in a minute. So far, she has values of 40, 40, 41, 42, and 46. What is the mode of this preliminary data set?

A) 6
B) 40
C) 41
D) 42

Question 6

The _____ is also known as the average.

A) mode
B) median
C) range
D) mean

Question 7

The median is typically the BEST choice for a measure of central tendency when:

A) the data set is very skewed, but only if to the right.
B) the data set has normally distributed values.
C) there are a handful of high and low numbers.
D) the data set is very skewed, but only if to the left.

Question 8

A(n) _____ is a number in a list that falls far from the mean.

A) mode
B) median
C) outlier
D) range

Question 9

Which data set would MOST accurately depict a positively skewed distribution?

A) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 19, 20, 20, 20, 28, 28, 39
B) 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
C) 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600
D) 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65

Question 10

In a positively skewed distribution, the mean is _____ the mode.

A) equal to
B) greater than
C) less than
D) close to

Question 11

A _____ skewed distribution is said to be skewed to the right.

A) positively
B) negatively
C) normally
D) statistically

Question 12

The _____ is the number that occurs most frequently in a group of numbers.

A) mode
B) median
C) range
D) mean

Question 13

A _____ distribution is also called a bell curve.

A) positively skewed
B) negatively skewed
C) normal
D) statistical

Question 14

A psychological researcher would use a measure of _____ to determine one number that represents how much time college students tend to spend studying per week during the school year.

A) central tendency
B) normal distribution
C) statistical significance
D) standard deviation

Question 15

A measure of _____ is a single number used to summarize or represent a group of numbers.

A) central tendency
B) variability
C) statistical significance
D) practical significance

Question 16

Which list has the lowest variability?

A) 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7
B) 1, 5, 10, 10, 10, 15, 25, 35
C) 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600
D) 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302

Question 17

If Karla wanted to find the mode of a group of numbers, she would:

A) add all the numbers and divide the sum by the number of numbers in the data set.
B) identify the number that falls in the middle when the numbers are listed in order.
C) figure out which number occurs the most frequently.
D) subtract the lowest number from the highest number.

Question 18

In a _____ distribution, the mean can be a misleading measure of central tendency.

A) skewed
B) bell
C) normal
D) statistical

Question 19

In a normal distribution, the mean and median are _____ the mode.

A) equal to
B) greater than
C) less than
D) close to

Question 20

In a negatively skewed distribution, the median is _____ the mode.

A) equal to
B) greater than
C) less than
D) close to

Question 21

The range is defined as the:

A) number that occurs the most often in a group of numbers.
B) difference between the highest and lowest scores in a list of numbers.
C) number that falls at the midpoint in a group of numbers listed in order.
D) degree to which numbers in a group differ from the mean.

Question 22

Which phenomenon is MOST likely to depict a negatively skewed distribution?

A) scores in a class where a lot of students are struggling
B) the height and IQ levels of women in the U.S.
C) scores in an easy class of gifted students
D) prices of cars in a used car lot that has two luxury cars

Question 23

When calculating the standard deviation, the difference between each number and the mean has to be:

A) negative.
B) squared.
C) divided.
D) multiplied.

Question 24

An outlier is defined as a(n):

A) statistic that measures the variability around a mean.
B) average of a group of numbers with great variability.
C) single number used to summarize a group of numbers.
D) number in a list that falls far from the mean.

Question 25

The _____ is the arithmetic average of a group of numbers.

A) mode
B) median
C) range
D) mean

Question 26

The median is defined as the:

A) number that falls at the midpoint in a group of numbers listed in order.
B) number that occurs the most often in a group of numbers.
C) degree to which numbers in a group differ from the mean.
D) difference between the highest and the lowest scores in a list of numbers.

Question 27

Tammy is timing how long she can hold her breath. So far, she has values of 1, 2, 2, and 3 minutes. What is the range of the amounts of time that she can hold her breath?

A) 1 minute
B) 2 minutes
C) 3 minutes
D) 4 minutes

Question 28

The _____ is the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a list of numbers.

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

Question 29

Malcom is timing how long he can hold his breath. So far, he has values of 1, 2, 2, and 3 minutes. What is the mean time that he can hold his breath?

A) 1 minute
B) 2 minutes
C) 3 minutes
D) 4 minutes

Question 30

Which list contains an outlier?

A) 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 39
B) 1, 5, 10, 10, 10, 15, 25, 35, 45
C) 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600
D) 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302

Question 31

If Karla wanted to find the range of a group of numbers, she would:

A) add all the numbers and divide the sum by the number of numbers in the data set.
B) identify the number that falls in the middle when the numbers are listed in order.
C) figure out which number occurs the most frequently.
D) subtract the lowest number from the highest number.

Question 32

The impact of a statistic on the real lives of real people is known as _____ significance.

A) impressive
B) practical
C) sample
D) statistical

Question 33

Measures of _____ describe the degree to which numbers in a group differ from the mean.

A) central tendency
B) variability
C) statistical significance
D) practical significance

Question 34

A _____ skewed distribution is said to be skewed to the left.

A) positively
B) negatively
C) normally
D) statistically

Question 35

If the results of a study reach _____ significance, it can be said that the hypothesis was supported.

A) statistical
B) practical
C) normal
D) skewed

Question 36

The _____ is the number that falls at the midpoint in a group of numbers listed in order.

A) mode
B) median
C) range
D) mean

Question 37

_____ is the probability that a statistic could have been obtained by random chance.

A) Statistical significance
B) Practical significance
C) Standard deviation
D) Correlation

Question 38

Which phenomenon is MOST likely to be normally distributed?

A) scores in a class where a lot of students are struggling
B) the height and IQ levels of women in the United States
C) scores in an easy class of gifted students
D) prices of cars in a used car lot that has two luxury cars

Question 39

Which data set would MOST accurately depict a normal distribution?

A) 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 39
B) 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 15, 25, 35, 45
C) 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600
D) 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302

Question 40

The mean is defined as the:

A) number that falls at the midpoint in a group of numbers listed in order.
B) number that occurs the most often in a group of numbers.
C) average of a group of numbers.
D) difference between the highest and the lowest score in a list of numbers.

Question 41

Why do psychologists use measures of central tendency? Name and define the three most commonly used measures. Also, explain the circumstances in which each measure would make the most sense to use in psychological research.

Question 42

In descriptive research, it is important to describe the main characteristic of your population with _____ number(s).

A) no
B) one
C) two
D) more than two

Question 43

Describe what a normal, a positively skewed, and a negatively skewed distribution would look like on a graph. Provide a real-life example for each type of distribution.

Question 44

_____ is a rather sophisticated measure of the variability around a mean.

A) Mode
B) Median
C) Standard deviation
D) Range

Question 45

Discuss where the placement of the mean, median, and mode fall on a graph that depicts a normal, a positively skewed, and a negatively skewed distribution. Be sure to describe why.

Question 46

Vinay is timing how fast he can run a 100-meter dash. So far, he has times of 11.5, 11.8, 12.3, 13.2, and 13.2 seconds. What is Vinay's median time thus far?

A) 1.7 seconds
B) 12.3 seconds
C) 12.4 seconds
D) 13.2 seconds

Question 47

What does it mean for the result of a study to reach statistical significance? Provide a numerical example. Describe a situation in which a statistically significant result does not also mean a practically significant result.

Question 48

If Jude wanted to find the median of a group of numbers, he would:

A) add all the numbers and divide the sum by the number of numbers in the data set.
B) identify the number that falls in the middle when the numbers are listed in order.
C) figure out which number occurs the most frequently.
D) subtract the lowest number from the highest number.

Question 49

In a sequential list of numbers, half of the numbers are greater in value than the _____ and half are less.

A) mode
B) median
C) range
D) mean