Deck 3: Research Strategies: How Psychologists Ask and Answer Questions

Question 1

Two students in an art class are at least 20 years older than the others.Which measure of variation of class members' ages is most affected by the ages of these two students?

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Standard deviation is to mean as ________ is to ________.

A) median;mode
B) variation;central tendency
C) bar graph;normal curve
D) skewed;range

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Variation is to central tendency as range is to

A) mode.
B) bar graph.
C) median.
D) skewed.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The mode of a distribution of scores is the

A) score exceeded by 50 percent of all the scores.
B) most frequently occurring score.
C) arithmetic average of all the scores.
D) difference between the highest and lowest scores.

Question 5

The most familiar measure of central tendency is the

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

Question 6

Professor Woo noticed that the distribution of her students' scores on the last biology test had an extremely small standard deviation.This indicates that the

A) test was given to a very small class of students.
B) test was a poor measure of the students' knowledge.
C) students generally performed very well on the test.
D) students' scores tended to be very similar to one another.

Question 7

The percentage of students whose average grades fall into various performance levels could be represented by a

A) standard deviation.
B) bar graph.
C) mode.
D) correlation.

Question 8

To understand the British newspaper headline "Income for 62% Is Below Average," a reader needs to appreciate the distinction between the ________ and the mean.

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

Question 9

Seven members of a girls' club reported the following individual earnings from their sale of raffle tickets: $5,$9,$4,$11,$6,$4,and $3.In this distribution of individual earnings,the

A) median is greater than the mean and greater than the mode.
B) median is less than the mean and less than the mode.
C) median is greater than the mean and less than the mode.
D) median is less than the mean and greater than the mode.

Question 10

Which of the following provides only a rough indication of the degree of variation among a set of scores?

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

Question 11

The mode,median,and mean are most likely to have different values when they

A) describe a skewed distribution.
B) are derived from a limited range of scores.
C) represent the central tendency of a random sample.
D) represent the central tendency of an entire population.

Question 12

The mode,median,and mean are measures of

A) central tendency.
B) variation.
C) correlation.
D) statistical significance.

Question 13

Measures of central tendency are most useful for

A) determining statistical significance.
B) summarizing data.
C) extrapolating from the sample to the population.
D) enabling measurement of more variable groups.

Question 14

In a distribution of test scores,which measure of central tendency would likely be the most affected by a couple of extremely high scores?

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

Question 15

The arithmetic average of a distribution of scores is the

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

Question 16

Seven members of a debate club reported the following individual earnings from their sale of cakes: $7,$13,$3,$5,$2,$9,and $3.In this distribution of individual earnings,the

A) mean is greater than the mode and greater than the median.
B) mean is equal to the mode and less than the median.
C) mean is greater than the mode and equal to the median.
D) mean is less than the mode and less than the median.

Question 17

The standard deviation is a measure of

A) central tendency.
B) variation.
C) statistical significance.
D) skewness.

Question 18

The range is

A) the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution.
B) the most commonly used measure of variation.
C) the average deviation of scores from the mean.
D) the most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores.

Question 19

For which of the following distributions of scores would the median most clearly be a more appropriate measure of central tendency than the mean?

A) 16,28,4,8,24
B) 9,6,9,12,9
C) 8,9,12,10,16
D) 6,18,4,5,2

Question 20

Six different students spent $10,$13,$2,$12,$13,and $4,respectively,on entertainment.The mode of this group's entertainment expenditures is

A) $9.
B) $11.
C) $12.
D) $13.

Question 21

The ________ can be a particularly misleading indication of what is average for a ________ distribution of scores.

A) mean;skewed
B) median;skewed
C) mean;normal
D) median;normal

Question 22

If half the students at Quincy University have blue eyes,which of the following events is most probable?

A) In a class consisting of 15 students,80% or more have blue eyes.
B) In a class consisting of 30 students,80% or more have blue eyes.
C) In a class consisting of 45 students,80% or more have blue eyes.
D) All of these answers are equally probable.

Question 23

After his property was vandalized by a small group of teenagers,Mr.Mahmood concluded that most teenagers are irresponsible and delinquent.Mr.Mahmood ought to be reminded that accurate generalizations depend on

A) a realization that random events may not look random.
B) detecting cause-effect relationships.
C) the observation of representative samples.
D) the selection of samples from a skewed population.

Question 24

If IQ scores are normally distributed,having a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15,approximately what percentage of people have IQ scores between 85 and 115?

A) 34
B) 50
C) 68
D) 95

Question 25

On average,Caryl's school bus arrives on time,although sometimes it is a bit early or late.If the arrival times are distributed on a normal curve,which of the following statistics would enable Caryl to estimate the probability that her bus will arrive within 5 minutes of its scheduled arrival time on any given day?

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

Question 26

Faustin,a member of his school's golf team,has an opportunity to play against a nationally acclaimed professional golfer.How many holes of golf should Faustin choose to play with the professional in order to maximize his own slim chances of winning?

A) 9
B) 18
C) 27
D) 36

Question 27

A random sample of females was observed to exhibit a lower average level of self-esteem than a random sample of males.To assess the likelihood that this observed difference reflects a real difference in the average self-esteem of the total population of males and females,you should

A) construct a bar graph.
B) calculate the correlation.
C) plot the distribution of self-esteem levels among all males and females.
D) conduct a test of statistical significance.

Question 28

The ________ is a measure of ________.

A) median;variation
B) range;central tendency
C) standard deviation;variation
D) normal curve;central tendency

Question 29

To provide a rough estimate of how similar or diverse a set of scores is,we should calculate the

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

Question 30

Ahmed has five sisters who are 3,3,5,9,and 10 years of age.The number "5" represents the ________ of the sisters' ages.

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

Question 31

The average scores of two samples taken from the same population are most likely to differ if

A) the samples are both small.
B) the standard deviations of the samples are both small.
C) the samples differ from each other in size.
D) the sample means are both similar to the sample medians.

Question 32

If a set of standardized test scores is normally distributed,having a mean of 75 and a standard deviation of 6,approximately 95 percent of the scores are somewhere between

A) 72 and 78.
B) 75 and 87.
C) 69 and 81.
D) 63 and 87.

Question 33

To calculate the numerical value of the standard deviation,it would be most reasonable to first compute the value of the

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

Question 34

We can MOST accurately estimate the mean of a population if

A) a sample is large in size and low in variability.
B) a sample is small in size and high in variability.
C) a sample is large in size and high in variability.
D) a sample is small in size and low in variability.

Question 35

Statistical significance refers to whether research

A) variables are causally related.
B) participants were randomly assigned to particular conditions.
C) findings are due to chance variations.
D) results add support to previous findings.

Question 36

Approximately 68 percent of the cases represented by the normal curve fall within ________ standard deviation(s)from the mean.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 34

Question 37

A normal curve would be LEAST likely to characterize a large random sample of

A) body weights.
B) intelligence scores.
C) family incomes.
D) professional baseball batting averages.

Question 38

An observed difference between two sample groups is more likely to be statistically significant if

A) the observed difference is small.
B) the sample groups are small.
C) the standard deviations of the sample groups are small.
D) both samples are drawn from the same population.

Question 39

If IQ scores are normally distributed,having a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15,approximately what percentage of people have IQ scores between 55 and 145?

A) 34
B) 68
C) 95
D) 100

Question 40

Approximately what percentage of the cases represented by the normal curve fall between -2 and +2 standard deviations from the mean?

A) 34
B) 68
C) 95
D) 100

Question 41

Random samples provide ________ estimates of population averages if the samples have small ________.

A) good;means
B) good;standard deviations
C) poor;means
D) poor;standard deviations

Question 42

The average price for different brands of toothpaste could be visually displayed in a(n)

A) normal curve.
B) extrapolation.
C) standard deviation.
D) bar graph.

Question 43

Mrs.Smith is measuring the height of all the children in her class and notices that the scores form a symmetrical,bell-shaped distribution.This is also known as the

A) central tendency.
B) range.
C) normal curve.
D) standard deviation.

Question 44

When an arithmetic average is reported in the news,it is most important for readers to

A) determine whether it is statistically significant.
B) consider whether it is distorted by a few extreme cases.
C) be sure that it represents a standard deviation.
D) assume that it is the midpoint of a normal curve.

Question 45

A lopsided distribution of scores in which the mean is much larger than both the mode and median is said to be

A) statistically significant.
B) extrapolated.
C) a standard deviation.
D) skewed.

Question 46

Which measure of central tendency is used to calculate the average of your school grades?

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

Question 47

The most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores is the

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

Question 48

Seven members of a Girl Scout troop report the following individual earnings from their sale of candy: $4,$1,$7,$6,$8,$2,and $7.In this distribution of individual earnings

A) the mean is less than the mode and equal to the median.
B) the mean is equal to the mode and greater than the median.
C) the mean is greater than the mode and greater than the median.
D) the mean is less than the mode and less than the median.

Question 49

When you read a bar graph,it is most important for you to

A) mentally transform the data into a normal curve.
B) identify the value of the standard deviation.
C) note the range and size of the scale values.
D) identify the correct measure of central tendency.

Question 50

The mean of a distribution of scores is the

A) most frequently occurring score.
B) arithmetic average of all the scores.
C) least frequently occurring score.
D) score exceeded by 50 percent of all the scores.

Question 51

The maximum height of a normal curve corresponds to the ________ of a normal distribution.

A) range
B) mean
C) standard deviation
D) statistical significance

Question 52

The median of a distribution of scores is the

A) most frequently occurring score.
B) difference between the highest and lowest scores.
C) arithmetic average of all the scores.
D) middle score in a distribution of scores.

Question 53

Central tendency is to variation as ________ is to ________.

A) bar graph;normal curve
B) range;skewed distribution
C) mean;standard deviation
D) median;mode

Question 54

When Mr.Adams calculated his students' algebra test scores,he noticed that two students had extremely low scores.Which measure of central tendency is affected most by the scores of these two students?

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

Question 55

Median is to range as central tendency is to ________.

A) skewed distribution
B) mode
C) correlation
D) variation

Question 56

For which of the following distributions of scores would the median most clearly be a more appropriate measure of central tendency than the mean?

A) 10,22,8,9,6
B) 12,6,8,5,4
C) 12,15,12,9,12
D) 23,7,3,27,16

Question 57

In a group of five individuals,two report annual incomes of $10,000,and the other three report incomes of $14,000,$15,000,and $31,000,respectively.The mode of this group's distribution of annual incomes is

A) $10,000.
B) $15,000.
C) $16,000.
D) $31,000.

Question 58

Seven members of a boys' club reported the following individual earnings from their sale of cookies: $2,$9,$8,$10,$4,$9,and $7.In this distribution of individual earnings

A) the median is greater than the mean and greater than the mode.
B) the median is less than the mean and less than the mode.
C) the median is greater than the mean and less than the mode.
D) the median is less than the mean and greater than the mode.

Question 59

One person in a 10-person group is 10 times older than anyone else in the group.With respect to age,it is most likely that the majority of group members are younger than the group's

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

Question 60

Differences between two samples are LEAST likely to be statistically significant if the samples are _______ and the standard deviations of the samples are _______.

A) small;small
B) large;large
C) small;large
D) large;small

Question 61

Which measure of variation is affected most by a few extreme scores?

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

Question 62

Evelyn wants to know how consistent her bowling scores have been during the past season.Which of the following measures would tell her what she wants to know?

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

Question 63

A normal curve would approximate the distribution of

A) males and females in the total American population.
B) American children enrolled in each of the first through sixth grades.
C) the physical heights of all American women.
D) all of these data.

Question 64

A sample average can be used to estimate a population average with greater precision if the sample is

A) large.
B) a skewed distribution.
C) highly variable.
D) vivid and memorable.

Question 65

The symmetrical bell‑shaped figure used to represent the distribution of many physical and psychological characteristics is called a

A) bar graph.
B) normal curve.
C) range.
D) standard deviation.

Question 66

Which of the following events is the most probable?

A) flipping 6 or more heads in 10 coin flips
B) flipping 60 or more heads in 100 coin flips
C) flipping 600 or more heads in 1000 coin flips
D) All these events are equally probable.

Question 67

The difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution is the

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

Question 68

Approximately what percentage of the cases represented by the normal curve fall between -1 and +1 standard deviations from the mean?

A) 16
B) 34
C) 68
D) 95

Question 69

If IQ scores are normally distributed,having a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15,approximately what percentage of people have IQ scores somewhere between 70 and 130?

A) 34
B) 50
C) 68
D) 95

Question 70

Approximately 95 percent of the cases represented by the normal curve fall within ________ standard deviation(s)from the mean.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 5

Question 71

The standard deviation is the square root of the average squared deviation of scores from the

A) normal curve.
B) median.
C) mean.
D) range.

Question 72

Statistical reasoning can help us to generalize correctly from a

A) range to a standard deviation.
B) standard deviation to a mean.
C) sample to a population.
D) bar graph to a skewed distribution.

Question 73

Which of the following provides the best guidance on the significance of an observed difference between two research samples?

A) a skewed distribution
B) percentile scores
C) inferential statistics
D) bar graphs

Question 74

Although Dominick's psychology class is sometimes longer or shorter than usual,on average each class is 50 minutes.If the lengths of these classes form a normal curve,which statistic would enable Dominick to estimate the probability that any single class will last somewhere between 47 and 53 minutes?

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

Question 75

Approximately what percentage of the cases represented by the normal curve fall between ‒3 and +3 standard deviations from the mean?

A) 34
B) 68
C) 95
D) 100

Question 76

In a single day,45 babies were born in hospital X,65 babies in hospital Y,and 25 babies in hospital Z.At which hospital is there the greatest probability that more than 60 percent of the babies are of the same sex?

A) hospital X
B) hospital Y
C) hospital Z
D) The probability is the same at all three hospitals.

Question 77

As the size of a representative sample increases,the ________ of that sample is most likely to decrease.

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

Question 78

Which of the following is a measure of the degree of variation among a set of scores?

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

Question 79

If a set of standardized test scores is normally distributed,having a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10,approximately 68 percent of the group members receive scores somewhere between

A) 50 and 60.
B) 45 and 55.
C) 40 and 60.
D) 35 and 65.

Question 80

The precision with which a sample average approximates a population average increases as

A) the standard deviation of the sample increases.
B) the standard deviation of the sample decreases.
C) the mean of the sample increases.
D) the mean of the sample decreases.