Question 1

A research study reports that participants who scored high on a new test measuring relationship satisfaction had more physical contact with their romantic partners during an interview whereas participants who scored low on the test avoided physical contact with their romantic partners. Assuming that more physical contact is associated with higher relationship satisfaction, this study is a demonstration of ____ validity.
A) face
B) concurrent
C) predictive
D) convergent

Accepted Answer

This study is demonstrating predictive validity because it is showing a significant correlation between high scores on the new test measuring relationship satisfaction and more physical contact with romantic partners during an interview. This suggests that the test is accurately predicting higher relationship satisfaction based on observable behaviors.

Question 2

A measurement procedure is valid if it ____.
A) produces measurements that are stable and consistent
B) measures what you intend it to measure
C) produces measurements that make sense
D) produces measurements that are obvious

Accepted Answer

A measurement procedure is valid only if it measures what it is intended to measure. A measurement can be stable and consistent, make sense, or be obvious, but if it does not measure the concept of interest accurately, it is not valid.

Question 3

If people score high on one measure and also score high on another measure, there is ____.
A) a positive relationship between the two measures
B) a negative relationship between the two measures
C) no relationship between the two measures
D) a cause-and-effect relationship between the two measures

Accepted Answer

When people score high on one measure and also score high on another measure, it indicates that there is a positive relationship between the two measures. This means that as one measure increases, the other is more likely to increase as well.

Question 4

Which relationship described below illustrates a negative relationship?
A) The higher a married person's reported happiness level, the more likely that person is to stay married for life.
B) The more exercise children get from age 2 to 7, the lower their chance of having cancer by age 65.
C) The less time a person spends watching TV, the less likely they are to score high on measures of materialism.
D) The fewer electronic devices a person has, the less likely they are to be addicted to the internet.

Accepted Answer

A negative relationship means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. In option B, as exercise increases, the chance of having cancer decreases, illustrating a negative relationship.

Question 5

When using operational definitions, it is important to keep in mind that the operational definition ____.
A) must provide a direct measure of the construct
B) must provide a valid method of measurement but need not be reliable
C) should include extra components that are not part of the construct
D) is not the same as the construct itself

Accepted Answer

An operational definition is not the same as the construct itself but rather a specific and measurable way of defining and assessing the construct. It is important for the operational definition to be accurate and reliable, but it does not necessarily need to include extra components or provide a direct measure of the construct.

Question 6

A researcher develops a 20-question test to measure anxiety and administers it to a group of participants. To evaluate the reliability of the test, the researcher computes a score for the first 10 questions and a score for the last 10 questions for each participant and then computes the correlation between the two scores. What is the researcher measuring?
A) split-half reliability
B) internal reliability
C) test-retest reliability
D) inter-rater reliability

Accepted Answer

The researcher is measuring split-half reliability, which is a method of estimating the internal consistency reliability of a test by correlating scores on two halves of the test. In this case, the first 10 questions and the last 10 questions are considered as two halves.

Question 7

Using the number of yawns in a one-hour period as a definition and a measurement of sleepiness is an example of ____ sleepiness.
A) validating
B) operationalizing
C) desynchronizing
D) sensitizing

Accepted Answer

Operationalizing involves defining and measuring a concept or variable, which is what is being done with the use of the number of yawns as a measure of sleepiness. Validating refers to testing the accuracy of a measurement or concept, desynchronizing refers to a mismatch between an individual's internal biological clock and external cues, and sensitizing refers to an increased response to a stimulus over time.

Question 8

The purpose of an operational definition is to ____.
A) describe the relationship between a construct and theory
B) provide a method for analyzing data related to a hypothetical construct
C) provide a definition and a method for measuring a hypothetical construct
D) provide a method for integrating a construct into a theory

Accepted Answer

An operational definition provides a clear definition and a method for measuring a hypothetical construct. It specifies the procedures or operations necessary to measure the construct in a particular study, which allows for consistency and replicability in research. Option A describes a theoretical relationship, while Option B describes data analysis. Option D describes integration with a theory, but that is not the purpose of an operational definition.

Question 9

Which type of validity requires multiple research studies, usually conducted over a long period of time?
A) face
B) concurrent
C) predictive
D) construct

Accepted Answer

Construct validity requires multiple research studies over a long period of time to establish the relationship between the construct being measured and other related constructs. Face validity refers to whether a measure appears to measure what it is intended to measure, concurrent validity refers to whether a measure correlates well with other measures of the same construct at the same time, and predictive validity refers to whether a measure can predict future outcomes. While these types of validity are important, they do not necessarily require multiple research studies conducted over a long period of time.

Question 10

You develop a new measure of anxiety and you find that people who score high on your measure show more anxious behavior than people who score low on your measure. You have demonstrated ____.
A) concurrent validity
B) divergent validity
C) predictive validity
D) reliability

Accepted Answer

The answer of You develop a new measure of anxiety...

Question 11

If people score low on one measure and score low on another measure, there is ____
A) a positive relationship between the two measures
B) a negative relationship between the two measures
C) no relationship between the two measures
D) a cause-and-effect relationship between the two measures

Accepted Answer

A positive relationship between two measures means that as scores on one measure increase, scores on the other measure tend to increase as well, and vice versa. Scoring low on both measures indicates a positive relationship.

Question 12

Establishing the reliability of a measurement procedure by using the procedure to measure the same individuals on two separate occasions and comparing the two sets of scores is known as ____ reliability.
A) split-half
B) internal
C) test-retest
D) inter-rater

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability involves using the same measurement procedure to measure the same individuals on two separate occasions and then comparing the two sets of scores. This is a way to establish the reliability of the measurement procedure because if the scores are consistent across the two occasions, it suggests that the procedure is reliable.

Question 13

Which type of validity involves demonstrating that we are measuring one specific construct and not combining two different constructs in the same measurement process?
A) face validity
B) concurrent validity
C) divergent validity
D) convergent validity

Accepted Answer

Divergent validity involves demonstrating that a measure is not measuring two or more constructs that are supposed to be distinct from each other. This is important to ensure that the measure is only capturing the construct of interest and not overlapping with other constructs. Face validity refers to whether a measure appears to be measuring what it is intended to measure, concurrent validity compares a new measure with an established measure of the same construct, and convergent validity involves demonstrating that a measure correlates with other measures of the same construct.

Question 14

If people score high on one measure and score low on another measure, there is ____
A) a positive relationship between the two measures
B) a negative relationship between the two measures
C) no relationship between the two measures
D) a cause-and-effect relationship between the two measures

Accepted Answer

When people score high on one measure and score low on another measure, it implies that there is a negative relationship between the two measures. This means that as one measure goes up, the other measure tends to go down.

Question 15

A researcher developed a new intelligence test for elementary school children. However, the researcher fears that the scores from the test may actually be measuring the children's reading ability. To show that the test is really measuring intelligence and not reading ability, the researcher must demonstrate ____validity.
A) face
B) concurrent
C) convergent
D) divergent

Accepted Answer

Divergent validity refers to the ability of a test to not be highly correlated with measurements of unrelated constructs. In this case, if the new intelligence test is highly correlated with a reading test, it would suggest that the test is actually measuring reading ability instead of intelligence. Therefore, by demonstrating divergent validity and showing that the new intelligence test is not highly correlated with a reading test, the researcher can provide evidence that the test is truly measuring intelligence.

Question 16

A student's score on a measurement of impulse control allows researchers to form an accurate expectation for how well the student will control his or her impulses in class. This test illustrates ____ validity.
A) face
B) concurrent
C) predictive
D) convergent

Accepted Answer

Predictive validity refers to the ability of a test to predict future behavior or performance. In this case, the measurement of impulse control is being used to predict how well the student will control their impulses in class, making it an example of predictive validity. Face validity refers to whether a test appears to measure what it is supposed to measure, concurrent validity refers to the extent to which the test scores are related to a criterion measure assessed at the same time, and convergent validity refers to the extent to which the test scores are related to other measures of the same construct.

Question 17

What kind of validity requires that a researcher create two different measures of the same variable?
A) face
B) predictive
C) concurrent
D) convergent

Accepted Answer

Convergent validity requires that a researcher create two different measures of the same variable and that they should produce similar results.

Question 18

Research results indicate that the more servings of red meat eat from age 15 to 25, the higher their cholesterol scores will be at age 60. This is an example of a ____ relationship between variables.
A) cause-and-effect
B) coincidental
C) positive
D) negative

Accepted Answer

The research results indicate that as one variable (servings of red meat) increases, the other variable (cholesterol scores) also increases, indicating a positive relationship. However, this is not necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship as correlation does not always equal causation.

Question 19

You develop a new measure of self-efficacy and you find that people who score high on your measure also score high on a standardized measure of self-efficacy. You have demonstrated ____.
A) concurrent validity
B) divergent validity
C) predictive validity
D) reliability

Accepted Answer

Concurrent validity refers to the degree to which two measures administered at the same time are related. In this scenario, the new measure of self-efficacy is positively correlated with a standardized measure of self-efficacy, thus indicating concurrent validity. Divergent validity refers to the degree to which two measures that should not be related are in fact unrelated. Predictive validity refers to the degree to which a measure is able to predict a future outcome. Reliability refers to the consistency and precision of a measure.

Question 20

What term refers to a variable that cannot be observed or measured directly but is useful for describing and explaining behavior?
A) construct
B) operational variable
C) theoretical variable
D) hypothetical variable

Accepted Answer

Constructs are theoretical concepts that cannot be directly observed or measured, but are useful for understanding and explaining behavior. They are often defined in terms of observable behaviors or events. Operational variables are specific, measurable aspects of a construct that are used to gather data in research. Theoretical variables and hypothetical variables are similar concepts that refer to unobservable concepts, but these terms are not as commonly used in psychological research.

Quiz 3: Defining and Measuring Variables

A measurement procedure is valid if it ____.

If people score high on one measure and also score high on another measure, there is ____.

Which relationship described below illustrates a negative relationship?

When using operational definitions, it is important to keep in mind that the operational definition ____.

Using the number of yawns in a one-hour period as a definition and a measurement of sleepiness is an example of ____ sleepiness.

The purpose of an operational definition is to ____.

Which type of validity requires multiple research studies, usually conducted over a long period of time?

You develop a new measure of anxiety and you find that people who score high on your measure show more anxious behavior than people who score low on your measure. You have demonstrated ____.

If people score low on one measure and score low on another measure, there is ____

Establishing the reliability of a measurement procedure by using the procedure to measure the same individuals on two separate occasions and comparing the two sets of scores is known as ____ reliability.

Which type of validity involves demonstrating that we are measuring one specific construct and not combining two different constructs in the same measurement process?

If people score high on one measure and score low on another measure, there is ____

A student's score on a measurement of impulse control allows researchers to form an accurate expectation for how well the student will control his or her impulses in class. This test illustrates ____ validity.

What kind of validity requires that a researcher create two different measures of the same variable?

Research results indicate that the more servings of red meat eat from age 15 to 25, the higher their cholesterol scores will be at age 60. This is an example of a ____ relationship between variables.

You develop a new measure of self-efficacy and you find that people who score high on your measure also score high on a standardized measure of self-efficacy. You have demonstrated ____.

What term refers to a variable that cannot be observed or measured directly but is useful for describing and explaining behavior?