Question 1

What is the big disadvantage of the case study method?

Accepted Answer

The big disadvantage of the case study method is that it is not generalizable, meaning that the findings from one particular case study cannot be applied to a larger population or broader phenomenon.

Question 2

According to the text,which of the following would NOT be a threat to the generalizability of personality research?

Accepted Answer

Personality researchers striving to study multiple cohorts would enhance generalizability as they would be studying individuals from multiple age groups and backgrounds. A, B, and D are all potential threats to generalizability as they represent biases or limitations in the sample population. Therefore, C is the correct answer as it is not a threat to generalizability but rather enhances it.

Question 3

Reliability and validity are actually both aspects of a broader concept called ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Reliability and validity are actually both aspects...

Question 4

A researcher can increase the reliability of a personality test by ________.

Accepted Answer

Measuring something important is the best choice to increase the reliability of a personality test. This means selecting items that are relevant and meaningful to the construct being measured. Aggregating items can also improve reliability, but refusing to aggregate items (choice A) would not necessarily increase reliability. Using very few items (choice C) increases the risk of mistakes and reduces the validity of the test. Constructing items with complicated words and phrases (choice D) can actually decrease the reliability of the test by introducing unnecessary confusion and ambiguity.

Question 5

Validity is the degree to which a measurement ________.

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to whether a measurement or test actually measures what it intends to measure, making C the best choice. While consistency is important, it is addressed by reliability.

Question 6

Many psychologists tend to use college students as participants in their research and then assume that what they learn applies to people in general.However,this common practice may limit ________.

Accepted Answer

Using college students as participants may limit the generalizability of the findings because college students may not represent the broader population. College students are a specific group of people with certain characteristics, such as being younger and more educated, and their experiences and behaviors may not be representative of the general population. Therefore, findings obtained from college students may not be applicable to other age groups or populations.

Question 7

Jane recently completed a new test that was designed to measure her IQ.She took the test twice and each time received the same score.The test administrator told her that her scores indicate she is extremely intelligent.However,Jane scored well below average when she completed the Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS),two well-established intelligence tests.Based on this pattern of results,it appears that the new measure of IQ was a ________.

Accepted Answer

The fact that Jane scored well below average on two well-established intelligence tests suggests that the new measure of IQ was not valid, meaning it does not actually measure what it claims to measure. However, the fact that she received the same score on the new test twice indicates it was reliable, meaning it produced consistent results. Therefore, the new measure was a reliable but not valid measure of intelligence. Option A is incorrect because the new measure was not valid. Option B is incorrect because it was reliable but not valid. Option D is unsupported by the information provided.

Question 8

At the heart of aggregation is the idea that ________.

Accepted Answer

Aggregation involves combining multiple measurements or observations to arrive at a more reliable estimate. Random errors, which are unpredictable and can occur in any direction, can cancel each other out when observations are combined. Therefore, the idea at the heart of aggregation is that random errors cancel each other out to some extent.

Question 9

The fact that much of modern empirical research in psychology has been based on white,middle-class college sophomores may reduce the ________ of psychological research.

Accepted Answer

Generalizability refers to the extent to which research findings can be applied to populations beyond the sample studied. Research based on a narrow sample like white, middle-class college sophomores may not be generalizable to other populations, therefore reducing the generalizability of psychological research.

Question 10

Which of the following sampling methods affords a researcher the greatest generalizability?

Accepted Answer

Random telephone dialing is likely to reach a more diverse and representative sample of the general population, enhancing the generalizability of the research findings.

Question 11

A research strategy that involves gathering as many different measurements as you can of a particular construct and determining if those measurements correlate is called ________.

Accepted Answer

This strategy is called construct validation, as it aims to validate the concept or construct being measured by examining the correlation among different measurements of that construct. Aggregation validation refers to checking if a measure accurately reflects the average score of a group of individuals or items, while generalization refers to applying findings from a particular study to a larger population or context. Internal validation is a broader concept that encompasses various methods of ensuring the rigor and validity of research design and procedures.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT likely to undermine the reliability of a survey?

Accepted Answer

Aggregation of responses to different items is a standard practice in survey research to analyze data and derive conclusions. It does not undermine the reliability of a survey; instead, it helps in understanding the collective response patterns.

Question 13

According to Cronbach and Meehl's (1955)terminology,psychological attributes such as intelligence and sociability are examples of ________,whereas an IQ test and extraversion questionnaire are both examples of specific tests or measurements.

Accepted Answer

According to Cronbach and Meehl's terminology, psychological attributes such as intelligence and sociability are referred to as constructs, while specific tests or measurements are referred to as assessments. Therefore, the best choice is A, constructs.

Question 14

The major difference between the experimental and correlational methods is that in the experimental method the presumed causal variable is ________,whereas in the correlational method the same variable is ________.

Accepted Answer

In the experimental method, the presumed causal variable is manipulated by the researcher, whereas in the correlational method the same variable is only measured and not manipulated. Therefore, choice C - manipulated; measured is the correct answer.

Question 15

Narrative psychology is an example of the ________ method.

Accepted Answer

Narrative psychology involves the in-depth study of an individual's personal story or experience, making it an example of the case study method.

Question 16

Dr.Grant is creating a new measure of shyness,and she decides to include more than one item in her scale.She believes that using multiple items will lead to a more reliable measure.Dr.Grant is following which principle of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Aggregation refers to the principle of combining multiple items or observations to create a more reliable and stable measure of a construct, such as shyness, which is what Dr. Grant is doing by including more than one item in her scale.

Question 17

Reliability is ________ for validity.

Accepted Answer

Reliability is a necessary condition for validity, but not a sufficient condition. This means that in order for a measure to be valid, it must first be reliable, i.e. consistent across multiple administrations or observers. However, even if a measure is reliable, it may not necessarily be valid, i.e. it may not accurately measure the concept it is intended to measure.

Question 18

The most important and generally useful way to enhance reliability is to ________.

Accepted Answer

Aggregating measurements reduces random error and increases reliability by averaging out the noise across multiple observations.

Question 19

In simple language,questions about reliability concern ________,whereas questions about validity concern ________.

Accepted Answer

Questions about reliability concern consistency, meaning the degree to which a measure produces consistent results over time or across different raters. Questions about validity concern accuracy, meaning the degree to which a measure actually measures what it is intended to measure.

Question 20

The strongest advantage of the experimental method is that ________.

Accepted Answer

The experimental method allows for the assessment of causality as it involves manipulating the independent variable and measuring its effect on the dependent variable. This helps to establish cause and effect relationships between variables, which is a significant advantage of this research method.

Quiz 2: Personality Research Methods