Question 1

Which level of measurement has an absolute or "true" zero point?

Accepted Answer

The ratio level of measurement has an absolute or "true" zero point, which allows for the comparison of absolute magnitudes and the calculation of ratios.

Question 2

Which of the following factors would not be a source of measurement error for scores on this exam?

Accepted Answer

Differences in knowledge and understanding of research methods are what the exam is intended to measure, so they are not a source of measurement error. Measurement error refers to factors that affect the accuracy of the measurement, not the construct being measured.

Question 3

Systematic error would be least likely to occur with which of the following measures?

Accepted Answer

Systematic error is least likely with standardized tests like the multiple choice portion of an exam, as they are designed to minimize bias and error through consistent administration and scoring.

Question 4

The social desirability effect refers to

Accepted Answer

The social desirability effect is when respondents give answers that they believe will be viewed favorably by others, often to project a positive self-image.

Question 5

Research indicates that in recent years respondents' answers to survey questions measuring racial prejudice underestimate actual racial prejudice. This underestimate is an example of __________ measurement error, which affects measurement __________.

Accepted Answer

Systematic measurement error consistently skews results in a particular direction, affecting the validity of the measurement by not accurately reflecting the true level of racial prejudice.

Question 6

Suppose that on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), some test-takers do better than others because they make more lucky than unlucky guesses on questions that they cannot solve. This constitutes __________ measurement error, which lowers the SAT's __________.

Accepted Answer

Random measurement error is caused by factors that are not consistent across test-takers, such as luck in guessing. This can lower the reliability and validity of a test, as it can make it difficult to compare scores between test-takers and to determine whether the test is actually measuring what it is supposed to measure.

Question 7

All of the following combinations of reliability and validity are possible except

Accepted Answer

The answer of All of the following combinations of reliability...

Question 8

Which of the following combinations is possible?

Accepted Answer

Low random error can still result in low validity if there is systematic error or bias affecting the measurement.

Question 9

Measures that are subject to very little random error but a major source of systematic error

Accepted Answer

Measures with little random error are consistent and thus reliable, but if they have a major source of systematic error, they do not accurately measure what they are supposed to, making them not valid.

Question 10

Which of the following questions most clearly concerns validity and not reliability?

Accepted Answer

Validity concerns whether a measure accurately reflects the concept it is intended to measure. Option A addresses whether self-reports accurately capture the true incidence of binge drinking, which is a question of validity.

Question 11

Which of the following questions concerns reliability?

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. Question E concerns whether students would score the same on an exam if taken again, which is a question of test-retest reliability.

Question 12

Survey estimates of church attendance based on self-reports are very stable, as respondents tend to give consistent answers. Observations of church attendance indicate, however, that it is about one-half the level reported in surveys. This suggests that, as a measure of church attendance, self-reported attendance is

Accepted Answer

Self-reported church attendance is reliable because respondents consistently give the same answers, but it is not valid because the self-reports do not accurately reflect actual attendance levels.

Question 13

Test-retest, split-half, and internal consistency are forms of

Accepted Answer

These are methods used to assess the reliability of a measurement, ensuring that it produces consistent results over time or across different items.

Question 14

Suppose you used a single questionnaire item to measure a particular concept. Which of the following methods could not be used to assess its reliability or validity?

Accepted Answer

Internal consistency reliability cannot be used to assess a single questionnaire item because it requires multiple items to evaluate the consistency of responses across them.

Question 15

Suppose a researcher asks the exact same question at two different points in a lengthy interview, near the beginning and near the end. If respondents give the same answer each time the question is asked, this supports the question's

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability refers to the consistency of a measure when the same test is administered to the same respondents at different points in time. If respondents give the same answer to the same question asked at different times, it indicates high test-retest reliability.

Question 16

For various reasons, which form of reliability assessment is least likely to be used?

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability is least likely to be used because it requires participants to take the test twice, which can be time-consuming and expensive. Additionally, participants may remember their answers from the first time they took the test, which can affect the reliability of the results.

Question 17

Two observers rate individual leadership by recording the number of times that each member of a group initiates discussion. The level of agreement between the observers' independent records provides evidence of

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure. If two observers independently record similar numbers of discussion initiations, it indicates that the measurement is consistent across different observers, thus demonstrating reliability.

Question 18

Which of the following statements correctly applies to the reliability of this exam?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements correctly applies...

Question 19

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for __________, whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of __________.

Accepted Answer

Reliability assessment checks for consistency in results, while validity assessment determines the accuracy of the measurement in capturing what it is intended to measure.

Question 20

Suppose a researcher constructs a six-item index for measuring risk-taking propensity. Evidence that eighth graders who score high on the index are more likely to engage in risky behaviors (e.g., initiate sexual activity, use drugs) supports the index's

Accepted Answer

Convergent validity is supported when the index correlates with other measures or behaviors that it theoretically should be related to, such as risky behaviors in this case.

Quiz 5: Measurement

Which level of measurement has an absolute or "true" zero point?

Which of the following factors would not be a source of measurement error for scores on this exam?

Systematic error would be least likely to occur with which of the following measures?

The social desirability effect refers to

Research indicates that in recent years respondents' answers to survey questions measuring racial prejudice underestimate actual racial prejudice. This underestimate is an example of measurement error, which affects measurement .

Suppose that on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) , some test-takers do better than others because they make more lucky than unlucky guesses on questions that they cannot solve. This constitutes measurement error, which lowers the SAT's .

All of the following combinations of reliability and validity are possible except

Which of the following combinations is possible?

Measures that are subject to very little random error but a major source of systematic error

Which of the following questions most clearly concerns validity and not reliability?

Which of the following questions concerns reliability?

Test-retest, split-half, and internal consistency are forms of

Suppose you used a single questionnaire item to measure a particular concept. Which of the following methods could not be used to assess its reliability or validity?

Suppose a researcher asks the exact same question at two different points in a lengthy interview, near the beginning and near the end. If respondents give the same answer each time the question is asked, this supports the question's

For various reasons, which form of reliability assessment is least likely to be used?

Two observers rate individual leadership by recording the number of times that each member of a group initiates discussion. The level of agreement between the observers' independent records provides evidence of

Which of the following statements correctly applies to the reliability of this exam?

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for , whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of .

Suppose a researcher constructs a six-item index for measuring risk-taking propensity. Evidence that eighth graders who score high on the index are more likely to engage in risky behaviors (e.g., initiate sexual activity, use drugs) supports the index's

Quiz 5: Measurement

Which level of measurement has an absolute or "true" zero point?

Which of the following factors would not be a source of measurement error for scores on this exam?

Systematic error would be least likely to occur with which of the following measures?

The social desirability effect refers to

Research indicates that in recent years respondents' answers to survey questions measuring racial prejudice underestimate actual racial prejudice. This underestimate is an example of __________ measurement error, which affects measurement __________.

Suppose that on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) , some test-takers do better than others because they make more lucky than unlucky guesses on questions that they cannot solve. This constitutes __________ measurement error, which lowers the SAT's __________.

All of the following combinations of reliability and validity are possible except

Which of the following combinations is possible?

Measures that are subject to very little random error but a major source of systematic error

Which of the following questions most clearly concerns validity and not reliability?

Which of the following questions concerns reliability?

Test-retest, split-half, and internal consistency are forms of

Suppose you used a single questionnaire item to measure a particular concept. Which of the following methods could not be used to assess its reliability or validity?

Suppose a researcher asks the exact same question at two different points in a lengthy interview, near the beginning and near the end. If respondents give the same answer each time the question is asked, this supports the question's

For various reasons, which form of reliability assessment is least likely to be used?

Two observers rate individual leadership by recording the number of times that each member of a group initiates discussion. The level of agreement between the observers' independent records provides evidence of

Which of the following statements correctly applies to the reliability of this exam?

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for __________, whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of __________.

Suppose a researcher constructs a six-item index for measuring risk-taking propensity. Evidence that eighth graders who score high on the index are more likely to engage in risky behaviors (e.g., initiate sexual activity, use drugs) supports the index's

Research indicates that in recent years respondents' answers to survey questions measuring racial prejudice underestimate actual racial prejudice. This underestimate is an example of measurement error, which affects measurement .

Suppose that on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) , some test-takers do better than others because they make more lucky than unlucky guesses on questions that they cannot solve. This constitutes measurement error, which lowers the SAT's .

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for , whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of .