Question 1

If a researcher wants to make a judgment as to whether the data from her sample would be like data in the population,she would use:
A) correlation coefficients
B) measures of central tendency
C) inferential statistics
D) meta-analysis

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics are used to make judgments or inferences about a population based on a sample. This process involves using statistical tests to determine the probability that the differences (or similarities) observed in the sample are due to chance, or if they are statistically significant and likely to be representative of the population as a whole. Other options listed (correlation coefficients, measures of central tendency, and meta-analysis) may be useful for analyzing and summarizing data, but only inferential statistics are specifically designed to assess the representativeness of a sample.

Question 2

Students who study a little for tests tend to make more errors on tests; students who study a lot tend to make fewer errors.If a researcher collected data on such test scores,she would likely spot a(n):
A) inferential statistic
B) variable standard deviation
C) positive correlation
D) negative correlation

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation occurs when one variable increases while the other decreases. In this case, as the amount of studying increases, the number of errors decreases.

Question 3

The values in a data set range from 60 to 90.If a researcher knows this,then the researcher is aware of the:
A) standard deviation
B) median
C) mode
D) range

Accepted Answer

The range is the difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set, so knowing that the values range from 60 to 90 means that the researcher is aware of the range. The standard deviation, median, and mode are not explicitly given by knowing the range of values.

Question 4

If the difference between two groups is statistically significant,it suggests that:
A) there is a positive correlation among the data
B) the data show low levels of systematic error
C) the researcher has to use descriptive statistics to test for the validity of the results
D) if the experiment were repeated, the same results would likely occur

Accepted Answer

If the difference between two groups is statistically significant, it means that the probability of obtaining the observed difference by chance is very low. Therefore, if the experiment were to be repeated, the same results would likely occur. This suggests that the difference between the two groups is due to the independent variable being manipulated and not due to chance or random error.

Question 5

This type of study can be described as a "study of studies":
A) correlational study
B) case studies
C) experiment
D) meta-analysis

Accepted Answer

A meta-analysis is a type of research study that is focused on analyzing multiple studies to come to a conclusion regarding a specific research question or topic. This type of study looks at the strengths and weaknesses of many different studies to provide a comprehensive overview of the research that has been done on a topic. Meta-analyses are often used to help inform policy decisions or to guide future research studies.

Question 6

If you created a scatter plot of your data,what type of statistic would you have computed?
A) correlation
B) range
C) median
D) inferential

Accepted Answer

A scatter plot shows the relationship between two variables, with one variable plotted on the x-axis and the other variable plotted on the y-axis. The correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables, ranging from -1 (perfect negative correlation) to 1 (perfect positive correlation). Therefore, if you created a scatter plot, you most likely computed the correlation coefficient.

Question 7

Research has shown that some types of behavioral or psychiatric disorders are more prevalent among people with low levels of education.This pattern of data is associated with:
A) inferential statistics
B) descriptive statistics
C) negative correlations
D) standard deviations

Accepted Answer

Negative correlations indicate that as one variable increases, the other decreases. In this case, as education levels decrease, the prevalence of certain disorders increases.

Question 8

If you list a set of scores from the lowest value to the highest,then take the middle value to indicate what is a typical score,you are using the:
A) mean
B) mode
C) median
D) range

Accepted Answer

The median is the middle value when the scores are listed in order from lowest to highest, making it a good indicator of a typical score. The mean takes into account all scores and is affected by outliers, while the mode only represents the most frequently occurring score. The range measures the spread of the scores, but does not give insight into what a typical score might be.

Question 9

If a researcher believes that participants in a single group will score very differently from one another on a task,that researcher can find out if that is true by looking at the:
A) mean
B) median
C) correlation coefficient
D) standard deviation

Accepted Answer

The standard deviation is the measure of variability in a group of scores. A high standard deviation indicates that the scores are spread out and therefore, participants in the group score differently from one another on the task. The mean and median are measures of central tendency, which do not provide information about variability. The correlation coefficient measures the relationship between two variables and is not relevant for testing if a single group scores differently from one another.

Question 10

Researchers have found that taller people tend to have higher levels of self-esteem than shorter people.This pattern of data reflects:
A) an inferential statistic
B) a positive correlation
C) measures of central tendency
D) measures of variability

Accepted Answer

This pattern of data reflects a positive correlation between height and self-esteem.

Question 11

When you pair two variables,and as one increases so does the other,your data will show:
A) a standardized range
B) a positive correlation
C) inferential statistics
D) validity

Accepted Answer

When two variables are paired and one variable's increase is associated with an increase in the other variable, it indicates a positive correlation between the two variables. In statistical terms, this means that the correlation coefficient between the two variables is positive, indicating a linear relationship between them. Therefore, the best choice in this scenario is B, which refers to a positive correlation.

Question 12

If a person wants people to determine the average weight of customers in a store,she could create a questionnaire where people check a category that indicates their weight: 110 to 119 pounds,120 to 129 pounds,and so forth.What statistic would be useful so she can include enough weight categories on her questionnaire?
A) range
B) median
C) mode
D) mean

Accepted Answer

The range of weights in the store would give an idea of the minimum and maximum weight that people would report. This information can be used to decide on the number and size of weight categories to include in the questionnaire. For example, if the range of weights is 100 to 200 pounds, it would be better to have larger weight categories than if the range was 120 to 140 pounds. Therefore, including the range would be more useful than the other statistics (median, mode, mean) for deciding on the weight categories for the questionnaire.

Question 13

The most frequently occurring score in a data set is known as the:
A) mean
B) mode
C) range
D) standard deviation

Accepted Answer

The mode is the score or value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Question 14

Miranda is statistically combining the results of all the published studies on the effects of the presence of a weapon on eyewitness accuracy.Miranda is performing a(n):
A) meta-analysis
B) replication
C) inferential analysis
D) significance test

Accepted Answer

Miranda is combining the results of multiple studies on a specific topic, which is what a meta-analysis does. Replication refers to conducting a study again to see if the results are consistent, inferential analysis involves making conclusions based on data, and significance tests are used to determine if differences between groups are due to chance or if they are statistically significant.

Question 15

If you want to know how far apart scores in a data set tend to be,you could use the:
A) mean
B) median
C) mode
D) standard deviation

Accepted Answer

The standard deviation measures the spread of data around the mean. Therefore, it is the best choice to determine how far apart scores in a data set tend to be. The mean, median, and mode do not give a measure of spread and only describe the central tendency of the data.

Question 16

A store owner wants to make sure she has enough shirts in the right sizes in her inventory,so she buys a lot of shirts in the most popular size.In order to make this purchase,what type of statistic would she want to know?
A) mode
B) mean
C) standard deviation
D) range

Accepted Answer

The store owner would want to know the mode, as this would indicate the size that appears most frequently in customer purchases and is therefore the most popular size.

Question 17

When you pair two variables,and as one increases the other decreases,your data will show:
A) a standardized range
B) a negative correlation
C) inferential statistics
D) validity

Accepted Answer

When two variables are negatively correlated, this means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases. Therefore, a negative correlation is the best choice for the given scenario. Standardized range refers to a statistical method of normalizing data, inferential statistics refers to making predictions about a population based on a sample, and validity refers to the accuracy of a measurement.

Question 18

Jamal is performing statistical analyses to determine whether the effects of the treatment in his experiment might actually have reflected chance; Kendra is performing an analysis to combine the results of a number of experiments to yield an overall conclusion.Jamal is performing a _____,Kendra,a _____.
A) replication; meta-analysis
B) significance test; replication
C) significance test; meta-analysis
D) meta-analysis; significance test

Accepted Answer

Jamal is performing a significance test because he is testing whether the effects of the treatment are statistically significant or due to chance. Kendra is performing a meta-analysis because she is combining the results of multiple experiments to reach an overall conclusion.

Question 19

The range and standard deviation are examples of:
A) inferential statistics
B) measures of central tendency
C) types of variability
D) correlational measures

Accepted Answer

The range and standard deviation are both measures of variability. The range represents the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a set of data, while the standard deviation represents the average distance between each score and the mean of the data. These measures help to describe how spread out or clustered the data is. Inferential statistics involve using sample data to make inferences or predictions about a larger population, measures of central tendency (such as mean, median, and mode) describe the typical or central value in a set of data, and correlational measures describe the degree of association between two variables.

Question 20

When a researcher cannot manipulate variables in a project on the relationship between level of education and income,she will be forced to collect naturally occurring data.The data analysis would probably involve:
A) a correlational analysis
B) descriptive, but not inferential, statistics
C) naturalistic observation
D) selection bias

Accepted Answer

Since the researcher cannot manipulate the variables, she can only observe and collect data. A correlational analysis would allow her to determine if there is a relationship between level of education and income based on the naturally occurring data she collects. Descriptive statistics would describe the data collected but not provide inferential conclusions about a relationship. Naturalistic observation is a method of observing behavior in its natural context and would not be applicable for this research question. Selection bias refers to a bias in selecting participants for a study, which is not relevant in this case as the researcher is collecting naturally occurring data.

Quiz 2: Research Methodology

If a researcher wants to make a judgment as to whether the data from her sample would be like data in the population,she would use:

Students who study a little for tests tend to make more errors on tests; students who study a lot tend to make fewer errors.If a researcher collected data on such test scores,she would likely spot a(n) :

The values in a data set range from 60 to 90.If a researcher knows this,then the researcher is aware of the:

If the difference between two groups is statistically significant,it suggests that:

This type of study can be described as a "study of studies":

If you created a scatter plot of your data,what type of statistic would you have computed?

Research has shown that some types of behavioral or psychiatric disorders are more prevalent among people with low levels of education.This pattern of data is associated with:

If you list a set of scores from the lowest value to the highest,then take the middle value to indicate what is a typical score,you are using the:

If a researcher believes that participants in a single group will score very differently from one another on a task,that researcher can find out if that is true by looking at the:

Researchers have found that taller people tend to have higher levels of self-esteem than shorter people.This pattern of data reflects:

When you pair two variables,and as one increases so does the other,your data will show:

The most frequently occurring score in a data set is known as the:

Miranda is statistically combining the results of all the published studies on the effects of the presence of a weapon on eyewitness accuracy.Miranda is performing a(n) :

If you want to know how far apart scores in a data set tend to be,you could use the:

A store owner wants to make sure she has enough shirts in the right sizes in her inventory,so she buys a lot of shirts in the most popular size.In order to make this purchase,what type of statistic would she want to know?

When you pair two variables,and as one increases the other decreases,your data will show:

Jamal is performing statistical analyses to determine whether the effects of the treatment in his experiment might actually have reflected chance; Kendra is performing an analysis to combine the results of a number of experiments to yield an overall conclusion.Jamal is performing a _,Kendra,a _.

The range and standard deviation are examples of:

When a researcher cannot manipulate variables in a project on the relationship between level of education and income,she will be forced to collect naturally occurring data.The data analysis would probably involve: