Question 1

Most personality and intelligence tests on the Internet and in magazines:

Accepted Answer

Most personality and intelligence tests on the Internet and in magazines are neither reliable nor valid. This is because they are often not created by professionals and have not been tested for accuracy.

Question 2

Ryan and his middle-school teammates buy a sports magazine and take the test entitled "Do you have what it takes to make the NFL?" Given our textbook's discussion of test construction,what advice would be best to give to Ryan?

Accepted Answer

Magazine tests like these are not likely to have gone through rigorous test construction and validation processes like proper psychological tests do. The questions may not even be relevant to one's ability to make the NFL. Therefore, it is best not to take the results too seriously.

Question 3

Ken is given a vocational-interest test and then takes a similar test a week later.The psychologist is measuring the _______________ of the test.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ken is given a vocational-interest test and...

Question 4

_______________ usually generate information about people indirectly; in contrast,_______________ gather information by asking people directly about their experiences.

Accepted Answer

Psychological tests often involve tasks or assessments that indirectly measure aspects of a person's personality or behavior. Surveys, on the other hand, gather information by directly asking people about their experiences or opinions.

Question 5

Problems with surveys may include all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The choice of media for conducting surveys is not inherently a problem with surveys, whereas volunteer bias, lack of representative samples, and lack of honesty of participants are common issues that can affect survey results.

Question 6

A representative sample is:

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is a group of participants that accurately represents the larger population of interest. Therefore, choice D is the correct answer. Choices A, B, and C do not accurately define a representative sample.

Question 7

When Sandee takes a personality test she is told that the resulting score is compared to norms,that is,the test:

Accepted Answer

Norms are the established standards of performance that the resulting score is compared to. This means that the test is measuring something, but it is being compared to established standards rather than predicting other criteria or producing consistent results. Therefore, the correct choice is B.

Question 8

Juan is given a vocational-interest test and then retakes the same test a week later.The psychologist is measuring the _______________ of the test.

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability refers to the consistency of a measure over time, and it involves administering the same test to the same individuals on two different occasions. In this case, the psychologist is measuring the test-retest reliability of the vocational-interest test by administering it to Juan twice, one week apart. Content validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure. Alternate-forms reliability refers to the consistency of scores on two different versions of the same test. Criterion validity refers to the extent to which a test predicts or correlates with a particular criterion or outcome.

Question 9

The pop-psych tests found in magazines and newspapers usually:

Accepted Answer

Pop-psych tests found in magazines and newspapers often lack scientific rigor and have not gone through the standard evaluation measures of validity and reliability. Therefore, the most accurate choice is C, which acknowledges the lack of evaluation for both validity and reliability.

Question 10

Dr.Wiseman wants to know about the alcohol consumption patterns among college juniors in the United States.He should:

Accepted Answer

Drawing a representative sample among college juniors is the best option for Dr. Wiseman to get an accurate understanding of alcohol consumption patterns among college juniors in the United States. It is not feasible to give the survey to every college junior in the country (option A), and while sample size is important, it is not the most critical factor (option B). Requiring students' names on each survey may actually decrease the validity of the results, as it may lead to social desirability bias (option C).

Question 11

The editors of Scientific American are able to obtain a representative sample of their readers in order to assess their attitudes toward preservation of the rain forests in Costa Rica.When interpreting the results of their survey the editors will be able to:

Accepted Answer

The sample obtained from the readers of Scientific American is representative of the magazine's subscribers, hence the results can only be applied to them, and not to the general population of the U.S. or to residents of Costa Rica or scientists in general.

Question 12

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

Surveys are typically used to gather data on opinions, behaviors, or characteristics from a sample of people, not specifically to measure and evaluate personality traits, emotional states, aptitude, interests, abilities, and values. These are more often assessed using psychological tests or assessments.

Question 13

In one national study of HIV-risk sexual behaviors,teenage boys who responded _______________ were far more likely to admit to risky behaviors than were boys who were given the survey through other procedures.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that people are more likely to provide honest answers to sensitive questions when they are given privacy and the responses are anonymous. Using a computer keyboard to respond to questions played through headphones can provide such privacy and anonymity, which is why teenage boys who responded through this method were more likely to admit to risky behaviors. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires in a small group setting or questions asked by an interviewer, regardless of gender, may not provide the same level of privacy and anonymity.

Question 14

Famed sex researcher Alfred Kinsey found that more truthful responses were elicited when he phrased a question in which of the following ways?

Accepted Answer

Kinsey found that asking "How many times have you had nonmarital sex?" assumed the behavior had occurred, which made respondents more likely to answer truthfully.

Question 15

The likelihood of lying about a touchy topic is reduced when respondents:

Accepted Answer

Being guaranteed anonymity allows respondents to feel comfortable sharing their true thoughts and feelings without fear of repercussions or judgment. This makes them less likely to lie, especially about a touchy topic. This is because they know their answers will be kept confidential and that they will not be identified in any way. The other choices may also have a positive impact on reducing lying, but anonymity is the most effective measure for this purpose.

Question 16

Anastasia is given a vocational-interest test in November and then retakes the test in January.The psychologist is _______________ of the test.

Accepted Answer

Measuring the test-retest reliability involves administering the same test to the same individual at two different points in time to determine the consistency of their scores. Therefore, in this scenario, the psychologist is likely measuring the test-retest reliability of the vocational-interest test by comparing Anastasia's scores from November to her scores in January.

Question 17

A group of subjects,randomly selected from the population of interest,which matches the population on important characteristics such as age and sex is called:

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is a group of subjects that is randomly selected from the population of interest and matches the population on important characteristics such as age and sex. This helps to ensure that the results of the study are applicable to the entire population and reduces the likelihood of sampling bias. Volunteer bias refers to the fact that people who volunteer for research studies may differ in important ways from those who do not, potentially affecting the generalizability of the results. The experimental group and the control group are specific groups within a research study and are not relevant to the question asked.

Question 18

When a radio talk show host asked listeners to call in their opinions regarding legislation increasing social security benefits,the overwhelming response was support for the increase.All of the following are likely shortcomings of this survey EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

While volunteer bias, lack of a representative sample, and method of subject recruitment are all potential shortcomings of this survey, there is no indication that respondents would be more likely to lie about touchy subjects, so option C is the exception.

Question 19

In order to be useful,a test must be valid,that is,it must:

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it is designed to measure. Thus, in order for a test to be considered useful, it must have high validity, meaning that it accurately and consistently measures the construct or skill it is intended to assess. Options B, C, and D may also be important aspects of test quality, but they are not directly related to validity.

Question 20

The magazine Lover's Delight publishes a survey of its female readers called "The Sex Life of the American Wife." It reports that 87 percent of all wives like to make love in rubber boots.The critical flaw in this research would be:

Accepted Answer

The critical flaw in this research is that the sample is not representative of American wives. It is not clear how the magazine conducted the survey, but if they only surveyed their own readers or a small group of women who are more likely to enjoy wearing rubber boots during sex, the results cannot be considered representative of all American wives. Therefore, the survey results cannot be generalized to the overall population.

Quiz 2: Exstintion: How Psychologists Do Research