Question 1

The difference between nominal and ordinal measurement scales is ______.
A) nominal scales have numerical response categories and ordinal scales do not
B) responses on ordinal scales can be rank ordered and responses on nominal scales cannot be rank ordered
C) nominal scales include zero as the lowest possible score and ordinal scales do not
D) nominal and ordinal scales are identical

Accepted Answer

Nominal measurement scales simply categorize data without any particular order, while ordinal measurement scales rank order data but do not have consistent intervals between categories. Therefore, responses on ordinal scales can be rank ordered while responses on nominal scales cannot.

Question 2

An independent variable that includes three different types of treatments is called a(n) ______ variable.
A) amount
B) bivalent
C) multivalent
D) subject

Accepted Answer

A multivalent variable is a variable with three or more categories or levels. In this case, the independent variable has three different types of treatments, which makes it a multivalent variable.

Question 3

A variable that affects the results of the study but is not a variable of interest in the study, is called a(n) ______ variable.
A) independent
B) dependent
C) subject
D) confound

Accepted Answer

A confounding variable is one that is not of interest in the study but can affect the results. Independent variables are the variable that is manipulated in the study, while dependent variables are the variable that is being measured. Subjects refer to the individuals or things being studied.

Question 4

Having different participants in a study experience conditions in different orders is ______.
A) counterbalancing
B) regression toward the mean
C) random assignment
D) attrition

Accepted Answer

Counterbalancing is when different participants experience conditions in different orders in order to control for order effects. Regression toward the mean refers to the tendency for extreme scores to move closer to the mean over time. Random assignment involves randomly assigning participants to different conditions in order to control for extraneous variables. Attrition refers to participants dropping out of a study before it is completed.

Question 5

A solution to experimenter bias is to use a(n) ______ design.
A) double-blind
B) single-blind
C) experimental
D) correlational

Accepted Answer

Double-blind design is the best choice to eliminate experimenter bias as both the experimenter and the participants are unaware of the group assignments. This ensures that the experimenter does not unintentionally convey any expectations to the participants, which can influence their behavior or responses. Single-blind design does not eliminate experimenter bias completely as the experimenter is still aware of the group assignment. Experimental and correlational designs are not relevant for addressing experimenter bias.

Question 6

If I set my alarm to read 8:10 when it is really 8:00 (i.e., it is 10 minutes fast) and the alarm goes off each day when it reads 8:10, it will be ______ but not ______.
A) valid; reliable
B) reliable; valid
C) accurate; testable
D) parsimonious; falsifiable

Accepted Answer

The alarm clock is reliable because it consistently goes off at the same time every day, but it is not valid because it does not accurately reflect the true time.

Question 7

Temperature measured in Fahrenheit or Celsius is an example of a(n) ______ measurement scale.
A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Accepted Answer

Temperature measured in Fahrenheit or Celsius is an example of an interval measurement scale. This is because the distance between units is equal, but there is no true zero point. For example, 0 degrees Celsius does not represent the absence of temperature, but rather a specific temperature at which water freezes.

Question 8

Suppose a psychologist developed a test to measure intelligence, but this test was poorly developed and really only measured how well people perform on standardized tests (in other words, it doesn't actually measure intelligence). This test would lack ______.
A) inter-rater reliability
B) test-retest validity
C) construct validity
D) parsimony

Accepted Answer

The test lacks construct validity, which refers to whether the test actually measures what it claims to measure (in this case, intelligence). Inter-rater reliability (A) refers to the degree to which different raters/observers give consistent ratings/observations, while test-retest validity (B) refers to the consistency of scores across different time points. Parsimony (D) refers to the degree to which a theory is simple and elegant, and is not relevant to the development of a test.

Question 9

Independent variables can be manipulated according to all but ______.
A) presence/absence of treatment
B) type of treatment
C) amount of treatment
D) level of treatment

Accepted Answer

All three choices A, B, and C involve manipulating the independent variable by varying the way in which the treatment is administered, whereas choice D (level of treatment) refers to the degree or intensity of the treatment. Thus, D is the only option that does not relate specifically to the method of treatment but rather to the amount or dosage of the treatment.

Question 10

People in a grocery store are asked to sample three types of energy drinks and then indicate which one they liked best and which they liked least (i.e., they rank ordered the drinks). The dependent variable in this study is measured on a(n) ______ scale.
A) interval
B) ratio
C) ordinal
D) nominal

Accepted Answer

The participants are ranking the energy drinks, which makes the dependent variable ordinal. It is not nominal because there is an order to the rankings, and it is not interval or ratio because there are not equal intervals or true zero points.

Question 11

Confounding variables primarily threaten the ______ of a study.
A) external validity
B) internal validity
C) reliability
D) third variable

Accepted Answer

Confounding variables can affect the internal validity of a study by making it difficult to determine whether changes in the dependent variable are due to the independent variable or to the confounding variable. This can lead to inaccurate conclusions about cause and effect relationships. Confounding variables are less likely to affect external validity (generalizability), reliability, or third variables (variables that may be related to both the independent and dependent variable, but are not actively being manipulated in the study).

Question 12

Suppose that on average, you tend to score about 83% on exams in your courses. Scoring a 95% on the first exam in a course and 84% on the second exam in that course is an example of ______.
A) the Hawthorne effect
B) maturation
C) regression toward the mean
D) attrition

Accepted Answer

Regression toward the mean. This is because the initial score of 95% is an outlier that is likely to regress to the average score of 83% on the second exam.

Question 13

Measuring intelligence using the score on an IQ test is an example of ______.
A) reliability
B) an operational definition
C) an independent variable
D) maturation

Accepted Answer

Measuring intelligence using the score on an IQ test is an example of an operational definition, which is a specific and measurable definition of a concept in terms of the operations or procedures used to measure or observe it. A is incorrect because reliability refers to the consistency of a measurement tool in yielding the same results over time or under different conditions. C is incorrect because an independent variable is the variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment to observe its effect on the dependent variable. D is incorrect because maturation refers to the natural biological and psychological changes that occur over time, rather than a specific measurement or operational definition.

Question 14

Time measured in minutes is an example of a(n) ______ scale.
A) interval
B) ordinal
C) nominal
D) ratio

Accepted Answer

Time measured in minutes is an example of a ratio scale because it has a true zero point (i.e. 0 minutes) and meaningful ratios can be formed (i.e. 30 minutes is twice as long as 15 minutes).

Question 15

When different observers of behavior record the behavior in a similar way, the measure is said to have good ______.
A) inter-rater reliability
B) test-retest validity
C) construct validity
D) parsimony

Accepted Answer

Inter-rater reliability is the degree of agreement among multiple observers of the same behavior. If the different observers record the behavior in a similar way, then the measure has good inter-rater reliability. Test-retest validity refers to the consistency observed when testing the same people at different times with the same measure. Construct validity refers to whether the measure actually assesses the underlying construct or concept it claims to measure. Parsimony refers to the simplicity of a theory and its ability to explain a phenomenon with the fewest possible assumptions.

Question 16

A quasi-independent variable is the same as ______.
A) a subject variable
B) an independent variable
C) a dependent variable
D) a confounding variable

Accepted Answer

A quasi-independent variable is similar to a subject variable because it is not manipulated by the researcher but rather is an existing characteristic of the participants that is treated as an independent variable for the purposes of the study.

Question 17

The difference between an independent variable and a quasi-independent variable is that the quasi-independent variable lacks ______.
A) random assignment
B) parsimony
C) validity
D) reliability

Accepted Answer

Quasi-independent variables cannot be randomly assigned, which is a key characteristic of independent variables in experimental research.

Question 18

Getting better on a task in a study with practice can cause a source of bias called ______.
A) maturation
B) testing effects
C) regression toward the mean
D) mortality

Accepted Answer

Practice or repeated testing can lead to improved performance on a task, which can create a testing effect bias. This bias occurs because participants’ enhanced performance on a test is due to familiarity with the test rather than an actual improvement in the underlying ability being measured. Maturation refers to changes that occur naturally over time, regression toward the mean refers to extreme scores becoming less extreme on a subsequent testing occasion, and mortality refers to participants dropping out of a study.

Question 19

Suppose that a participant completes a task in a research study faster than he or she would have completed the task outside the study (i.e., in their natural surroundings). This would be an example of ______.
A) regression toward the mean
B) maturation
C) a history effect
D) the Hawthorne effect

Accepted Answer

The Hawthorne effect refers to the phenomenon where participants in a study may alter their behavior because they know they are being observed. In this case, the participant completing the task faster in the study than in their natural surroundings may be due to the Hawthorne effect - they may have been more motivated to do well because they knew they were in a study.

Question 20

Testing effects are particularly problematic for ______ designs.
A) quasi-experimental
B) within-subjects
C) between-subjects
D) bivalent

Accepted Answer

Within-subjects designs involve testing the same participants multiple times, which can lead to testing effects such as practice or fatigue that can impact the results. Quasi-experimental and between-subjects designs do not involve testing the same participants multiple times, while bivalent designs are not a commonly used or recognized experimental design term.

Quiz 5: Variables and Measurement in Research

The difference between nominal and ordinal measurement scales is ______.

An independent variable that includes three different types of treatments is called a(n) ______ variable.

A variable that affects the results of the study but is not a variable of interest in the study, is called a(n) ______ variable.

Having different participants in a study experience conditions in different orders is ______.

A solution to experimenter bias is to use a(n) ______ design.

If I set my alarm to read 8:10 when it is really 8:00 (i.e., it is 10 minutes fast) and the alarm goes off each day when it reads 8:10, it will be but not .

Temperature measured in Fahrenheit or Celsius is an example of a(n) ______ measurement scale.

Suppose a psychologist developed a test to measure intelligence, but this test was poorly developed and really only measured how well people perform on standardized tests (in other words, it doesn't actually measure intelligence) . This test would lack ______.

Independent variables can be manipulated according to all but ______.

People in a grocery store are asked to sample three types of energy drinks and then indicate which one they liked best and which they liked least (i.e., they rank ordered the drinks) . The dependent variable in this study is measured on a(n) ______ scale.

Confounding variables primarily threaten the ______ of a study.

Suppose that on average, you tend to score about 83% on exams in your courses. Scoring a 95% on the first exam in a course and 84% on the second exam in that course is an example of ______.

Measuring intelligence using the score on an IQ test is an example of ______.

Time measured in minutes is an example of a(n) ______ scale.

When different observers of behavior record the behavior in a similar way, the measure is said to have good ______.

A quasi-independent variable is the same as ______.

The difference between an independent variable and a quasi-independent variable is that the quasi-independent variable lacks ______.

Getting better on a task in a study with practice can cause a source of bias called ______.

Suppose that a participant completes a task in a research study faster than he or she would have completed the task outside the study (i.e., in their natural surroundings) . This would be an example of ______.

Testing effects are particularly problematic for ______ designs.