Question 1

A recent study reports that students who just finished playing a prosocial video game were more likely to help others than students who had played a neutral or antisocial game.For this study,what is the independent variable?
A)The students who were given the prosocial game
B)The students who were given the neutral or antisocial game
C)The kind of game given to the students
D)The helping behavior of the students

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the experimenter, which in this case is the type of video game given to the students (prosocial, neutral, or antisocial). The helping behavior of the students is the dependent variable, which is the outcome being measured and affected by the independent variable. The groups of students who were given each type of game are considered levels of the independent variable, not separate independent variables themselves.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a continuous variable?
A)The gender of each student in a psychology class
B)The number of males in each class offered by the college
C)The amount of time to solve a problem
D)The number of children in a family

Accepted Answer

A continuous variable is one that can take on any value within a certain range. The amount of time to solve a problem can take on any value between zero and some maximum amount of time, making it a continuous variable. The other options are not continuous variables - gender is categorical, the number of males is discrete, and the number of children in a family is also discrete.

Question 3

In an experimental study,
A)1 variable is measured and 2 groups are compared.
B)2 variables are measured and 2 groups are compared.
C)1 variable is measured and there is only 1 group of participants.
D)2 variables are measured and there is only 1 group of participants.

Accepted Answer

In an experimental study, typically one variable is being manipulated and measured, and the two groups are being compared to see the effect of the variable. Therefore, option A best describes an experimental study. Option B describes a correlational study, option C describes a case study, and option D describes a quasi-experimental study.

Question 4

A characteristic,usually a numerical value,which describes a sample is called a _______.
A)parameter
B)statistic
C)variable
D)constant

Accepted Answer

A statistic is a characteristic, usually a numerical value, that describes a sample. Parameters describe populations, variables can change and represent data points, and constants remain unchanged.

Question 5

The relationship between a statistic and a parameter is the same as the relationship between ______.
A)a sample and a population
B)a statistic and a parameter
C)a parameter and a population
D)descriptive statistics and inferential statistics

Accepted Answer

A statistic is a numerical value calculated from a sample, while a parameter is a numerical value that describes a population. Therefore, the relationship between a statistic and a parameter is the same as the relationship between a sample and a population.

Question 6

The average verbal SAT score for the entire class of entering freshmen is 530.However,if you select a sample of 20 freshmen and compute their average verbal SAT score you probably will not get exactly 530.What statistical concept is used to explain the natural difference that exists between a sample mean and the corresponding population mean?
A)Statistical error
B)Inferential error
C)Sampling error
D)Parametric error

Accepted Answer

Sampling error refers to the natural variation that occurs when a sample is selected from a larger population. It accounts for the differences between the sample mean and the population mean, and is a fundamental concept in statistical analysis. Statistical error and inferential error are related concepts, but not as directly relevant in this context. Parametric error refers to errors that occur when making assumptions about the distribution of a population based on the parameters of a statistical model.

Question 7

For an experiment comparing two methods of teaching social skills training to autistic children,the independent variable is _______ and the dependent variable is _______.
A)teaching methods; the autistic children
B)the autistic children; the social skills that are learned
C)the social skills that are learned; the autistic children
D)teaching methods; the social skills that are learned

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable being manipulated or changed by the researcher, which in this case is the teaching methods. The dependent variable is the variable being measured or tested, which is the social skills that are learned by the autistic children. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of a discrete variable?
A)The age of each student in a psychology class
B)The gender of each student in a psychology class
C)The amount of time to solve a problem
D)The amount of weight gained for each freshman at a local college

Accepted Answer

Gender is a discrete variable as it can only take on certain values, such as male or female. The other options all involve continuous variables that can take on any value within a range (age, time to solve a problem, weight gained).

Question 9

A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of American adolescents.The entire group of American adolescents is an example of a _________.
A)sample
B)statistic
C)population
D)parameter

Accepted Answer

The population is the entire group of American adolescents, which the researcher is studying.

Question 10

Although a research study is typically conducted with a relatively small group of participants known as a _________,most researchers hope to generalize their results to a much larger group known as a _________.
A)sample; population
B)statistic; sample
C)population; sample
D)parameter; population

Accepted Answer

A research study is typically conducted with a sample, which is a smaller group of participants that is representative of the larger population. Most researchers hope to generalize their results to the larger population, which is why they choose a representative sample in the first place. Therefore, the correct answer is A) sample; population.

Question 11

Organizing a set of scores in a table is an example of using _______.
A)parameters
B)statistics
C)descriptive statistics
D)inferential statistics

Accepted Answer

Organizing scores in a table is an example of descriptive statistics, which involves summarizing and describing data through measures such as frequency tables, graphs, and measures of central tendency and variability. Parameters refer to characteristics of a population, whereas statistics refer to characteristics of a sample. Inferential statistics involves making conclusions or predictions about a population based on sample data.

Question 12

If it is impossible to divide the existing categories of a variable,then it is an example of a _____ variable.
A)independent
B)dependent
C)discrete
D)continuous

Accepted Answer

Discrete variables have a finite number of possible values and cannot be further divided into categories. Independent and dependent variables refer to the relationship between different variables, while continuous variables can take on any numerical value between a given range.

Question 13

A researcher is interested in the eating behavior of rats and selects a group of 25 rats to be tested in a research study.The group of 25 rats is an example of a ______.
A)sample
B)statistic
C)population
D)parameter

Accepted Answer

The group of 25 rats is a sample because it is a subset of the larger population of rats and is selected for the study. A population would consist of all rats, and a statistic or parameter would be a numerical summary of the characteristics of the population or sample, respectively.

Question 14

A researcher records the change in weight (gain or lost)during the first semester of college for each individual in a group of 25 freshmen and calculates the average change in weight.The average is an example of a _______.
A)parameter
B)statistic
C)variable
D)constant

Accepted Answer

The average change in weight calculated by the researcher is a descriptive statistic, which is a summary measure calculated from a sample. Parameters are summary measures calculated from a population, so A is incorrect. Variable is a general term referring to any characteristic that can vary among individuals, so C is not the best choice here. Constant refers to a value that does not change, which is not relevant in this scenario, so D is also incorrect.

Question 15

In a correlational study,
A)1 variable is measured and 2 groups are compared.
B)2 variables are measured and 2 groups are compared.
C)1 variable is measured and there is only 1 group of participants.
D)2 variables are measured and there is only 1 group of participants.

Accepted Answer

In a correlational study, two variables are measured and there is only one group of participants. The researcher examines the relationship between the two variables without manipulating or controlling any variables.

Question 16

A researcher is curious about the average monthly cell phone bill for high school students in the state of Florida.If this average could be obtained,it would be an example of a ______.
A)sample
B)statistic
C)population
D)parameter

Accepted Answer

The average monthly cell phone bill for all high school students in the state of Florida represents a parameter, as it is a measure that describes the entire population of interest.

Question 17

For a research study comparing attitude scores for males and females,participant gender is an example of what kind of variable?
A)An independent variable
B)A dependent variable
C)A quasi-independent variable
D)A quasi-dependent variable

Accepted Answer

Participant gender is not something that can be randomly assigned or manipulated by the researcher, so it cannot be a true independent or dependent variable. Instead, it is considered a quasi-independent variable because it is already present within the participants and cannot be controlled.

Question 18

A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of American adolescents.Based on the set of 356 surveys that were completed and returned,the researcher finds that these students spend an average of 3.1 hours each day watching television.For this study,the set of 356 students who returned surveys is an example of a _______.
A)parameter
B)statistic
C)population
D)sample

Accepted Answer

The set of 356 students who returned surveys is a subset of the entire population of American adolescents, so it is a sample. A parameter refers to a descriptive measurement of the entire population, while a statistic is a descriptive measurement of a sample.

Question 19

A researcher conducts an experiment to determine whether moderate doses of St.Johns Wort have any effect of memory for college students.For this study,what is the independent variable?
A)The amount of St.Johns Wort given to each participant
B)The memory score for each participant
C)The group of college students
D)Cannot answer without more information

Accepted Answer

The independent variable is the variable that the researcher manipulates which in this case is the amount of St.Johns Wort given to each participant.

Question 20

A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of American adolescents.The goal of the research is to determine the average number of hours each day that American adolescents spend watching television.The researcher is trying to determine a number that is an example of a _____.
A)parameter
B)statistic
C)population
D)sample

Accepted Answer

A parameter is a numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a population. In this case, the researcher is trying to determine the average number of hours each day that American adolescents (the population) spend watching television, which is a parameter.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Statistics

A recent study reports that students who just finished playing a prosocial video game were more likely to help others than students who had played a neutral or antisocial game.For this study,what is the independent variable?

Which of the following is an example of a continuous variable?

In an experimental study,

A characteristic,usually a numerical value,which describes a sample is called a _______.

The relationship between a statistic and a parameter is the same as the relationship between ______.

For an experiment comparing two methods of teaching social skills training to autistic children,the independent variable is _ and the dependent variable is _.

Which of the following is an example of a discrete variable?

A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of American adolescents.The entire group of American adolescents is an example of a _________.

Although a research study is typically conducted with a relatively small group of participants known as a _,most researchers hope to generalize their results to a much larger group known as a _.

Organizing a set of scores in a table is an example of using _______.

If it is impossible to divide the existing categories of a variable,then it is an example of a _____ variable.

A researcher is interested in the eating behavior of rats and selects a group of 25 rats to be tested in a research study.The group of 25 rats is an example of a ______.

A researcher records the change in weight (gain or lost) during the first semester of college for each individual in a group of 25 freshmen and calculates the average change in weight.The average is an example of a _______.

In a correlational study,

A researcher is curious about the average monthly cell phone bill for high school students in the state of Florida.If this average could be obtained,it would be an example of a ______.

For a research study comparing attitude scores for males and females,participant gender is an example of what kind of variable?

A researcher conducts an experiment to determine whether moderate doses of St.Johns Wort have any effect of memory for college students.For this study,what is the independent variable?