Question 1

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 would be the fact that the sample is not representative of American wives. Without a representative sample, the results cannot be generalized to the population as a whole. Additionally, the sample may be biased towards women who are more likely to read a magazine about sex, leading to further generalizability issues.

Question 2

Julie noticed that the number of hours she sleeps each night is related to the scores she receives on quizzes the next day.As her sleep approaches 8 hours,her quiz scores improve;as her sleep drops to 5 hours,her quiz scores show a similar decline.Julie realizes that

Accepted Answer

There is a positive correlation between the number of hours Julie sleeps and her quiz grades, as her scores improve with more sleep and decline with less sleep. However, it is not necessarily true that sleeping more than 8 hours or 10 hours will guarantee perfect quiz grades, and it is not clear whether sleep deprivation is the sole cause of low quiz scores.

Question 3

If a test measures what it is supposed to measure it is

Accepted Answer

If a test measures what it is supposed to measure, it is considered valid. Reliability refers to the consistency of test results over time, criterion referenced means the test is designed to measure specific skills or knowledge, and standardized refers to the process of administering and scoring the test in a consistent and uniform way. However, only validity directly addresses if the test is measuring what it is intended to measure.

Question 4

A statistical measure of the relationship between two variables is the definition of

Accepted Answer

Correlation is a statistical measure of the relationship between two variables. It ranges from -1 to 1, with -1 indicating a perfect negative correlation (as one variable increases, the other decreases), 0 indicating no correlation, and 1 indicating a perfect positive correlation (as one variable increases, the other also increases).

Question 5

Which of the following correlations is the strongest?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following correlations is the...

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

When respondents are guaranteed anonymity, they are more likely to feel comfortable and safe to answer truthfully even on a touchy topic, as they are not subject to social desirability bias or fear of negative consequences. This allows for more honest and accurate data collection. Payment, explanation, or a compassionate interviewer may help increase response rates but may not necessarily reduce lying about touchy topics.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Reliability means that a test produces consistent results from one time to the next. This is critical for ensuring that any conclusions drawn from the test are accurate and repeatable. While measuring what it is designed to measure (A), comparing results against established standards (B), and predicting other criteria (D) are all important aspects of a useful test, they do not necessarily ensure reliability.

Question 8

Because the people who are willing to take part in a survey may differ from those who decline to take part,the findings of the survey may not generalize to the entire population.This phenomenon is called

Accepted Answer

Volunteer bias occurs when the people who are willing to participate in a survey are different from those who decline to participate, leading to biased results that may not be representative of the entire population. Therefore, option A is the correct answer. Option B (volunteer advantage), C (biased response), and D (unfair response) do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

Question 9

Two sets of observations assessing men's educational level and their annual income are compared.Which of the following is the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

It is likely that the two variables, education level and annual income, will be positively correlated. Typically, those with higher levels of education earn higher salaries. However, there may be some outliers who have lower salaries despite high education or vice versa, leading to some variability in the data.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The statement "the resulting score is compared to norms" indicates that the test results are compared to established standards of performance or norms which makes choice B the correct answer. Option A refers to validity, Option C refers to reliability, and Option D refers to predictive validity.

Question 11

The coefficient of correlation conveys

Accepted Answer

The coefficient of correlation conveys the size and direction of a relationship between two variables. It does not determine causality or the unintended changes in a subject's behavior, nor does it have anything to do with the principle of falsifiability.

Question 12

A negative correlation means that

Accepted Answer

A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. Therefore, high values of one variable would be associated with low values of the other variable.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the coefficient of correlation is true?

Accepted Answer

Correlations close to +1.0 or -1.0 indicate a strong relationship between variables, whereas correlations close to 0 indicate a weak or non-existent relationship. Neither positive nor negative correlations are inherently more meaningful or strong than the other, and correlation does not prove causation.

Question 14

Problems with surveys may include all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Surveys can be scientific when designed and conducted properly. Therefore, it is not a problem with surveys. Volunteer bias, lack of representative samples, and lack of honesty of participants are all common problems with surveys.

Question 15

Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be uncorrelated?

Accepted Answer

There is no known correlation between shoe size and IQ scores, making it a likely pair of uncorrelated variables. The other options may have some potential correlation, such as lower income being associated with a higher incidence of dental disease or older cars having a lower price. Hours spent watching TV may also be negatively correlated with grade point average.

Question 16

Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be negatively correlated?

Accepted Answer

When the number of known collectibles increases, the rarity decreases, often leading to a decrease in value, indicating a negative correlation.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good test?

Accepted Answer

Believability is not a characteristic of a good test. The four key characteristics of a good test are standardization, reliability, validity, and practicality. Believability is not commonly used as a criterion for evaluating tests.

Question 18

Which descriptive method would be most appropriate for studying attitudes toward stem cell research?

Accepted Answer

A survey would be the most appropriate method for studying attitudes toward stem cell research because it allows researchers to gather information from a large and diverse group of people, providing a broad understanding of attitudes on the topic. Surveys are also efficient and can be completed anonymously, increasing the likelihood that people will be willing to share their honest opinions.

Question 19

Which of the following pairs of variables are likely to be positively correlated?

Accepted Answer

Higher speed at the time of an accident typically results in more damage to the car, indicating a positive correlation.

Question 20

When Haylee takes a personality test,the researcher gives her detailed instructions and plenty of time to complete it.But Tyler takes the same test and is given only vague instructions and a limited amount of time.This procedural difference shows a problem in regard to

Accepted Answer

The procedural difference between Haylee and Tyler in taking the personality test shows a lack of standardization, which is the process of ensuring that all individuals are given the same instructions and amount of time to complete a test. This lack of standardization can affect the reliability and validity of the test results. Validity refers to the accuracy of a test in measuring what it is intended to measure, and reliability refers to the consistency of the test results over time and across different individuals. However, the specific issue in this scenario is related to standardization. Norms refer to the established standards or average scores on a test within a specific population and are not relevant to the scenario.

Quiz 1: What Is Psychology