PSY450 Practice Test #3
NOTE: Test 3 is scheduled for THURSDAY DECEMBER 12 @ 9:40AM.
1.
Jade says, "I am studying individual differences." In other words, she is studying
a. participant variables.
b. extraneous variables.
c. selection criteria.
d. population characteristics.
2.
Psychological researchers often use college students as participants because
a. they follow experimental directions well.
b. they are readily available.
c. the use of college students makes it possible to obtain a truly random sample.
d. findings about their complex behaviors almost always generalize well to the broader population.
3.
We increase power in a research design when we have
a. large differences within conditions.
b. extraneous variables between conditions.
c. small differences within conditions.
d. large error variance.
4.
Which of the following is a potential problem with using a matched groups design?
a. Experimental realism is decreased.
b. Error variance is decreased.
c. In every condition, participants have similar scores on the variable controlled.
d. Several individuals may need to be pre-tested, potentially limiting the sample size available.
5.
Jade's participants take part in every condition of her study. That way, each participant serves as his or her
own "control." Such a research technique is called
a. a within-subjects design.
b. a matched-pairs design.
c. a between-subjects design.
d. counterbalancing.
6.
Partial counterbalancing controls _________ effects. Complete counterbalancing controls _________ effects.
a. history; both history and practice
b. practice; both practice and carryover
c. history; practice
d. carryover; practice
7.
In a two-way ANOVA, a cell represents
a. one level of the A independent variable.
b. one level of the A independent variable and one level of the B independent variable.
c. one level of the dependent variable.
d. all the participants in the experiment.
8.
How many total conditions would you have in a 4 X 3 factorial design?
a. 3
b. 12
c. 4
d. 7
9.
Fletch conducts a two-factor experiment. He graphs his results and observes that the lines are not parallel.
This observation is confirmed when he carries out his statistical test. The pattern of results shows a(n)
a. main effect of both factors.
b. statistical aberration.
c. interaction.
d. main effect of one factor.
10.
Imagine that you have a study with three independent variables (labeled Variable A, Variable B, and Variable
C). The A X B, A X C, and B X C terms are called __________ and the A X B X C term is called _________.
a. three-way interactions; a one-way interaction
b. one-way interactions; a two-way interaction
c. two-way interactions; a four-way interaction
d. two-way interactions; a three-way interaction
11.
The proportion of variance accounted for
a. indicates the amount of improvement in predicting scores that results from using a relationship compared
with using the overall means of the scores.
b. tells us how closely the independent and dependent variables are related.
c. tells us how much the actual scores differ from the total mean of the scores.
d. shows which comparisons are confounded and which are unconfounded.
12.
When your dependent variable is nominal, what kind of effect size statistic should you use?
a. Eta squared or omega squared
b. MANOVA
c. Point-biserial correlation
d. Phi coefficient or contingency coefficient
13.
Which of the following is not an advantage of a field experiment over a laboratory experiment?
a. Greater experimental realism is possible
b. A wider variety of participants is available
c. Greater generalizability is likely
d. Ethical problems are reduced
14.
Fletch was studying the wives of transvestites. Because this population was not easily identifiable, he found
one potential participant; from her he got the names of other participants, and from the new participants he
got new names and addresses, and so forth. This participant selection technique is called
a. stratified random sampling.
b. snowball sampling.
c. quota sampling.
d. simple random sampling.
15.
In an ABA reversal design, the "B" is a symbol for
a. return to baseline.
b. the baseline period.
c. the interaction between the two independent variables.
d. the treatment.
16.
Fletch is a bully at school, and you want to implement a treatment to try to reduce such behavior. You decide
to establish a baseline by counting how often he hits other kids, extorts money from other kids, and says
nasty things. You then apply the treatment (verbal feedback) at one-week intervals, first to hitting, second to
extortion, third to Fletch's nasty speech. This technique is called
a. an ABAB reversal design.
b. multiple baselines across participants.
c. multiple baselines across behaviors.
d. multiple baselines across situations.
17.
A correlational design differs from a quasi-experimental design in that a
a. quasi-experimental design has more control of extraneous variables than a correlational design.
b. correlational design is almost always done in the field and a quasi-experimental design is almost always
done in the laboratory.
c. correlational design uses fewer levels of the predictor variable than a quasi-experimental design.
d. quasi-experimental design uses participant variables and a correlational design does not.
18.
Jade studies the frequency of automobile fatalities in New York State before and after the passage of a law
requiring the usage of seatbelts. This type of design is known as a
a. time-series design.
b. field survey.
c. longitudinal design.
d. program evaluation study.
19.
In a magazine article, the most recent approval rating of the president is reported. The percentage of citizens
who favor the president, despite his recent involvement in a scandal, is 68% with a margin of error of + 4%.
This means
a. that the actual percentage of people in the entire population who approve of the president is probably
between 64% and 72%.
b. that 4% of our sample made errors in responding to the poll.
c. nothing; the high margin of error reduces our ability to generalize the poll's findings to the rest of the
population.
d. that 4% of the variance of our participants' responses is accounted for.
20.
Fletch is investigating children's rough-and-tumble play in an observational study. He decides to break the
observation period into equal-length intervals and then determine whether the behavior occurred during each
interval. This technique is known as
a. time sampling.
b. content analysis.
c. program evaluation.
d. an interrupted time-series.
Short Answer
1.
Discuss the pros and cons of random assignment in a between-subjects design.
2.
Two groups of infants (premature and normal-length gestation) were gently massaged on their backs and legs
three times a day for 15 minutes each day. They were compared with two control groups of infants
(premature and normal-length gestation) who received no massage. The researchers measured the weight
gain of the infants (in grams). The mean weight gain for the premature, massaged babies was 500 g; for the
premature, unmassaged babies, 200 g; for the normal, massaged babies, 550 g; and for the normal,
unmassaged babies, 450 g. (a) Graph these results, labeling the axes and providing a legend. (b) Is an
interaction apparent?
3.
You want to study the effects of interviewers' moods on the likelihood of hiring job applicants. Discuss the
pros and cons of conducting a field study versus a laboratory study of this topic.
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Pros of random assignment:
It controls for individual differences.
The experimenter does not need to know the participant variables that are being controlled.
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Cons of random assignment:
It does not guarantee balance of participant variables within each condition.
It does not work well with small samples.
Random assignment may produce large error variance within conditions.
a. Either of these two graphs would be correct:
3. Controlled laboratory studies offer the greatest internal validity, which allows greater confidence
independent variable caused changes in the dependent variable. However, laboratory studies are
low in external validity. Fake interviews and fake decisions may not be very representative of
what happens in real job settings. A field study offers higher external and ecological validity (e.g.,
a "real-life" setting, higher experimental realism) but often at the cost of reduced control and lower
internal validity. It would be difficult if not impossible to control a host of extraneous variables,
such as the quality of the people being interviewed, the time of day, individual differences in
interviewers, and so forth.