Susan A. Nolan and Thomas E. Heinzen
Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences
Second Edition
Chapter 1:
An Introduction to Statistics and Research Design
iClicker Questions
Copyright © 2012 by Worth Publishers
Chapter 1
1. A statistics instructor is interested in determining the
average SAT score of students in her class. The
instructor finds that, on average, students in her statistics
class scored a 540 on their SATs. Is this statement an
example of a descriptive or an inferential statistic?
a) inferential
b) descriptive
c) both inferential and descriptive
d) none of these
Chapter 1
(Answer)
1. A statistics instructor is interested in determining the
average SAT score of students in her class. The
instructor finds that, on average, students in her statistics
class scored a 540 on their SATs. Is this statement an
example of a descriptive or an inferential statistic?
a) inferential
b) descriptive
c) both inferential and descriptive
d) none of these
Chapter 1
2. Professor Green is interested in determining the average
SAT score for the entire population of individuals who
took the SAT. She wants to know how her class
compares to the population of students who took the
SAT. She finds that the average SAT score for the
population is 500. Is this statement an example of a
descriptive or an inferential statistic?
a) inferential
b) descriptive
c) both inferential and descriptive
d) none of the above
Chapter 1
(Answer)
2. Professor Green is interested in determining the average
SAT score for the entire population of individuals who
took the SAT. She wants to know how her class
compares to the population of students who took the
SAT. She finds that the average SAT score for the
population is 500. Is this statement an example of a
descriptive or an inferential statistic?
a) inferential
b) descriptive
c) both inferential and descriptive
d) none of the above
Chapter 1
3. You are scheduled to visit your physician for a routine
check-up. Your doctor performs a routine medical exam
which includes measuring your height and weight in
addition to your blood pressure and temperature.
Indicate the scale of measurement for height.
a) nominal
b) ordinal
c) ratio
d) interval
Chapter 1
(Answer)
3. You are scheduled to visit your physician for a routine
check-up. Your doctor performs a routine medical exam
which includes measuring your height and weight in
addition to your blood pressure and temperature.
Indicate the scale of measurement for height.
a) nominal
b) ordinal
c) ratio
d) interval
Chapter 1
4. Indicate the scale of measurement for temperature.
a) nominal
b) ordinal
c) ratio
d) interval
Chapter 1
(Answer)
4. Indicate the scale of measurement for temperature.
a) nominal
b) ordinal
c) ratio
d) interval
Chapter 1
5. A sports psychologist developed a program to improve a team’s
playing ability. The sports psychologist measured each student’s
playing ability before and after his program to determine whether
students would play better. He found that, after his program,
students played significantly better. However, many students later
reported that they had also begun consuming more fruits within the
same time frame to help them play better. In this example, what is
the independent variable?
a) the program developed by the sports psychologist
b) playing ability
c) consuming more fruits
d) the sports psychologist
Chapter 1
(Answer)
5. A sports psychologist developed a program to improve a team’s
playing ability. The sports psychologist measured each student’s
playing ability before and after his program to determine whether
students would play better. He found that, after his program,
students played significantly better. However, many students later
reported that they had also begun consuming more fruits within the
same time frame to help them play better. In this example, what is
the independent variable?
a) the program developed by the sports psychologist
b) playing ability
c) consuming more fruits
d) the sports psychologist
Chapter 1
6. What is the dependent variable?
a) the sports psychologist
b) consuming more fruits
c) playing ability
d) program developed by the sports psychologist
Chapter 1
(Answer)
6. What is the dependent variable?
a) the sports psychologist
b) consuming more fruits
c) playing ability
d) program developed by the sports psychologist
Chapter 1
7. What is the confounding variable?
a) the sports psychologist
b) consuming more fruits
c) playing ability
d) program developed by the sports psychologist
Chapter 1
(Answer)
7. What is the confounding variable?
a) the sports psychologist
b) consuming more fruits
c) playing ability
d) program developed by the sports psychologist
Chapter 1
8. Dr. Marbles decides to adopt an unconventional (and rather
inappropriate) way of assigning grades to students in his
Introductory Psychology class. Three times throughout the
semester, he has his students line-up from tallest to shortest. He
then assigns ‘A’s to the fifth of the class that is shortest, ‘B’s to the
next fifth of shortest students and so on (so that the fifth of the class
that is tallest receives ‘F’s). At the end of the semester, Dr. Marbles
averages across these grades to determine a final grade. While Dr.
Marbles grading methods may see problematic, which of these
statements is true about the student’s exam grades?
a) His exam grades are valid but lack reliability.
b) His exam grades are reliable but lack validity.
c) His exam grades are neither reliable nor valid.
d) His exam grades are both reliable and valid.
Chapter 1
(Answer)
8. Dr. Marbles decides to adopt an unconventional (and rather
inappropriate) way of assigning grades to students in his
Introductory Psychology class. Three times throughout the
semester, he has his students line-up from tallest to shortest. He
then assigns ‘A’s to the fifth of the class that is shortest, ‘B’s to the
next fifth of shortest students and so on (so that the fifth of the class
that is tallest receives ‘F’s). At the end of the semester, Dr. Marbles
averages across these grades to determine a final grade. While Dr.
Marbles grading methods may see problematic, which of these
statements is true about the student’s exam grades?
a) His exam grades are valid but lack reliability.
b) His exam grades are reliable but lack validity.
c) His exam grades are neither reliable nor valid.
d) His exam grades are both reliable and valid.
Chapter 1
9. Which statement addresses why random assignment of
participants to conditions is necessary for an
experiment?
a) It puts all of the confounding variables in one group.
b) It makes the independent variable equal to the
dependent variable.
c) Every participant in the study has an equal chance of
being assigned to any condition.
d) It allows the participants to choose which
experimental condition of the study to partake in.
Chapter 1
(Answer)
9. Which statement addresses why random assignment of
participants to conditions is necessary for an experiment?
a) It puts all of the confounding variables in one group.
b) It makes the independent variable equal to the
dependent variable.
c) Every participant in the study has an equal
chance of being assigned to any condition.
d) It allows the participants to choose which
experimental condition of the study to partake in.
Chapter 1
10. Jamie is randomly assigned to participate in the
experimental condition and Marie is randomly assigned
to participate in the control condition of a research study.
The research study must be:
a) a between-groups research design.
b) a within-groups research design.
c) a correlational research design.
d) a confounded research design.
Chapter 1
(Answer)
10. Jamie is randomly assigned to participate in the
experimental condition and Marie is randomly assigned
to participate in the control condition of a research study.
The research study must be:
a) a between-groups research design.
b) a within-groups research design.
c) a correlational research design.
d) a confounded research design.
Chapter 1
11. Professor Vasquez has seven students in her statistics
class. On Exam 1 the students received the following
seven grades: 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 83, and 100. Gina is
the student who received the grade of 100. Gina’s
score would be considered:
a) the mean
b) a nominal variable
c) an inferential statistic
d) an outlier
Chapter 1
(Answer)
11. Professor Vasquez has seven students in her statistics
class. On Exam 1 the students received the following
seven grades: 74, 75, 77, 80, 81, 83, and 100. Gina is
the student who received the grade of 100. Gina’s
score would be considered:
a) the mean
b) a nominal variable
c) an inferential statistic
d) an outlier