Research Methods Exam 2 Practice Questions Chapters 6 & 7 review

Variables 1. Which type of variable is created by the experimenter and is not affected by anything else that happens in the experiment? A.dependent B.Independent C.extraneous D.social E.personality

Variables 2. Two measures used in the water maze are escape latency and the number of crosses through the former platform location on a probe test. What are the levels or scales of measurement A.Nominal, ordinal B.Ordinal, interval C.Interval, ratio D.Ratio, interval E.None of the above

Operational Definitions 3. An operational definition of a variable differs from a dictionary definition in what way(s)? A.provides procedures to follow to produce values of the variable B.tells how to produce different levels of the variable C.provides information on how to quantify the variable D.provides information on how to measure the variable E.All of the above

Reliability 4. Which of the following is not a type of reliability described in Ch. 7? A.Test-retest B.Inter-item C.Inter-rater D.Intra-rater E.Cross-cultural F.D and E

Reliability 5. Which of the following is a type of Inter- item reliability? A.Split-decision B.Split-pea C.Split-ends D.Cronback’s alpha E.Both C and D

Validity 6. Reliability is to validity as __________. A.Variability is to stability B.Independence is to dependence C.Consistency is to accuracy D.Dependability is to generalization E.Both C and D

Validity 7. Internal is to external validity as __________. A.Correlation is to causation B.Cause/effect is to generalization C.Generalization is to cause/effect D.Causation is to obliteration E.Both C and D

What kind of validity? 8. A test of anxiety (open field) is used to predict performance on another test of anxiety (elevated plus maze). A.face B.content C.concurrent D.predictive E.construct

What kind of validity? 9. The fact that rats have learned place information is confirmed by how long it takes them to escape onto the goal platform in the water maze. A.face B.content C.concurrent D.predictive E.construct

What kind of validity? 10. Two measures of anxiety that are very similar (plus and zero maze) are used simultaneously to determine _______ validity. A.face B.content C.concurrent D.predictive E.construct

What kind of validity? 11. Although the water maze place task is thought of as a good measure of ‘cognitive mapping’ it can be influenced by manipulations that affect sensorimotor function. A.face B.content C.concurrent D.predictive E.construct

Answers 1. B, Independent 2. D, Ratio, interval 3. E, all of the above 4. F, D and E 5. D, Cronbach’s alpha 6. C, Consistency is to accuracy 7. B, Cause/effect is to generalization 8. D, predictive 9. A, face and B, content 10. C, concurrent 11. D, construct and B, content

Threats to internal validity  History (one group tested together)  Maturation (boredom or fatigue)  Testing (previous administration of a test)  Instrumentation (feature of the measuring instrument changes)  Statistical regression (subjects assigned to conditions based on extreme scores)  Selection (no random assignment)  Subject mortality (subjects drop out)  Selection interactions (if subjects were not randomly assigned to groups a selection threat could interact with any of the others threats that may have affected one group but not others)

What type of threat? Richard B did not set up the HVS tracking system parameters properly such that the signal became weak or was lost whenever rats swam in the SE part of the maze. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions Instrumentation

What type of threat? Kaity K wanted to be thorough and included several measures of anxiety in her study that took subjects 3 hours to complete. Some subjects were so tired by the 3 rd hour that they began marking answers without reading the questions. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions Maturation

What type of threat? As Kaity K ignored the complaints of her subjects, stating that the testing session was too long, several subjects decided to ignore the rest of her study and left before testing was complete. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions Subject mortality

What type of threat? Because Barb’s study requires a certain level of lighting while subjects take a test, she decides to test all of her subjects in the high intensity light condition at the same time in the testing room. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions History

What type of threat? Joe B. waits outside the 7-11 and hands out flyers describing his experiment for research methods and asking for participants. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions Selection

What type of threat? In the selective breeding study to create maze bright and maze dull rats, only those that scored in the upper or lower 20% of a large group distribution of individuals tested on a maze task were bred over several generations. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions Statistical regression

What type of threat? In a drug study, the first 15 rats out of 30 total were scheduled to receive the experimental treatment because it wasn’t practical to change between compounds loaded in the infusion pump. History, Maturation,Testing, Statistical regression, Selection, Subject mortality, Selection interactions Selection interaction

12. ____________ statements are always true. A. Analytic A. Analytic B. Contradictory B. Contradictory C. Synthetic C. Synthetic D. All of the above D. All of the above Chapter 6

13. O’Keefe and Nadel’s theory of hippocampal function stimulated a lot of research. This shows their experimental work based on the theory was __________. A. DeductiveC. inductive B. FruitfulD. synthetic Chapter 6

14. Which of the following research methods does not typically include a hypothesis? A. case studyC. correlation B. experimentD. Ex post facto Chapter 6

15. __________ operational definitions explain the meaning of independent variables. A. Experimental A. Experimental B. Hypothetical C. Independent D. Measured Chapter 7

16. Having two individuals score the dependent measure provides ____________________. A. Interitem reliability B. Interrater reliability C. Interindividual reliability D. Interrater validity Chapter 7

17. Comparing two measures of anxiety at the same time would yield a measure of __________ validity. A. Construct B. Content C. Concurrent D. Predictive E. Face Chapter 7

Answers 12. A 13. B 14. A 15. A 16. B 17. C