133 CHAPTER 3 QUIZ

One question on a third-grade standardized test asks students to find a synonym for the word "yacht." Students from a lower-income area score lower than students from a higher-income area. Researchers conclude that the students in the lower-income area are less intelligent than students in the higher income. However, you identify that there is a validity issue; which is it?

Face

Jennifer, a school psychologist, is interested in measuring children's level of extraversion and introversion. She uses a survey with 10 different items that are designed to measure these traits. These multiple items are used to increase what type of reliability?

Interitem

Dr. Stephens is interested in studying the varying degrees of people's political views as the next presidential campaign begins. Which kind of scale would be the best choice for his study and why?

Interval, because there is no true zero in political orientations

Mark is interested in studying people's attitudes towards gun control for his senior thesis. He finds a scale with a reliability coefficient of .6. What is his adviser likely to say to him?

Keep looking, Mark. While .6 is close, it's not quite high enough to be considered reliable.

Milo is concerned that his scale measuring attitudes on the death penalty may have bias. Which of the following would be the appropriate means to determine if there is bias?

Look at the predictive validity of each group in question

It is a beautiful day outside, so Bernadette is eager to get to recess. As a result, she rushes through the standardized test her teacher gives her and winds up scoring lower on the test than she normally would. This situation is an example of which type of measurement error?

Situational

Dr. Sanders conducts a test measuring mathematical ability. One of his questions asks respondents to consider the volume of a cake pan. The men in his group score lower than the women, and he concludes that women perform better in math than men. This situation is an example of which one of the following?

Bias

Dr. Schmitz is interested in studying people's opinions on the European migrant crisis. How should he proceed in order to avoid introducing bias into his scale?

Collaborate with a diverse group of people

What is a key difference between construct and criterion-related validity?

Construct validity addresses hypothetical situations, while criterion-related validity addresses behavior.

Christina, a graduate student, measures people's levels of burnout. She remarks that people rated their levels on a 5-point Likert scale. Christina is referring to which meaning of scale?

Response format

What is the key difference between ratio and interval scales?

The ratio scale has a true zero point, while the interval scale does not.

A superintendent finds that performance on a third grade standardized test can predict the likelihood a student will graduate from high school. This test demonstrates ________ validity.

criterion-related

Religious preference (Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, etc.) is measured on a(n) ________ scale.

nominal

The number of times that a rat presses a bar is a(n) ________ measure.

observational

Which scale of measurement do researchers prefer to use when possible?

ratio