stats exam chapter 1

Researchers rarely have access to entire populations. How do researchers resolve this limitation? They do not need to resolve this; it is not a limitation at all. They record data from an entire population of people to make inferences concerning characteristics in a sample. They record data from as many persons in a population as possible to draw conclusions concerning only those individuals. They record data from a sample of people in the larger population in order to make inferences concerning characteristics in that larger population.

They record date from a sample of people in the larger population in order to make inferences concerning characteristics in that larger population

Suppose that a researcher is interested in a group of 10 million people who paid to see a movie playing in theaters. In this example, the 10 million moviegoers would be regarded as a sample of moviegoers who paid to see the movie in a theater a population of moviegoers who paid to see the movie in a theater an independent variable a dependent variable

a population of moviegoers who paid to see the movie in a theater

Descriptive statistics are procedures used to summarize a set of scores or observations organize a set of scores or observations make sense of a set of scores or observations all of the above

all of the above

A population can be ____ group of interest to a researcher. any only one only a small only a large

any

Qualitative data varies by ________; quantitative data varies by ________. level; value value; level amount; class class; amount

class, amount

The procedure of converting a categorical variable to numeric values, is called: deteriorating piloting coding constructing

coding

________ are measured along a continuum at any place beyond the decimal point. continuous data discrete data qualitative data open-ended data

continuous data

________ is the variable that is believed to change in the presence of the independent variable. independent variable quasi-independent variable dependent variable

dependent variable

The use of tables and graphs to summarize data is an example of inferential statistics interpretation descriptive statistics generalization

descriptive stats

A health practitioner measures the heart rate (in beats per minute) of patients under low, moderate, and high stress levels. Heart rate can be best described as continuous data discrete data a qualitative variable the independent variable

discrete data

Recording the number of dreams recalled is an example of ________ data; whereas recording the time (in minutes) spent in a dream stage of sleep is an example of ________ data. qualitative; quantitative continuous; discrete quantitative; qualitative discrete; continuous

discrete, continous

Each of the following are interval scale measurements, except duration of sleep (in hours) marital satisfaction ratings on a 5-point rating scale the latitude and longitude of birth for those suffering from schizophrenia the body temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) increase during exercise

duration of sleep (in hours)

Statistical analysis allows researchers to collect data claim that an observation is scientific evaluate scientific observations study physical phenomena but not behavior

evaluate scientific observations

A researcher tests whether the dosage level of some drug (low, high) causes significant differences in health. To do this, the researcher randomly assigns rat subjects to receive a low or high dosage of the drug and records health-related measures in both groups. The type of method described is experimental quasi-experimental correlation operational

experimental

Which of the following research designs is used to determine the causes of behavior that help to explain why the behavior occurs? correlational experimental quasi-experimental all of the above

experimental

Three research methods common to research in the behavioral sciences are experimental, transferable, and correlation experimental, variable, and correlational experimental, operational, and quasi-correlational experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational

experimental, quasi-experimental, and correlational

A therapist observes that spouses are more likely to forgive their partners for lying to them if they find out the truth from their spouse and not a third party. In this example, the dependent variable is the number of partners the spouse lying forgiveness

forgiveness

Interval scales of measurement have equidistant scales have a true zero both a and b

have equidistant scales

Procedures that allow researchers to infer or generalize observations made with samples to the larger population from which they were selected best describes inferential statistics sample statistics descriptive statistics population parameters

inferential stats

An animal researcher measures the number of times a rat presses a lever located at the right, center, and left of a cage for a food reward. What scale of measurement is the location of lever pressing? nominal ordinal interval ratio

nominal

An education counselor records the number of high school graduates enrolled in community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. What scale of measurement is the type of college? nominal ordinal interval ratio

nominal

State the four scales of measurement in order from least informative to most informative. ordinal, nominal, interval, ratio nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio nominal, ordinal, ratio, interval ordinal, nominal, ratio, interval

nominal,ordinal, interval, ratio

Which of the following terms are least likely to be used to describe qualitative data? nominal descriptive categorical numeric

numeric

A consultant ranks the five most needed areas of improvement for a local business. What scale of measurement are the rankings? nominal ordinal interval ratio

ordinal

A movie critic rates a movie on a scale from one (lowest) to four (highest) stars. What scale of measurement are the ratings? nominal ordinal interval ratio

ordinal

Each of the following is an example of quantitative data, except weight in ounces income in dollars political affiliation age in years

political affiliation

Recording whom students study with describes ________ types of data; whereas recording the number of hours spent studying per week describes ________ types of data. qualitative; quantitative continuous; discrete quantitative; qualitative discrete; continuous

qualitative; quantitative

________ data describe numeric aspects of phenomena; whereas ________ data describe nonnumeric aspects of data. quantitative; qualitative qualitative; quantitative continuous; discrete discrete; continuous

quantitative, qualitative

Three key elements of control that allow researchers to draw cause-and-effect conclusions are randomization, manipulation, and variation assignment, manipulation, and comparison/control randomization, manipulation, and comparison/control randomization, condition, and comparison/control

randomization, manipulation, and comparison/control

A researcher compares the amount of college debt (in dollars) that undergraduate students incur up to their four-year degree. College debt is on what scale of measurement? nominal ordinal interval ratio

ratio

Researcher A measures academic preparedness as the percent correct responses on an entrance exam; Researcher B measures academic preparedness as the current class rank of students. Which researcher measured academic preparedness as discrete data? Researcher A Researcher B both researchers no researchers

researcher B

Researchers measure data in a ________ to learn more about individuals in the larger _______ of interest. sample; population statistic; inference population; sample inference; statistic

sample population

A characteristic (usually numeric) that describes a sample is called a sample sample statistic population population parameter

sample stat

________ refer(s) to how the properties of numbers can change with different uses. measurability operational definition scales of measurement coding

scales of measurement

Which of the following best describes an independent variable? the sample variable the measured behavior the manipulated variable the population variable

the manipulated variable

Which of the following best describes a dependent variable? the sample variable the measured behavior the manipulated variable the population variable

the measured behavior

You are interested in measuring the construct, work expertise. Which of the following measures for this construct is quantitative and discrete? the total time in hours spent working at a company the job title a person holds in a company the percent of correct responses on a work expertise survey the number of employees that work under an employee

the number of employees that work under an employee

Which of the following measures of attraction is an example of a ratio scale measurement? a rating of attraction from most attractive to least attractive a 6-point rating scale from 1 (attractive) to 6 (unattractive) the status of the relationship (acquaintance, dating, married) the physical proximity (in feet and inches) between two romantic partners

the physical proximity (in feet and inches) between two romantic partners

You are interested in measuring the construct, reinforcement. Which of the following measures for this construct is quantitative and continuous? the number of rewards received the type of reward (food, money) the size of a reward in grams the rating of a reward on a scale from 1 (not reinforcing) to 7 (very reinforcing)

the size of a reward in grams

A researcher identifies college students as a group of interest to test her hypothesis. She then identifies a few local college students and selects a small group of the local college students to be observed. In this example, the sample is: not clearly identified all college students the few local college students the small group of college students who here observed

the small group of college students who were observed