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Methods Test

The document contains questions about research methods and data analysis. It provides scenarios and asks test-takers to identify key aspects of experiments like independent and dependent variables, types of variables, and statistical concepts. It also asks them to interpret data distributions and correlation coefficients.

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ruthramurlikrishna602
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49 views

Methods Test

The document contains questions about research methods and data analysis. It provides scenarios and asks test-takers to identify key aspects of experiments like independent and dependent variables, types of variables, and statistical concepts. It also asks them to interpret data distributions and correlation coefficients.

Uploaded by

ruthramurlikrishna602
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Which of the following best illustrates the use of an operational

definition?

1. (A) “Students listening to music during class will have lower grade
point averages than students who do not listen to music during
class.”

2. (B) “Alcohol affects judgment.”

3. (C) “Happiness in college students is negatively impacted by the

number of classes taken during a semester.”

4. (D) “Adults are more likely to experience empty nest syndrome


later

in life.”

5. (E) “Twelve-year-old children who watch violence on television


will

demonstrate less aggressive behavior if the characters are cartoons.”

32 A correlation coefficient of +.70 indicates that

1. (A) there is an inverse relationship between the two variables.

2. (B) there is a very weak relationship between the two variables.

3. (C) the finding is statistically significant.

4. (D) as one variable increases, another variable increases.

5. (E) the data are normally distributed.

Which of the following correlation coefficients reflects the weakest


relationship between two variables?

(A) -1.00
(B) +.20

(C) −.50

(D) +.75
(E) −.80

A researcher is interested in the relationship between age and height


in children from infancy to 18 years old. What type of correlation
would you predict would be found between these variables?

(A) Negative (B) Perfect (C) Positive (D) Illusory (E) Significant

Use the following scenario to answer questions 42–44.

Researchers believe that an over-the-counter supplement may be useful in


reducing memory impairment in older adults. They randomly assign 40
adults between the ages of 50 and 90 years who had mild memory
impairments to receive either a placebo or 90 milligrams of the supplement
twice daily for 18 months. At six-month intervals, researchers conduct
various memory tests.

42. What type of research method is used to study the impact of the
supplement on memory ability?

1. (A) Survey
2. (B) Case study
3. (C) Naturalistic observation
4. (D) Correlation
5. (E) Experimentation

43. In the study described above, which of the following is the


independent variable?

1. (A) The supplement


2. (B) The results of the memory tests

(C) Adults between the ages of 50 and 90

4. (D) The group that receives the placebo


5. (E) The time periods between administration of the tests

44. Why is it important that the individuals participating in the study


are randomly assigned to either the group that receives the
supplement or to the group that receives the placebo?
1. (A) This increases the likelihood that the two groups are the same so
that any differences between the two groups are due to the
manipulation.
2. (B) Without random assignment, data collection could be
inconsistent and the results could be inaccurate.
3. (C) Keeping the researchers blind helps prevent their own
expectations from influencing the results of the study.
4. (D) This method helps participants make a knowledgeable decision
about whether or not they want to be a part of the study.
5. (E) If the study can be repeated, the researchers will have more
confidence in the results.

45. Researchers were interested in whether drinking from a colored


cup influenced perception of the sweetness of hot chocolate.
Participants were divided into groups that received hot chocolate in
either an orange-colored cup or a white cup. Researchers found that
those who received colored cups found

the hot chocolate to be sweeter. Those drinking hot chocolate from the
orange cups

1. (A) were participants in the control group.


2. (B) were receiving the dependent variable.
3. (C) were subjects in the experimental group.
4. (D) were randomly sampled into this group.
5. (E) were members of a placebo group.

46. In an experiment, investigators randomly assigned subjects to one


of two groups. In the first group, subjects attended an event and used
media to record it. In the second group, subjects attended the same
event but did not use media to record it. Subjects were then asked to
recall the event. Researchers found that the group not using media
remembered the event more accurately. What was in the independent
variable in this experiment?

1. (A) Use of media


2. (B) Recall accuracy of the experience
3. (C) Number of subjects
4. (D) Type of personal experience
5. (E) Enjoyment of the experience
47. Researchers were interested in the impact of age on memory
recall. Thirty 25-year-olds and 75-year-olds were asked to

rehearse a list of 15 unrelated nouns 20 times. Participants were then


tested on their recall of the list. What is the dependent variable in this
experiment?

1. (A) The number of participants


2. (B) The list of 15 unrelated nouns
3. (C) The number of words recalled
4. (D) The number of rehearsals of the list
5. (E) The ages of the participants

48. A researcher found that the closer students sat to the front of the
classroom, the higher their final grades in the course. This finding
reflects a(n)

1. (A) inverse relationship.


2. (B) statistically significant result.
3. (C) positive correlation.
4. (D) negative skew.
5. (E) placebo effect.

Use the following scenario to answer questions 49 and 50.

In a study investigating stereotyping, African American students, who


were aware of a negative stereotype regarding their academic
performance, were randomly assigned into one of two groups. Those in
Group A were exposed to an encouraging message from an African
American role model. Students

in Group B were not exposed to such a message. Members of both groups


completed a test comprised of items from the SAT exam. Researchers
found that those exposed to the positive message earned higher test scores.
At the conclusion of the study, students’ names and their corresponding
test scores were sent to all participants.

49. Why can researchers conclude there is a cause-and-effect


relationship between the independent and dependent variables in the
study described in the scenario?
1. (A) The descriptive research methods used allowed researchers to
maintain control of potential confounding variables.
2. (B) The subjects were randomly assigned to either an experimental
or a control group.
3. (C) Researchers found a positive correlation between hearing a
positive message and test scores.
4. (D) Researchers found that students in Group A had higher test
scores than those in Group B.
5. (E) Researchers operationally defined the dependent variable.

50. In the study described in the scenario, how did researchers violate
the current ethical guidelines regarding research participation?

(A) Subjects were deceived and should have been debriefed at the
conclusion of the study.

2. (B) Researchers’ values might affect their observations and


interpretation of the results.
3. (C) It wasn’t fair that only members of one group received the
encouraging message.
4. (D) Researchers should have kept participants’ names and test
scores confidential.
5. (E) SAT exams lack reliability and should not have been used to
measure academic performance.

51. A preschool teacher measured the amount of time students


engaged in positive social play. The following is the distribution of
scores: 5, 10, 10, 10, 15, 25, 25, 30. What was the mean amount of time
students engaged in positive social play?

1. (A) 10 minutes
2. (B) 12.5 minutes
3. (C) 15 minutes
4. (D) 16.25 minutes
5. (E) 25 minutes

52. Six babies were born on the same evening in a local hospital. The
following is the distribution of their birth weights (in grams): 3,866;
3,838; 3,837; 3,783; 3,746; 3,500; 1,745. What statistical measure
would give the most accurate information about the variation in the
data?
1. (A) Mode
2. (B) Mean
3. (C) Standard deviation
4. (D) Correlation coefficient
5. (E) p value

53. A high school teacher collected the final test scores of students in
her Honors United States History course. She found that the scores
were normally distributed with a mean of 70 and a standard deviation
of 10. What percentage of her students passed the exam with a score
of 60 and above?

(A) 34% (B) 68% (C) 84% (D) 95% (E) 99.7%

54. Researchers investigated whether students who distributed their


study time earned higher grades on their final exams. Students were
randomly assigned to two conditions. Group A ( ) studied a list of
vocabulary words 15 minutes a night for 10 days. Group B ( )
studied the same list of words for 2.5 hours the night before the exam.
Researchers found that in Group A, the mean test score was 80. In
Group B, the mean test score was 70. Researchers determined that the
results were

statistically significant. What does statistical significance mean in the


context of this study?

1. (A) The p value is < .05.


2. (B) The difference between groups is due to the manipulation of the

independent variable.

3. (C) The results are important.


4. (D) The differences between the groups are not likely to have

occurred by chance.

5. (E) There is a strong positive correlation between distributed


practice

and ability to recall information.


20. Based on the data presented in the chart, which of the following best
describes the relationship between the number of classes missed during a
semester and grade point average?

(A) Positive (B) Perfect (C) Negative (D) Random (E) Significant

21. Which of the following newspaper headlines would be most appropriate in


reporting the findings of this study?

1. (A) “Missing Classes in High School Causes Bad Grades”

2. (B) “Increased School Absences Benefit High School Students!”

3. (C) “School Absenteeism Decreases High School Grade Point Averages”

4. (D) “More Absences from School Linked to Poor Grades”

5. (E) “Researchers Find No Link Between High School Attendance and Grades”

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