If a sample is selected from a population, the sample mean is essentially guaranteed to be different from the population mean. In general, the naturally occurring difference between a sample statistic and the corresponding population parameter is called what?
type I error
type II error
sampling error
inferential error
When an observer switches recording from one behavior during one interval to another behavior during another interval, it is known as ____ sampling.
time
individual
event
frequency
What outcome is likely to occur for a hypothesis test evaluating a treatment that has a very large and robust effect?
Type I error
a Type II error
correctly rejecting the null hypothesis
correctly failing to reject the null hypothesis
A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the study habits of American college students. Based on the set of 56 surveys that were completed and returned, the researcher finds that these students spend an average of 4.1 hours each week working on course material outside of class. For this study, the average of 4.1 hours is an example of a(n) ____.
parameter
statistic
population
sample
The idiographic approach to research involves ____.
direct observation of individuals without their knowledge
interviewing people in a small group setting
the intensive study of one individual
the study of groups
What is the purpose for using habituation in an observational research study?
It helps ensure the objectivity of the measurements.
It helps ensure the reliability of the measurements.
It provides an operational definition for the variables being measured.
It helps ensure that the people being observed are not influenced by the presence of an observer.
Content analysis involves using behavioral observation techniques to record behaviors that ____.
occurred in the past
occur in institutional settings such as hospitals or prisons
occur in response to the researcher's suggestion
occur in movies or television shows
One category of data is obtained by measuring one variable for each individual in a single group of participants. What statistics are most commonly used for data in this category?.
descriptive statistics
t tests or analysis of variance
correlations or chi-square tests
analysis of variance or chi-square tests
In the observational study of adolescents at the mall, you count the number of social interaction behaviors that occur within a one-hour observation period. This is an example of the ____ method of quantifying behavior.
duration
interval
behavior counting
Which statistic was developed to correct problems with inter-rater reliability?
Cohen's kappa
Cronbach's alpha
Kuder-Richardson formula 20
Spearman-Brown formula
If the data in a scatter plot form a nearly perfect circle, the Pearson correlation would be approximately ____.
+0.8 or +0.9
-0.8 or -0.9
1.00
zero
On a questionnaire, Dr. Ondirk asks participants to answer the following questions? "What do you think about the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes?" This is an example of a(n) ____ question.
restricted
rating scale
open-ended
partially open-ended
During a study using the behavioral research strategy, it is common to prepare a list of behaviors called behavioral categories before the actual observation begins. The least likely purpose for this procedure is to ____.
ensure the objectivity of the measurements
evaluate the reliability of the measurements
provide an operational definition for the variables being measured
simplify the recording task for the observer(s)
A researcher conducts a survey to determine the average number of text messages that college students send or receive during a typical one-hour class. Which research strategy is being used?
descriptive
correlational
experimental
nonexperimental
A researcher is interested in the sleeping habits of students at the local state college. The average number of hours spent sleeping each night for the entire set of students enrolled at the college is an example of a ____.
Which type of question is a Likert-type question?
physiological
Rosenham's research investigating the experiences of patients and patient-staff interactions in psychiatric hospitals is an example of ____.
participant observation
naturalistic observation
correlational research
case study research
Which statement identifies a potential problem with Internet surveys?
They tend to be costly and inefficient.
They limit flexibility in presenting questions and response alternatives.
It can be difficult to find a group of participants who share a specific interest.
It can be difficult to control or even know the composition of the sample.
Bird watching is most similar to what type of research?
quasi-experimental
A researcher who brings dating couples into the laboratory to be observed while they are solving a problem is most likely using ____.
contrived observation
case study researc
Which general category of statistical methods is intended to answer questions about populations by using sample data?
parameters
statistics
inferential statistics
If a distribution of numerical scores contains one or two extremely high values, compared to the rest of the scores, which measure of central tendency would produce the most representative value?
the mean
the median
the mode
the standard deviation
What would the scatter plot show for data that produce a Pearson correlation of r = +.88?
points clustered close to a line that slopes up to the right
points clustered close to a line that slopes down to the right
points widely scattered around a line that slopes up to the right
points widely scattered around a line that slopes down to the right
The ages of the children in a summer camp range from 7 to 12 years old. A counselor constructs a frequency distribution graph showing the number of children for each of the six age groups. What kind of graph would be appropriate for this distribution
a line graph
a polygon
a bar graph
a scatter plot
A researcher reports a significant correlation using an alpha level of .01 . In this situation, the probability that the researcher is making a ____.
Type I error is p > .01
Type I error is p < .01
Type II error is p > .01
Type II error is p < .01
The concept of degrees of freedom is associated with the ____.
mean for a sample
mean for a population
variance for a sample
variance for a population
A researcher who wanted to observe behaviors in a private social club would probably need to use ____.
unstructured observation
During a study using the behavioral research strategy, it is common to have two observers record behavior simultaneously. What is the purpose for this procedure?
It is used to ensure the objectivity of the measurements.
It is used to evaluate the reliability of the measurements.
It helps ensure that the behaviors are not influenced by the presence of an observer.
In a hypothesis test, standard error measures ____.
the size of the treatment effect
variability for the sample data
the likelihood of a Type I or Type II error
the amount of difference expected just by chance
A characteristic, usually a numerical value that describes a sample, is called a ____.
variable
constant
A researcher has measured self-esteem for a sample of 40 first-grade children. The researcher would like to divide the children into two equal‑sized groups consisting of the high self-esteem kids and the low self-esteem kids. Which statistical measure will identify the correct score to serve as the boundary between the high and the low self-esteem groups?
If a set of scores has a mean of 45 and a standard deviation of 9, then the scores have a variance of ____.
3
4.5
18
81
What problem is Cohen's kappa intended to correct?
Split-half reliability tends to underestimate the true reliability of the full test.
Split-half reliability tends to overestimate the true reliability of the full test.
The simple percentage of agreement tends to underestimate the true level of agreement between two observers.
The simple percentage of agreement tends to overestimate the true level of agreement between two observers
What is an advantage to administering a survey over the Internet?
100% response rate
survey can be individualized based on responses
risk of interviewer bias
none of the options are advantages
What type of question allows participants the greatest flexibility in deciding how to answer?
Essay questions on an exam are examples of ____ items
How does the descriptive research strategy differ from the experimental or nonexperimental research strategies?
It involves comparing groups of scores.
It does not concern relationships between variables.
It attempts to describe and explain relationships between variables.
It does not involve the measurement of variables.
One category of data is obtained by measuring two different variables for each individual in a single group of participants. What statistics are most commonly used for data in this category?
Where is a score of X = 45 located in a distribution with a mean of 40 and a standard deviation of 12?
slightly above average
far above average
slightly below average
far below average
What is a limitation of survey research?
It only can be used to measure attitudes and opinions.
It cannot be used to measure specific behaviors.
The results are often difficult to evaluate.
The results are limited by the truthfulness of the participants.
A researcher is interested in the sleeping habits of students at the local state college. The entire set of students enrolled at the college is an example of a ____.
In an observational study of children in a day care setting, you select one participant at a time for observation. This is an example of using ____.
time sampling
event sampling
individual sampling
interval methodology
A scatter plot shows data points that are widely scattered around a line that slopes down to the right. Which value would be closest to the correlation for these data? [ASK ABOUT THIS ONE]
0.80
0.40
0.40.
0.80.
A researcher studies a group of 25 preschool children in order to answer questions about the entire population of preschool children. What general categories of statistical techniques will this researcher be using?
The ____ method for quantifying observations involves counting the number of times a behavior occurs in a specified period of time.
time sample
If a frequency distribution is shown in a bar graph, what scale was used to measure the scores?
nominal only
nominal or ordinal
ratio only
interval or ratio
When researchers apply behavioral observation techniques to historical records in order to measure behaviors that occurred in the past, the measurement process is called ____.
behavioral observation
content analysis
archival research
Which method for administering a survey requires the greatest amount of time from the researcher?
mailing surveys
making phone calls
distributing surveys to a group of participants
using the Internet
What is the definition of variance?
the sum of the scores divided by the number of scores
the average distance from the mean
the square root of the average distance from the mean
the average squared distance from the mean
A researcher has pairs of college student participants play a card game in the laboratory. However, the game is rigged to ensure that one participant experiences a long losing streak so that the researcher can observe how the losing students behave when they are frustrated. For this study, what kind of behavioral observation is being used?
