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Chapter 2 Test Questions
1. The correct order of the following scales of measurement, from most to least precise, is:
a. nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
b. interval, ratio, ordinal, nominal
c. ordinal, nominal interval, ratio
d. ratio, interval, ordinal, nominal
X
2. A scale used in an experiment assigns a value of “1” to subjects that are female and a
value of “2” to subjects that are male. What type of scale is used in this experiment?
a. Interval
b. Nominal
X
c. Ordinal
d. Ratio
3. Which scale does not necessarily have equal distance between intervals?
a. Interval
b. Ordinal
X
c. Ratio
4. Addition and subtraction operations can be used with ________ scale(s) of measurement.
a. all
b. ordinal, interval, and ratio
c. interval and ratio
X
d. ratio
5. With which scale(s) of measurement is it possible to correctly state that a score of 80
reflects twice as much as a score of 40?
a. All scales
b. No scales
c. Ratio, interval, and ordinal
d. Interval and ratio
e. Ratio
X
6. Which scale of measurement has a true zero point?
a. Interval
b. Nominal
c. Ordinal
d. Ratio X
7. Weight in pounds is an example of which scale of measurement?
a. Ratio X
b. Ordinal
c. Nominal
d. Interval
Test Questions
Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory & Methods
8. The final standing of runners after a race would be an example of which scale of
measurement?
a. Interval
b. Nominal
c. Ordinal
X
d. Ratio
9. Ratio scales are relatively rare in psychological measurement because:
a. people generally do not like negative numbers.
b. they frequently produce skewed distributions.
c. using equal scale units makes it possible to compare individuals.
d. it is difficult to define a true zero point with various psychological constructs. X
10. A negatively skewed distribution is one with:
a. few scores at the low end and many scores grouped at the high end.
b. few scores at the high end and many scores grouped at the low end.
c. few scores at the high end and many negative scores.
X
11. What is the preferred measure of central tendency for a distribution with a significant
positive skew?
a. Mean
b. Median
X
c. Mode
d. Mid-percentile rank
12. When one has a small set of scores that contains an extreme score (relative to the others),
which measure of central tendency would be significantly impacted?
a. Mean X
b. Median
c. Mode
13. Which measure of central tendency can be used with all four scales of measurement?
a. Mean
b. Median
c. Mode X
14. The standard deviation can be interpreted as measuring:
a. the average distance that scores vary from the mean of the distribution.
X
b. the greatest distance that scores vary from the mean of the distribution.
c. the average percentage of the distance that the scores vary from the mean of the
distribution.
d. the percentage of the distance that half the scores vary from the mean of the
distribution.
Test Questions
Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory & Methods
15. A set of scores with a standard deviation (SD) of 4 would have a variance equal to:
a. 2.
b. 4.
c. 8.
d. 16.
X
16. What measure of central tendency must you be able to first calculate in order to calculate
a standard deviation?
a. Mean X
b. Median
c. Mode
d. Range
17. A set of scores has a variance equal to 25. The standard deviation would be equal to:
a. 5.
X
b. 12.5.
c. 50.
d. 100.
18. In a distribution that is positively skewed, what is the relationship between the mean and
median?
a. There is no predictable relationship.
b. The mean is greater than the median. X
c. The mean is less than the median.
d. The mean and median are equal.
19. If the distribution of scores on a classroom test has a strong positive skew, then for this
group of students, test was most likely:
a. of average difficulty.
b. too easy.
c. too difficult. X
d. not enough information to determine.
20. Approximately what percentage of scores falls below 1 standard deviation above the
mean?
a. 34%
b. 82%
c. 84% X
d. 98%
21. A bimodal distribution is best described as:
a. a distribution with two scores that are the same.
b. a distribution with two scores of the same frequency.
c. a distribution with two scores that are equal in frequency and higher than other
scores. X
Test Questions
Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory & Methods
d. a distribution with two scores that are equal in frequency and lower than other
scores.
22. A ________ is a graph that visually displays the relationship between two variables.
a. bar graph
b. list
c. table
d. scatterplot
X
23. If a large decrease on one variable is associated with a correspondingly large increase on
another variable, the correlation is likely:
a. Strong and negative X
b. Weak and negative
c. Strong and positive
d. Weak and positive
24. Assume a correlation between two tests is 0.40 (r = 0.40). What would the coefficient of
determination equal?
a. 0.16 X
b. 0.20
c. 0.40
d. 0.60
25. If the coefficient of determination is 0.30 what is the coefficient of non-determination?
a. 0.09
b. 0.30
c. 0.60
d. 0.70 X
26. A ________ is appropriate when both variables are measured on an interval or ratio scale.
a. Pearson product-moment correlation
b. Spearman rank correlation coefficient
c. Point-Biserial correlation coefficient
d. Beta coefficient
27. If you want to calculate the correlation between spelling skills and reading
comprehension which are both reported as percentile ranks, the appropriate coefficient is:
a. Beta Coefficient.
b. Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha.
c. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation.
d. Spearman Rank-Difference Correlation.
X
Test Questions
Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory & Methods
28. The appropriate correlation coefficient to use when one variable is dichotomous and one
is measured on an interval or ratio scale is:
a. Alpha Coefficient.
b. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation.
c. Point-Biserial Correlation. X
d. Spearman Rank-Difference Correlation.
29. If the range of one or both variables is restricted, the resulting correlation coefficient will
likely:
a. be decreased. X
b. be icreased.
c. remain the same.
d. either increases or decrease depending on the calculations.
30. Coefficients based on samples with ________ variances will generally produce _______
correlation coefficients than those based on samples with ________ variances.
a. Large; higher; small X
b. Large; lower; small
c. Small; higher; large
d. Small; equal; large
31. Correlation _______ imply causation.
a. does
b. does not
c. might, depending on the scale of measurement,
32. If the correlation between math and writing achievement scores in the general population
is 0.40, the correlation between these scores among students at MIT, Yale, and Stanford
(selective and prestigious universities) would likely be:
a. approximately 0.40.
b. less than 0.40.
X
c. greater than 0.40.
d. there is insufficient information to determine.
33. The correlation between two variables is 0.70. Using the concept of the coefficient of
determination, the proportion of variance that is determined or predictable from the
relationship between the two measures is:
a. 14%.
b. 30%.
c. 49%. X
d. 70%.
Test Questions
Mastering Modern Psychological Testing: Theory & Methods
34. The correlation between two variables is 0.70. Using the concept of the coefficient of
nondetermination, the proportion of variance that is NOT determined or predictable from
the relationship between the two variables is:
a. 14%.
b. 30%.
c. 51%. X
d. 70%.
35. A special mathematical procedure for predicting scores on one variable (criterion or Y)
given a score on another (predictor or X) is:
a. correlational analysis.
b. linear regression.
X
c. regression analysis.
d. prediction constant.
36. According to the guidelines presented in the text, a correlation of .25 would be
considered:
a. weak. X
b. moderate.
c. strong.
37. Why would a psychologist feel that the variance might be difficult to interpret?
a. It is a nonlinear transformation.
b. It is an area transformation.
c. It may be a negative number.
d. It uses squared raw score units.
X
38. What is the range of the data below?
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
a.
b.
c.
d.
8
12
14
22
X
39. In a normal distribution, what percentage of scores will fall between one standard
deviation below the mean and one standard deviation above the mean?
a. 16%
b. 34%
c. 68% X
d. 84%
e. 98%
40. Most correlation coefficients assume a linear relationship. If a curvilinear exists,
traditional correlation coefficients will likely _________ this relationship.
a. overestimate
b. underestimate
c. not change