BAPSY Psychological Research and Statistics 5

Question 1

Which scale of measurement has an absolute zero point that means the complete absence of the attribute?

Accepted Answer

Ratio

Answer

Ratio scales (e.g., height, reaction time) have a true zero, allowing meaningful ratio comparisons such as 'twice as long.'

Question 2

A researcher uses a pretest-posttest control group design. Compared to a one-group pretest-posttest design, this controls for:

Accepted Answer

History and maturation threats to internal validity

Answer

Adding a control group that also experiences the passage of time and outside events controls for history and maturation, which affect both groups equally.

Question 3

Construct validity of a psychological measure refers to:

Accepted Answer

The degree to which the measure actually assesses the theoretical construct it purports to measure

Answer

Construct validity is the extent to which a test measures the psychological construct (e.g., anxiety, intelligence) it was designed to capture.

Question 4

When comparing three or more group means, why is ANOVA preferred over multiple t-tests?

Accepted Answer

Multiple t-tests inflate the familywise Type I error rate

Answer

Running multiple t-tests increases the probability of at least one false positive; ANOVA controls familywise error at the nominal alpha level.

Question 5

In observational research, reactivity refers to the problem that:

Accepted Answer

Participants change their behavior when they know they are being observed

Answer

Reactivity (also called the Hawthorne effect) occurs when awareness of being observed alters participants' natural behavior.

BAPSY - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Practice Test

BAPSY - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Practice Test

BAPSY Psychological Research and Statistics 5