OCPS Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3

Question 1

A payroll director notices that error rates spiked after hiring new staff but also after a software update. The inability to determine which factor caused the spike is known as:

Accepted Answer

Confounding

Answer

Confounding occurs when two variables change simultaneously, making it impossible to isolate which one caused the observed outcome.

Question 2

Which statistical measure best describes the spread or variability of payroll processing times across a department?

Accepted Answer

Standard deviation

Answer

Standard deviation quantifies how much individual processing times deviate from the average, indicating variability.

Question 3

A payroll researcher finds a p-value of 0.03 when testing whether two payroll systems differ in accuracy. This result means:

Accepted Answer

There is a 3% probability of observing the result if no true difference exists

Answer

A p-value represents the probability of obtaining the observed result (or more extreme) assuming the null hypothesis is true.

Question 4

In evidence-based payroll practice, 'external validity' concerns whether:

Accepted Answer

Findings from one payroll environment can be applied to other organizations

Answer

External validity (generalizability) refers to how well research findings apply beyond the original study context.

Question 5

A payroll team uses a Likert-scale survey to assess employee satisfaction with pay stub clarity. This instrument generates which type of data?

Accepted Answer

Ordinal

Answer

Likert scales produce ordinal data because responses have a meaningful order but unequal intervals between points.

(OCPS) Online Certified Payroll Systems Certified Professional Practice Test

(OCPS) Online Certified Payroll Systems Certified Professional Practice Test

OCPS Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3