Survey Methodology and Administration Flashcards
7 cards from real SSPO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Survey Methodology and Administration flashcards as text
What does the term 'norm group' mean in the context of a police selection survey?
Answer: A representative sample used to establish comparative score benchmarks
A norm group is a reference sample whose scores are used to establish percentile ranks or standard scores, allowing individual results to be interpreted comparatively.
An applicant's survey results flag a high score on 'negative impression management.' What behavior does this most likely indicate?
Answer: The applicant deliberately portrayed themselves in an unfavorable light
Negative impression management (faking bad) occurs when a respondent endorses overly negative attributes, possibly to appear modest or to avoid selection.
Which statistical measure is used to assess the internal consistency of a multi-item survey scale?
Answer: Cronbach's alpha
Cronbach's alpha measures how consistently items within a scale measure the same underlying construct, with values above 0.70 generally considered acceptable.
A police agency uses the survey results to eliminate the bottom 20% of scorers before interviews. This practice is called:
Answer: Cut-score screening
Cut-score screening establishes a minimum threshold; candidates below it are eliminated, reducing the pool before subsequent evaluation stages.
In survey design, 'double-barreled questions' are problematic because they:
Answer: Measure two separate concepts within a single item, making responses ambiguous
A double-barreled question asks about two things at once (e.g., 'Are you honest and reliable?'), making it impossible to interpret a single 'agree' or 'disagree' response.
Which of the following is an example of 'construct validity' in a police selection survey?
Answer: Scores on the integrity scale correlate negatively with past disciplinary records
Construct validity is demonstrated when scale scores relate to other measures in theoretically expected ways, such as an integrity scale predicting disciplinary outcomes.
Why are survey items often 'reverse-scored' on some scales in police psychological assessments?
Answer: To detect careless or random responding by checking response consistency
Reverse-scored items require a candidate who truly endorses a trait to respond differently to these items versus positively worded ones, catching those who answer the same way without reading.