Assessment 1
Question 1
Which of the following are advantages of studying statistical methods in psychology?
a. It leads to a better understanding of the content of psychological theories.
b. It helps us to evaluate whether the patterns we observe in data are due to more
than the consequence of chance.
c. It helps us to formulate research questions.
d. It gives insight into the nature of the scientific process.
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b. It helps us to evaluate whether the patterns we observe in data are due to more
than the consequence of chance.
Question 2
Which of the options below is a valid description of a 'construct' in psychological
research? It is a - - - - -.
a. aspects that constructs describe are based on observable behaviour
b. variables based on the careful observation of aspects of humans or human behaviour
c. explanation of empirical observations based on the measurement of certain variables
d. observation of an aspect of humans or human behaviour which was operationalized in
some way.
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a. aspects that constructs describe are based on observable behaviour
,Question 3
A psychologist believes that personality factors such as ability to get along with other people
in a team are likely to have an influence on success in a team sport. To investigate this, she
draws a sample of participants in competitive sport, comprising soccer players, hockey
players and cricketers from various sports clubs. After evaluating their performance on an
appropriate psychometric test, she divides players from the three types of sports into two
groups: those who have good social skills and those who tend avoid social contact. She
then uses evaluation forms, based on interviews with different sports experts, to assess the
actual sports performance of the members of the sample. The dependent variable in the
study is - - - - - and the independent variable is - - - - -.
a. social skills; measured sports performance
b. type of sports; social skills
c. social skills; type of sports
d. measured sports performance; social skills
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d. measured sports performance; social skills
Question 4
A psychologist studies the effect that age has on attitude towards Aids. She selects a
sample of subjects divided into three different age groups, 20-30 years, 30-40 years and
40-50 years. The three age groups are - - - - -.
a. different variables for measuring ‘age’
b. a way of measuring ‘age’
c. operationalisations of the variable 'age'
d. three different theoretical constructs
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b. a way of measuring ‘age’
, Question 5
The term ‘inference’ in psychological research refers to - - - - -.
a. the procedures for making a construct visible so that a measurement can be made
b. making a prediction or generalization based on existing information
c. describing information in a precise way
d. the development of a hypothesis as a relationship among variables
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b. making a prediction or generalization based on existing information
Question 6
Consider the following statement: "The experience of strong emotion is accompanied by
physiological reactions such as an increase in heart rate". This statement can be viewed as
a research hypothesis because it - - - - -.
(a) makes a prediction that can be tested by observation
(b) describes a possible relationship between variables
a. (b) but not (a)
b. (a) but not (b)
c. both (a) and (b)
d. neither (a) nor (b)
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c. both (a) and (b)
Question 1
Which of the following are advantages of studying statistical methods in psychology?
a. It leads to a better understanding of the content of psychological theories.
b. It helps us to evaluate whether the patterns we observe in data are due to more
than the consequence of chance.
c. It helps us to formulate research questions.
d. It gives insight into the nature of the scientific process.
Feedback
b. It helps us to evaluate whether the patterns we observe in data are due to more
than the consequence of chance.
Question 2
Which of the options below is a valid description of a 'construct' in psychological
research? It is a - - - - -.
a. aspects that constructs describe are based on observable behaviour
b. variables based on the careful observation of aspects of humans or human behaviour
c. explanation of empirical observations based on the measurement of certain variables
d. observation of an aspect of humans or human behaviour which was operationalized in
some way.
Feedback
a. aspects that constructs describe are based on observable behaviour
,Question 3
A psychologist believes that personality factors such as ability to get along with other people
in a team are likely to have an influence on success in a team sport. To investigate this, she
draws a sample of participants in competitive sport, comprising soccer players, hockey
players and cricketers from various sports clubs. After evaluating their performance on an
appropriate psychometric test, she divides players from the three types of sports into two
groups: those who have good social skills and those who tend avoid social contact. She
then uses evaluation forms, based on interviews with different sports experts, to assess the
actual sports performance of the members of the sample. The dependent variable in the
study is - - - - - and the independent variable is - - - - -.
a. social skills; measured sports performance
b. type of sports; social skills
c. social skills; type of sports
d. measured sports performance; social skills
Feedback
d. measured sports performance; social skills
Question 4
A psychologist studies the effect that age has on attitude towards Aids. She selects a
sample of subjects divided into three different age groups, 20-30 years, 30-40 years and
40-50 years. The three age groups are - - - - -.
a. different variables for measuring ‘age’
b. a way of measuring ‘age’
c. operationalisations of the variable 'age'
d. three different theoretical constructs
Feedback
b. a way of measuring ‘age’
, Question 5
The term ‘inference’ in psychological research refers to - - - - -.
a. the procedures for making a construct visible so that a measurement can be made
b. making a prediction or generalization based on existing information
c. describing information in a precise way
d. the development of a hypothesis as a relationship among variables
Feedback
b. making a prediction or generalization based on existing information
Question 6
Consider the following statement: "The experience of strong emotion is accompanied by
physiological reactions such as an increase in heart rate". This statement can be viewed as
a research hypothesis because it - - - - -.
(a) makes a prediction that can be tested by observation
(b) describes a possible relationship between variables
a. (b) but not (a)
b. (a) but not (b)
c. both (a) and (b)
d. neither (a) nor (b)
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c. both (a) and (b)
