More Statistics
Basic reliability and validity
Reliability
Validity
Interpretation and Transformations
100
Johnny wishes to describe the middle point in a distribution. Which statistic should she calculate? A) Mode B) Standard deviation C) Median D) Mean
C) Median
100
In order to understand fully which attributes are being measured by a test, one must examine the ________ of the test. a) consistency b) reliability c) validity d) measurement error
c) validity
100
Almost all theories of reliability assume that a) people do not differ in levels of a given characteristic b) test scores change over time c) test scores do not change over time d) test scores are influenced by consistency and inconsistency
d) test scores are influenced by consistency and inconsistency
100
Determining whether a test provides a valid measure of a specific attribute can best be done by using _________ validity approaches. a) concurrent b) predictive c) construct-oriented d) criterion-related
c) construct-oriented
100
Suppose that a student gets a score of 80% on an exam. This student has done a) better than 80 percent of the norm group b) worse than 80 percent of the norm group c) about the same as the norm group d) none of the above
d) none of the above
200
The most basic, yet most central, statistical concept for psychological measurement is a) correlation b) prediction c) variability d) factor analysis
c) variability
200
1. The term used to describe the consistency of test scores is A) validity. B) reliability. C) distribution. D) standard deviation. Ans: B
B) reliability.
200
Given that mechanical aptitude is a stable characteristic, scores of a given person on a mechanical aptitude test taken at different periods of time should a) be similar b) be different c) be exactly the same d) change due to experience
a) be similar
200
Face validity a) cannot influence the usefulness of a test b) is typically examined in modern validity studies c) depends on subjective reactions of those who take the test d) depends heavily on objective data
c) depends on subjective reactions of those who take the test
200
The simplest transformation expresses scores in terms of __________. a) raw units b) percentages c) z-scores d) weights
b) percentages
300
19. Correlations are often illustrated by using a) matrix plots b) coordinate plots c) frequency plots d) scatter plots
d) scatter plots
300
What do we call a single source of error that always increases or decreases the true score by the same amount? A) The true score B) The average score C) Random error D) Systematic error
D) Systematic error
300
The reliability coefficient is the ratio of a) true score variance/total variance b) true score variance/error variance c) total variance/true score variance d) total variance/error plus the score variance
a) true score variance/total variance
300
Something that cannot be directly observed, yet is useful in summarizing groups of related phenomena is called a(n) a) concept b) content domain c) construct d) idea
c) construct
300
A z-score of 0 in a normal distribution indicates that a person a) did better than 50% of the sample taking the test b) did better than 84% of the sample taking the test c) did better than 68% of the sample taking the test d) scored roughly 50% correct on the test
a) did better than 50% of the sample taking the test
400
If an increase on one variable is associated with an increase on another variable, the variables are a) positively correlated b) highly correlated c) negatively correlated d) not correlated
a) positively correlated
400
We use _____ to provide an index of the strength and direction of the linear relationship between the two sets of scores. A) coefficient alpha B) correlation C) KR-20 D) Spearman Brown
B) correlation
400
When you are interested in the long-term stability of a measure, you should use the ______ method for estimating reliability. a) test-retest b) alternate forms c) split-half d) internal consistency
a) test-retest
400
In a/an _____, researchers do not propose a formal hypothesis; instead, they use the procedure broadly to identify underlying components. A) goodness of fit test B) construct explication C) exploratory factor analysis D) confirmatory factor analysis
C) exploratory factor analysis
400
_________ transformations express a person's score in terms of where it falls on the normal curve, rather than simply providing a new unit of measurement. a) Z-score b) T-score c) Linear d) Area
d) Area
500
In a(n) ______ factor analysis, factors are defined in terms of the specific hypothesis being tested. a) exploratory b) confirmatory c) item d) none of the above
b) confirmatory
500
Which reliability coefficient reflects the more reliable test? a) 0.30 b) -.85 c) 2.58 d) 0.90
d) 0.90
500
Developing tests that are equivalent in terms of content, response processes, and statistical characteristics is crucial for the ________ method of estimating reliability. a) test-retest b) alternate forms c) split-half d) internal consistency
b) alternate forms
500
_____ is a statistical procedure whose purpose is to identify the underlying constructs that contribute to an overall test score. A) Analysis of Variance B) Multi-trait multi-method (MTMM) design C) Factor analysis D) Multiple regression
B) Multi-trait multi-method (MTMM) design
500
The standard error of measurement is a function of which two factors? a) reliability of the test and range of test scores b) variability of test scores and range of test scores c) reliability of the test and variability of test scores d) variability of test scores and sample size
c) reliability of the test and variability of test scores