Research methods in psychology worksheet with answers

Why should correlation not be taken as proof of causation?

1. ACorrelations are never statistically significant
2. BCorrelations can only be negative
3. CA third variable or reverse causation could explain the relationship
4. DCorrelation coefficients are always too weak to indicate any real relationship

A Type II error occurs when a researcher:

1. AUses the wrong statistical test
2. BRejects a null hypothesis that is actually true, finding an effect that is not there
3. CMeasures the wrong dependent variable
4. DFails to reject a null hypothesis that is actually false

Test-retest reliability is assessed by:

1. AHaving two observers code the same behaviour
2. BComparing a new test with an established one
3. CChecking whether the items appear, on the surface, to measure what the test claims to
4. DGiving the same test to the same people on two occasions and correlating the scores

In a repeated measures design, order effects can be controlled by:

1. ACounterbalancing
2. BUsing a larger sample only
3. CSingle-blind procedures
4. DRandom sampling

A 95% confidence interval for a mean of 50 is 46 to 54. What is the most accurate interpretation?

1. AThe result is not significant
2. BThe procedure used produces intervals that contain the true mean 95% of the time
3. CThere is a 95% chance the sample mean is 50
4. D95% of the individual participants in the sample scored between 46 and 54 on the measure

A test is so easy that almost all participants score near the maximum. This is called:

1. AA ceiling effect
2. BA floor effect
3. CA practice effect
4. DAn order effect

A study reports t(28) = 2.50, p = .018 for two independent groups of equal size. How many participants took part?

1. A30
2. B28
3. C29
4. D56

A researcher conducts five t-tests and wants to keep the overall Type I error rate at 0.05 using the Bonferroni correction. What significance level should each test use?

1. A0.025
2. B0.05
3. C0.01
4. D0.25