Measurement Concepts

Directions:
Select the BEST response alternative for each of the questions below.


1. When we talk about the consistency or stability of a measure, we are talking about:
A) validity.
B) reliability.
C) reactivity.
D) confounds.
2. A good way to increase the ________ of a research study is to increase the number of appropriate test items in the survey used.
A) predictivity
B) reliability
C) reactivity
D) All of the above.
3. A correlation coefficient of +0.47, when using a Pearson product-moment correlation, shows that the two variables are:
A) positively related.
B) negatively related.
C) not related.
D) strongly related.
4. With regard to a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, the closer a correlation coefficient is to -1.00, the ________ the relationship between the two variables.
A) more indirect
B) weaker
C) more subtle
D) stronger
5. One disadvantage of trying to establish alternate forms reliability is that:
A) the reliability of the test is low because the same test is given to different individuals.
B) it employs different raters to assess the performance of an individual in different tests.
C) it assesses reliability by measuring individuals at only one point in time.
D) creating a second equivalent measure may take considerable time and effort.
6. If you measure the same individual at two points in time, you are checking for ________ reliability.
A) test-retest
B) interrater
C) alternate forms
D) split-half
7. Researchers use split-half reliability to assess:
A) curvilinear relationships.
B) discriminant validity.
C) internal consistency.
D) convergent validity.
8. Alice and Fiona are foodies who write restaurant reviews for a popular website. After trying the same new restaurant, they both rate 5 stars for their meals. Based on their ratings, it is safe to conclude that in this example there is:
A) high test-retest reliability.
B) high interrater reliability.
C) low reactivity.
D) low convergent validity.
9. Which of the following is true of the concept of face validity?
A) It can only be used with living participants (i.e., those with faces).
B) It is not considered to be particularly sophisticated.
C) It is the best method to establish that a measure is valid.
D) It is used to describe the same thing as content validity.
10. Which of the following statements most accurately differentiates face validity from discriminant validity?
A) Face validity: The measure appears to measure what it is supposed to measure. Discriminant validity: The measure isn't related to any variables it should not be related to.
B) Face validity: Scores predict behavior on criteria measured later. Discriminant validity: Scores are related to criteria measured concurrently.
C) Face validity: Scores are related to other measures of the same construct. Discriminant validity: The measure is linked to everything that defines the construct.
D) Face validity: Scores are based on the facial reactions of the participants. Discriminant validity: Scores are derived from procedures that treat participants unequally.
11. Content validity and face validity are similar in that both:
A) focus on scores that are unrelated to other measures when they are theoretically different.
B) focus on measures that are related to other measures of the same construct.
C) focus on assessing how well a measure reflects the meaning of the construct being measured.
D) are important to determine how well measures improve researchers' predictions.
12. Rick finds that his shyness score has a high correlation with his score on introversion. In the context of construct validity, this is an example of:
A) convergent validity.
B) discriminant validity.
C) face validity.
D) predictive validity.
E) All of the above.
13. Sigmund has developed a measure of a person's ability to notice subtle changes to a photo. He finds that scores on his test are not related to a person's ability to perform math in their head (i.e., an unrelated construct). This is an example of:
A) convergent validity.
B) discriminant validity.
C) face validity.
D) concurrent validity.
14. Reactivity can be reduced by:
A) testing participants as quickly as possible.
B) giving participants a chance to become used to being observed.
C) using tests that take a very long time to measure.
D) recording outcomes directly rather than remotely.
E) All of the above.
15. Categorizing people as either Coke drinkers or Pepsi drinkers is an example of using ________ scale.
A) a ratio
B) an ordinal
C) an interval
D) a nominal
16. A sorority rates their pledges according to a number of characteristics (height, weight, beauty, charm, GPA, etc.). Each pledge is given a rating of up to 5 stars (5 = excellence in all categories, 0 = minimal excellence in the categories). This is an example of using ________ scale.
A) a nominal
B) an ordinal
C) an interval
D) a ratio
17. When a researcher measures the amount (in ounces) of food each participant eats at a buffet, she is using ________ scale of measurement.
A) a nominal
B) an ordinal
C) an interval
D) a ratio


End of Quiz!

Your score out of 100%: %

The correct answers are marked by a "C" in the box before each question. The incorrect questions are marked by an "X".