Assessment 2: Advanced Psychological Statistics

I. Multiple Choice. Read and analyze each item carefully. Encircle

the best answer. (10 Points)

1.

Which of the following best describes a Type I error in hypothesis

testing?
a. Failing to reject a false null hypothesis.
b. Rejecting a true null hypothesis.
c. Rejecting a false alternative hypothesis.
d. Failing to reject a true alternative hypothesis.

2.
3.

Which statistical test would be most appropriate for comparing the

means of three or more independent groups?
a. t-test
b. ANOVA
c. Chi-square test
d. Pearson correlation

4.
5.

In a regression analysis, what does the coefficient of determination

(R²) indicate?
a. The strength of the relationship between two variables.
b. The proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained
by the independent variable.
c. The intercept of the regression line.
d. The significance level of the regression model.

6.
7.

A researcher uses a Likert scale to assess participants' agreement

with statements. This type of scale is best classified as:
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio

8.
9.
Which of the following measures is least affected by outliers?
a. Mean
b. Median
c. Mode
d. Variance

10.
11.

If a distribution has a kurtosis greater than three, it is considered:

a. Platykurtic
b. Mesokurtic
c. Leptokurtic
d. Uniform

12.
13.

The Central Limit Theorem states that:

a. The mean of the sample means will equal the population mean.
b. Larger samples always produce more accurate estimates.
c. The sampling distribution of the mean approaches a normal
distribution as sample size increases.
d. All of the above.

14.
15.

In a 2x2 factorial design, how many conditions are there?

a. 2
b. 4
c. 8
d. 16

16.
17.

When conducting a two-tailed hypothesis test, the critical region is

located:
a. Only in the upper tail of the distribution.
b. Only in the lower tail of the distribution.
c. In both tails of the distribution.
d. None of the above.

18.
19.

Which of the following is a non-parametric test?

a. ANOVA
 b. Mann-Whitney U test
c. Pearson's r
d. t-test

20.

II. Identification. Identify what is being asked in each item. (15

points)

1.

In a study examining the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive

performance, a researcher collects data from 50 participants, half of
whom are deprived of sleep and half who sleep normally. Identify (i)
the independent variable, (ii) the dependent variable, (iii) the
sample, (iv) the population, (v) the data, and (vi) the statistic.

2.
3.

Explain the concepts of positive skewness and negative

skewness in the context of data distribution, providing examples of
real-world scenarios where each might occur.

4.

III. Problem Solving.

1. A researcher is analyzing test scores of 15 participants in a

psychological assessment. The scores are as follows:
65, 78, 85, 92, 88, 76, 90, 95, 84, 82, 77, 91, 89, 74, 80
As the researcher, you need to derive key statistical measures:
a. Compute the mean of the scores to understand average
performance.
b. Calculate the median score to identify the middle point.
c. Identify the mode to determine the most frequently occurring
score.
d. Determine the range to understand the spread of scores.
e. Calculate the standard deviation to measure the variation in
scores.
f. Compute the variance to quantify how much the scores deviate
from the mean.

answers:
I. Multiple Choice (10 Points)
b. Rejecting a true null hypothesis.
b. ANOVA
b. The proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the
independent variable.
b. Ordinal
b. Median
c. Leptokurtic
c. The sampling distribution of the mean approaches a normal distribution
as sample size increases.
b. 4
c. In both tails of the distribution.
b. Mann-Whitney U test
II. Identification (15 Points)
In the study examining sleep deprivation:
(i) Independent Variable: Sleep condition (deprived vs. normal)
(ii) Dependent Variable: Cognitive performance
(iii) Sample: 50 participants
(iv) Population: All individuals who experience varying levels of sleep
(v) Data: Cognitive performance scores from the assessment
(vi) Statistic: Mean or average cognitive performance score for each
condition
Positive Skewness: A distribution where the tail on the right side is longer
or fatter than the left side, indicating that most values are concentrated
on the left.
Example: Income distribution, where a majority earn lower incomes and a
few earn very high incomes.
Negative Skewness: A distribution where the tail on the left side is longer
or fatter than the right side, indicating that most values are concentrated
on the right.
Example: Age at retirement, where most people retire around a similar
age but a few retire much earlier.
III. Problem Solving (Calculations)
Given Scores: 65, 78, 85, 92, 88, 76, 90, 95, 84, 82, 77, 91, 89, 74, 80 a.
Mean:
Final Values:
Mean: ~89.33
Median: 84
Mode: None
Range: 30
Standard Deviation: Approx. 7.94 (calculated from variance)
Variance: Approx. 63.00 (squared standard deviation)
=====

I. Multiple Choice (20 Points)

1. d. Standard deviation
2. c. The average of all values in a data set.
3. b. Two modes.
4. b. Variance
5. a. 20
6. d. All are equal
7. b. Most students scored high.
8. a. The average distance of each data point from the mean.
9. a. 2
 10. b. The difference between the tallest and shortest plants.
11. b. To understand how spread out the data is.
12. a. 4
13. a. Mean
14. c. Gender of participants
15. d. There is no mode.
16. b. Positively skewed
17. a. Positively skewed
18. b. The running total of frequencies up to a certain point.
19. b. The middle 50% of the data.
20. b. Median
=====

Scenario
A researcher is investigating the effects of sleep quality on cognitive
performance in college students. Forty students from a local university are
recruited for the study. They are randomly assigned to two groups: one
group practices good sleep hygiene (e.g., maintaining a consistent sleep
schedule, creating a restful environment) for four weeks, while the other
group maintains their usual sleep habits. After four weeks, all participants
complete a standardized cognitive assessment to measure their
performance.
Specify the Following:
(i) Independent Variable:
The sleep condition (good sleep hygiene vs. usual sleep habits)
(ii) Dependent Variable:
Cognitive performance scores from the standardized assessment
(iii) Sample:
Forty college students recruited from a local university
(iv) Population:
All college students at the local university
(v) Data:
Cognitive performance scores obtained from the standardized assessment
(vi) Statistic:
The average cognitive performance scores for each group, compared to
determine the effect of sleep hygiene on cognitive performance.
=======

EXAM
Answers to Multiple Choice Questions
1. d. all of the above(Statistical tools are used for describing, making
inferences, and drawing conclusions about numbers.)
2. d. nominal(The scale assigns values to categories without a specific
order.)
3. c. interval(Temperature measured in Fahrenheit is an interval scale
because it has equal intervals but no true zero.)
4. d. nominal(The numbers assigned to baseball team members are
labels without intrinsic order.)
5. a. ordinal (Rank-ordering indicates a specific order of performance.)
6. a. central tendency (Mean, median, and mode are all measures of
central tendency.)
7. b. difficult(A positively skewed distribution suggests that a majority of
scores are low, indicating the exam was likely difficult.)
8. a. easy(A negatively skewed distribution suggests that a majority of
scores are high, indicating the exam was likely easy.)
9. c. symmetrical(The normal curve is symmetrical.)
10. d. The mean, the median, and the mode are equal (In a normally
distributed set of scores, these measures are equal.)

Here’s the specification based on the described experiment:

(i) Independent Variable:
Type of Activity: The two groups of activities (traditional relationship-
building activities vs. mindfulness program).
(ii) Dependent Variable:
Relationship Satisfaction: The measured level of relationship satisfaction
among couples after the intervention.
(iii) Sample:
Twenty Couples: The specific group of couples that participated in the
experiment.
(iv) Population:
All Couples: The broader group from which the sample is drawn,
encompassing all couples regardless of relationship duration or
background.
(v) Data:
Relationship Satisfaction Scores: The individual satisfaction assessments
obtained from each couple after the designated period.
(vi) Statistic:
Average Satisfaction Levels: The calculated mean satisfaction scores for
both groups (mindfulness vs. traditional activities) used to compare the
effectiveness of the interventions.
Summary:
Independent Variable: Type of activity
Dependent Variable: Relationship satisfaction
Sample: Twenty couples
Population: All couples
Data: Relationship satisfaction scores
Statistic: Average satisfaction levels
====

comprehensive test: Answer Key

Section 1: Multiple Choice
1. b) A branch of mathematics
2. c) The entire group of interest
3. b) A subset selected from the population
4. b) The difference between sample statistic and population
parameter
5. b) A characteristic that can vary
6. c) Associations between variables
7. b) The variable that is manipulated
8. b) Affects both the independent and dependent variables
9. c) Number of children
10. b) Can take any value within a range
11. b) 5.5
12. a) Nominal scale
13. b) The middle value when ordered
14. b) Frequency distribution
15. b) A longer left tail
16. c) The most frequently occurring value
17. b) The spread of data around the mean
18. d) Both b and c
19. b) The difference between the highest and lowest scores
20. b) Two peaks
21. a) Frequency divided by total observations
22. b) The percentage of scores below a specific value
23. c) Gender
24. c) Both a and b
25. d) All of the above
26. c) It is sensitive to outliers
27. b) Some scores are more important than others
28. b) Experimental
29. a) Create false relationships
30. b) To save time and resources
31. c) Range
32. b) Normal
33. b) Categorical data
34. b) Continuous data
35. d) All of the above
36. b) A characteristic or attribute
37. d) None of the above
38. a) Frequency of the event ÷ Total number of observations
39. c) Interval scale
40. a) A single measurement
Section 2: True/False
41. F
42. F
43. T
44. F
45. T
46. F
47. F
48. F
49. T
50. F
51. F
52. T
53. F
54. T
55. F
56. T
57. F
58. F
59. F
60. T

Section 3: Fill in the Blank

61. independent
62. mode
63. ratio
64. median
65. bimodal
66. Relative
67. discrete
68. range
69. experimental
70. correlational
71. normal
72. standard deviation
73. datum
74. nominal
75. mean
76. continuous
77. variance
78. frequency distribution
79. quantitative
80. ordinal

Section 4: Short Answer

(Answers may vary but should reflect a clear understanding of the
concepts)
81. A population includes all individuals of interest, while a sample
is a subset of that population used for analysis.
82. Understanding sampling error helps researchers gauge the
accuracy of their estimates and the extent of variability due to
sampling.
83. Convergent validity refers to how closely a measure is related
to other measures of the same construct, while divergent validity
assesses the degree to which a measure does not correlate with
different constructs.
84. The independent variable is manipulated to observe its effect
on the dependent variable in an experiment.
85. A confounding variable can create misleading associations
between independent and dependent variables, affecting the validity
of the results.
86. Central tendency refers to the measure that represents the
center or typical value of a dataset and is crucial for summarizing
data.
87. Nominal scales categorize data without order, while ordinal
scales categorize data with a defined order.
88. A weighted mean accounts for the importance of different
values, providing a more accurate measure when values have different
significance.
89. Standard deviation quantifies the amount of variation or
dispersion in a set of values, indicating how spread out the values are
from the mean.
21. The median is less affected by extreme values and provides a
better central measure for skewed distributions.
22. A frequency distribution summarizes how often each value
occurs in a dataset, making it easier to see patterns.
23. A positively skewed distribution has a longer right tail, while a
negatively skewed distribution has a longer left tail.
24. Relative frequency is calculated by dividing the frequency of
an event by the total number of observations, showing how common
an event is.
25. Challenges include ensuring the sample is representative and
accounting for sampling bias.
26. Researchers can minimize sampling error by using larger,
more representative samples and random sampling techniques.
27. A variable is any characteristic or attribute that can take on
different values across individuals or observations.
28. Qualitative variables are categorical and non-numeric, while
quantitative variables are numeric and measurable.
29. The range provides insights into the spread of the dataset,
indicating the difference between the highest and lowest values.
30. The mode indicates the most common category in categorical
data analysis, helping identify trends.
31. Measures of central tendency allow for comparisons between
groups by summarizing data with single values that represent the
groups.