Behavioral Research Methods
Test Preparation
Course Introduction
Behavioral Research Methods explores the fundamental techniques and principles used to investigate human behavior scientifically. The course covers both qualitative and quantitative research designs, emphasizing experimental, correlational, and observational methods. Students will learn about hypothesis development, variable measurement, sampling strategies, data collection procedures, and ethical considerations in human research. Emphasis is placed on critical evaluation of published studies, effective use of statistical tools, and the development of research proposals. Through hands-on activities and assignments, students gain practical experience in designing studies, collecting data, and interpreting results within the context of psychology and the behavioral sciences.
Recommended Textbook
Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences 3rd Edition by Gregory J. Privitera
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18 Chapters
1400 Verified Questions
1400 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Statistics
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A categorical variable is an example of discrete data.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Which of the following research designs is used to determine the causes of behavior that help to explain why the behavior occurs?
A) correlational
B) experimental
C) quasi-experimental
D) all of these
Answer: B
Q3) State the four scales of measurement in order from least informative to most informative.
A) ordinal, nominal, interval, ratio
B) nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
C) nominal, ordinal, ratio, interval
D) ordinal, nominal, ratio, interval
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: Summarizing Data: Frequency Distributions in
Tables and Graphs
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A percentile rank is a cumulative percentage distribution summed from the bottom up.
A)True
B)False Answer: True
Q2) Summarizing data in a table or graph can make it easier to see patterns in the data.
A)True
B)False Answer: True
Q3) The corresponding percentile of a given percentile point is the percentile rank of that score.
A)True
B)False Answer: True
Q4) A frequency polygon is a dot-and-line graph where the dot is the upper class boundary of each interval and the line connects each dot.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Summarizing Data: Central Tendency
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A researcher measures the following scores on an assessment: 2,3,7,3,5,6,and 9.In this example,the mean is smaller than the median.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Which type of mean is used to describe a portion of individuals in a given population?
A) sample mean
B) population mean
C) restricted mean
D) none of these
Answer: A
Q3) The size of a population is symbolized as ______,whereas the size of a sample is symbolized as ______.
A) \(\mu\); M
B) M; \(\mu\)
C) n; N
D) N; n
Answer: D
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Summarizing Data: Variability
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The sample variance is computed by dividing SS by ______,whereas the population variance is computed by dividing SS by ______.
A) N; df
B) df; n - 1
C) df; N
D) n - 1; df
Q2) The calculation of sample variance will be larger than the population variance for the following data: 3,5,4,7,3,5,4,8,and 9.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A researcher reports that the time (in minutes)it takes children who are "picky eaters" to finish their vegetables is negatively skewed,with children finishing their vegetables in 4.2 ± 1.0 (M ± SD)min.Based on Chebyshev's Theorem,we can conclude that
A) 68% of children finished their vegetables in 3.2-5.2 min.
B) 50% of children finished their vegetables in at least 3.2 min.
C) 99.7% of children finished their vegetables in 2.2-6.2 min.
D) At least 89% of children finished their vegetables in 1.2-7.2 min.
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6
Chapter 5: Probability
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The total number of possible outcomes for a random variable is referred to as
A) probability.
B) a random event.
C) the sample space.
D) the sum.
Q2) The probability that someone in the human population has blood type AB is about p = .08; the probability that someone has blood type O is about p = .25.Knowing that each individual can have one and only one blood type,what is the probability that a person has an AB or O blood type?
A) .33
B) .02
C) 1.00
D) This state of affairs is not possible.
Q3) Bayes's theorem is often applied to a variety of ______ probability situations,including those related to statistical inference.
A) generic
B) absolute
C) conditional
D) fixed
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Probability, normal Distributions, and Z Scores
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A researcher finds that the average preschool-aged child drinks two cups of milk per day.Assuming these data are normally distributed,the z score for the average cups per day in this example is A) less than 0.
B) greater than 0.
C) exactly equal to 0.
D) there is not enough information to answer this question.
Q2) Most behavioral phenomena are believed to approximate the normal distribution. A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is a possible value for the standard deviation of a normal distribution?
A) -\(\infty\)
B) 0
C) -2
D) 0.5
Q4) All z scores above the mean are positive,whereas all z scores below the mean are negative.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Probability and Sampling Distributions
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) An article states that a sample of 40 participants took 12 ± 2.3 (M ± SEM)seconds to complete a cognitive assessment.Which value is the standard error of the mean?
A) 40
B) 12
C) 2.3
D) the standard error of the mean is not reported in the article
Q2) A z transformation can be computed to locate sample means in a sampling distribution.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A researcher states that a sample of 100 shoppers spend 112 ± 40 (M ± SEM)dollars on groceries each week.Which value is the standard error of the mean?
A) 112
B) 40
C) 100
D) the standard error of the mean is not reported in the article
Q4) The sampling distribution of the mean has minimum variance.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Hypothesis Testing: Significance,effect Size,and
Power
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the two decisions that researchers can make in hypothesis testing?
A) accept or reject the null hypothesis
B) retain or reject the null hypothesis
C) accept or reject the null hypothesis and retain or reject the null hypothesis
Q2) One step to hypothesis testing is to set the criteria for a decision.
A)True B)False
Q3) A researcher obtains z = 1.45 for a one-sample z test.What is the decision for this test at a .05 level of significance?
A) to reject the null hypothesis
B) to retain the null hypothesis
C) it depends on whether the test is one-tailed or two-tailed
D) there is not enough information to make a decision
Q4) The critical values are reported with the test statistic of a one-sample z test using APA format.
A)True B)False
Q5) The value of power is influenced by the alpha level,sample size,and effect size. A)True B)False
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Chapter 9: Testing Means: One-Sample and
Two-Independent-Sample T Tests
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Sample Questions
Q1) \(\eta\)<sup>2</sup> is a more conservative estimate than \(\omega\)<sup>2</sup>.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A researcher reports the following result for a lower-tail critical test at a .05 level of significance,t(40)= 1.512,and accurately concludes to reject the null hypothesis.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Normality,random sampling,and independence are all assumptions for the one-sample t test.
A)True
B)False
Q4) You read about a study testing whether night shift workers sleep the recommended 8 hr/day.Assuming that the population variance of sleep (per day)is unknown,what type of t test is appropriate for this study?
A) one-sample t test
B) two-independent-sample t test
C) There is not enough information to answer this question.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Testing Means: Truehe Related-Samples T Test
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Sample Questions
Q1) All other things being equal,increasing the sample size will ______ the value of the test statistic for a related-samples t test.
A) increase
B) decrease
C) have no effect on
Q2) A researcher sampled 25 participants and measured their alcohol consumption (in ounces)in both a home and a bar setting.If the mean difference in satisfaction ratings for this sample was 11.4 ± 2.5 (M<sub>D</sub> ± S<sub>MD</sub>),then what is the decision at a .05 level of significance?
A) Alcohol consumption significantly differed, t(23) = 4.56.
B) Alcohol consumption significantly differed, t(24) = 4.56.
C) Alcohol consumption significantly differed, t(23) = 22.80.
D) Alcohol consumption significantly differed, t(24) = 22.80.
Q3) The type of t test that was used is typically reported in a data analysis section that precedes the results section in an APA-style paper.
A)True
B)False
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Estimation and Confidence Intervals
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a sample of 17 participants,a researcher estimates the 90% CI for a sample with a mean of M<sub>D</sub> = 7 and an estimated standard error for the difference scores (S<sub>MD</sub>)of 2.2.What is the confidence interval at this level of confidence?
A) 90% CI 2.4, 11.6
B) 90% CI 3.2, 10.8
C) 90% CI 4.8, 9.2
D) There is not enough information to answer this question.
Q2) A researcher reports with 90% confidence that 31% to 37% of Americans believe in ghosts.What is the point estimate for this interval?
A) 31%
B) 34%
C) 37%
D) 31% to 37%
Q3) To estimate the population mean for the two-independent-sample t,the sample size must be known.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Analysis of Variance: One-Way
Between-Subjects Design
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Post hoc tests control for the total alpha level for a series of tests conducted on the same data.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What is the minimum number of groups that can be observed using the one-way between-subjects ANOVA design?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
Q3) When the variability attributed to between groups is equal to the variability attributed to error,then the value of the test statistic for a one-way between-subjects ANOVA is ______.
A) equal to 0
B) equal to 1
C) significant at any sample size
D) undefined in that the test statistic cannot be computed in this case
Q4) All post hoc tests control for the effect size of a significant result.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Analysis of Variance: One-Way Within-Subjects
Repeated-Measuresdesign
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Consistency refers to the extent to which the dependent measure changes in an identifiable or predictable pattern across groups.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is a source of variation that is measured using the one-way within-subjects ANOVA?
A) between-groups variation
B) within-groups variation
C) between-persons variation
D) all of these
Q3) As mean square error decreases,power decreases.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The between-persons variation is measured in the one-way within-subjects ANOVA.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Mean square error is the denominator for all one-way ANOVA tests.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Analysis of Variance: Two-Way
Between-Subjects Factorial Design
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If each main effect is significant,then the interaction must also be significant for a two-way between-subjects ANOVA.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A researcher computes a two-way between-subjects ANOVA and finds a significant main effect of Factor A and an A *B interaction.Which significant effect should typically be analyzed first?
A) the significant main effect
B) the significant interaction
C) No effect needs to be analyzed further.
Q3) Which of the following correctly identifies each source of variation in the two-way between-subjects ANOVA?
A) two between-groups, one within-groups, and error
B) two within-groups, one between-groups, and error
C) two interactions, one main effect, and error
D) two main effects, one interaction, and error
Q4) Which source of variation,if significant,is typically analyzed first?
A) a main effect
B) the interaction
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Correlation
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If SS<sub>XY</sub> = 5.32 and n = 40,then what is the value of the coefficient of determination?
A) 0.133
B) 0.36
C) 0.64
D) there is not enough information to answer this question
Q2) The appropriate correlation coefficient for measuring for the direction and strength of the linear relationship between two dichotomous variables is ______.
A) the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient
B) the point-biserial correlation coefficient
C) the phi correlation coefficient
D) none of these
Q3) A researcher measures the following correlation: r = -.21.What is the value of the coefficient of determination?
A) .04
B) -.04
C) .42
D) -.42
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Chapter 16: Linear Regression and Multiple Regression
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Sample Questions
Q1) To standardize the coefficients,we first convert the original data to standardized z scores.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Linear regression describes the extent to which ______ predicts ______.
A) X; Y
B) the predictor variable; the criterion variable
C) the known variable; the to-be-predicted variable
D) all of these
Q3) To summarize the results of multiple regression,we typically add the standardized \(\beta\) coefficient for each factor that significantly contributes to a prediction.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In addition to evaluating the significance of a multiple regression equation,we also should consider ______.
A) the significance of the residual variability
B) the complexity of the correlation coefficient
C) the relative contribution of each factor
D) the significance of each individual data point
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Chapter 17: Nonparametric Tests: Chi-Square Tests
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Sample Questions
Q1) To summarize the chi-square goodness-of-fit test,which of the following is reported?
A) test statistic
B) p value
C) degrees of freedom
D) all of these
Q2) If the expected frequencies are equal to observed frequencies for a chi-square test for independence,what do we conclude?
A) the degrees of freedom for the test are equal to 0
B) the test statistic value is equal to 0
C) the frequencies observed fit well with the frequencies expected
D) the test statistic value is equal to 0 and the frequencies observed fit well with the frequencies expected
Q3) A researcher can correct for having expected frequencies smaller than five by ______.
A) increasing the number of cells
B) increasing the sample size
C) decreasing the observed frequency
D) increasing the number of cells and increasing the sample size
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Chapter 18: Nonparametric Tests: Tests for Ordinal Data
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Sample Questions
Q1) Tests for ordinal data ______.
A) are nonparametric tests
B) do not measure variance to test for significance
C) minimize problems associated with having outliers in a data set
D) all of these
Q2) The Wilcoxon signed-ranks T test is used as a nonparametric alternative to which parametric test?
A) one-sample t test
B) two-independent-sample t test
C) related-samples t test
D) one-sample t test and related-samples t test
Q3) A researcher computes a related-samples sign test in which the number of positive ranks is 9 and the number of negative ranks is 3.The test statistic (x)is equal to ______.
A) 3
B) 9
C) 12
D) There is not enough information to answer this question.
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