GRE Subject Test: Psychology : Measurement & Methodology
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Psychology
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Example Questions
Example Question #51 : Measurement & Methodology
Dr. Crawford believes she has invented a pill to help with student memorization. For a trial experiment, she gathered two groups of twenty students. She gave the twenty students in Group A the “smart pill”, and the twenty students in Group B a sugar pill. After waiting five minutes, both groups of students were given a list of forty words, and were instructed to memorize the entire list in any order. The students were given five minutes to memorize the list. The students were then asked to verbally recite all of the words they could remember in any order within three minutes.
Group A recited an average of fifteen words, while Group B recited an average of ten words.
Dr. Crawford can for sure reject her null hypothesis if she obtains a calculated p-value equal to which of the following?
None of these
The p-value represents the probability that differences in means are due to random chance and not due to the independent variable’s effects. The smaller the p-value, the less likely it is that differences in means are random. This supports the researcher rejecting the null hypothesis; therefore, the following p-value is the correct answer:
Example Question #52 : Measurement & Methodology
After much success with her initial experiments (i.e. Groups A and B) and pilot test, Dr. Crawford wanted to further test the effects of a “smart pill." She recruited a new group of twenty students, Group C, for this next experiment. In the first trial, she gave the students the smart pill, and then waited five minutes to give them the list of forty words. Students were instructed to memorize the list in any order and were given five minutes to study it. The students were then asked to verbally recite all of the words they could remember within three minutes. One week later, Dr. Crawford repeated the experiment with the same group and same list of words. However, on the second trial, students were given the sugar pill instead of the smart pill.
On the first trial, students from Group C recalled an average of seventeen words. On the second trial, students recalled an average of twenty words.
Which statistical analysis should Dr. Crawford use?
Cannonical correlation
Chi-square
ANOVA
T-test
Pearson-R
T-test
A t-test is most appropriate when only analyzing two variables. Dr. Crawford is analyzing the means produced by students in Group C, but under two different conditions. This test will determine whether the differences in means is due to chance or if there is a statistically sound significant difference.
Example Question #53 : Measurement & Methodology
Which of the following best describes a normal distribution?
Unimodal, asymptotic, and asymmetric
Unimodal, asymptotic, and symmetric
Bimodal, symptotic and asymmetric
Bimodal, asymptotic, and symmetric
None of these
Unimodal, asymptotic, and symmetric
A normal distribution is asymptotic because it approaches a curve closely. It is unimodal because of its singular mode, and it is symmetric because both sides are mirror images of each other. There are other kinds of distributions like skewed distributions that are unimodal, asymptotic, and asymmetrical. These descriptions can vary depending on the shape of the distribution.
Example Question #54 : Measurement & Methodology
Which of the following terms refers to a supposition based on previous observations that is offered as an explanation for observed phenomenon?
Conclusion
Perception
Observation
Hypothesis
Assumption
Hypothesis
An hypothesis is a conclusion drawn before all of the facts are established and tentatively accepted as a basis for further investigation.
A conclusion is the final operation in the scientific method. It is a decision made about the validity of the hypothesis on the basis of experimental evidence. Observation is the first operation in the scientific method. Observation is the noting of a specific phenomenon leading to the formulation of a hypothesis. Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information. An assumption is an idea that is not subjected to logical study.
Example Question #2 : Scientific Method
In a study examining the effect of cigarette smoking on men's blood pressure, the subjects' blood pressure is the study's __________.
dependent variable
None of these
independent variable
confounding variable
mediating variable
dependent variable
In an experiment, the dependent variable is changed by changes to the independent variable; because this study examines how differences in smoking habits affect blood pressure, the number/frequency of cigarettes smoked is the study's independent variable and the subjects' blood pressure is the study's dependent variable.
Example Question #55 : Measurement & Methodology
Which of the following terms describes a study design in which several groups of different ages are studied over a period of several years?
Idiographic
Sequential cohort
Longitudinal
Long-term groups
Cross-sectional
Sequential cohort
Sequential cohort studies are a combination of longitudinal and cross-sectional methods insofar as they compare the behaviors or attitudes of specific groups of people over an extended time period.
Example Question #56 : Measurement & Methodology
Why is it inappropriate to infer casual conclusions from correlative data?
Cause-and-effect conclusions require longitudinal data
Correlations require larger samples
Correlative data contains more than two variables
One variable can be related to another without causing the other variable
One variable can be related to another without causing the other variable
Correlations explain the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables; however, these relationships do not indicate direct causality. For instance, the relationship can be caused by a third variable, called a confounding variable. Correlations—no matter how strong—do not imply causation.
All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources
