GRE Subject Test: Psychology : Other Areas

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Subject Test: Psychology

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All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Statistical Procedures

Which of the following is best defined as the distance that any point is from the mean on a normal distribution?

Possible Answers:

Standard deviation

Z-score

Ratio

Dependent variable

Correct answer:

Standard deviation

Explanation:

The distance that any point is from the mean is known as the standard deviation. When looking at a normal distribution, the mean is the middle or arithmetic average of the set and the deviation measures the spread of the data points from this central tendency.

Example Question #5 : Statistical Procedures

Which of the following is defined as the measurement of variables that have an inherent natural order? 

Possible Answers:

Ordinal

Interval

Nominal

Ratio

Correct answer:

Ordinal

Explanation:

Ordinal data is used when variables that have an inherent natural order, such as the collegiate class structure: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior.  One must complete every level in order to transcend to the next. Nominal data deals with variables such as religion that do not have an inherent natural order. Interval data deals with things like temperature. Last, ratio data would deal with things like time. 

Example Question #6 : Statistical Procedures

Which of the following could be defined as all of the members of a group under consideration in a study?

 
Possible Answers:

Statistic

Parameter

Population

Sample

Correct answer:

Population

Explanation:

All of the members of a group under consideration are referred to as a population. A sample is the subset of the group under consideration. “Statistic” or “parameter” would be incorrect choices because a statistic represents a measure of a sample, while a parameter refers to a measure of a population. 

Example Question #7 : Statistical Procedures

Which of the following best describes a normal distribution?

Possible Answers:

Unimodal, asymptotic, and asymmetric

Bimodal, asymptotic, and symmetric

Bimodal, symptotic and asymmetric

Unimodal, asymptotic, and symmetric

Correct answer:

Unimodal, asymptotic, and asymmetric

Explanation:

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 #8 : Statistical Procedures

A parameter measures components of which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Statistic

Population

Sample

Variable

Correct answer:

Population

Explanation:

A parameter measures a population—the whole group that is being considered. A statistic represents a measure of a sample—a subset of the group that is being considered. For example, if you were conducting a study on Spanish people in your university, then the population would be all of the Spanish people at your university. A sample could be all of the Spanish people in one of your classes. 

Example Question #31 : Other Areas

Which of the following best describes the mean of a Z-score?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mean of a Z-score is zero. This means that the score is the same as the mean. A positive or negative Z-score would show that it is above or below the mean and by how many standard deviations. 

Example Question #32 : Other Areas

A distribution that has a tail that is longer on the right side is considered to be which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Normal distribution. 

Negative distribution

None of these

Positive distribution

Correct answer:

Positive distribution

Explanation:

The distribution is positive because its tail goes to toward the right. If it were negative, the tail would go toward the Y-axis, or the left. If a distribution's tail is longer on either side, then it is not a normal distribution. It is not symmetrical and would be classified as a skewed distribution. 

Example Question #33 : Other Areas

A correlational study most likely possesses which of the following?

Possible Answers:

A cause and effect

A relationship and causality

A relationship but not causality

Neither a relationship nor causality

Correct answer:

A relationship but not causality

Explanation:

A correlational study looks at the relationship between two or more variables. For example, the relationship between test scores in math and history classes. It does not try to find a cause and effect between the variables, and the researcher does not manipulate the variables. The researcher is simply trying to see if they possess a relationship or correlation. 

Example Question #34 : Other Areas

What does the following symbol indicate?

Possible Answers:

"The product of"

"The difference of"

"The sum of"

"The quotient of"


Correct answer:

"The sum of"

Explanation:

This symbol represents a command to find the sum of two or more numbers. This symbol is the Greek letter 'E' and is used in a variety of equations. It is called Epsilon. 

Example Question #35 : Other Areas

Which of the following terms is defined as the descriptive statistic that measures the degree of the relationship between two variables?

Possible Answers:

Independent variable

Correlation coefficient

Dependent variable

Mode

Correct answer:

Correlation coefficient

Explanation:

The correct choice is “correlation coefficient.” Independent and dependent variables do not measure anything but are simply components of the study itself. The mode is the value that occurs the most in a set of numbers. 

All GRE Subject Test: Psychology Resources

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