psych 311 Exam Questions and
Answers | Fall 2026 Update
The time-series design is an example of the quasi-experimental research strategy. -
Answer- True
A repeated-measures analysis of variance is the appropriate statistical analysis for
comparing mean differences for a differential design comparing samples representing
three populations. - Answer- false
In a differential research design, the participant characteristic that is used to define the
groups is called a(n) ____ variable. - Answer- quasi-independent
A differential research design comes closer to being a true experiment that other similar
designs. - Answer- false
The internal validity of the pre-post designs is threatened by threats related to time. -
Answer- true
type 1 error - Answer- false positive (incorrect rejection of true null)
type 2 error - Answer- false negative (fail to reject false null)
A research study that evaluates changes in behavior related to age by examining
different groups of individuals, with each group representing a different age, is called
a(n) ____. - Answer- cross sectional developmental
What is one difference between a time-series design and an interrupted time-series
design? - Answer- Time series examines the effect of a treatment and interrupted time
series examines the effect of an outside event.
A researcher studies language development by selecting a sample of two-year-old
children, a sample of three-year-old children, and a sample of four-year-old children.
Each child's language skill is measured and the researcher plans to compare the scores
for the three groups. This study is an example of a(n) ____. - Answer- cross sectional
developmental
A researcher conducts a survey examining eating and sleeping behavior as well as
academic performance for a group of elementary school children. The results of the
survey indicate that the children who eat a more nutritious breakfast tend to have better
grades than the children who have a breakfast low in nutrition. However, the research
suspects that the children's parents may be responsible for this relationship.
Specifically, the better-educated parents probably encourage their children to eat better
, food and work harder in school compared to parents with less education. If the
researcher is correct, this is an example of the ____. - Answer- third-variable problem
Dr. Jones hopes to demonstrate that children who eat a more nutritious breakfast also
tend to have more academic success than their peers. If this result is obtained, then
____ would be the predictor variable and ____ would be the criterion variable for the
study. - Answer- the nutrition in the breakfast; the level of success
A problem with a longitudinal design is that the results may be distorted by ____. -
Answer- A problem with a longitudinal design is that the results may be distorted by
____.
When students apply to graduate school, they usually are required to submit GRE
scores along with their applications. College officials know that there is a good
relationship between scores on the GRE and success in graduate school. In this
situation, success in graduate school is best characterized as the ____ variable. -
Answer- crierion
Which research design is commonly used to help establish the reliability or validity of a
measurement procedure? - Answer- correlational
Last year, the state increased the speed limit on one section of highway from 55 to 65
mph. To evaluate the effect of the change, a researcher gathered accident reports for
six months before the change and for six months after the change. This is an example
of a(n) ____. - Answer- interrupted time-series design
Some threats to internal validity are related to time and other threats are related to
differences between groups. What is a threat related to time? - Answer- history effects
The goal of the pre-post design is to examine the effects of treatment by measuring
____. - Answer- one group before and after treatment
A pretest-posttest design (OXO) is considered to be a(n) ____. - Answer-
nonexperimental design
A series of observations before treatment allows a researcher to determine whether
____. - Answer- scores are influenced by some factor unrelated to the treatment
A researcher is examining cooperation between peers by observing children at six
years, eight years, and ten years old. If the researcher uses a cross-sectional design
and obtains 20 scores for each age, how many children participated in the entire
study?? - Answer- 60
A Type I error means that the hypothesis test has failed to detect a real treatment effect.
- Answer- false
Answers | Fall 2026 Update
The time-series design is an example of the quasi-experimental research strategy. -
Answer- True
A repeated-measures analysis of variance is the appropriate statistical analysis for
comparing mean differences for a differential design comparing samples representing
three populations. - Answer- false
In a differential research design, the participant characteristic that is used to define the
groups is called a(n) ____ variable. - Answer- quasi-independent
A differential research design comes closer to being a true experiment that other similar
designs. - Answer- false
The internal validity of the pre-post designs is threatened by threats related to time. -
Answer- true
type 1 error - Answer- false positive (incorrect rejection of true null)
type 2 error - Answer- false negative (fail to reject false null)
A research study that evaluates changes in behavior related to age by examining
different groups of individuals, with each group representing a different age, is called
a(n) ____. - Answer- cross sectional developmental
What is one difference between a time-series design and an interrupted time-series
design? - Answer- Time series examines the effect of a treatment and interrupted time
series examines the effect of an outside event.
A researcher studies language development by selecting a sample of two-year-old
children, a sample of three-year-old children, and a sample of four-year-old children.
Each child's language skill is measured and the researcher plans to compare the scores
for the three groups. This study is an example of a(n) ____. - Answer- cross sectional
developmental
A researcher conducts a survey examining eating and sleeping behavior as well as
academic performance for a group of elementary school children. The results of the
survey indicate that the children who eat a more nutritious breakfast tend to have better
grades than the children who have a breakfast low in nutrition. However, the research
suspects that the children's parents may be responsible for this relationship.
Specifically, the better-educated parents probably encourage their children to eat better
, food and work harder in school compared to parents with less education. If the
researcher is correct, this is an example of the ____. - Answer- third-variable problem
Dr. Jones hopes to demonstrate that children who eat a more nutritious breakfast also
tend to have more academic success than their peers. If this result is obtained, then
____ would be the predictor variable and ____ would be the criterion variable for the
study. - Answer- the nutrition in the breakfast; the level of success
A problem with a longitudinal design is that the results may be distorted by ____. -
Answer- A problem with a longitudinal design is that the results may be distorted by
____.
When students apply to graduate school, they usually are required to submit GRE
scores along with their applications. College officials know that there is a good
relationship between scores on the GRE and success in graduate school. In this
situation, success in graduate school is best characterized as the ____ variable. -
Answer- crierion
Which research design is commonly used to help establish the reliability or validity of a
measurement procedure? - Answer- correlational
Last year, the state increased the speed limit on one section of highway from 55 to 65
mph. To evaluate the effect of the change, a researcher gathered accident reports for
six months before the change and for six months after the change. This is an example
of a(n) ____. - Answer- interrupted time-series design
Some threats to internal validity are related to time and other threats are related to
differences between groups. What is a threat related to time? - Answer- history effects
The goal of the pre-post design is to examine the effects of treatment by measuring
____. - Answer- one group before and after treatment
A pretest-posttest design (OXO) is considered to be a(n) ____. - Answer-
nonexperimental design
A series of observations before treatment allows a researcher to determine whether
____. - Answer- scores are influenced by some factor unrelated to the treatment
A researcher is examining cooperation between peers by observing children at six
years, eight years, and ten years old. If the researcher uses a cross-sectional design
and obtains 20 scores for each age, how many children participated in the entire
study?? - Answer- 60
A Type I error means that the hypothesis test has failed to detect a real treatment effect.
- Answer- false
