PSYC 354 FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE | STATISTICS FOR PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS 2026/2027
reasons to study stats - correct answer ✔✔
descriptive vs. inferential stats - correct answer ✔✔Descriptive:
organize, summarize, and communicate a group of numerical observations.
Inferential:
use sample data to make general estimates about the larger population
levels of measurement - correct answer ✔✔Ordinal (median & range)
Scale
Nominal (mode)
reliability and validity - correct answer ✔✔Reliability:
consistent
Validity:
true
correlational and experimental designs - correct answer ✔✔Correlational:
studies association between two or more variables
do not manipulate either variable; assess the two variables as they exist
Experimental:
, study in which participants are randomly assigned to a condition or level of one or more
independent variables
within-group and between-group designs - correct answer ✔✔within:
all participants in the study experience the different levels of the independent variable; also
called a repeated-measures design
between:
participants experience one, and only one, level of the independent variable
Histogram - correct answer ✔✔a graph similar to a bar graph typically used to depict scale data
with the values of the variable on the x-axis and the frequencies on the y-axis
normal distribution - correct answer ✔✔specific frequency distribution in the shape of a bell
shaped symmetric, unimodal curve
negative vs. positive skew - correct answer ✔✔negative:
tail extends to left
positive:
tail extends to right
floor and ceiling effects - correct answer ✔✔floor:
situation in which a constraint prevents a variable from taking values below a certain point
ceiling:
situation in which a constraint prevents a variable from taking values above a certain point
ANSWERS 2026/2027
reasons to study stats - correct answer ✔✔
descriptive vs. inferential stats - correct answer ✔✔Descriptive:
organize, summarize, and communicate a group of numerical observations.
Inferential:
use sample data to make general estimates about the larger population
levels of measurement - correct answer ✔✔Ordinal (median & range)
Scale
Nominal (mode)
reliability and validity - correct answer ✔✔Reliability:
consistent
Validity:
true
correlational and experimental designs - correct answer ✔✔Correlational:
studies association between two or more variables
do not manipulate either variable; assess the two variables as they exist
Experimental:
, study in which participants are randomly assigned to a condition or level of one or more
independent variables
within-group and between-group designs - correct answer ✔✔within:
all participants in the study experience the different levels of the independent variable; also
called a repeated-measures design
between:
participants experience one, and only one, level of the independent variable
Histogram - correct answer ✔✔a graph similar to a bar graph typically used to depict scale data
with the values of the variable on the x-axis and the frequencies on the y-axis
normal distribution - correct answer ✔✔specific frequency distribution in the shape of a bell
shaped symmetric, unimodal curve
negative vs. positive skew - correct answer ✔✔negative:
tail extends to left
positive:
tail extends to right
floor and ceiling effects - correct answer ✔✔floor:
situation in which a constraint prevents a variable from taking values below a certain point
ceiling:
situation in which a constraint prevents a variable from taking values above a certain point
