FRHD 3070 FINAL EXAM | COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | STUDY
GUIDE 2026
What are latent variables? - correct answer ✔✔variables that are not directly observable;
hidden, unobservable
ex. poverty, intelligence, social status
What are operational definitions? - correct answer ✔✔a sequence of steps, procedures or
operations that a researcher follows to obtain a measurement - needs to be able to be
replicated and be an acceptable and straight forward measure
What are the components of an observed score? - correct answer ✔✔observed score = true
score + systematic error + random error
What is an observed score? - correct answer ✔✔a score that is observed on a questionnaire,
exam etc.; it is the score you achieved
What are the three components of a variable? - correct answer ✔✔- construct of interest
(achievement = true score)
- constructs of disinterest (motivation, test anxiety = systematic error)
- random errors (grading/recording mistakes)
How many levels of measurement are there? - correct answer ✔✔4 - nominal, ordinal, interval,
ratio
- strive for highest level of measurement but sometimes you don't need that level of precision
- add different features as you go up the levels of measurement
What are the lower levels of measurement typically measuring? - correct answer ✔✔less
sophistication, simple tools and basic data
,What are the higher levels of measurement typically measuring? - correct answer ✔✔more
sophistication, complex tools and more sophisticated data
What is the nominal level of measurement? - correct answer ✔✔categorical, fits only into one
category; mutually exclusive; lowest level
- sex, religion, gender
What is the ordinal level of measurement? - correct answer ✔✔there is an order to it, low to
high and ranked on a continuum; mutually exclusive and ranked
- letter grades, level of agreement, intervals are not the same but range from low to high
What is the interval level of meausement? - correct answer ✔✔intervals between adjacent
categories, spaced out equally; mutually exclusive, ranked with equal intervals; can have a zero
but does numbers can go below
- temperature
What is the ratio level of measurement? - correct answer ✔✔there is a zero point which means
there is a total absence of that characteristic; highest level of measurement; true zero
- a 40 year old has lived twice as much as a 20 year old
What is correlation? - correct answer ✔✔statistical measure of strength of association between
two variables (-1 to +1)
What is the absolute value of Pearson correlation? - correct answer ✔✔r - effect size that
summarizes strength of relationship
What is considered a small or weak effect size? - correct answer ✔✔r = 0.10 therefore range is
anything less than 0.30
,What is considered a moderate effect size? - correct answer ✔✔r = 0.30 therefore range is
anything from 0.30 to 0.49
What is considered a large or strong effect size? - correct answer ✔✔r = 0.5 therefore range is
anything 0.50 and above
What is reliability? - correct answer ✔✔degree to which observed scores are free from errors of
measurement
- consistency, dependability, score doesn't vary because of measurement process
How many types of reliability are there? - correct answer ✔✔5
What is test-retest reliability? - correct answer ✔✔correlation between scores on same
measure at two different time periods; reliability means that there is high correlation between
two measures between time A and B
- should be 0.70 or more
What if you have low correlation on test-retest reliability? - correct answer ✔✔low correlation
means you have unreliable scale or your characteristics have changed
What if you have high correlation on test-retest reliabiltiy? - correct answer ✔✔if interval is
short, high correlation means you may have memorized first time period results
What are some things to keep in mind with test-retest reliabilty? - correct answer ✔✔- leave at
least a couple weeks between administrations
- long enough so you don't remember first but not extending it that you change your
characteristics
, What is alternative-forms reliability? - correct answer ✔✔two alternate forms, two absolutely
different sets of items/forms to measure same construct to ensure that people who memorized
their responses from time 1 can't repeat their answers
What is split-half reliabiltiy? - correct answer ✔✔single administration and split responses to
items in different way; split items 1-3 and compare to responses of 4-6 and look at correlation
between them; if high enough they should be measuring the same thing
What is the problem with split-half reliabiltiy? - correct answer ✔✔there are many ways to split
the items
What is internal consistency reliability? - correct answer ✔✔look at correlation between all of
the items using Cronbach's coefficient alpha
- it is the average of all split half reliabilities
What does Cronbach's alpha measure? - correct answer ✔✔looks at correlations and computer
spits out value about how well these items hang together, how homogenous they are ranging
from 0-1
- should have at least 0.70
- concept needs to be UNI DIMENSIONAL
What is inter-rater reliability? - correct answer ✔✔consistency among different observers using
the same instrument
What is validity? - correct answer ✔✔the extent to which a measure reflects only desired
construct without contamination from other systematically-varying constructs
What is construct validity? - correct answer ✔✔how well does the measure reflect the
construct you are interested in measuring
- umbrella term covering all other types of validity
GUIDE 2026
What are latent variables? - correct answer ✔✔variables that are not directly observable;
hidden, unobservable
ex. poverty, intelligence, social status
What are operational definitions? - correct answer ✔✔a sequence of steps, procedures or
operations that a researcher follows to obtain a measurement - needs to be able to be
replicated and be an acceptable and straight forward measure
What are the components of an observed score? - correct answer ✔✔observed score = true
score + systematic error + random error
What is an observed score? - correct answer ✔✔a score that is observed on a questionnaire,
exam etc.; it is the score you achieved
What are the three components of a variable? - correct answer ✔✔- construct of interest
(achievement = true score)
- constructs of disinterest (motivation, test anxiety = systematic error)
- random errors (grading/recording mistakes)
How many levels of measurement are there? - correct answer ✔✔4 - nominal, ordinal, interval,
ratio
- strive for highest level of measurement but sometimes you don't need that level of precision
- add different features as you go up the levels of measurement
What are the lower levels of measurement typically measuring? - correct answer ✔✔less
sophistication, simple tools and basic data
,What are the higher levels of measurement typically measuring? - correct answer ✔✔more
sophistication, complex tools and more sophisticated data
What is the nominal level of measurement? - correct answer ✔✔categorical, fits only into one
category; mutually exclusive; lowest level
- sex, religion, gender
What is the ordinal level of measurement? - correct answer ✔✔there is an order to it, low to
high and ranked on a continuum; mutually exclusive and ranked
- letter grades, level of agreement, intervals are not the same but range from low to high
What is the interval level of meausement? - correct answer ✔✔intervals between adjacent
categories, spaced out equally; mutually exclusive, ranked with equal intervals; can have a zero
but does numbers can go below
- temperature
What is the ratio level of measurement? - correct answer ✔✔there is a zero point which means
there is a total absence of that characteristic; highest level of measurement; true zero
- a 40 year old has lived twice as much as a 20 year old
What is correlation? - correct answer ✔✔statistical measure of strength of association between
two variables (-1 to +1)
What is the absolute value of Pearson correlation? - correct answer ✔✔r - effect size that
summarizes strength of relationship
What is considered a small or weak effect size? - correct answer ✔✔r = 0.10 therefore range is
anything less than 0.30
,What is considered a moderate effect size? - correct answer ✔✔r = 0.30 therefore range is
anything from 0.30 to 0.49
What is considered a large or strong effect size? - correct answer ✔✔r = 0.5 therefore range is
anything 0.50 and above
What is reliability? - correct answer ✔✔degree to which observed scores are free from errors of
measurement
- consistency, dependability, score doesn't vary because of measurement process
How many types of reliability are there? - correct answer ✔✔5
What is test-retest reliability? - correct answer ✔✔correlation between scores on same
measure at two different time periods; reliability means that there is high correlation between
two measures between time A and B
- should be 0.70 or more
What if you have low correlation on test-retest reliability? - correct answer ✔✔low correlation
means you have unreliable scale or your characteristics have changed
What if you have high correlation on test-retest reliabiltiy? - correct answer ✔✔if interval is
short, high correlation means you may have memorized first time period results
What are some things to keep in mind with test-retest reliabilty? - correct answer ✔✔- leave at
least a couple weeks between administrations
- long enough so you don't remember first but not extending it that you change your
characteristics
, What is alternative-forms reliability? - correct answer ✔✔two alternate forms, two absolutely
different sets of items/forms to measure same construct to ensure that people who memorized
their responses from time 1 can't repeat their answers
What is split-half reliabiltiy? - correct answer ✔✔single administration and split responses to
items in different way; split items 1-3 and compare to responses of 4-6 and look at correlation
between them; if high enough they should be measuring the same thing
What is the problem with split-half reliabiltiy? - correct answer ✔✔there are many ways to split
the items
What is internal consistency reliability? - correct answer ✔✔look at correlation between all of
the items using Cronbach's coefficient alpha
- it is the average of all split half reliabilities
What does Cronbach's alpha measure? - correct answer ✔✔looks at correlations and computer
spits out value about how well these items hang together, how homogenous they are ranging
from 0-1
- should have at least 0.70
- concept needs to be UNI DIMENSIONAL
What is inter-rater reliability? - correct answer ✔✔consistency among different observers using
the same instrument
What is validity? - correct answer ✔✔the extent to which a measure reflects only desired
construct without contamination from other systematically-varying constructs
What is construct validity? - correct answer ✔✔how well does the measure reflect the
construct you are interested in measuring
- umbrella term covering all other types of validity
