QUESTION
Scales of Measurement
1.
A researcher examines whether scores on a homework assignment are influenced by whether
background music is soft, loud, or absent.
a.
What is the independent variable?
b.
Is the independent variable manipulated or not manipulated?
c.
How many levels are there for the independent variable?
d.
What is the dependent variable?
e.
What is the scale of measurement for the dependent variable?
2.
A researcher compares freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors with respect to how
much fun they have while attending college (1=no fun at all, 7=maximum amount of
fun).
a.
What is the independent variable?
b.
Is the independent variable manipulated or not manipulated?
c.
How many levels are there for the independent variable?
d.
What is the dependent variable?
e.
What is the scale of measurement for the dependent variable?
3.
In the criminal justice system, a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, the
null hypothesis is: “This person is innocent.”
a.
In this case, what would be the Type I error?
b.
In this case, what would be the Type II error?
c.
Which do you think is the more costly error? Why?
4.
In one famous study (Rosenhan, 1973), eight healthy volunteers (“pseudopatients”)
presented themselves to psychiatric hospitals. They told the admissions officers that they
had been hearing voices. Except for this one lie, they answered all other questions
truthfully. All pseudopatients were admitted to the hospitals, where they ceased to
pretend they were hearing voices (in other words, they behaved ‘normally’). None of the
pseudopatients were detected as sane. Rosenhan argued that the staff at the hospitals
seemed to be operating under the null hypothesis that patients in a psychiatric hospital are
insane.
a.
In this study, did the hospital staff commit a Type I or Type II error in calling
sane patients insane?
b.
Which would be the more costly error? Why