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Thorne and Giesen Book Cover
Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, 4/e
Michael Thorne, Mississippi State University -- Mississippi State
Martin Giesen, Mississippi State University -- Mississippi State
Definitions and Scaling

Problems

  1. For each of the following brief descriptions, decide which is the independent variable and which is the dependent variable.

    1. Thirty people have been given one of three different kinds of drugs, and their responses on a standard IQ test have been recorded.

    2. A social psychologist studies the problem-solving performance of individuals working alone or working in the presence of others.

    3. One group of third-graders solves simple multiplication problems with odd-numbered answers. Another group of third-graders solves multiplication problems with even-numbered answers. The average number of seconds to solve the problems for each group is compared.

    4. In a study of visual acuity, participants view a standard stimulus under low illumination, moderate illumination, or high illumination. The length of time each participant takes to identify the stimulus is recorded.

  2. Give the appropriate measurement scale for each of the following:

    1. weight

    2. Social Security numbers

    3. scores assigned by a rating scale of authoritarian characteristics

    4. telephone numbers

    5. highway speed limits

    6. national college basketball ratings

    7. judges' ratings of gymnastics performance

    8. temperature centigrade

  3. Tell whether each of the following is a parameter or a statistic. Explain your choice.

    1. the average weight of all left-handed boys at Fairlawn High School

    2. the average ACT (or SAT) scores of 15 randomly selected students from your statistics class

    3. the range in IQ scores of all inmates in the state prison in your state

    4. the average income of a group of people selected by calling every 100th name in a small-town telephone directory

  4. Read each of the following and tell whether a descriptive statistical technique or an inferential statistical technique has been used.

    1. A commentator on the nightly business report uses a pie chart to show how the average American family spends its money.

    2. A newspaper article describes how a study of 27 Alzheimer's patients concluded that patients benefited from lecithin and physostigmine injections.

    3. A study based on a small sample concludes that calories consumed in a morning meal cause less weight gain than the same calories consumed at night.

    4. Your statistics instructor gives the range of scores and the average score on the midterm test.

    5. A study shows that law students who take special review courses perform better on the bar exam than students who do not take the courses.

    6. A newspaper publishes a graph showing the performance of the stock market in the month of July.

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