Exam (elaborations)
PYC3704 EXAM PACK 2025 {DETAILED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS }
- Course
- Psychological Research
- Institution
- University Of South Africa
PYC3704 EXAM PACK 2025 {DETAILED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS }
[Show more]
Content preview
, Question 1Which of the following are advantages of
studying statistical methods in psychology?
1. It leads to a better understanding of the
content of psychological theories.
2. It helps us to formulate research questions.
3. It helps us to evaluate whether the patterns
we observe in data are due to more than the
consequence of chance.
4. It gives insight into the nature of the
scientific process.
➔ Answer: Option 3 is correct.
Statistical methods are required specifically to
compare the relationships that we observe in
data with what could be expected purely by
chance, in order to decide whether the patterns
we detect are probably not purely the result of
random variations in the data (e.g., due to
errors in our measurements). The other three
options are more general aspects of research
Open Rubric
,and go beyond the statistical analysis of the
results.
Question 2
Which of the options below is a valid
description of a 'construct' in psychological
research? It is a(n) - - - - -.
1. measurement based on the careful
observation of aspects of humans or human
behaviour
2. observation of an aspect of humans or
human behaviour which was
operationalized in some way
3. hypothetical aspect of humans or human
behaviour which we wish to investigate
4. explanation of empirical observations
based on the measurement of certain
variables
➔ Answer: The correct answer is given in
Option 3.
Constructs are abstract aspects of humans such
as 'intelligence' or 'depression' which can be
best described as 'hypothetical' since we
suppose they exist but they cannot be observed
directly (see p. 3 of the Study Guide for
PYC3704). We use 'operationalization' to
, make them visible (by developing some way
of observing them) but this happens because
we hypothesise that they exist in the first place
(so Option 2 is wrong). This could entail
measurement (Option 1) and may lead to an
explanation for human behaviour (Option 4),
but the construct is presupposed before any of
this can happen.
Question 3
A psychologist believes that personality
factors such as ability to get along with other
people in a team are likely to have an influence
their success in a team sport. To investigate
this, she draws a sample of participants in
competitive sport, comprising soccer players,
hockey players and cricketers from various
sports clubs. After evaluating their
performance on an appropriate psychometric
test, she divides players from the three types of
sports into two groups: those who have good
social skills and those who tend avoid social
contact. She then uses evaluation forms, based
on interviews with different sports experts, to
assess the actual sports performance of the
members of the sample. The dependent
variable in the study is - - - - - and the
independent variable is - - - - -.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller MasterVincent. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R51,52. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
75632 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now