NCE - Research & Program Evaluation

The most valuable type of research is…

a. always conducted using a factor analysis

b. conducted using the chi-square

c. the experiment, used to discover cause-and-effect relationships

d. the quasi-experiment

c. the experiment, used to discover cause-and-effect relationships

Experiments emphasize parsimony, which means…

a. interpreting the results in the simplest way

b. interpreting the results in the most complex manner

c. interpreting the results using a correlation coefficient

d. interpreting the results using a clinical interview

a. interpreting the results in the simplest way

Occam’s Razor suggests that experimenters…

a. interpret the results in the simplest manner

b. interpret the results in the most complex manner

c. interpret the results using a correlational coefficient

d. interpret the results using a clinical interviewer

a. interpret the results in the simplest manner

A counselor educator is running an experiment to test a new form of counseling. Unbeknownst to the experimenter one of the clients in the study is secretly seeing a gestalt therapist. This experiment…

a. is parsimonious

b. is an example of Occam’s Razor

c. is confounded/flawed

d. is valid and will most likely help the field of counseling

c. is confounded/flawed

Nondirective is to person-centered as…

a. psychological testing is to counseling

b. confounding is to experimenting

c. appraisal is to research

d. parsimony is to Occam’s Razor

d. parsimony is to Occam’s Razor

An experiment is said to be confounded when…

a. undesirable variables are not kept out of the experiment

b. undesirable variables are kept out of the experiment

c. basic research is used in place of applied research

d. the sample is random

a. undesirable variables are not kept out of the experiment

In experimental terminology IV stands for _____ and DV stands for _____.

a. independent variable; dependent variable

b. dependent variable; independent variable

c. individual variable; dependent variable

d. independent variable; designer variable

a. independent variable; dependent variable

A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the _____, and the DV will be the _____.

a. professor; anxiety level

b. anxiety level; board exam score

c. biofeedback; board exam score

d. board exam score; biofeedback

c. biofeedback; board exam score

Experimenters should always abide by a code of ethics. The variable you manipulate/control in an experiment is the…

a. DV

b. dependent varialbe

c. the variable you will measure to determine the outcome

d. IV or independent variable

d. IV or independent variable

In order for the professor of counselor education (see previous question) to conduct an experiment regarding his hypothesis he will need a(n) ____ and a(n) ____.

Previous question: A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the biofeedback, and the DV will be the board exam score.

a. biofeedback group; systematic desensitization group

b. control group; systematic desensitization group

c. control group; experimental group

d. control group with at least 60 subjects. experimental group with at least 60 subjects

c. control group; experimental group

In order for the professor of counselor education to conduct the experiment suggested in the previous question, the experimental group would need to receive…

Previous question: A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the biofeedback, and the DV will be the board exam score.

a. the manipulated IV

b. the biofeedback training

c. a & b

d. the organismic IV

c. a & b

Hypothesis testing is most closely related to the work of…

a. Robert Hoppock

b. Sigmund Freud

c. Lloyd Morgan

d. R.A. Fisher

d. R.A. Fisher

The null hypothesis suggests that there will not be a significant difference between the experimental group which received the IV and the control group which did not. Thus, if the experiment in the previous question was conducted, the null hypothesis would suggest that…

Previous question: A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the biofeedback, and the DV will be the board exam score.

a. all students receiving biofeedback training would score equally well on the board exam

b. systematic desensitization might work better than biofeedback

c. biofeedback will not improve the board exam score

d. meta-analysis is required

c. biofeedback will not improve the board exam score

The hunch is known as the experimental or alternative hypothesis. The experimental hypothesis suggests that a difference will be evident between the control group and the experimental group (i.e., the group receiving the IV). Thus, if the experiment in the previous question were conducted, the experimental hypothesis would suggest that…

Previous question: A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the biofeedback, and the DV will be the board exam score.

a. the biofeedback would raise board scores

b. the control group will score better on the board exam

c. there will be no difference between the experimental and the control groups

d. the experiment has been confounded

a. the biofeedback would raise board scores

From a purely statistical standpoint, in order to compare a control group (which does not receive the IV or experimental manipulation) to the experimental group the researcher will need…

a. a correlation coefficient

b. only descriptive statistics

c. percentile rank

d. a test of significance

d. a test of significance

When you see the letter P in relation to a test of significance it means…

a. portion

b. population parameter

c. probability

d. the researcher is using an ethnographic qualitative approach

c. probability

In social sciences the accepted probability level is usually…

a. .05 or less

b. 1.0 or higher

c. .0001 or less

d. .05 or higher

a. .05 or less

P = .05 really means that…

a. five subjects were not included in the study

b. there is only a 5% chance that the difference between the control group and the experimental groups is due to chance factors

c. the level of significance is .01

d. no level of significance has been set

b. there is only a 5% chance that the difference between the control group and the experimental groups is due to chance factors

P = .05 really means that…

a. differences truly exist; the experimenter will obtain the same results 95 times out of 100

b. differences truly exist; the experimenter will obtain the same results 99 times out of 100

c. there is a 95% error factor

d. there is a 10% error factor

a. differences truly exist; the experimenter will obtain the same results 95 times out of 100

The study that would best rule out chance factors would have a significance level of P =…

a. .05

b. .01

c. .001

d. .08

c. .001

Type I and Type II errors are called ____ and ____ respectively.

a. beta; alpha

b. .01; .05

c. a & b

d. alpha; beta

d. alpha; beta

A Type I error occurs when…

a. you have a beta error

b. you accept null when its false

c. you reject null when its true

d. you fail to use a test of significance

c. you reject null when its true

A Type II error…

a. is also called a beta error

b. means you reject null when it is applicable

c. means you accept null when it’s false

d. a & c

d. a & c

Assume the experiment in the previous question is conducted. The results indicate that the biofeedback helped raise written board exam scores but in reality this is not the case. The researcher has made a…

Previous question: A professor of counselor education hypothesized that biofeedback training could reduce anxiety and improve the average score on written board exams. If this professor decides to conduct a formal experiment the IV will be the biofeedback, and the DV will be the board exam score.

a. Type I error

b. Type II error

c. beta error

d. b & c

a. Type I error

A counselor educator decides to increase the sample size in her experiment. This will…

a. confound the experiment in nearly every case

b. raise the probability of Type I and Type II errors

c. have virtually no impact on Type I and Type II errors

d. reduce Type I and Type II errors

d. reduce Type I and Type II errors

If a researcher changes the significance level from .05 to .001, then…

a. alpha and beta errors will increase

b. alpha errors increase but beta errors decrease

c. alpha errors decrease; however, beta errors increase

d. this will have no impact on Type I and Type II errors

c. alpha errors decrease; however, beta errors increase

A counselor believes that clients who receive assertiveness training will ask more questions in counseling classes. An experimental group receives assertiveness training while a control group does not. In order to test for significant differences between the groups the counselor should utilize…

a. the student’s t test

b. a correlation coefficient

c. a survey

d. an analysis of variance (ANOVA)

a. the student’s t test

The researcher in the previous question now attempts a more complex experiment. One group receives no assertiveness training, a second group receives four assertiveness training sessions, and a third receives six sessions. The statistic of choice would be the…

Previous question: A counselor believes that clients who receive assertiveness training will ask more questions in counseling classes. An experimental group receives assertiveness training while a control group does not. In order to test for significant differences between the groups the counselor should utilize the student’s t test.

a. mean

b. t test

c. two-way ANOVA

d. ANOVA

d. ANOVA

If the researcher in the previous question utilized two IVs then the statistic of choice would be the…

Previous question: The researcher in the previous question now attempts a more complex experiment. One group receives no assertiveness training, a second group receives four assertiveness training sessions, and a third receives six sessions. The statistic of choice would be the ANOVA.

a. mean

b. t test

c. two-way ANOVA or MANOVA

d. ANOVA

c. two-way ANOVA or MANOVA

To complete a t test you would consult a tabled value of t. In order to see if significant differences exist in an ANOVA you would consult…

a. the mode

b. a table for t values

c. a table for F values

d. the chi-square

c. a table for F values

Which level of significance would best rule out chance factors?

a. .05

b. .01

c. .2

d. .001

d. .001

When a researcher uses correlation, then there is no direct manipulation of the IV. A researcher might ask, for example, how IQ correlates with the incidence of panic disorder. Again, nothing is manipulated; just measured. In cases such as this a correlation coefficient will reveal…

a. the relationship between IQ and panic disorder

b. the probability that a significant difference exists

c. an F test

d. percentile rank

a. the relationship between IQ and panic disorder

If data indicate that students who study a lot get very high scores on state counselor licensing exams, then the correlation between study time and LPC exam scores would be…

a. positive

b. negative

c. 0.00

d. impossible to ascertain

a. positive

Which of the following would most likely yield a perfect correlation of 1.00?

a. IQ and salary

b. ICD diagnosis and salary

c. Length in inches and length in centimeters

d. Height and weight

c. Length in inches and length in centimeters

A good guess would be that if you would correlate the length of CACREP graduates’ baby toes with their CPCE scores the result would be…

a. close to 0.00

b. close to a perfect 1.0

c. close to a perfect negative correlation of -1.00

d. be about +.70

a. close to 0.00

Dr. X discovered that the correlation between therapists who hold NCC status and therapists who practice systematic desensitization is .90. A student who perused Dr. X’s research told his fellow students that Dr. X had discovered that attaining NCC status causes therapists to become behaviorally oriented. The student is incorrect because…

a. systematic desensitization is clearly not a behavioral strategy

b. this can only be determined via a histogram

c. the study suffers from longitudinal and maturational effects

d. correlation does not imply causal

d. correlation does not imply causal

Behaviorists often utilize N = 1, which is called intensive experimental design. The first step in this approach would be to…

a. consult a random number table

b. decide on a nonparametric statistical test

c. take a baseline measure

d. compute the range

c. take a baseline measure

In a new study the clients do not know whether they are receiving an experimental treatment for depression or whether they are simply part of the control group. This is, nevertheless, known to the researcher. Thus, this is a…

a. double-blind study

b. single-blind study

c. baseline for an intensive N = 1 design

d. participant observer model

b. single-blind study

A large study at a major university gave an experimental group of clients a new type of therapy that was intended to ameliorate test anxiety. The control group did not receive the new therapy. Neither the clients nor the researchers knew which students received the new treatment. This was a…

a. double-blind study

b. single-blind study

c. typical AB design

d. case of correlational research

a. double-blind study

Experimental is to cause and effect as correlational is to…

a. blind study

b. double-blind study

c. N = 1 design

d. degree of relationship

d. degree of relationship

In a normal curve the mean, the median, and the mode all fall precisely in the middle of the curve. From a graphical standpoint the so-called normal or Gaussian curve (named after the astronomer/mathematician K.F. Gauss) looks like…

a. a symmetrical bell

b. the top half of a bowling ball

c. the top half of a hot dog

d. a mountain which is leaning toward the left

a. a symmetrical bell

The most common measures of central tendency are the mean, the median, and the mode. The mode is…

a. the most frequently occurring score and the least-important measure of central tendency

b. always 10% less than the mean

c. the arithmetic average

d. the middle score in the distribution of scores

a. the most frequently occurring score and the least-important measure of central tendency

A bimodal distribution has two modes (i.e., most frequently occurring scores). Graphically, this looks roughly like…

a. a symmetrical bell-shaped curve

b. a camel’s back with two humps

c. the top half of a bowling ball

d. a mountain which is leaning toward the left

b. a camel’s back with two humps

In a basic curve or so-called frequency polygon the point of maximum concentration is the…

a. mean

b. median

c. mode

d. range

c. mode

The most useful measure of central tendency is the…

a. mean, often abbreviated by an X with a bar over it

b. median, often abbreviated by Md. or Mdn.

c. mode, often abbreviated by Mo.

d. point of maximum concentration

a. mean, often abbreviated by an X with a bar over it

In a career counseling session, an electrical engineer mentions three jobs he has held. The first paid $10 per hour, the second paid $30 per hour, and the third paid a higher rate of $50 per hour. The counselor responds that the client is averaging $30 per hour. The counselor is using…

a. a Pearson Product-Moment Correlation coefficient

b. a factorial design

c. the harmonic mean

d. the mean

d. the mean

From a mathematical standpoint, the mean is merely the sum of the scores divided by the number of scores. The mean is misleading when…

a. the distribution is skewed

b. the distribution has no extreme scores

c. there are extreme scores

d. a & c

d. a & c

When a distribution of scores is not distributed normally, statisticians call it…

a. Gauss’s curve

b. a symmetrical bell-shaped curve

c. a skewed distribution

d. an invalid distribution

c. a skewed distribution

The median is…

a. the middle score when the data are arranged from highest to lowest

b. the arithmetic average

c. the most-frequent value obtained

d. never more useful than the mean

a. the middle score when the data are arranged from highest to lowest

In a new experiment, a counselor educator wants to ferret out the effects of more than one IV. She will use a ____ design.

a. Pearson Product-Moment r

b. Spearman rank order rho

c. factorial

d. Solomon four-group

c. factorial

Regardless of the shape, the ____ will always be the high point when a distribution is displayed graphically.

a. degrees of freedom (df)

b. mean

c. median

d. mode

d. mode

A group of first-semester graduate students in counseling took an experimental counseling exam that was much more difficult than the NCE. All of the students scored very low. A distribution of their scores would…

a. always be a bimodal distribution

b. be positively skewed

c. be negatively skewed

d. produce a curve with a long tail to the left side of the graph

b. be positively skewed

Nine of the world’s finest counselor educators are given an elementary exam on counseling theory. Needless to say, all of them scored extremely high. The distribution of scores would most likely be…

a. a bell-shaped curve

b. positively skewed

c. negatively skewed

d. indicative that more information would be necessary

c. negatively skewed

Billy received an 82 on his college math final. This is Billy’s raw score on the test. A raw score simply refers to the number of items correctly answered. A raw score is expressed in the units by which it was originally obtained. The raw score is not altered mathematically. Billy’s raw score indicates that…

a. he is roughly a B student

b. he answered 82% correctly

c. his percentile rank is 82

d. more information is obviously necessary

d. more information is obviously necessary

A distribution with class intervals can be graphically displayed via a bar graph also called a…

a. histogram

b. sociogram

c. genogram

d. genus

a. histogram

When a horizontal line is drawn under a frequency distribution it is known as…

a. mesokurtic

b. the y axis

c. the ordinate

d. the x axis

d. the x axis

The x axis is used to plot the IV scores. The x axis could also be called the ____ on your exam.

a. y axis

b. abscissa

c. DV

d. vertical axis

b. abscissa

The y axis is used to plot the frequency of the DVs. The y axis could also be called the ____ on your exam.

a. ordinate

b. abscissa

c. IV

d. horizontal axis

a. ordinate

If a distribution is bimodal, then there is a good chance that…

a. the curve will be normal

b. the curve will be shaped like a symmetrical bell

c. the researcher is working with two distinct populations

d. the research is useless

c. the research is working with two distinct populations

If an experiment can be replicated by others with almost identical findings, then the experiment is…

a. impacted by the observer affect

b. said to be a naturalistic observation

c. the result of ethological obersrvation

d. said to be reliable

d. said to be reliable

The range is a measure of variance and usually is calculated by determining the difference between the highest and the lowest score. Thus, on a test where the top score was a 93 and the lowest score was a 33 out of 100, the range would be…

a. 61

b. 77

c. 59

d. more information is necessary

a. 61

A sociogram is to a counseling group as a scattergram is to…

a. the normal curve

b. the range

c. a correlation coefficient

d. the John Henry effect

c. a correlation coefficient

A counselor educator is teaching two separate classes in individual inventory. In the morning class the counselor educator has 53 students and in the afternoon class she has 177 students. A statistician would expect that the range of scores on a test would be…

a. greater in the afternoon class than in the morning class

b. smaller in the afternoon class

c. impossible to speculate about without more data

d. nearly the same in either class

a. greater in the afternoon class than in the morning class

The variance is a measure of dispersion of scores around some measure of central tendency. The variance is the standard deviation squared. A popular IQ test has a standard deviation (SD) of 15. A counselor would expect that if the mean IQ score is 100, then…

a. the average score on the test would be 122

b. 95% of the people who take the test will score between 85 and 115

c. 99% of the people who take the test will score between 85 and 115

d. 68% of the people who take the test will score between 85 and 115

d. 68% of the people who take the test will score between 85 and 115

Using the data from the previous question one could say that a person with an IQ score of 122 would fall within…

Previous question: The variance is a measure of dispersion of scores around some measure of central tendency. The variance is the standard deviation squared. A popular IQ test has a SD of 15. A counselor would expect that if the mean IQ score is 100, then 68% of the people who take the test will score between 85 and 115

a. + or -1 SD of the mean

b. the average IQ range

c. an IQ score which is more than 2 SD above the mean

d. + or -2 SD of the mean

d. + or -2 SD of the mean

The standard deviation (SD) is the square root of the variance. A z-score of +1 would be the same as…

a. 1 SD above the mean

b. 1 SD below the mean

c. the same as a so-called t-score

d. the median score if the population is normal

a. 1 SD above the mean

Z-scores (also called standard scores) are the same as standard deviations, thus a z-score of -2.5 means…

a. 2.5 SD below the mean

b. 2.5 SD above the mean

c. a CEEB score of 500

d. -.05% of the population falls within this area of the curve

a. 2.5 SD below the mean

A t-score is different from a z-score. A z-score is the same as the SD. A t-score, however, has a mean of 50 with every 10 points landing at a SD above or below the mean. Thus a t-score of 60 would equal +1 SD while a t-score of 40 would be…

a. -2 SD

b. -1 SD

c. a z-score of +2

d. a z-score of +1

b. -1 SD

An IQ score on an IQ test which was 3 SD above the mean would be…

a. about average

b. slightly below the norm for adults

c. approximately 110

d. very superior

d. very superior

A platykurtic distribution would look approximately like…

a. the upper half of a bowling ball

b. the normal distribution

c. the upper half of a hot dog, lying on its side over the abscissa

d. a camel’s back

c. the upper half of a hot dog, lying on its side over the abscissa

Test scores on an exam that fell below 3 SD of the mean or above 3 SD of the mean could be described as…

a. extreme

b. very typical or within the average range

c. close to the mean

d. very low scores

a. extreme

In World War II the Air Force used stanine scores as a measurement. Stanine scores divide the distribution into nine equal intervals with stanine 1 as the lowest ninth and 9 as the highest ninth. In this system 5 is the mean. Thus a Binet IQ score of 101 would fall in stanine…

a. 1

b. 9

c. 5

d. 7

c. 5

There are four basic measurement scales: the nominal, the ordinal, the interval, and the ratio. The nominal scale is strictly a qualitative scale. It is the simplest type of scale. It is used to distinguish logically separated groups. Which of the following illustrates the function of the nominal scale?

a. A horse categorized as a second-place winner in a show

b. A DSM or ICD diagnostic category

c. An IQ score of 111

d. The weight of an Olympic barbell set

b. A DSM or ICD diagnostic category

The ordinal scale rank orders variables, though the relative distance between the elements is not always equal. An example of this would be…

a. a horse categorized as a second-place winner in a race

b. an IQ score of 111

c. the weight of an Olympic barbell set

d. a temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit

a. a horse categorized as a second-place winner in a race

The interval scale has numbers scaled at equal distances but has no absolute zero point. Most tests used in school fall into this category. You can add and subtract using interval scales but cannot multiply or divide. An example of this would be that…

a. an IQ of 70 is 70 points blow an IQ of 140, yet a counselor could not assert that a client with an IQ of 140 is twice as intelligent as a client with an IQ of 70

b. a 20lb weight is half as heavy as a 40lb weight

c. a first-place runner is three times as fast as the third-place finisher

d. a baseball player with number 9 on is uniform can get 9 times more hits than player number 1

a. an IQ of 70 is 70 points blow an IQ of 140, yet a counselor could not assert that a client with an IQ of 140 is twice as intelligent as a client with an IQ of 70

A ratio scale is an interval scale with a true zero point. Ratio measurements are possible using this scale. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division all can be utilized on a ratio scale. In terms of counseling research…

a. the ratio scale is the most practical

b. all true studies utilize the ratio scale

c. a & b

d. most psychological attributes cannot be measured on a ratio scale

d. most psychological attributes cannot be measured on a ratio scale

Researchers often utilize naturalistic observation when doing ethological investigations or studying children’s behavior. In this appraoch…

a. the researcher manipulates the IV

b. the researcher manipulates the IV and the DV

c. the researcher does not manipulate or control variables

d. the researcher will rely on a 2×3 factorial design

c. the researcher does not manipulate or control variables

The simplest form of descriptive research is the ____, which requires a questionnaire return or completion rate of ____ to be accurate.

a. survey; 5%

b. survey; 10-25%

c. survey; 50-75%

d. survey; 95%

c. survey; 50-75%

A researcher gives a depressed patient a sugar pill and the individual’s depression begins to lift. This is known as…

a. the Hawthorne effect

b. the Halo effect

c. the placebo effect

d. the learned helplessness syndrome

c. the placebo effect

A researcher notes that a group of clients who are not receiving counseling, but are observed in a research study, are improving. Her hypothesis is that the attention she has given them has been curative. The best explanation of their improvement would be…

a. the Hawthorne effect

b. the Halo effect

c. the Rosenthal effect

d. a Type II error in the research

a. the Hawthorne effect

An elementary school counselor tells the third-grade teacher that a test revealed that certain children will excel during the school year. In reality, no such test was administered. Moreover, the children were unaware of the experiment. By the end of the year, all of the children who were supposed to excel did excel! This would be best explained via…

a. the Hawthorne effect

b. the Halo effect

c. the Rosenthal effect or the experimenter expectancy effect

d. observer bias

c. the Rosenthal effect or the experimenter expectancy effect

A panel of investigators discovered that a researcher who completed a major study has unconsciously rated attractive females as better counselors. This is an example of…

a. the Hawthorne effect

b. the Halo effect

c. the Rosenthal effect

d. trend analysis

b. the Halo effect

All of the following describe the analysis of covariance technique except…

a. It is a correlation coefficient

b. It controls for sample differences which exist

c. It helps to remove confounding, extraneous variables

d. It statistically eliminates differences in average values influenced by covariates

a. It is a correlation coefficient

Three years ago an inpatient addiction treatment center in a hospital asked their clients if they would like to undergo an archaic form of therapy created by Wilhelm Reich known as “vegotherapy”. Approximately half of the clients stated they would like to try the treatment while the other 50% stated that they would stick with the tried-and-true program of the center. Outcome data on their drinking was complied at the end of seven weeks. Today - three years later - a statistician compared the two groups based on their drinking behavior at the end of the seven weeks using a t test. This study could best be described as…

a. correlation research

b. a true experiment

c. a cohort study

d. causal comparative research

d. causal comparative research

The WAIS-IV IQ test is given to 100 adults picked randomly. How many of the adults most likely would receive an IQ score between 85 and 115?

a. 7

b. 99

c. 95

d. 68

d. 68

A researcher creates a new motoric test in which clients throw a baseball at a target 40 feet away. Each client is given 100 throws, and the mean on the test is 50. (In other words, out of 100 throws the mean number of times the client will hit the target is 50 times.) Sam took the test and hit the target just wo times out of the 100 throws allowed. Jeff, on the other hand, hit the target an amazing 92 times out of 100 trials. Using the concept of statistical regression toward the mean the research would predict that…

a. Sam’s and Jeff’s scores will stay about the same if they take the test again

b. Sam and Jeff will both score over 95 next time

c. Sam’s score will increase while Jeff’s will go down

d. Sam will beat Jeff if they both are tested again

c. Sam’s score will increase while Jeff’s will go down