Correlation Analysis in Psychology – UGC NET – Solved PYQs

Included Topics: Correlational Analysts: Correlation [Product Moment, Rank Order], Partial correlation, multiple correlation. Special Correlation Methods: Biserial, Point biserial, tetrachoric, phi coefficient. Regression: Simple Linear regression, Multiple regression. Factor analysis: Assumptions, Methods, Rotation and Interpretation.

1. A study employed two groups, matched on intelligence, each group with 30 subjects. Each subject was required to learn a list of CVC trigrams and the number of trials required to learn the list was the dependent variable. What would be the degrees of freedom if a suitable t-test is used to evaluate the mean difference? [DEC 2014]

(1) 29
(2) 30
(3) 58
(4) 60

2. What would be the degrees of freedom for the second-order interaction effect in a 3x3x2 factorial design? [DEC 2014]

(1) 2
(2) 4
(3) 9
(4) 18

3. Which of the following statements are true about simple bivariate linear regression? [JUNE 2015]

I. The b coefficient is a slope of the regression line.
II. The b coefficient denotes change in Y, when X changes by 1 unit.
III. The errors of prediction have a mean and variance of zero.
IV. If the b coefficient is significant, the product moment correlation between X and Y is also significant.

Codes:

(1) I and II
(2) III and IV
(3) I, II and III
(4) I, II and IV

4. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by choosing from the codes given below: [JULY 2016]

Codes:

(1) A-III, B-V, C-II, D-IV
(2) A-III, B-V, C-II, D-I
(3) A-V, B-III, C-II, D-IV
(4) A-II, B-III, C-V, D-IV

Directions (Q. Nos. 5 to 9) Read the following paragraph and answer the questions which follow:

An industrial psychologist wanted to study the job efficiency of the company executives in relation to MBA marks, selection test scores, evaluations scores at the end of inhouse training. Job efficiency correlated with MBA marks (r = 0.40), selection test scores (r = 0.50) and the evaluation scores at the end of inhouse training (r=0.60). All the three correlations were statistically significant. The multiple regression was computed using job efficiency as the criterion and the other three variables as the predictors. The three predictors explained 56.25 percent of variance in the job efficiency. The industrial psychologist further thought that the communication skills assessment would enhance the predictability of job efficiency. As such, the communication skills of the respondents were also assessed, which correlated with job efficiency by 0.35, again a statistically significant value. However when communication skills were added as the fourth predictor in the multiple regression, the change in R2 (squared multiple correlation) was found to be insignificant.

5. What percent of variance in job efficiency is explained by evaluation scores at the end of training? [JULY 2016]

(1) 36 percent
(2) 40 percent
(3) 60 percent
(4) 64 percent

6. What would be the multiple correlation between the job efficiency and the three predictors (MBA marks, selection test scores, and the evaluations scores at the end of in house training)? [JULY 2016]

(1) 0.50
(2) 0.65
(3) 0.75
(4) Inadequate data

7. Which one of the following conclusion can be drawn on the basis of above study? [JULY 2016]

I. All the four predictors (MBA marks, selection test scores, evaluation scores at the end of Inhouse training, and the communication skills) are individually valid.
II. Out of the above four predictors, all except communication skills, are individually valid.
III. Communication skills assessment has satisfactory incremental validity.
IV. Communication skills assessment has unsatisfactory incremental validity.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(1) I only
(2) I and III
(3) I and IV
(4) II and IV

8. The ‘bicoefficient obtained in multiple regression is [JULY 2016]

(1) Partial correlation coefficient
(2) Correlation coefficient
(3) Regression coefficient
(4) Partial regression coefficient

9. Which one of the following conclusion can be drawn on the basis of above paragraph? [JULY 2016]

(1) All the four predictors (MBA marks, selection test scores, evaluation scores at the end of inhouse training and communication skills) are uncorrelated with each other.
(2) Out of the four predictors, at least some are correlated with each other.
(3) Communication skills scores are uncorrelated with other predictors.
(4) The four predictors theoretically appear to be correlated, but we cannot infer about their intercorrelations from the data provided.

10. The correlation matrix was factor-analysed by the three methods listed below and the same number of factors were extracted in each case [JAN 2017]

I. Principal Components Method
II. Maximum Likelihood Method
III. Principal Axes Method

Arrange the above methods in descending order in terms of variance condensed

(1) II, III and I
(2) II, I and III
(3) III, I and II
(4) I, III and II