Psych 103: Chapter 6

Identify the accurate statements about field research in naturalistic observation. (Check all that apply.)

- Field research can be extremely time-consuming. - The researcher in field research must be flexible to adjust to the ever-changing pattern of events.

Identify the accurate statements about participant observation. (Check all that apply.)

- It allows researchers to experience events in the same way as natural participants. - In participant observation, the observer assumes an active, insider role.

Identify the problems with the use of archival data by a researcher. (Check all that apply.)

- The desired records may be difficult to obtain. - There is no assurance of the accuracy of information collected by anyone other than the researcher.

Which of the following statements are accurate about the goals of a researcher in a research study? (Check all that apply.)

- The researcher's first goal is to describe the setting, events, and persons. - The researcher's second goal is to analyze what was observed.

Identify the features of archival data. (Check all that apply.)

- They are a valuable supplement to more traditional data collection methods. - They allow researchers to study interesting questions, some of which could not be studied in any other way.

Which of the following are types of archival research data? (Check all that apply.)

- information taken from databases, such as census data - data taken from existing reports of anthropologists

How can reactivity be reduced? (Check all that apply.)

- with concealed observation - by allowing time for people to become accustomed to the observer and equipment

True or false: Statistical records are maintained only by the U.S. Census Bureau.

False

True or false: The naturalistic observation approach should be avoided when investigating complex social settings for the purpose of understanding the settings and developing theories based on the observations.

False

When studying behaviors using systematic observation, the researcher must decide which behaviors are of interest, choose a setting in which the behaviors can be observed, and most importantly, develop a(n) system.

False

Identify a limitation of naturalistic observation.

It cannot be used to study all issues or phenomena.

___________________________ is a research approach that refers to the careful observation of one or more specific behaviors in a particular setting.

Systematic observation

Identify an accurate statement about archival research.

The researcher does not actually collect the original data.

True or false: A study of Twitter posts is an example of archival research using mass communication records.

True

When conducting systematic observation in which raters are used to code behavior, reliability is indicated by ______.

a high agreement among the raters

Naturalistic observation requires ______.

accurate description and objective interpretation with no prior hypotheses

Typically, a case study is done when ______.

an individual or setting possesses a particularly rare, unusual, or noteworthy condition

Unlike a typical laboratory experiment, field research ______.

cannot always be scheduled at a convenient time and place

When studying behaviors using systematic observation, the researcher must decide which behaviors are of interest, choose a setting in which the behaviors can be observed, and most importantly, develop a(n) __________________ system.

coding

When studying behaviors using systematic observation, the researcher must decide which behaviors are of interest, choose a setting in which the behaviors can be observed, and most importantly, develop a(n) ___________________ system.

coding

Match the types of naturalistic observation (in the left column) with their descriptions (in the right column).

concealed observation: Informed consent is not necessary nonconcealed observation: Informed consent is given verbally or in written form

In the context of archival research, __________________ is the systematic analysis of existing documents.

content analysis

Content analysis requires researchers to ______.

devise coding systems that raters can use to quantify the information in existing documents

Survey archives are extremely important because most researchers ______.

do not have the financial resources to conduct surveys of randomly selected national samples

Case studies are valuable in ______.

informing people of conditions that are rare or unusual

In naturalistic observation, nonconcealed observation may be preferred over concealed observation because ______.

it is more ethical in its respect for privacy

To achieve the goal of naturalistic observation, researchers must ______.

keep detailed field notes

If a researcher has some prior reason to either criticize people in a setting or give a glowing report of a particular group, the observations will ______.

likely be biased and the conclusions will lack objectivity

Insights gained through a case study ______.

may lead to the development of hypotheses that can be tested using other methods

Psychobiographies are case studies that ______.

may not use direct observation at all

When studying behaviors using systematic observation, coding systems are developed by researchers to ______.

measure participants' behaviors

A research study was conducted to determine the different ways in which students solved math problems in a classroom. The researcher observed the students while they solved their problems without being disturbed. In this scenario, the study most likely uses ______ observation.

naturalistic

A researcher makes observations of individuals in their natural environments in a study using ___________________________

naturalistic observations

In naturalistic observation, concealed observation is less reactive than nonconcealed observation because ______.

people are not aware that their behaviors are being observed and recorded

The goal of naturalistic observation is to ______.

provide a complete and accurate picture of what occurred in a setting

It is becoming more common to use video and audio recording equipment to make systematic observations because they ______.

provide a permanent record of the behavior observed that can be coded later

A feature of case studies is that they ______.

provide detailed descriptions of individuals

For many research questions, samples of behavior taken over an extended period ______.

provide more accurate and useful data than single, short observations

Which of the following refers to a case study in which a researcher applies psychological theory to explain the life of an individual, usually an important historical figure?

psychobiography

The attitudes of teenagers toward national politics is an example of (quantitative/qualitative) research.

qualitative

The data in naturalistic observation studies are primarily ______.

qualitative in nature

Match the research methods to the features that describe them.

qualitative research: It emphasizes collecting in-depth information on relatively few individuals quantitative research: It generally includes using large samples qualitative research: Its conclusions are based on interpretation drawn by the investigator quantitative research: The conclusions are based on a statistical analysis of data

The frequency of visits to coffee shops by college students would be an example of a(n) _____________________ (quantitative/qualitative) investigation.

quantitative

A study was conducted to analyze the behavior of athletes in social groups. The researchers joined the athletes for coffee and listened to their conversations. The athletes were affected by the presence of the researchers and behaved differently. In this scenario, the study is most likely affected by ______.

reactivity

In naturalistic observation studies, the qualitative descriptions are often ______.

richer and closer to the phenomenon being studied

A psychological institute conducted a study on bullying in schools. Its team of researchers observed the students for a day and published the data. Later, the data were criticized in a statement that they were distorted by short-term trends, and the researchers were asked to withdraw their conclusions. In this scenario, which of the following methodological issues is most likely the cause for data distortion?

sampling

An accurate statement about case studies is that they ______.

sometimes overlap with the naturalistic observation approach

Which of the following is used to support a researcher's interpretations of a study?

specific examples of events that occurred during the study

Survey archives consist of data from surveys that are ______.

stored digitally and available to researchers who wish to analyze them

A study was conducted on the effect of music on the moods of people. The researchers studied the participants as they listened to different genres of music in a confined room. The participants' moods were then coded into different categories such as sad, joyful, energetic, and calm. In the context of research approaches, this is an example of ______.

systematic observation

The U.S. Census Bureau maintains ______.

the most extensive set of statistical records available

A potential problem with participant observation is that ______.

the researcher may lose the objectivity necessary to conduct scientific observation

The first methodological issue in systematic observation concerns ______.

use of equipment

Archival research involves ______.

using previously compiled information to answer research questions

The final report after conducting naturalistic observation is ______.

usually organized around the structure developed by the researcher

Match the types of records (in the left column) with their examples (in the right column).

written records: include documents such as diaries and letters that have been preserved by historical societies mass communication records: include books, tweets, Instagram or Facebook posts, magazine articles, movies, television programs, newspapers, and blog posts