Research Methods Final
Which of the following techniques show(s) that the qualitative researcher was concerned with trustworthiness during data analysis? a- clarification of researcher bias b- prolonged engagement c- peer debriefing d- a and c e- all of the above
D
In the journal format for theses and dissertations, the preliminary part a- contains materials that are typically required by the institution b- is left off when submitting the study for publication c- contains informed consent forms d- all of the above e- only a and b
E
A major weakness of observational research lies in the operational definitions. Which question is an example of an operational definition? a- How often can I observe this behavior? b- Is my coding system reliable? c- Where will the observations be made? d- What behaviors characterize a good teacher or good coach?
D
A type of study that matches individuals with and without disease on factors such as age and ethnicity is the a- experimental-control study b- repeated-measures study c- split-plot study d- case-control study
D
In the journal format for theses and dissertations, the appendixes contain a- acknowledgments b- a list of tables c- references d- an extended review of literature
D
In the results section of a research report, the author should include a- information contained in tables b- information concerning statistical significance and meaningfulness c- conclusions d- a and b only e- a, b, and c
D
Interviewers may become more skilled with practice, which could cause differences between the results of participants interviewed early in the study and those of participants interviewed later. This threat to internal validity is an issue of a- statistical regression b- testing c- history d- instrumentation
D
The descriptive, analytical narratives that are a trademark of qualitative research are also called a- ethnographic anecdotes b- rich, thick descriptions c- assertive narratives d- narrative vignettes
D
Which of the following should not be included in the results section of a research report? a- figures b- tables c- inferential statistics d- raw data
D
A qualitative research technique involves interviews of small numbers of participants in a group setting. These groups are called a- focus groups b- criterion groups c- participant observation groups d- grounded groups
A
Which of the following should be included in the discussion section of a research report? a- tables but not graphs b- graphs but not tables c- implications of the results d- raw data
C
Which of the three branches of philosophy focuses on the value of things? a- axiology b- epistemology c- metaphysics
A
Determinants of disease are often called a- symptoms b- syndromes c- epidemic stressors d- risk factors
D
In calculating ES for a treatment effect between a pretest and a posttest, the text recommends the use of which standard deviation? a- the pretest standard deviation b- the posttest standard deviation c- the pooled standard deviation
A
Of the surveys frequently used for measuring physical activity in epidemiological research, the shortest (one to four items) is the a- global questionnaire b- short-recall questionnaire c- quantitative history questionnaire d- wellness-ratings questionnaire
A
Reasoning that moves from a limited number of specific observations to general conclusions is termed ____ reasoning. a- inductive b- speculative c- deductive d- descriptive
A
The inclusion criteria in a meta-analysis are very much like a-delimitations b- limitations c- basic assumptions d- research hypotheses
A
In developmental studies, when one wants to determine how individual children change rather than what is typical at each stage, one would prefer the ________ method. a- cross-sectional b- longitudinal c- normative d- multiple baseline
B
Sometimes it is not possible to actually administer the treatment (e.g., when comparing children who had been in Head Start vs. children who had not). However, the researcher is trying to imply causation. This type of design (sometimes called causal comparative) is referred to as a- a time-series design b- an ex post facto design c- a factorial design d- a Solomon four-group design
B
The first step in conducting a questionnaire survey is to a- select the sample b- list specific objectives to be achieved c- construct the questionnaire items d- write the cover letter
B
The internal validity of an experimental design is concerned with what question? a- To what extent can the findings be generalized? b- Did the independent variable really produce a change in the dependent variable? c- How representative is the setting selected for the experiment? d- Will findings provide information about situations in which variations of the independent variable are present?
B
Consider the following questionnaire item (which uses a yes/no format): "Do you use objective test items or essay items?" What rule regarding item construction does it violate? a= Avoid using negative items. b- Do not lead the respondent to answer in a certain way. c- Do not use items that have two or more separate ideas in the same item. d- Short questions are easier to understand.
C
Generalizing as an approach to socio-historical research occurs when the researcher a- takes disparate facts and groups them together b- is interested in minute detail of the past c- is interested in how things fit into the bigger picture d- chips away at theory by examining how it holds together
C
In a meta-analysis, the results of various studies on a topic are quantified using a standard measure (ES) that is called a- error squared b- estimate of significance c- effect size d- efficiency standard
C
Mixed-methods research a- was not conducted until it was accepted as a research design b- has been conducted for many decades c- was being conducted while some scholars debated whether it was possible d- was first conducted after many years of debate
C
Splitting as an approach to socio-historical research occurs when the researcher a- takes disparate facts and groups them together b- is interested in minute detail of the past c- is interested in how things fit into the bigger picture d- chips away at theory by examining how it holds together
D
The socio-historical research process that attempts to establish whether a document is authentic is called a- context specificity b- analytical verification c- internal criticism d- external criticism
D
To help ensure an acceptable return rate in a questionnaire study, the researcher should a-make liberal use of open-ended questions b- use follow-up letters or e-mails c- enclose or attach another copy of the survey d- b and c only e- a, b, and c
D
A major difference in the purpose of a meta-analysis and a review of literature for a research paper is that the meta-analysis uses the literature a-for empirical and theoretical conclusions b- to document a need for a particular study c- to determine what methods to use to conduct the meta-analysis d- to formulate the research hypothesis for the meta-analysis
A
A researcher wishes to study a group of children over a period of 10 years beginning in 2016 and ending in 2025. This is an example of a ________ study. a- longitudinal b- correlational c- case d- cross-sectional
A
Which of the three branches of philosophy focuses on knowledge? a- axiology b- epistemology c- metaphysics
B
Choose the correct sequence for developing a questionnaire. a- determining objectives, delimiting the sample, writing items, pilot testing b- pilot testing, determining objectives, writing cover letter, writing items c-delimiting the sample, pilot testing, determining objectives, writing items d-delimiting the sample, determining objectives, writing items, pilot testing
A
In a research study in which the treatment involved quite intense physical training, 40% of the participants in the treatment group dropped out as compared with 5% of the control group. This threat to internal validity is called a- experimental mortality b- statistical regression c- history d- selection bias
A
In comparison to the traditional chapter format, the body of a dissertation using the journal format is almost always a- shorter b- longer c- about the same
A
Individuals performing well merely because they are being observed (and not necessarily because of any effect of treatment) are considered to be under the influence of the a- Hawthorne effect b- halo effect c- novelty effect d- expectancy effect
A
Lumping as an approach to socio-historical research occurs when the researcher a- takes disparate facts and groups them together b- is interested in minute detail of the past c- is interested in how things fit into the bigger picture d- chips away at theory by examining how it holds together
A
The major weakness of epidemiological studies is a- the inability to experimentally establish cause and effect b- the small numbers of people as participants c- insufficient information on diseases d- insufficient time to collect data
A
The only true experimental design that can specifically evaluate the reactive or interactive effects of testing is the _______ design. a- Solomon four-group b- reversal c- time-series d- factorial
A
The qualitative researcher typically a- studies a small number of participants b- studies individuals in a laboratory setting c- uses multivariate analysis of data d- employs deductive reasoning in hypothesis development
A
When a national poll reports that its survey has a margin of error of 3%, it is referring to error due to a- sampling b- respondents not understanding questions c- misinterpreting the results d- recording the response
A
Which of the following is not true about a mixed-method study? a- The emphasis on quantitative and qualitative methods is based on other similar studies. b-The emphasis on quantitative and qualitative methods can be equal in the study. c- The emphasis on quantitative and qualitative methods can be varied depending on the goals of the study. d- The selected quantitative and qualitative methods will require expertise that matches their emphasis in the study.
A
A job analysis is primarily a form of what research technique? a- developmental study b- case study c- observational study d- unobtrusive study
B
A researcher finds that the control group performs above its usual performance when compared with the experimental group. This effect is named the a- Hawthorne effect b- Avis effect c- Pygmalion effect d- halo effect
B
Additional factors that can affect the relationship between physical activity and blood cholesterol, such as smoking, body fat, and so on, are called a- control factors b- confounding factors c- cohort factors d- construct factors
B
Generally speaking, an oral presentation at a conference has a- more detail than a poster b- less detail than a poster c- about the same detail as a poster
B
It is common when looking at a distribution to encounter extreme or unusual scores that could have a misleading effect on the results. These extreme scores are termed a- residuals b- outliers c- curve busters d- deviants
B
Measurements are frequently made and then averaged across several participants. To what degree of precision should the average be reported in a research paper? a- to the nearest whole number b- to the precision with which it was measured c- to the tenths decimal place d- to the thousandths decimal place
B
Multiple-treatment interference and the interaction of selection bias and experimental treatment are threats to a- internal validity b- external validity c- test reliability d- test validity
B
Particularizing as an approach to socio-historical research occurs when the researcher a- takes disparate facts and groups them together b- is interested in minute detail of the past c- is interested in how things fit into the bigger picture d- chips away at theory by examining how it holds together
B
The five-chapter format for theses and dissertations differs from the four-chapter model in that a separate chapter is devoted entirely to a- the discussion b- the literature review c- the statistical analysis d- tables and graphs
B
The interpretation of data in qualitative research always involves some form of a- statistical comparisons b- sorting and categorizing c- deductive reasoning d- external criticism
B
Which of the following would be included in a grant proposal but not in a thesis proposal? a- review of literature b- curriculum vitae of the author c- description of how data will be analyzed d- description of instruments
B
A basic characteristic of correlational research is that it a- can deal with only two variables b- cannot predict future performance c- does not manipulate variables and hence cannot establish cause and effect d- does not need both measures on all participants for two variables to be correlated
C
A fundamental goal of philosophy is to examine reality primarily through a- descriptive procedures b- experimental procedures c- reflective procedures d- observational procedures
C
A method of philosophy that is designed to liberate people from the traditional claims of the other branches of philosophy falls under the heading of deconstructionism and is called a- aesthetics b- empiricism c- poetry d- rationalism
C
A pretest of knowledge about microcomputers is given to a group of students 5 minutes prior to a film on the subject. A posttest given 10 minutes after the film shows a 10-point gain from the pretest. The researcher concludes that the film produced the gain. Which of the following is likely the threat to internal validity? a- statistical regression b- selection bias c- testing d- maturation
C
A study is designed to determine whether the addition of programmed instruction will produce greater achievement scores than the traditional lecture-discussion method. Participants are randomly assigned to two instructional groups. Both groups are tested at the end of the experimental period. What statistical test is indicated? a- Pearson r b- MANOVA c- t test d- factorial ANOVA
C
