Research Methods Chapter 6 Quiz

Professor Law wants to construct a survey to assess involvement with computer games. Which question is a double-barreled question? a. On a scale of 0 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much), rate how much you like and play your favorite game. b. What computer games have you played? c. On a scale of 1 (Strongly agree) to 5 (Strongly disagree) scale, rate the following statement: Computer games are a great pastime. d. Which is truer of you? a) I have little interest in computer games or b) I would miss computer games if I couldn't play anymore.

a. On a scale of 0 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much), rate how much you like and play your favorite game.

Joseph wants to find out what customers at his restraint think about the food and the service. He creates a survey for diners to fill out at the end of their meal with three questions: 1) Please rate the food from 1-10, where 1 is yucky and 10 is delicious 2) Please rate the service from 1-10 were 1 is unacceptable and 10 is outstanding. What kind of question format is Joseph using? a. semantic differential b. forced choice c. Likert scale d. open-ended

a. semantic differential

Which of the following is true about self-reports? a. They are always less reliable and valid than observational data. b. They are valuable sources of information when researchers are interested in a person's internal experiences. c. They are superior to observational data because they aren't susceptible to observer bias. d. They are always biased by socially desirable responding.

b. They are valuable sources of information when researchers are interested in a person's internal experiences.

The following problematic question appears on a survey: "Please indicate whether the following statement is true or false for you: My cell phone is new and has all the latest features". How could this question be changed to improve its construct validity? a. change the order of "is new" and "has all the latest features" so to address problematic question ordering b. split the question into two so that it is not double-barreled c. change the wording so that it is positively worded, not a double-negative d. use more neutral language so that it is not a leading question

b. split the question into two so that it is not double-barreled

Which of the following describes a "fence-sitting" response to a survey? a. responding in a socially desirable way b. responding to the questions on a survey by consistently selecting all the "no" or "strongly disagree" responses c. responding to a controversial question on a survey by selecting the response right in the middle d. responding to the questions on a survey by consistently selecting all the "yes" or "strongly agree" responses

c. responding to a controversial question on a survey by selecting the response right in the middle

Which of the following is a method to control for observer bias? a. wait for the participants to become used to the observer before collecting data b. measure the traces of behavior c. use a masked or blind study design d. use unobtrusive observations

c. use a masked or blind study design

Which of the following is true about open-ended questions? a. They completely lack construct validity. b. They are more efficient than asking forced-choice questions. c. They are the most common format for psychologists to ask questions. d. They provide rich data, but they can be time-consuming for researchers because the responses need to be coded.

d. They provide rich data, but they can be time-consuming for researchers because the responses need to be coded.

Judy writes a survey to assess how much people worry. Her survey has 20 questions that people can rate their level of agreement to on a seven-point Likert scale. All of the questions are worded so that higher responses will indicate a higher level of worry. After having 100 people complete her survey, she finds that a lot of respondents often respond to all of the questions by choosing only the "strongly agree" option. What is this kind of responding called? a. faking bad b. fence sitting c. faking good d. acquiescence

d. acquiescence

Professor Meyer gives the students in his class a mid-semester feedback survey asking them how stressed out they are by the assignments in his class. The majority of his class report that they feel "extremely stressed." What might explain this? a. faking good b. socially desirable responding c. reactivity d. faking bad

d. faking bad

The campus safety committee has asked Professor Ibrahim to study bicycling on his campus. He trains two observers and has them observe the number of cyclists and their safety at various points around campus. Both observers are very interested in the topic because they have been struck by bicycles. Although the interrater reliability is high, what threat to construct validity should concern Professor Ibrahim? a. reactivity b. observer effects c. selection bias d. observer bias

d. observer bias