Research COM final

A population consists of every individual of a type you want to study. True False

True

Sampling is the process of selecting individual units from a population for study. True False

True

Stratified random sampling ensures that all the groups of interest to the researcher are proportionately represented in a sample. True False

True

Correlation is a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables. t or f

t

"To what extent do my sample data reflect the wider population from which I sampled?" is a question that inferential statistics cannot answer. T or F

False

Match the researcher's name in the left column with the experiment they conducted in the right column. Stanley Milgram. Philip Zimbardo. A. Stanford prison experiment. B. Obedience to authority experiments.

Stanley Milgram. B. Obedience to authority experiments Philip Zimbardo. A. Stanford prison experiment.

In a statistically perfect world, data conform to a symmetrical, so-called normal curve.t or f

T

Inferential statistics are based on the assumption that the sample studied is randomly selected. T or F

T

Typically, what things do surveys most typically seek to find out about respondents? a. demographic data, knowledge, attitudes and behavior b. demographic data, political affiliation, attitudes and behavior c. ethnographic data, knowledge, media use and behavior d. demographic data, knowledge, attitudes and media use e. psychological profile, demographic data, ethnographic data and knowledge

a. demographic data, knowledge, attitudes and behavior

In Dell Hymes' ethnography of communication, a speech community is - a. a group of people who share common a language b. the occasion when people talk c. specific speech activities d. the styles of speech used in specific situations e. the styles of speech characteristic of a community

a. a group of people who share common a language

Narrative and discourse analysts study - a. argumentation and persuasion. b. interpretation and meaning. c. the structure and properties of stories. d. human communication as drama. e. the ways in which communication maintains power structures in society.

a. argumentation and persuasion.

Rhetorical analysis is the study and analysis of - a. argumentation and persuasion. b. interpretation and meaning. c. the structure and properties of stories. d. human communication as drama. e. the ways in which communication maintains power structures in society.

a. argumentation and persuasion.

Random sampling ensures that a sample will - a. include individuals with unlisted phone numbers b. be of the correct size c. have individual units, each with an equal probability of being selected d. be diverse e. be easily duplicated

a. include individuals with unlisted phone numbers

The most sophisticated experimental designs include - a. manipulation of a variable b. random assignment c. control group d. all of the above e. (b) and (c) only

a. manipulation of a variable

The t-test compares the - a. mean scores on one variable in two different groups b. distribution of scores in two different groups c. mean number of individuals in two different groups d. mean number of variables in two different groups e. strength of relationship between two different groups

a. mean scores on one variable in two different groups

In experimental design, attrition refers to - a. people leaving a study b. people changing over time c. a treatment effect spreading from group to group d. a treatment having less and less effect e. a treatment affecting a control group

a. people leaving a study

Good experimental design requires - a. random assignment only b. a control group only c. a pre-test only d. a post-test only e. all of the above

a. random assignment only

Correlation coefficients indicate the - a. strength of the relationship between two variables b. direction of the relationship between two variables c. strength of the relationships among three or more variables d. direction of the relationship among three or more variables e. value of one variable given the value of another

a. strength of the relationship between two variables

Which of the following experimental designs has a control group? a. field experiment b. ex post facto design c. one-group pre-test, post-test design d. two-group pre-test, post-test design e. time series analysis

d. two-group pre-test, post-test design

Random assignment of individuals into experimental groups _______ the experiment's level of sophistication. a. randomizes b. improves c. reduces d. has no effect on e. has a curvilinear effect on

b. improves

Standard error ______ as sample size decreases. a. stays the same b. increases c. decreases d. changes unpredictably e. changes depending on the sampling method

b. increases

Semioticians study - a. argumentation and persuasion. b. interpretation and meaning. c. the structure and properties of stories. d. human communication as drama. e. the ways in which communication maintains power structures in society.

b. interpretation and meaning.

Which one of the following answers is not true? The procedures for any content analysis study should be - a. explicit b. qualitative c. quantitative d. precise e. replicable

b. qualitative

Examples of random sampling include- a. throwing dice, drawing names out of a hat and convenience sampling b. throwing dice, drawing names out of a hat and lotteries c. convenience sampling, drawing names out of a hat and lotteries d. quota sampling, drawing names out of a hat and lotteries e. quota sampling, convenience sampling and lotteries

b. throwing dice, drawing names out of a hat and lotteries

Turn taking, adjacency pairs and repair mechanisms are all the focus of - a. experimental design b. dramatistic analysis c. conversation analysis d. interaction analysis e. all of the abov

c. conversation analysis

Which one of the following survey types is best suited to assessing causal relationships? a. trend b. panel c. cross-lagged d. cohort e. randomized

c. cross-lagged

Which of the following approaches is best suited to assess whether there are causal relationships among variables? a. focus groups b. surveys c. experiments d. content analysis e. ethnography

c. experiments

Procedures for content analysis should be - a. implicit, qualitative and replicable b. explicit, qualitative and replicable c. explicit, quantitative and replicable d. implicit, qualitative and non-replicable e. illicit, qualitative and non-replicable

c. explicit, quantitative and replicable

Which one of the following is essentially a qualitative method? a. survey b. experiment c. interview d. census e. content analysis

c. interview

Which of the following is not a basic principle of ethnographic research? a. conduct research primarily in natural settings b. combine direct observation with interviews c. operationalize constructs so they can be measured d. focus on local, subjective, knowledge and categories e. engage directly with the community's members

c. operationalize constructs so they can be measured

Which of the following is not a conventional unit in content analysis? a. physical b. syntactical c. sequential d. referential e. propositional

c. sequential

Focus groups most typically consist of - a. two people b. three to six people c. six to twelve people d. twelve to thirty people e. thirty to fifty people

c. six to twelve people

Stratified random sampling is a way to ensure that a. individuals important to the researcher are selected into a sample b. research participants have a chance to nominate other individuals to join the study c. small but important subgroups of a population are captured in a sample d. research participants have an opportunity to shape the research project e. the level of error in the research results is minimized

c. small but important subgroups of a population are captured in a sample

Utterances in conversation analysis are units of - a. grammar b. syntax c. speech d. pronunciation e. vocabulary

c. speech

Three traditional categories of group behavior are - a. narrative-oriented, group-oriented and self-oriented b. task-oriented, power-oriented and self-oriented c. task-oriented, group-oriented and self-oriented d. group-oriented, self-oriented and power-oriented e. narrative-oriented, task-oriented and self-oriented

c. task-oriented, group-oriented and self-oriented

In Dell Hymes' S.P.E.A.K.I.N.G model, instrumentality means - a. the traditional types of speech found in most cultures. b. the goals of the communication c. the channels or methods used to communicate d. the rules governing speech and its interpretation e. the language and behaviors that convey meaning to the participants

c. the channels or methods used to communicate

Which of the following opening statements is most likely to increase respondents' willingness to participate in a phone survey? a. "How are you today?' b. "I'm calling with a special offer." c. "I'm calling to ask you to participate in a survey." d. "I'm not selling anything." e. I'm calling from the XYZ market research company.

d. "I'm not selling anything."

(A) problem(s) with experimental designs can be - a. finding a sufficient number of people to participate b. validity of the experimental measures c. lack of statistical analysis software d. (a) and (b) only e. all of the above

d. (a) and (b) only

The basic ground rules for content analysis are - a. categories must not overlap b. no unit can be coded twice c. latent content must be counted d. (a) and (b) only e. (b) and (c) only

d. (a) and (b) only

To establish a defensible content analysis coding scheme you need - a. a clear theoretical background b. a clear research question. c. a pilot study d. (a), (b) and (c) e. (a) and (c) only

d. (a), (b) and (c)

Typically, the steps involved in discourse analysis include - a. selecting samples of content b. coding c. analysis d. (a), (b) and (c) e. (a) and (c) only

d. (a), (b) and (c)

Two major approaches to critical analyses are - a. Marxist and experimental b. feminist and observational c. Marxist and observational d. Marxist and feminist e. observational and experimental

d. Marxist and feminist

Linear regression assumes a relationship between variables that is best captured by - a histogram b. cross-tabulations c. a curved line d. a straight line e. a scatterplot

d. a straight line

Important aspects of any content analysis study include - a. systematic sampling b. clear definition of units c. unambiguous categories d. all of the above e. none of the above

d. all of the above

Inferential statistics help with- a. estimating the probability that a sample represents a population b. deciding whether there are significant differences among groups of people c. deciding whether there are significant relationships among variables d. all of the above e. a and c only.

d. all of the above

Problems with using survey results that have been published by other people include - a. the data may be proprietary b. the originating organization may have a bias or agenda in conducting the research c. you may not be able to analyze the data to meet your own needs d. all of the above e. (b) and (c) only

d. all of the above

Respondents' answers to survey questions can be influenced by - a. question format b. question wording c. question order d. all of the above e. (a) and (b) only

d. all of the above

Surveys can be administered by - a. phone b. mail c. internet d. all of the above e. a) and (b) only

d. all of the above

The method selected to deliver survey questions will depend on - a. time available to complete the survey b. budget c. sample size d. all of the above e. (a) and (b) only

d. all of the above

Which of the following approaches may be used by critical researchers? a. metaphor analysis b. narrative analysis c. rhetorical analysis d. all of the above e. none of the above

d. all of the above

Which of the following are essential to calculating a level of certainty when projecting results from a sample to a wider population? Selected Answer: a. inferential statistics b. random sampling c. the assumption of a normal distribution of data d. all of the above e. a and b only

d. all of the above

A study that includes every member of a population is a - a. sample b. random sample c. sampling frame d. census e. survey

d. census

Interaction analysis seeks to understand how - a. content analysts interact with content b. readers interact with written content c. movie viewers interact with movie content d. members of a group interact with each other e. reviewers interact with scholarly papers

d. members of a group interact with each other

Three conventional categories of group behavior are - a. group-oriented, self-centered and product-oriented b. task-oriented, group-oriented and product oriented c. task-oriented, group-oriented and self-oriented d. members of a group interact with each other e. reviewers interact with scholarly papers

d. members of a group interact with each other

Which one of the following is not true of the survey method? a. respondents can answer large numbers of questions b. respondents can answer questions rapidly c. large numbers of people can be surveyed d. surveys provide insight into the reasons behind the responses e. potential to generalize from a survey sample to a wider population.

d. surveys provide insight into the reasons behind the responses

Type I error is deciding that - a. a relationship is linear when it is not b. you have no significant result when in fact you do c. a relationship is not linear when it is d. you have a significant finding when in fact you do not e. sample size is inadequate when it is adequate

d. you have a significant finding when in fact you do not

Ethnographic research is defined by - a. research primarily in natural settings b. observation and interviews c. experimental design d. (a) and (c) only e. (a) and (b) only

e. (a) and (b) only

Focus groups may be used to- a. identify new ideas and "buzz words" b. identify areas of agreement and disagreement c. explore in-depth the psychology of individuals d. (a), (b) and (c) e. (a) and (b) only

e. (a) and (b) only

Which of the following are threats to external validity? a. the experimental situation b. operationalization of constructs c. attrition d. all of the above e. a and b only

e. a and b only

Successful focus groups have - a. clear objectives b. good recruiting of participants c. good preparation of questions d. a moderator who listens and maintains a free-flowing discussion e. all of the above

e. all of the above

The position that a researcher takes between participant and observer is a function of - a. how best to study the communication phenomena he or she interested is in b. how the chosen role might shape the nature of the data collected c. how the chosen role might shape the nature of reporting d. ethical standards related to the relationships with research participants e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Web surveys may include - a. hosting your survey on its own website b. using commercial web-based surveys c. using social media to reach respondents d. emailing survey forms to respondents e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Narrative analysis generally attempts to identify which of the following in people's accounts of their lives? a. plot, b. setting, c. characters d. order of events e. all of the above.

e. all of the above.

Which of the following is not a demographic question? a. age b. gender c. occupation d. marital status e. attitude to marriage

e. attitude to marriage

Which of the following are threats to internal validity? a. ecological isomorphism b. spurious relationships c. selection bias d. all of the above e. b and c only

e. b and c only

Every single unit of a group you want to study makes up a - a. sample b. sampling frame c. survey d. individual e. population

e. population

In _______ sampling every unit has an equal chance of being selected. ​​ a. convenience b. judgmental c. network d. volunteer e. probability

e. probability

Most content analysts would describe content analysis as - a. qualitative, systematic and objective b. quantitative, random and subjective c. qualitative, systematic and objective d. quantitative, systematic and subjective e. quantitative, systematic and objectiv

e. quantitative, systematic and objective

In Dell Hymes' ethnography of communication, a communicative act is - a. the occasion when people talk b. the goals of the communication c. the styles of speech used in specific situations d. the specific speech activity that takes place e. smaller units of speech within a speech event.

e. smaller units of speech within a speech event.

Critical analysts study - a. argumentation and persuasion. b. interpretation and meaning. c. the structure and properties of stories. d. human communication as drama. e. the ways in which communication maintains power structures in society.

e. the ways in which communication maintains power structures in society.