RM Chapterwise MCQ
RM Chapterwise MCQ
RM Chapterwise MCQ
1) Introduction to Research
1. Mrs. Smith is writing her daily observations of a student and writes, without interpretation,
that the student is not completing the class work and is constantly speaking out of turn. Which
of the following objectives does she appear to be using?
a. prediction
b. description
c. explanation
d. exploration
2. Which of the following is a form of research typically conducted by teachers, counselors, and
other professionals to answer questions they have and to specifically help them solve local
problems?
a. action research
b. basic research
c. predictive research
d. orientational research
3. How much confidence should you place in a single research study?
a. you should completely trust a single research study.
b. you should trust research findings after different researchers have found the same
findings
c. neither a nor b
d. both a and b
4. The development of a solid foundation of reliable knowledge typically is built from which type
of research?
a. basic research
b. action research
c. evaluation research
d. orientational research
5. Which form of reasoning is the process of drawing a specific conclusion from a set of
premises?
a. rationalism
b. deductive reasoning
c. inductive reasoning
d. probabilistic
6. The idea that when selecting between two different theories with equal explanatory value,
one should select the theory that is the most simple, concise, and succinct is known as
___________.
a. criterion of falsifiability
b. critical theory
c. guide of simplicity
d. rule of parsimony
7. Research that is done to examine the findings of someone else using the "same variables but
different people"is which of the following?
a. exploration
b. hypothesis
c. replication
d. empiricism
8. ________________ is the idea that knowledge comes from experience.
a. rationalism
b. deductive reasoning
c. logic
d. empiricism
9. According to your text, what are the five key objectives of science?
a. prediction, summary, conclusion, explanation, description
b. influence, prediction, questions, exploration, answers
c. exploration, description, explanation, prediction, influence
d. questions, answers, prediction, explanation, summary
10. A researcher designs an experiment to test how variables interact to influence how
well children learn spelling words. In this case, the main purpose of the study was:
a. Explanation
b. Description
c. Influence
d. Prediction
11. There is a set of churches in the U.S.where part of the service involves snake handling. The
researcher wants to find out why the people attending these churches do this and how they feel
and think about it. In this case, the primary purpose of the study is:
a. Exploration
b. Description
c. Influence
d. Prediction
12. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a good theory or explanation?
a. It is parsimonious
b. It is testable
c. It is general enough to apply to more than one place, situation, or person
d. All of the above are characteristics of good theories
13. Which of the following is not a basic assumption of science?
a. Science cannot provide answers to all questions
b. It is possible to distinguish between more and less plausible claims
c. Researchers should follow certain agreed upon norms and practices
d. Science is best at solving value conflicts, such as whether abortion is immoral
14. What general type of research is focused on collecting information to help a
researcher advance an ideological or political position?
a. Evaluation research
b. Basic research
c. Action research
d. Orientational research
15. Which scientific method follows these steps: 1) observation/data, 2) patterns, 3) theory?
a. Inductive
b. Deductive
c. Imductive
d. Top down
16. Rene Descartes is associated with which of the following approached to knowledge
generation?
a. Empiricism
b. Rationalism
c. Expert opinion
d. None of the above
17. Which scientific method is a top-down or confirmatory approach?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
18. Which scientific method is a bottom-up or generative approach to research?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
19. Which scientific method focuses on testing hypotheses developed from theories?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
20. Which scientific method often focuses on generating new hypotheses and theories?
a. Deductive method
b. Inductive method
c. Hypothesis method
d. Pattern method
21. Which of the following statements is true of a theory?
a. it most simply means explanation
b. it answers the how and why questions
c. it can be a well developed explanatory system
d. all of the above are correct
Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. b
4. a
5. b
6. d
7. c
8. d
9. c
10. a
11. a
12. d
13. d
14. d
15. a
16. b
17. a
18. b
19. a
20. b
21. d
Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Research
1. Which research paradigm is based on the pragmatic view of reality?
a. quantitative research
b. qualitative research
c. mixed research
d. none of the above
2. Which research paradigm is least concerned about generalizing its findings?
a. quantitative research
b. qualitative research
c. mixed research
d. none of the above
3. Which of the following best describes quantitative research?
a. the collection of nonnumerical data
b. an attempt to confirm the researchers hypotheses
c. research that is exploratory
d. research that attempts to generate a new theory
4. A condition or characteristic that can take on different values or categories is called
___.
a. a constant
b. a variable
c. a cause-and-effect relationship
d. a descriptive relationship
5. A variable that is presumed to cause a change in another variable is called a(n):
a. categorical variable
b. dependent variable
c. independent variable
d. intervening variable
6. All of the following are common characteristics of experimental research except:
a. it relies primarily on the collection of numerical data
b. it can produce important knowledge about cause and effect
c. it uses the deductive scientific method
d. it rarely is conducted in a controlled setting or environment
7. Qualitative research is often exploratory and has all of the following characteristics
except:
a. it is typically used when a great deal is already known about the topic of interest
b. it relies on the collection of non-numerical data such as words and pictures
c. it is used to generate hypotheses and develop theory about phenomena in the world
d. it uses the inductive scientific method
8. Which type of research provides the strongest evidence about the existence of cause-
and-effect relationships?
a. non-experimental Research
b. experimental Research
9. What is the key defining characteristic of experimental research?
a. extraneous variables are never present
b. a positive correlation usually exists
c. a negative correlation usually exists
d. manipulation of the independent variable
10. In _____, random assignment to groups is never possible and the researcher cannot
manipulate the independent variable.
a. basic research
b. quantitative research
c. experimental research
d. causal-comparative and correlational research
11. What is the defining characteristic of experimental research?
a. resistance to manipulation
b. manipulation of the
independent variable
c. the use of open-ended questions
d. focuses only on local problems
12.. A positive correlation is present when _______.
a. two variables move in opposite directions.
b. two variables move in the same direction.
c. one variable goes up and one goes down
d. several variables never change.
13. Research in which the researcher uses the qualitative paradigm for one phase and the quantitative
paradigm for another phase is known as ______.
a. action research
b. basic research
c. quantitative research
d. mixed method research
e. mixed model research
14. Research in which the researcher uses both qualitative and quantitative research within a stage or
across two of the stages in the research process is known as ______.
a. action research
b. basic research
c. quantitative research
d. mixed method research
e. mixed model research
15.. Research that is done to understand an event from the past is known as _____?
a. experimental research
b. historical research
c. replication
d. archival research
16. ______ research occurs when the researcher manipulates the independent variable.
a. causal-comparative research
b. experimental research
c. ethnography
d. correlational research
17.. Which of the following includes examples of quantitative variables?
a. age, temperature, income, height
b. grade point average, anxiety level, reading performance
c. gender, religion, ethnic group
d. both a and b
18.. What is the opposite of a variable?
a. a constant
b. an extraneous variable
c. a dependent variable
d. a data set
19. Which of the following is the type of non-experimental research in which the primary independent
variable of interest is categorical?
a. causal-comparative research
b. experimental research
c. qualitative research
d. mixed research
20. Which of the following can best be described as a categorical variable?
a. age
b. annual income
c. grade point average
d. religion
21. In research, something that does not "vary" is called a ___________.
a. variable
b. method
c. constant
d. control group
22. When interpreting a correlation coefficient expressing the relationship between two variables, it is
very important to avoid _______.
a. checking the strength of relationship
b. jumping to the conclusion of causality
c. checking the direction of the relationship
d. expressing a relationship with a correlation coefficient
23. A researcher studies achievement by children in poorly funded elementary schools. She develops a
model that posits parent involvement as an important variable. She believes that parent involvement
has an impact on children by increasing their motivation to do school work. Thus, in her model, greater
parent involvement leads to higher student motivation, which in turn creates higher student
achievement. Student motivation is what kind of variable in this study?
a. Manipulated variable
b. Extraneous variable
c. Confounding variable
d. Mediating or intervening variable
24. The strongest evidence for causality comes from which of the following research methods?
a. Experimental
b. Causal-comparative
c. Correlational
d. Ethnography
25. Which correlation is the strongest?
a. +.10
b. -.95
c. +.90
d. -1.00
26. The correlation between intelligence test scores and grades is:
a. Positive
b. Negative
c. Perfect
d. They are not correlated
Answers:
1. c
2. b
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. d
7. a
8. b
9. d
10. d
11. b
12. b
13. d
14. e
15. b
16. b
17. d
18. a
19. a
20. d
21. c
22. b
23. d
24. a
25. d
26. a
Developing Research Questions and Proposal Preparation
1. A good qualitative problem statement:
a. Defines the independent and dependent variables
b. Conveys a sense of emerging design
c. Specifies a research hypothesis to be tested
d. Specifies the relationship between variables that the researcher expects to find
2. The tool function of theory is to:
a. Summarize existing knowledge
b. Summarize existing hypotheses
c. Suggest new relationships and make new predictions
d. Suggest new theories
3. The statement of purpose in a research study should:
a. Identify the design of the study
b. Identify the intent or objective of the study
c. Specify the type of people to be used in the study
d. Describe the study
4. Why is the statement What are the effect s of extracurricular activities on cognitive development of
school age children not a good statement of a quantitative research question?
a. Because there is no connection between extracurricular activities and cognitive development
b. Because there are not enough school age children engaged in extracurricular activities to conduct the
study
c. Because the study would be too difficult to do given all the different extracurricular activities
d. Because the statement was not specific enough to provide an understanding of the variables being
investigated
5.A qualitative research question:
a. Asks a question about some process, or phenomenon to be explored
b. Is generally an open-ended question
c. both a and b are correct
d. None of the above
6. According to the text, which of the following orders is the recommended in the flowchart of the
development of a research idea?
a. Research topic, research problem, research purpose, research question, hypothesis
b. Research topic, research purpose, research problem, research question, hypothesis
c. Research topic, research problem, research purpose, research question, hypothesis
d. Research topic, hypothesis, research problem, research question, research purpose
7. It is essential that you evaluate the quality of internet resources because information obtained
via the internet ranges from very poor to very good.
a. True
b. False
8. One step that is not included in planning a research study is:
a. Identifying a researchable problem
b. A review of current research
c. Statement of the research question
d. Conducting a meta-analysis of the research
e. Developing a research plan
9. Sources of researchable problems can include:
a. Researchers own experiences as educators
b. Practical issues that require solutions
c. Theory and past research
d. All of the above
10. A key characteristic of past research that guides researchers in new research questions is
that:
a. Extensive research conclusively and definitively answers research questions
b. Studies typically generate more research questions than they answer
11. Which of the following is a function of theory?
a. Integrating and summarizing current knowledge
b. Making predictions
c. Explaining phenomena
d. All of the above are important functions of theory
12. A review of the literature prior to formulating research questions allows the researcher to do
which of the following?
a. To become familiar with prior research on the phenomenon of interest
b. To identify potential methodological problems in the research area
c. To develop a list of pertinent problems relative to the phenomenon of interest
d. All of the above
13. Sometimes a comprehensive review of the literature prior to data collection is not recommended by
grounded theorists.
a. True
b. False
14. What kind of ideas cant be empirically researched?
a. Effectiveness of different methods of instruction
b. Description of educational practices
c. Issues of values and morality such as the correctness of having prayer in schools
d. Factors helpful in predicting future drug use
15. Which of the following is not a database containing information to be used during the literature
review?
a. ERIC
b. PsychINFO
c. SocioFILE
d. all of the above are potentially useful data bases
16. Computer database searches can be done:
a. With a computer with CD-ROM drive
b. At the library
c. Online
d. All of the above
17. The feasibility of a research study should be considered in light of:
a. Cost and time required to conduct the study
b. Skills required of the researcher
c. Potential ethical concerns
d. All of the above
18. A formal statement of the research question or purpose of research study generally
______.
a. Is made prior to the literature review
b. Is made after the literature review
c. Will help guide the research process
d. All of the above
e. b and c
19. Is the following qualitative research purpose statement well stated or poorly stated? The focus
of the present study was to explore distressing and nurturing encounters of patients with caregivers and to
ascertain the meanings that are engendered by such encounters. The study was conducted on one of the
surgical units and the obstetrical/gynecological unit of a 374-bed community hospital.
a. It is a well stated
b. It is poorly stated
20. Which of the following quantitative research questions is superior?
a. What is the effect of participation in various extracurricular activities on academic performance?
b. What effect does playing high school football have on students overall grade point average
during the football season?
21. A statement of the quantitative research question should:
a. Extend the statement of purpose by specifying exactly the question(s) the researcher will address
b. Help the research in selecting appropriate participants, research methods, measures, and materials
c. Specify the variables of interest
d. All of the above
22. The research participants are described in detail in which section of the research plan?
a. Introduction
b. Method
c. Data analysis
d. Discussion
23. Research hypotheses are ______.
a. Formulated prior to a review of the literature
b. Statements of predicted relationships between variables
c. Stated such that they can be confirmed or refuted
d. b and c
24. Hypotheses in qualitative research studies usually _____.
a. Are very specific and stated prior to beginning the study
b. Are often generated as the data are collected, interpreted, and analyzed
c. Are never used
d. Are always stated after the research study has been completed
25. A research plan _____.
a. Should be detailed
b. Should be given to others for review and comments
c. Sets out the rationale for a research study
d. All of the above
26. The Method section of the research plan typically specifies
a. The research participants
b. The results of prior studies that address the phenomena of interest
c. The apparatus, instruments, and materials for the research study
d. The planned research procedures
e. a, c and d
27. The Introduction section of the research plan
a. Gives an overview of prior relevant studies
b. Contains a statement of the purpose of the study
c. Concludes with a statement of the research questions and, for quantitative research, it includes
the research hypothesis
d. All of the above
28. According to your text, which of the following is not a source of research ideas?
a. Everyday life
b. Practical issues
c. Past research
d. Theory
e. All of the above ARE sources of research ideas
Answers:
1. b
2. c
3. b
4. d
5. c
6. a
7. a
8. d
9. d
10. b
11. d
12. d
13. a
14. c
15. d
16. d
17. d
18. e
19. a
20. b
21. d
22. b
23. d
24. b
25. d
26. e
27. d
28. e
Research Ethics
1. Ethics is the set of principles and guidelines that help us to uphold the things we value.
a. True
b. False
2. Which of the following is necessary in obtaining informed consent?
a. A description of the statistical analyses that will be carried out
b. A description of the purpose of the research
c. A description of the reliability and validity of test instruments
d. A list of publications that the researcher has had in the last ten years
3. Which of the following need(s) to be obtained when doing research with children?
a. Informed consent from the parent or guardian
b. Assent from the child if he or she is capable
c. Informed consent from the child
d. Both a and b
4. Which of the following is true about the use of deception in research?
a. It should never be used
b. It can be used anytime
c. If there is deception in a study, the participants may need to be debriefed
d. The use of deception must be outweighed by other benefits of the study
e. Both c and d are true
5. Which of the following generally cannot be done in qualitative studies conducted in the field?
a. Getting informed consent
b. Keeping participants from physical harm
c. Maintaining consent forms
d. Having full anonymity rather than just confidentiality
6What is the primary approach that is used by the IRB to assess the ethical acceptability of a research
study?
a. Utilitarianism
b. Deontology
c. Ethical skepticism
d. Comparativeism
7. Which of the following approaches says that ethical issues should be judged on the basis of some
universal code?
a. Deontological
b. Ethical skepticism
c. Utilitarianism
8 Which of the following is not an ethical guideline for conducting research with humans?
a. Getting informed consent of the participant
b. Telling participants they must continue until the study has been completed
c. Keeping participants identity anonymous
d. Telling participants they are free to withdraw at any time
9. Which of the three ethics approaches says research ethics should be a matter of the individual's
conscience?
a. Deontological approach
b. Ethical skepticism
c. Utilitarianism
d. Ontological skepticism
10. ________ means that the participant's identity, although known to the researcher, is not revealed to
anyone outside of the researcher and his or her staff.
a. Anonymity
b. Confidentiality
11. Which of the following is not true?
a. Misrepresenting and creating fraudulent data is dishonest
b. Misrepresenting data is very easy to detect
c. Misrepresenting data can be difficult to detect
d. Breaking confidentiality is not a problem
12. Ideally, the research participant's identity is not known to the researcher. This is called:
a. Anonymity
b. Confidentiality
c. Deception
d. Desensitizing
13. Which of the following approaches taken by people to resolve ethical issues is the primary approach
used by the federal government and most professional organizations?
a. Deontological approach
b. Ethical skepticism
c. Utilitarianism
d. None of the above
14. What is it called when the participants are not revealed to any one but researcher and staff?
a. Confidentiality
b. Anonymity
c. Ethics
d. Discretion
15. Research participants must give what before they can participate in a study?
a. Guidelines
b. A commitment
c. Informed consent
d. Private information
16. There are three basic approaches that people tend to adopt when considering ethical issues in
research. Which one of the following is not one of the approaches?
a. Ethical skepticism
b. Deontology
c. Ontology
d. Utilitarianism
17. Identify the term that refers to a poststudy interview in which all aspects of the study are revealed,
reasons for the use of deception are given, and the participants questions are answered?
a. Desensitizing
b. Debriefing
c. Dehoaxing
d. Deploying
18. A set of principles to guide and assist researchers in deciding which goals are most important and in
reconciling conflicting values when conducting research is called ____.
a. Research ethics
b. Deontological approach
c. Utilitarianism
d. None of the above
19. IRB is an acronym for which of the following?
a. Internal Review Board
b. Institutional Rating Board
c. Institutional Review Board
d. Internal Request Board
20. When it is necessary to engage in a good amount of deception to conduct a scientifically valid study,
what procedure(s) should
a researcher consider following?
a. Debriefing
b. Dehoaxing
c. Desensitizing
d. All of the above should be considered
21. The act of publishing the same data and results in more than one journal or publication refers to
which of the following professional issues:
a. Partial publication
b. Duplicate publication
c. Deception
d. Full publication
22. Concerning "authorship" in educational research, intellectual ownership is predominantly a
function of:
a. Effort expended
b. Creative contribution
c. Professional position
d. Level of higher education
23. Which term refers to publishing several article s from the data collected in one large study?
a. Duplicate publication
b. Partial publication
c. Triplicate publication
d. None of these
24. Which of the following is a right of each participant according to the AERA?
a. Deception
b. Utilitarianism
c. Freedom to withdraw
d. Participants have no right
Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. d
4. e
5. d
6. a
7. a
8. b
9. b
10. b
11. b
12. a
13. c
14. a
15. c
16. c
17. b
18. a
19. c
20. d
21. b
22. b
23. b
24. c
Standardized Measurement and Assessment
1. Which of the following is not an assumption underlying testing and measurement?
a. Various approaches to measuring aspects of the same thing can be useful
b. Error is rarely present in the measurement process
c. Present-day behavior predicts future behavior
d. Testing and assessment benefit society
2. Systematic error is associated with:
a. Reliability
b. Validity
3. Which of the following is a type of criterionrelated validity evidence?
a. Concurrent evidence
b. Predictive evidence
c. Internal consistency
d. Both a and b are correct answers
4. If a test measures a single construct then:
a. The items should correlate with the total score
b. The items should not correlate with the total score
c. The test should not correlate with other measures of the same construct
d. There must be a reliable alternative form.
5. Professor X develops a test of emotional intelligence. Which of the following represent convergent
and discriminant evidence?
a. The test correlates highly with another test of emotional intelligence and is uncorrelated with self-
efficacy
b. The test correlates with highly with another test of emotional intelligence and is highly correlated
with self-efficacy
c. The test does not correlate with another test of emotional intelligence, but does correlate with self-
efficacy
d. The test does not correlate with other tests of emotional intelligence nor with self- efficacy
6. An ordinal scale is used to rank order people, objects, or characteristics.
a. True
b. False
7. Which scale is the simplest form of measurement?
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
8. ______ tests focus on information acquired through the informal learning that goes on in life.
a. Personality
b. Achievement
c. Aptitude
d. Intelligence
9. Lets say that a test accurately indicates participants scores on a future criterion (e.g., the PSAT is
used to indicate high-school GPA scores).This test would clearly have which of the following?
a. Face validity
b. Concurrent validity
c. Predictive validity
d. Content validity
10. If a baseball coach calculates batting averages, what scale would be used?
a. Interval scale
b. Ratio scale
c. Nominal scale
d. Ordinal scale
11. According to the text, most of the outcome/dependent variable characteristics and attributes
measured in educational research probably exist at the ______________ level of measurement.
a. Nominal
b. Ordinal
c. Interval
d. Ratio
12. Which of the following is most clearly an example of a psychological trait?
a. Anxiety enduring for months or years
b. Anxiety over just seeing a spider
c. Shyness when meeting a stranger for the first time
d. Depression caused by the loss of a ball game
13. All of the following are examples of Intelligence Tests except _________:
a. Wechsler Scales
b. Stanford-Binet
c. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI)
d. Slosson
14. Reliability is most simply known as which of the following?
a. Consistency or stability
b. Appropriateness of interpretations on the basis of test scores
c. Ways in which people are the same
d. A rank order of participants on some characteristic
15. An ordinal scale is:
a. The simplest form of measurement
b. A rank-order scale of measurement
c. A scale with equal intervals between adjacent numbers
d. A scale with an absolute zero point
e. A categorical scale
16. Which of the following is not a type of reliability?
a. Test-retest
b. Split-half
c. Content
d. Internal consistency
17. Which of the following statements accurately describes test-retest reliability?
a. Measure of consistency of test scores over time
b. Measure of consistency of scores obtained from two equivalent halves of the same test
c. Measure of consistency with which a test measures a single construct or concept
d. Measure of degree of agreement between two or more scorers, judges, or raters
18. Which of the following types of reliability refersto the consistency of test scores over time?
a. Equivalent forms reliability
b. Split-half reliability
c. Test-retest reliability
d. Inter-scorer reliability
19. Identify the following term that most closely refers to a judgement of the extent to which scores
from a test can be used to infer, or predict, the examinees' performance in some activity:
a. Content reliability
b. Face validity
c. Criterion-related validity
d. Inference validity
20. Which of the following is the correct order of Stevens four levels of measurement?
a. Ordinal, nominal, ratio, interval
b. Nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
c. Interval, nominal, ordinal, ratio
d. Ratio, interval, nominal, ordinal
21. Which is the process of gathering evidence supporting inferences based test scores?
a. Validation
b. Validity
c. Reliability
d. Prediction
22. When evaluating tests and assessments, reliability refers to asking ourselves which of the
following questions?
a. Does it measure what it is supposed to measure?
b. Are there ways to avoid subjective judgments when measuring something?
c. Does it give consistent results?
d. Does it measure multiple constructs?
23. Validity of a test designed to measure a construct such as self-esteem is best described by
which of the following?
a. Scores from the test correlate highly with most intelligence tests
b. Scores from the test correlate highly with most tests of different constructs
c. Scores from the test are not correlated with anything
d. Scores from the test have a relatively strong and positive correlation with other tests of the
same construct (i.e., with other measures of self-esteem) but much lower correlations with tests of
different constructs
24. Which type of reliability refers to the consistency of a group of individuals' scores on two equivalent
forms of a test designed to measure the same characteristic?
a. Split-half
b. Test-retest
c. Split-forms
d. Equivalent forms
25. Achievement tests are designed to measure the degree of learning that has taken place after a
person has been exposed to a specific learning experience.
a. True
b. False
26. _________ refers to how well the particular sample of behaviors used to measure a characteristic
reflects the entire domain of behaviors that constitutes that characteristic.
a. Construct validity evidence
b. Criterion-related validity evidence
c. Content validity evidence
d. Face validity evidence
Answers:
1. b
2. b
3. d
4. a
5. a
6. a
7. a
8. c
9. c
10. b
11. b
12. a
13. c
14. a
15. b
16. c
17. a
18. c
19. c
20. b
21. a
22. c 23. d 24. d 25. a 26. c
Methods of data collection
1. According to your text, how many points should a rating scale have?
a. Five
b. Four
c. Ten
d. Somewhere from 4 to 11 points
2. What is the problem(s) with this set of response categories to the question What is your current
age?
1-5
5-10
10-20
20-30
30-40
a. The categories are not mutually exclusive
b. The categories are not exhaustive
c. Both a and b are problems
d. There is no problem with the above set of response categories
3. You should mix methods in a way that provides complementary strengths and non overlapping
weaknesses. This is known as the fundamental principle of mixed research.
a. True
b. False
4. According to the text, questionnaires can address events and characteristics taking place when?
a. In the past (retrospective questions)
b. In the present (current time questions)
c. In the future (prospective questions)
d. All of the above
5. Which of the following are principles of questionnaire construction?
a. Consider using multiple methods when measuring abstract constructs
b. Use multiple items to measure abstract constructs
c. Avoid double-barreled questions
d. All of the above
e. Only b and c
6. Which of these is not a method of data collection.
a. Questionnaires
b. Interviews
c. Experiments
d. Observations
7. Secondary/existing data may include which of the following?
a. Official documents
b. Personal documents
c. Archived research data
d. All of the above
8. An item that directs participants to different follow-up questions depending on their response
is called a ____________.
a. Response set
b. Probe
c. Semantic differential
d. Contingency question
9. Which of the following terms best describes data that were originally collected at an earlier time by a
different person for a different purpose?
a. Primary data
b. Secondary data
c. Experimental data
d. Field notes
10. Researchers use both open-ended and closed-ended questions to collect data. Which of the
following statements is true?
a. Open-ended questions directly provide quantitative data based on the researchers predetermined
response categories
b. Closed-ended questions provide quantitative data in the participants own words
c. Open-ended questions provide qualitative data in the participants own words
d. Closed-ended questions directly provide qualitative data in the participants own words
11. Open-ended questions provide primarily ______ data.
a. Confirmatory data
b. Qualitative data
c. Predictive data
d. None of the above
12. Which of the following is true concerning observation?
a. It takes less time than self-report approaches
b. It costs less money than self-report approaches
c. It is often not possible to determine exactly why the people behave as they do
d. All of the above
13. Qualitative observation is usually done for exploratory purposes; it is also called
___________ observation.
a. Structured
b. Naturalistic
c. Complete
d. Probed
14. As discussed in chapter 6, when constructing a questionnaire it is important to do each of the
following except ______.
a. Use "leading" or "loaded" questions
b. Use natural language
c. Understand your research participants
d. Pilot your test questionnaire
15. Another name for a Likert Scale is a(n):
a. Interview protocol
b. Event sampling
c. Summated rating scale
d. Ranking
16. Which of the following is not one of the six major methods of data collection that are used by
educational researchers?
a. Observation
b. Interviews
c. Questionnaires
d. Checklists
17. The type of interview in which the specific topics are decided in advance but the sequence
and wording can be modified during the interview is called:
a. The interview guide approach
b. The informal conversational interview
c. A closed quantitative interview
d. The standardized open-ended interview
18. Which one of the following in nota major method of data collection:
a. Questionnaires
b. Interviews
c. Secondary data
d. Focus groups
e. All of the above are methods of data collection
19. A question during an interview such as Why do you feel that way? is known as a:
a. Probe
b. Filter question
c. Response
d. Pilot
20. A census taker often collects data through which of the following?
a. Standardized tests
b. Interviews
c. Secondary data
d. Observations
21. The researcher has secretly placed him or herself (as a member) in the group that is being studied.
This researcher may be which of the following?
a. A complete participant
b. An observer-as-participant
c. A participant-as-observer
d. None of the above
22. Which of the following is not a major method of data collection?
a. Questionnaires
b. Focus groups
c. Correlational method
d. Secondary data
23. Which type of interview allows the questions to emerge from the immediate context or course of
things?
a. Interview guide approach
b. Informal conversational interview
c. Closed quantitative interview
d. Standardized open-ended interview
24. When conducting an interview, asking "Anything else?, What do you mean?, Why do you feel that
way?," etc, are all forms of:
a. Contingency questions
b. Probes
c. Protocols
d. Response categories
25. When constructing a questionnaire, there are 15 principles to which you should adhere.
Which of the following is not one of those principles?
a. Do not use "leading" or "loaded" questions
b. Avoid double-barreled questions
c. Avoid double negatives
d. Avoid using multiple items to measure a single construct
Answers
:
1. d
2. c
3. a
4. d
5. d
6. c
7. d
8. d
9. b
10. c
11. b
12. c
13. b
14. a
15. c
16. d
17. a
18. e
19. a 20. b 21. a 22. c 23. b 24. b 25. d
Sampling
1. When each member of a population has an equally likely chance of being selected, this is called:
a. A nonrandom sampling method
b. A quota sample
c. A snowball sample
d. An Equal probability selection method
2. Which of the following techniques yields a simple random sample?
a. Choosing volunteers from an introductory psychology class to participate
b. Listing the individuals by ethnic group and choosing a proportion from within each ethnic group at
random.
c. Numbering all the elements of a sampling frame and then using a random number table to pick cases
from the table.
d. Randomly selecting schools, and then sampling everyone within the school.
3. Which of the following is not true about stratified random sampling?
a. It involves a random selection process from identified subgroups
b. Proportions of groups in the sample must always match their population proportions
c. Disproportional stratified random sampling is especially helpful for getting large enough subgroup
samples when subgroup comparisons are to be done
d. Proportional stratified random sampling yields a representative sample
4. Which of the following statements are true?
a. The larger the sample size, the greater the sampling error
b. The more categories or breakdowns you want to make in your data analysis, the larger the sample
needed
c. The fewer categories or breakdowns you want to make in your data analysis, the larger the sample
needed
d. As sample size decreases, so does the size of the confidence interval
5. Which of the following formulae is used to determine how many people to include in the original
sampling?
a. Desired sample size/Desired sample size + 1
b. Proportion likely to respond/desired sample size
c. Proportion likely to respond/population size
d. Desired sample size/Proportion likely to respond
6. Which of the following sampling techniques is an equal probability selection method (i.e., EPSEM) in
which every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected?
a. Simple random sampling
b. Systematic sampling
c. Proportional stratified sampling
d. Cluster sampling using the PPS technique
e. All of the above are EPSEM
7. Which of the following is not a form of nonrandom sampling?
a. Snowball sampling
b. Convenience sampling
c. Quota sampling
d. Purposive sampling
e. They are all forms of nonrandom sampling
8. Which of the following will give a more accurate representation of the population from which a
sample has been taken?
a. A large sample based on the convenience sampling technique
b. A small sample based on simple random sampling
c. A large sample based on simple random sampling
d. A small cluster sample
9. Sampling in qualitative research is similar to which type of sampling in quantitative research?
a. Simple random sampling
b. Systematic sampling
c. Quota sampling
d. Purposive sampling
10. Which of the following would generally require the largest sample size?
a. Cluster sampling
b. Simple random sampling
c. Systematic sampling
d. Proportional stratified sampling
11. How often does the Census Bureautake a complete population count?
a. Every year
b. Every five years
c. Every ten years
d. Twice a year
12. People who are available, volunteer, or can be easily recruited are used in the sampling method
called ______.
a. Simple random sampling
b. Cluster sampling
c. Systematic sampling
d. Convenience sampling
13. Which of the following types of sampling involves the researcher determining the appropriate ample
sizes for the groups identified as important, and then taking convenience samples from those groups?
a. Proportional stratified sampling
b. Quota sampling
c. One-stage cluster sampling
d. Two-stage cluster sampling
14. A type of sampling used in qualitative research that involves selecting cases that disconfirm the
esearcher's expectations and generalizations is referred to as _______________.
a. Extreme case sampling
b. Typical-case sampling
c. Critical-case sampling
d. Negative-case sampling
15. Using Figure 6.6 (pg. 178), how many participants will you need for a research study with a
population of 120,000?
a. 242
b. 331
c. 377
d. 384
16. In which of the following nonrandom sampling techniques does the researcher ask the
research participants to identify other potential research participants?
a. Snowball
b. Convenience
c. Purposive
d. Quota
17. Which of the following is the most efficient random sampling technique discussed in your chapter?
a. Simple random sampling
b. Proportional stratified sampling
c. Cluster random sampling
d. Systematic sampling
18. If we took the 500 people attending a school in New York City, divided them by gender, and then
took a random sample of the males and a random sampling of the females, the variable on which we
would divide the population is called the _____.
a. Independent variable
b. Dependent variable
c. Stratification variable
d. Sampling variable
19. A number calculated with complete population data and quantifies a characteristic of the population
is called which of the following?
a. A datum
b. A statistic
c. A parameter
d. A population
20. The type of sampling in which each member of the population selected for the sample is returned to
the population before the next member is selected is called _________.
a. Sampling without replacement
b. Sampling with replacement
c. Simple random sampling
d. Systematic sampling
21. Which of the following is not a type of nonrandom sampling?
a. Cluster sampling
b. Convenience sampling
c. Quota sampling
d. Purposive sampling
e. They are all type of nonrandom sampling
22. Which of the following would usually require the smallest sample size because of its efficiency?
a. One stage cluster sampling
b. Simple random sampling
c. Two stage cluster sampling
d. Quota sampling
23. A technique used when selecting clusters of different sizes is called _____.
a. Cluster sampling
b. One-stage sampling
c. Two-stage sampling
d. Probability proportional to size or PPS
24. The process of drawing a sample from a population is known as _________.
a. Sampling
b. Census
c. Survey research
d. None of the above
25. It is recommended to use the whole population rather than a sample when the population size
is of what size?
a. 500 or less
b. 100 or less
c. 1000 or less
d. you should always use a sample
26. Which of the following is not an example of a nonrandom sampling technique?
a. Purposive
b. Quota
c. Convenience
d. Cluster
27. Which of the following sampling methods is the best way to select a group of people for a study if
you are interested in making statements about the larger population?
a. Convenience sampling
b. Quota sampling
c. Purposive sampling
d. Random sampling
28. ___________ is a set of elements taken from a larger population according to certain rules.
a. Sample
b. Population
c. Statistic
d. Element
29. Determining the sample interval (represented by k), randomly selecting a number between 1
and k, and including each kth element in your sample are the steps for which form of sampling?
a. Simple Random Sampling
b. Stratified Random Sampling
c. Systematic Sampling
d. Cluster sampling
30. The nonrandom sampling type that involves selecting a convenience sample from a population with
a specific set of characteristics for your research study is called _____.
a. Convenience sampling
b. Quota sampling
c. Purposive sampling
d. Snowball sampling
Answers:
1. d
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. d
6. e
7. e
8. c
9. d
10. a
11. c
12. d
13. b
14. d
15. d
16. a
17. b
18. c
19. c
20. b
21. a
22. b
23. d
24. a
25. b
26. d
27. d
28. a
29. c
30. c
Validity of Research Results
1. When a extraneous variable systematically varies with the independent variable and influences
the dependent variable, it is called:
a. Another dependent variable
b. A confounding variable
c. A moderating variable
d. An unreliable variable
2. Which of the following statements is true?
a. A statistical relationship is sufficient evidence to infer causality
b. Temporal order of the cause and effect is not important in inferring causality
c. A statistical relation of X and Y is insufficient evidence for inferring causality
d. Temporal order of cause and effect variables and statistical relation are all that are
needed to infer causality
3. A school district examines a program that uses mentors to help very poor readers improve their
reading performance. The children in the program are at the 4
th
percentile at pretest. At posttest they
are around the 20thpercentile. While it is possible that the program made the difference, another
reason for the change in scores could be:
a. History
b. Regression artifact
c. Multiple-treatment interference
d. Differential selection
4. A group of researchers do a study where children from particular classrooms are assigned to
treatment or control conditions. After the study, the researcher finds out that the students in the
control group are higher achievers than those in the experimental group. He found no treatment
effect. The failure to find an effect may be due to:
a. A treatment effect
b. A testing effect
c. A differential selection effect
d. A maturation effect
5. A researcher examines a program looking at the effects of mentoring on poor readers' reading
achievement. He looks at two different schools. One serves as the control and the other the
experimental group. Both schools had reading achievement that was around the 50
th
percentile.
During the time that the mentoring program is in place in the experimental group, a statewide
reading initiative is started in randomly selected schools. The experimental, but not the control
school is involved in the initiative. At the end of the year, the experimental group does better
than the control. From the information presented above, a likely threat to the internal validity of
the study is:
a. Selection by mortality interaction
b. Mortality
c. Selection-history effect
d. Selection-maturation effect
6. Which type of validity refers to the degree to which you can infer that the relationship between
two variables is causal?
a. Internal validity
b. Population validity
c. Ecological validity
d. Statistical conclusion validity
7. Which type of validity refers to the ability to infer that the independent and dependent variables are
related ant that the measured strength of the relationship is accurate?
a. Internal validity
b. Population validity
c. Ecological validity
d. Statistical conclusion validity
8. An extraneous variable that systematically varies with the independent variable and also influences
the dependent variable is known as a _______________.
a Confounding variable
b. Third variable
c. Second variable
d. Both a and b are correct
9. The use of multiple observers to allow cross-checking of observations to make sure that the
investigators agree with what took place is known as _______.
a. Interpretive validity
b. Researcher bias
c. Multiple operationalism
d. Investigator triangulation
10. _____________ is the lowest inference descriptor of all because it uses the participants own
words.
a. Participant feedback
b. A verbatim
c. Data triangulation
d. Investigator triangulation
11. ___________ refers to physical or mental changes that may occur within individuals over
time, such as aging, learning, boredom, hunger, and fatigue.
a. Instrumentation
b. History
c. Maturation
d. Testing
12. What type of validity refers to the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized
across time?
a. Ecological validity
b. External validity
c. Internal validity
d. Temporal validity
13. Which of the following best describes interpretive validity?
a. Factual accuracy of an account as reported by the researcher
b. Accurately portraying the meanings given by the participants to what is being studied
c. Degree to which a theoretical explanation fits the data
d. Ability to generalize the study results across settings
14. Which of the following terms is a strategy where the researcher actively engages in critical
self-reflection about his or her potential biases and predispositions.
a. Experimenter effect
b. Reactivity
c. Investigator triangulation
d. Reflexivity
15. Which of the following is not considered one of the criteria for inferring causality?
a. Evidence that the independent and dependent variables are related
b. Evidence that the relationship between the variables being investigated is not due to a confounding
extraneous variable
c. Evidence that changes in variable A occur before changes in variable B
d. The temporal ordering of the variables being investigated does not matter because a relationship is all
that is really needed
16. The use of multiple data sources to help underst
and a phenomenon is one strategy that is used
to promote qualitative research validity. Which of
the following terms describes this strategy?
a. Data matching
b. Pattern matching
c. Data triangulation
d. Data feedback
17. What may happen when different comparison
groups experience a different history event?
a. History effect
b. Selection-history effect
c. Selection effect
d. Group effect
18. What is another term that refers
to a confounding extraneous variable?
a. Last variable
b. First variable
c. Third variable
d. Fourth variable
19. Which of the following refers to any systematic
change that occurs over
time in the way in
which the dependent variable is assessed?
a. Instrumentation
b. Maturation
c. Testing
d. Selection
20. Which of the following terms describes the
ability to generalize from the sample of
individuals on which a study was
conducted to the larger target
population of individuals and
across different subpopulations within
the larger target population?
a. External validity
b. Population validity
c. Ecological validity
d. Temporal validity
21. Which of the following is not a strategy used
to promote qualitative research validity?
a. Peer review
b. Theory triangulation
c. Extended fieldwork
d. Random assignment
22. The use of several measures
of a construct is called:
a. Multiple operationalism
b. Multiple construct measurement
c. Operationalism
d. Methods triangulation
23. A physical or mental change
that occurs in participants
over time that affects their
performance on the dependent
variable is called ________.
a. Instrumentation
b. Maturation
c. Regression
d. None of above
24. Attrition generally occu
rs in research where ____.
a. You do demographic research
b. The study fails
c. Some participants do not complete the study
d. The study is very brief
25. Differential attrition occurs
when the people dropping out from
one group are different from
the others in their group or from
the people in the comparison group.
a. True
b. False
26. Internal validity refers
to which of the following?
a. The ability to infer that a casual
relationship exists between 2 variables
b. The extent to which study results can be ge
neralized to and across populations of persons,
settings, and times
c. The use of effective measurement instruments in the study
d. The ability to generalize the study result
s to individuals not
included in the study
27. Which strategy used to promote qualitative re
search validity uses mu
ltiple research methods
to study a phenomenon?
a. Data triangulation
b. Methods triangulation
c. Theory triangulation
d. Member checking
28. Which type of validity refers to the fact
ual accuracy of an account as reported by the
researcher?
a. Ecological validity
b. Temporal validity
c. Descriptive validity
d. None of the above
29. Which of the following in
not
one of the key threats
to internal validity?
a. Maturation
b. Instrumentation
c. Temporal change
d. History
30. This type of validity refers to the ability to
generalize the results of
a study across settings.
a. Temporal validity
b. Internal validity
c. Ecological validity
d. External validity
31. Which is not a direct thre
at to the internal valid
ity of a research design?
a. History
b. Testing
c. Sampling error
d. Differential selection
32. Alteration in performance due to
being aware that one is part
icipating in a study is known as
______.
a. Operationalism
b. Reactivity
c. Temporal validity
d. Mortality
33. The idea that the more times a research finding
is shown with different sets of people, the
more confidence we can place in the finding and in
generalizing beyond the original participants
is known as ___________.
a. Naturalistic generalization
b. Methods generalization
c. Data triangulation
d. Replication logic
Answers:
1. b
2. c
3. b
4. c
5. c
6. a
7. d
8. d
9. d
10. b
11. c
12. d
13. b
14. d
15. d
16. c
17. b
18. c
19. a
20. b
21. d
22. a
23. b
24. c
25. a
26. a
27. b
28. c
29. c
30. c
31. c
32. b
33. d