Deck 13: Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research

Question 1

Qualitative researchers use many methods in part to

A) find one that produces the expected outcome.
B) make the process more like an experiment.
C) provide a better understanding of the phenomenon being investigated.
D) verify their quantitative observations.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is a method for reducing researcher bias in qualitative research?

A) reflexivity.
B) reactivity.
C) confirmation seeking.
D) methods triangulation.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When evaluating internal validity in qualitative research, both causation, an action by a particular person in a local situation with an observable result, and causation, the standard view of causation in science, are important.

A) individual; group
B) character; cluster
C) unit; collection
D) ideographic; nomological

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Jim has transcribed hours of audiotape from survivors of a plane crash. He believes he has identified some themes in their stories but before continuing with his research he asks some of his colleagues to read the transcripts and form their own interpretations. In doing this Jim is trying to establish validity through the method of .

A) theoretical; investigator triangulation
B) theoretical; external audit
C) descriptive; investigator triangulation
D) descriptive; external audit

Question 5

Methods to enhance theoretical validity include

A) extended fieldwork.
B) theory triangulation.
C) peer review.
D) all of the above

Question 6

When trying to increase interpretive validity in qualitative research, it is important to have which is checking with participants to see if they agree with the researcher's statements, interpretations, and conclusions.

A) inference descriptors
B) participant feedback
C) pattern matching
D) triangulation

Question 7

Qualitative research can be described in the following way:

A) it is objective, involves multiple methods, and focuses on people in subcultures
B) it is opinionated, involves two specific methods, and focuses on cultures, not people
C) it is emotional, involves historical methods, and focuses on people with odd cultural practices
D) it is interpretive, involves multiple methods, and focuses on people in their natural environment

Question 8

is one way to avoid researcher bias in qualitative research.

A) Confirmation seeking
B) Negative-case sampling
C) Data triangulation
D) Extended fieldwork

Question 9

Qualitative research is interpretive, which involves

A) extracting information from non-numerical data.
B) using objective measurements.
C) quantifying non-numerical data.
D) observing in the laboratory environment.

Question 10

To enhance interpretive validity researchers' reports should include "low-inference descriptors" which means that they should

A) try to use participants' own words as much as possible.
B) use very simplistic, easy to understand terminology even if it is very different from their data.
C) not make any interpretations regarding their findings.
D) use multiple investigators before making their final report.

Question 11

validity is providing an accurate description of a particular phenomenon, situation, or group.

A) Theoretical
B) Interpretive
C) Descriptive
D) Explanatory

Question 12

In terms of report writing, quantitative studies focus on while qualitative studies focus on .

A) descriptive narratives; pictures and images
B) statistical results; descriptive narratives
C) statistical results; statistical results
D) subject reality; objective results

Question 13

The ability of researchers to "get into the heads" of their participants and accurately portray their viewpoints is called .

A) descriptive validity
B) theoretical validity
C) interpretive validity
D) mental modeling

Question 14

Because much of data collection in qualitative research is spent interviewing and observing participants in their natural environment, data collection is sometimes called , and notes taken by the researcher are called .

A) qualitation; quality
B) method triangulation; data triangulation
C) fieldwork; fieldnotes
D) feedback; data

Question 15

To boast a qualitative study's theoretical validity, a researcher may construct and test a complex hypothesis. This is called

A) pattern matching
B) pattern construction
C) extended fieldwork
D) ideographic causation

Question 16

Internal validity in qualitative research focuses on

A) understanding how variables are causally related and how they generalize to all people.
B) understanding how variables are causally related in a particular context.
C) generalizing findings from a particular individual to the larger population.
D) nomological causation.

Question 17

The method of establishing internal validity that focuses on the researcher carefully thinking about the cause and effect before drawing a conclusion is called

A) empiricism.
B) rationalism.
C) researcher as detective.
D) researcher as psychic.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a method for reducing researcher bias in qualitative research?

A) reflexivity
B) reactivity
C) negative-case sampling
D) seeking disconfirming evidence of prior expectations

Question 19

Discussing the findings and interpretations of your research with other researchers is important in establishing theoretical validity and is referred to as

A) investigator confirmation.
B) external audit.
C) researcher as detective.
D) peer review.

Question 20

A focus on testing groups of individuals with a primary goal of generalizing findings characterizes research, while intensive study of individuals with less concern for generalizability characterizes research.

A) quantitative; qualitative
B) qualitative; quantitative
C) ethnographic; phenomenological
D) phenomenological; ethnographic

Question 21

To gain access to an individual's inner world and understand their own unique life experience would be the primary goal of which of the following methods?

A) phenomenology
B) ethnography
C) mixed model
D) experimental

Question 22

Which of the following would be most likely to be used as a method of data collection by a phenomenological researcher?

A) a brief survey with all closed-ended questions
B) rating scale
C) in-depth interviews
D) study of archival data

Question 23

In writing the phenomenological report it is important to

A) remain completely objective and detached.
B) be brief.
C) write a detailed narrative with a description of the essential characteristics of the experience.
D) report on the type of statistical analysis employed as well as the effect size.

Question 24

are written and unwritten rules specifying how people in a group are supposed to think and act, and are important for ethnographic qualitative research.

A) Norms
B) Ideals
C) Values
D) Beliefs

Question 25

In phenomenology research, a research participant's inner world is referred to as their

A) mental world.
B) life world.
C) experiential world.
D) internal structure

Question 26

If a researcher were interested in a person's conscious experience resulting from the end of a marriage, the method of choice would be

A) phenomenological.
B) ethnography.
C) experimental.
D) ex post facto.

Question 27

If a researcher joined a religious cult to see how members are recruited and why affiliation is so strong, she would be using the

A) ex post facto method.
B) phenomenological method.
C) participant-observer method.
D) experimental method.

Question 28

Phenomenologists hoping to gain an understanding of the experiences of people that have been abducted by terrorists, would rely primarily on

A) face-to face interviews.
B) participant observation.
C) gathering of artifacts.
D) collective case studies.

Question 29

A phenomenologist who is interested in the effects of separation is most likely to ask of a person after a divorce

A) "How long were you married?"
B) "How would you describe the feelings you are experiencing?"
C) "How many children do you have?"
D) "How do you like the divorce laws in this state?"

Question 30

If you were conducting a study in which you created a research report that discussed the rituals and norms that were characteristic of the group of people you were studying and focused on how the group members interacted with each other, you would most likely have conducted

A) a case study.
B) an ethnographic study.
C) a phenomenological study.
D) a laboratory study.

Question 31

It is important for ethnographic researchers to balance the insider and outsider perspectives. If a researcher becomes overly involved in a group - to the point where they are no longer objective - it is referred to as

A) becoming ethnocentric.
B) reactive participation.
C) going native.
D) total immersion.

Question 32

Dr. Drinkwater wants to describe what it is like to be Amish in the 21st century. He has befriended several members of a local Amish community who have invited him to come and live with them for the year. The best approach to this study would be to do

A) a phenomenological study.
B) an ethnographic study.
C) a collective case study.
D) a correlational study.

Question 33

A significant risk inherent in participant observation is

A) the introduction of extraneous variables.
B) the need for disguise and possible discovery.
C) the need for deception.
D) the reactive effect.

Question 34

When qualitative researchers focus on external validity they are likely to focus on .

A) theoretical generalization
B) naturalistic generalization
C) sample generalization
D) laboratory generalization

Question 35

In ethnographic qualitative research, are group members who control a researcher's access to the rest of the group members.

A) leaders
B) gatekeepers
C) chiefs
D) organizers

Question 36

The philosopher is considered the founder of phenomenology.

A) John Locke
B) Rene Descartes
C) Edmund Husserl
D) Jean-Paul Sartre

Question 37

It is important that an ethnographic researcher focuses on describing their culture from the insider or perspective, as well as from the outsider's or perspective.

A) emic; etic
B) etic; emic
C) intrinsic; extrinsic
D) extrinsic; intrinsic

Question 38

What kinds of data are most likely to be affected by the "reactive effect?"

A) objective measures.
B) correlational data.
C) data collected by participant observers.
D) data from self report on surveys.

Question 39

uses) along with beliefs, language, and norms to interpret and understand their world. Both are important for ethnographic qualitative research.

A) Society; individual values
B) Cultures; individual values
C) Cultures; shared values
D) Society; individual ideals

Question 40

External validity in qualitative research

A) is less important than in quantitative research because researchers generally are not interested in generalizing their findings.
B) is more important than in quantitative research because without generalization the qualitative approach is pointless.
C) is defined completely differently than in quantitative research.
D) is determined by strength of the cause and effect relationship between variables.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT one of the four key characteristics of grounded theory?

A) the newly constructed grounded theory should fit the data.
B) the theory should have no generality
C) the theory should contribute to some control of the phenomenon.
D) the theory must provide understanding of the phenomenon

Question 42

is the position that quantitative and qualitative research methods and philosophies can be combined.

A) Similarity hypothesis
B) Comparison thesis
C) Compatibility thesis
D) Compatibility idea

Question 43

The research approach that utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods is referred to as

A) quality methods research.
B) mixed methods research.
C) interactive methods research.
D) combination methods research.

Question 44

coding is the second stage of data analysis in grounded theory where the focus is on making concepts more abstract and ordering them into the theory.

A) open coding
B) selective coding
C) axial coding
D) secondary coding

Question 45

The narrative report for an ethnography should

A) focus on hypothesis testing.
B) attempt to generalize the findings to a larger population.
C) focus on a single theme.
D) be a holistic report of the culture.

Question 46

By studying the brain-damaged patient "H.M." researchers were able to identify the hippocampus as an important structure in the brain for the creation of new long term memories. The in-depth study of HM that led to this knowledge can most accurately be referred to as

A) an ethnography.
B) a phenomenological study.
C) an instrumental case study.
D) an collective case study.

Question 47

A person who has an unusually excellent memory is studied for a better understanding of this interesting case. The self-reports of how this mnemonist remembers constitute

A) an intrinsic case study.
B) a longitudinal study.
C) a phenomenological study.
D) collective case studies.

Question 48

What is the main difference between single-case research designs and case studies?

A) case studies typically focus on more than one individual
B) single-case designs do not allow one to make conclusions regarding causality
C) case studies are experimental designs whereas single-cases designs are qualitative
D) single-case designs focus on investigating the effect of a treatment

Question 49

The case study of Phineas Gage is fascinating. In 1848 Gage was a railroad worker who was the victim of a horrible accident when an explosion caused a tamping iron to be shot through his skull. Gage survived but with several physical and psychological problems. The study of Gage after the accident provided scientists with great insight into the role of the brain in behavior. This is an example of an) case study.

A) intrinsic
B) instrumental
C) descriptive
D) comparative

Question 50

occurs when no new information relevant to the grounded theory is emerging from the data and the grounded theory has been sufficiently validated.

A) Theoretical saturation
B) Conjectural dissemination
C) Hypothetical saturation
D) Theoretical dispersion

Question 51

A weakness of the mixed methods approach is that

A) divergent aspects of a phenomenon cannot be studied.
B) it can be difficult to connect theory to practice.
C) it is an old methodology with few people using it.
D) because expertise is needed to two areas it can be difficult to find people qualified to perform both types research.

Question 52

A key characteristic of grounded theory is

A) intense study of a single individual.
B) development of a theory based on empirical data.
C) using existing theory to explain empirical data.
D) using hypothesis testing to establish the validity of a theory.

Question 53

Each of the following is a type of case study except

A) instrumental.
B) collective.
C) extrinsic.
D) intrinsic.

Question 54

is the philosophy focusing on what works as the criterion of what should be viewed as tentatively true and useful in research and practice.

A) Common sense
B) Pragmatism
C) Compatability
D) Saturation

Question 55

Which of the following is true about grounded theory?

A) it relies on a deductive approach to knowledge acquisition
B) it uses empirical data to develop theory
C) it uses the process of logic of justification
D) it focuses on theory testing

Question 56

The initial stage of data analysis in grounded theory is referred to as

A) open coding.
B) closed coding.
C) axial coding.
D) co-axial coding.

Question 57

A collective case study is different from other case studies in that

A) more than one individual is studied.
B) more than one data collection method is used.
C) more than one researcher studies the individual.
D) a community is studied rather than an individual.

Question 58

Judging others on the basis of your own cultural standards is referred to as

A) being racist.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) holism.
D) going native.

Question 59

Dr. Staines has repeatedly read that multiple personality disorder does not occur in elderly males, yet she is currently working in private practice with an 80-year-old man who fits diagnostic criteria for the disorder. She publishes her notes on her work with this person to show that the prevailing wisdom is not completely correct. She has done an) study.

A) intrinsic case
B) longitudinal
C) geriatric
D) instrumental case

Question 60

In grounded theory the aspect of data analysis that involves putting on the "finishing touches" by developing the main idea.

A) axial coding
B) selective coding
C) open coding
D) conclusive coding

Question 61

Which type of validity important in mixed method research states that researchers must not treat the quantitative and qualitative samples the same, but, instead, draw appropriate conclusions from each sample?

A) sequential validity
B) sample integration validity
C) multiple validity
D) weakness validity

Question 62

Mixed methods design scheme is based on two dimensions; in which one of the two dimensions used are concurrent and sequential, and in which one of the two dimensions used are equal status and dominant status.

A) time order; hypothesis emphasis
B) paradigm emphasis; time order
C) time order; paradigm emphasis
D) quantitative' qualitative

Question 63

Which of the following is a strength of qualitative research?

A) the results are typically generalizable to a larger population
B) sophisticated statistical techniques are utilized
C) it can provide an in-depth understanding of an individual or situation
D) researcher bias is eliminated

Question 64

Which type of validity important in mixed method research is present when the researcher provides both the insider and objective outsider perspectives?

A) sequential validity
B) inside-outside validity
C) multiple validity
D) weakness validity