Deck 3: Basic Concepts in Quantitative Research

Question 1

Quantitative research design comes in what types?

A) statistical and observational
B) interview, survey, and observational
C) experimental and nonexperimental
D) representative sample and census

Answer 1

experimental and nonexperimental

Question 2

Quantitative research data is represented how?

A) descriptively
B) numerically
C) organically
D) chronologically

Answer 2

numerically

Question 3

Quantitative research data is represented how?

A) descriptively
B) numerically
C) graphically
D) chronologically

Answer 3

numerically

Question 4

What does it mean to operationalize a concept?

A) define a directly observable construct of the concept
B) summarize sources that have used the concept
C) show how the concept relates to the research question
D) measure the effect of study variables

Question 5

What are nominal variables?

A) the traits being studied
B) traits being studied that are identified by name
C) traits identified by numbers
D) traits that can be put in an order

Question 6

What are continuous variables?

A) traits being studied that persist over time
B) traits being studied that are identified by name
C) variables not introduced experimentally
D) traits that can be described by numbers

Question 7

Continuous variables come in two types: ratio variables and interval variables. Which of the following is a ratio variable?

A) temperature
B) gender
C) GPA
D) age of the universe

Question 8

A survey of foreign students in English language classes asks their country of birth and their age. How many variables are being studied?

A) none
B) one
C) two
D) three

Question 9

In a causal-comparative study, what is the difference between independent variables and dependent variables?

A) independent variables cause the effect measured in the dependent variables
B) dependent variables cause the effect measured in the independent variables
C) dependent variables are those that affect each other; independent variables do not
D) independent variables exist before the study; dependent variables do not

Question 10

How many and of what types of variables will an experimental study have?

A) at least one dependent variable
B) at least one independent variable
C) at least two variables of either type
D) at least one dependent variable and one independent variable

Question 11

What does physically manipulate mean in an experimental context?

A) an intervention or treatment in which subjects are touched
B) any tangible, real-world intervention or treatment
C) when subjects complete a task as part of an experiment
D) when subjects are not told the purpose of an experiment

Question 12

A teacher showed an educational film on nutrition to one group of students, gave a handout on the same material to another group, and then tested each group on their knowledge of the material. The purpose was to determine which method of instruction was more effective. In this experiment, what is the dependent variable?

A) the test results
B) the film and the handout
C) the film
D) the handout

Question 13

What is an operational definition?

A) description of a concept under study
B) precise steps for identifying a variable
C) a definition found in published studies
D) the steps for conducting the experiment

Question 14

In practice, how often are operational definitions fully operationalized?

A) always, because otherwise it is a conceptual definition
B) just in published research
C) about half the time
D) never, because not all physical factors can be accounted for

Question 15

What is the goal in operationalizing a definition?

A) to enable another researcher to replicate the study
B) to fully describe all physical factors affecting a variable
C) to make concrete a conceptual dictionary definition
D) to remind study participants what to focus on

Question 16

Which of the following definitions of administering nonverbal praise (in an experiment) is more operational?

A) communicating approval without speaking
B) using gestures such as a smile or thumbs up but not speaking
C) smiling with lips closed while nodding the head three times
D) using facial expression to indicate approval without speaking

Question 17

Which of the following is preferred by the scientific community for organizing research?

A) research hypotheses
B) research purpose
C) research question
D) all of the above are acceptable

Question 18

What is the difference between a directional hypothesis and a nondirectional hypothesis?

A) directional hypotheses predict a difference will be found, nondirectional ones do not
B) directional hypotheses predict the type of difference to be found, nondirectional do not
C) directional hypotheses apply to experiments where directions are given
D) directional hypotheses are those borne out by the data, nondirectional are those disproven

Question 19

When do researchers use a null hypothesis?

A) in statistical analysis of multiple variables
B) in statistical analysis of a single variable
C) when the original hypothesis is disproven
D) when one variable has no data