Deck 2: Research Strategies: an Overview

Question 1

In what ways do basic and applied research differ? In what ways are they similar?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

What is evaluation research and when is it used?

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Explain how action research blends the role of the scientist and the role of the activist.

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

What are the advantages and disadvantages of conducting action research?

Question 5

Give an example of a dependent measure that would be represented by qualitative data.

Question 6

Give an example of a dependent measure that would be represented by quantitative data.

Question 7

Describe four key differences between quantitative and qualitative research.

Question 8

What is a mixed method design? When would it be appropriate to use one?

Question 9

What is the defining characteristic of the experimental research strategy?

Question 10

List two advantages and two disadvantages of the experimental research strategy.

Question 11

Why would a researcher conduct a case study?

Question 12

List four advantages of case study research.

Question 13

Distinguish between the nomothetic and idiographic approaches to the study of human behavior.

Question 14

How might researcher bias affect the interpretation of the results of a case study?

Question 15

List two advantages and two disadvantages of the correlational research strategy.

Question 16

What is actuarial prediction and what statistic would a researcher use to make this type of prediction?

Question 17

Dr. Chu finds a correlation between smoking and weight of r = -.41. Can she validly conclude that smoking reduces weight? Why or why not?

Question 18

What is the third variable problem in correlational research? Give an example of a possible third variable that might affect the relationship between age and anxiety.

Question 19

What is a reciprocal relationship? Which criterion for inferring causality does it affect?

Question 20

List three reasons why a researcher might choose to use the correlational research strategy rather than the experimental research strategy.

Question 21

Why is the correlational research strategy sometimes referred to as the passive research strategy?

Question 22

If you were interested in conducting research that was high in naturalism, which research strategy would you choose? Explain your reasoning.

Question 23

Name and define the three types of developmental research described in your text.

Question 24

What is attrition and how does it affect the conclusions you can draw from developmental research?

Question 25

Dr. Graham discovers that an event external to her research might be affecting her result. What is this event called and how might it affect the conclusions she can draw?

Question 26

Explain the difference between test sensitization effects and test reactivity effects.

Question 27

In the context of longitudinal research, what is a cohort? Give an example.

Question 28

What advantage does a cohort sequential design have over a cross-sectional design?

Question 29

What is prospective research and when is it useful?

Question 30

Describe the process of outcome evaluation as a research strategy.

Question 31

Distinguish between a target population and a participant sample.

Question 32

What is a convenience sample? What impact does using this type of sample have on the generalizability of a study's results?

Question 33

What steps can a researcher take to maximize her confidence in the results of a set of research studies?

Question 34

Why is it beneficial to carry out multiple studies that test the same hypothesis?

Question 35

If you were designing a study, would you focus on basic research or applied research? Explain the reasons for your choice.

Question 36

________research is conducted to generate knowledge for the sake of knowledge, without being concerned whether the knowledge generated is useful.

A) Action
B) Applied
C) Basic
D) Evaluation

Question 37

Dr. von Trapp is conducting research to test a hypothesis that she believes extends and clarifies Baddeley's theory of working memory. Which category describes her research?

A) Action
B) Applied
C) Basic
D) Evaluation

Question 38

________research is conducted to find a solution to a problem that is affecting some aspect of society.

A) Action
B) Applied
C) Basic
D) Evaluation

Question 39

Dr. Martin is conducting research on ways to increase the reading level of third graders in his local public school system. His research is best described as

A) Applied
B) Qualitative
C) Basic
D) Mixed model

Question 40

________research is conducted to determine the effectiveness of behavioral science interventions.

A) Action
B) Applied
C) Basic
D) Evaluation

Question 41

Compared to basic research, applied research is more likely to

A) be narrow in scope.
B) be conducted in natural settings.
C) use non-experimental research methods
D) do all of the above

Question 42

Which of the following statements about basic and applied research is TRUE?

A) Theory plays no role in applied research.
B) Basic research can often provide information about social problems.
C) Basic research is conducted only in laboratory settings.
D) Applied research tends to be broad in scope, focusing on general principles of behavior.

Question 43

Dr. Truax has developed an intervention program designed to increase safe-sex practices among college students. During the three-week program, students complete online modules about safe sex, attend discussion sections, and keep a diary of their sexual activity. The results are compared to a set of success criteria that the college administrators have identified. Dr. Truax's research is an example of

A) evaluation research.
B) basic research.
C) action research.
D) qualitative research.

Question 44

________research involves the systematic integration of theory, application, and evaluation.

A) Action
B) Applied
C) Basic
D) Evaluation

Question 45

Compared to basic researchers, in developing their research project, action researchers are more likely to

A) adopt a value-free perspective on their research topic.
B) directly involve people who are affected by the outcome of their research.
C) discount the usefulness of theory as a guide to their research question.
D) do all of the above

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a theme that describes the purpose of action research?

A) Action researchers believe social change cannot be accomplished by conducting research.
B) The best action research is firmly grounded in social science theory.
C) Action researchers should be guided by their personal values.
D) Action researchers must trust that people might know their own lives and interests better than the researchers do.

Question 47

Action research can be described as

A) low in construct validity.
B) messy and complex.
C) atheoretical
D) all of the above

Question 48

Which type of research is MOST likely to directly involve people who are affected by its outcome?

A) evaluation
B) applied
C) action
D) mixed methods

Question 49

Compared to qualitative researchers, QUANTITATIVE researchers are more likely to

A) try to maximize external validity.
B) focus on understanding how people experience and interpret events in their lives.
C) study behavior outside of its natural context.
D) view the researcher's experience as part of the data for a study.

Question 50

Compared to qualitative researchers, QUANTITATIVE researchers are more likely to

A) try to maximize ecological validity.
B) focus on the average behavior of people in a population.
C) study behavior in its natural context.
D) focus on individual experience.

Question 51

Compared to quantitative researchers, QUALITATIVE researchers are more likely to

A) study behavior as it naturally occurs.
B) focus on identifying cause-and-effect relationships among variables.
C) try to maximize internal validity.
D) focus on the average behavior of people in a population.

Question 52

Compared to quantitative researchers, QUALITATIVE researchers are more likely to

A) study behavior in a laboratory setting.
B) focus on identifying cause-and-effect relationships among variables.
C) try to maximize internal validity.
D) focus on understanding how people experience and interpret events in their lives.

Question 53

Which of the following issues is/are of concern to BOTH qualitative and quantitative researchers?

A) validity
B) generalizability
C) ethics
D) all of the above

Question 54

Compared to researchers who adhere to the humanistic epistemology, those who adhere to the logical positivist epistemology are MORE likely to

A) conduct quantitative research.
B) use the experimental research strategy.
C) try to maximize the internal validity of their research.
D) do all of the above.

Question 55

__________ research designs integrate both qualitative and quantitative data.

A) Action
B) Mixed method
C) Cohort-sequential
D) Synthesized

Question 56

Researchers should consider a mixed methods research design if

A) they are asking several unrelated questions.
B) the results of both methods are expected to produce convergent findings.
C) each of the two approaches being considered addresses different aspects of the research question.
D) all of the above

Question 57

A strong mixed method design can be created by

A) adding one or two qualitative questions to a quantitative design.
B) getting input from the people who are most affected by the question of interest.
C) ensuring that neither of the approaches used has easily identifiable weaknesses.
D) looking for two research strategies that will produce divergent findings.

Question 58

One of the criteria of causality is covariation of the cause and effect. The experimental research strategy meets this criterion

A) through manipulation of the independent variable.
B) by holding variables other than the independent variable constant.
C) when it finds an effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
D) through reliable measurement of the dependent variable.

Question 59

One of the criteria of causality is time precedence of the cause and effect. The experimental research strategy meets this criterion

A) through manipulation of the independent variable before measuring the dependent variable.
B) by holding variables other than the independent variable constant.
C) when it finds an effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
D) through reliable measurement of the dependent variable.

Question 60

One of the criteria of causality is being able to eliminate alternative explanations for the effect of the independent variable. The experimental research strategy meets this criterion

A) through manipulation of the independent variable.
B) by holding variables other than the independent variable constant.
C) when it finds an effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
D) through reliable measurement of the dependent variable

Question 61

Among the disadvantages of the experimental research strategy is/are

A) lack of naturalism.
B) personality variables cannot be manipulated and so cannot be studied experimentally.
C) it is unethical to manipulate some variables, so those variables cannot be studied experimentally.
D) all of the above.

Question 62

Professor Sokolov conducted an experiment and found that younger people had significantly poorer sleep quality than older people. Based on the results, she can conclude that

A) sleep quality is related to age.
B) the sleep quality of any individual person can be reliably predicted by her or his age.
C) there is a causal relationship between participant age and sleep quality.
D) sleep quality declines with age.

Question 63

Among the advantages of the case study research strategy is/are

A) naturalism.
B) the ability to study rarely occurring phenomena.
C) the ability to gain the participants' point of view on the research topic.
D) all of the above.

Question 64

Among the disadvantages of the case study research strategy is/are

A) an inability to determine cause-and-effect relationships.
B) lack of generalizability.
C) vulnerability to researcher bias.
D) all of the above.

Question 65

In which choice below are all three concepts related to one another?

A) humanistic epistemology, idiographic approach to research, use of the case study research strategy
B) humanistic epistemology, nomothetic approach to research, use of the experimental research strategy
C) logical positivist epistemology, idiographic approach to research, use of the experimental research strategy
D) logical positivist epistemology, nomothetic approach to research, use of the case study research strategy

Question 66

H.M. was a man who underwent a surgery that removed part of his medial temporal lobe. After the surgery, he was unable to form new long-term memories. Researchers studied H.M extensively over the next 50 years. These studies illustrate which purpose of case study research?

A) investigating rarely occurring phenomena
B) discovery of overlooked behaviors
C) understanding people's everyday experiences
D) all of the above

Question 67

Researchers who use the _________ approach try to formulate general principles of behavior that will apply to most people most of the time.

A) idiographic
B) cohort-sequential
C) nomothetic
D) actuarial prediction

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the correlational research strategy?

A) It takes a quantitative approach to data.
B) It involves manipulating an independent variable.
C) It involves a nomothetic approach to research.
D) It is sometimes referred to as the passive research strategy.

Question 69

The correlational research strategy can be used when the experimental strategy cannot. This is, because the correlational strategy can be used to study

A) variables, such as personality, that cannot be manipulated.
B) variables, such as extreme stress, that it would be unethical to manipulate.
C) both a and b.
D) neither a nor b.

Question 70

The correlational research strategy is able to meet which of the criteria for causality?

A) covariation of proposed cause and effect
B) time precedence of the cause
C) ability to rule out alternative explanations
D) both a and b

Question 71

Professor Radetzky found a significant positive correlation between the amount of violent television programming children watch and how aggressive the children are. He concludes that watching violent television programming causes children to become aggressive. The problem with Professor Radetzky's conclusion is that

A) causality might go the other way: being aggressive might dispose children to watch violent television programming.
B) there might be a third variable-such as how the children's parents' behave-that might be a cause of both the amount of violent television programming the children watch and how aggressive they are.
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b; that is, there is no problem with Professor Radetzky's conclusion.

Question 72

The term actuarial prediction refers to

A) formulating hypotheses to be tested in experimental research.
B) using correlational data to predict future outcomes
C) using the results of correlational studies as sources of hypotheses for experimental research.
D) using research results to modify and improve theories and the predictions made by theories.

Question 73

In the formula Y = a + bX, X is

A) the predicted score.
B) a constant.
C) the score being used to predict the variable of interest.
D) the slope of the regression line.

Question 74

Professor Li conducts a study of the relationship between college students' levels of sex guilt and their levels of sexual activity. She finds that respondents low in sex guilt report significantly higher levels of sexual activity than those high in sex guilt. Which of the following processes could explain these findings?

A) High sex guilt inhibits sexual activity.
B) Engaging in high levels of sexual activity reduces sex guilt.
C) Some unmeasured third variable causes both increases in sexual activity and decreases in sex guilt.
D) Any of the above could be explanations.

Question 75

If your research goal is to determine the causes of behavior, the best research strategy to use is

A) experimental.
B) correlational.
C) case study.
D) longitudinal.

Question 76

Researcher bias is most likely to occur in __________ research.

A) experimental
B) correlational
C) case study
D) longitudinal

Question 77

If your research goal is to maximize the naturalism, the best research strategy to use is

A) experimental.
B) correlational.
C) case study.
D) cohort-sequential.

Question 78

You conduct a study in which male and female research participants work on word puzzles. Half of the participants are told the puzzles are easy and half are told that the puzzles are hard. You find that women solve more puzzles than do men. You also find that people solve more puzzles when they are told they are easy rather than hard. Both differences are statistically significant. Thus, you could correctly conclude that

A) gender of research participant caused differences in performance.
B) giving different information about puzzle difficultly causes differences in performance.
C) both a and b.
D) neither a nor b

Question 79

________ research investigates age differences in phenomena by comparing groups of people who are of different ages at the same point in time.

A) Cross-sectional
B) Longitudinal
C) Cohort-sequential
D) Prospective

Question 80

________ research investigates age differences in phenomena by studying the same group of people over time.

A) Cross-sectional
B) Longitudinal
C) Cohort-sequential
D) Prospective