Question 1

The ratio level of measurement can be collapsed to the ordinal level of measurement.

Accepted Answer

The ratio level of measurement includes absolute zero and can be ordered, thus it can be collapsed into the ordinal level by categorizing the numerical values into ordered categories.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods?
A)Qualitative methods are more likely to emphasize precision and objectivity.
B)Quantitative studies are more likely to probe for deeper, underlying meanings.
C)Quantitative studies are more likely to emphasize precision and objectivity.
D)None of these.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 3

A study is conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than eclectic therapy in reducing the number of future incidents of child neglect among substance abusing parents? Which of the following is the dependent variable in this study?
A)The number of future incidents of abuse
B)Type of therapy
C)Eclectic therapy
D)Substance abuse

Accepted Answer

The dependent variable in this study is the number of future incidents of child neglect. This is the variable that is being measured in order to test the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy compared to eclectic therapy. The independent variable is the type of therapy, with cognitive behavioral therapy being compared to eclectic therapy. Substance abuse may be a factor that is controlled for in the study, but it is not the dependent variable being measured. "Eclectic therapy" is not a variable but rather a type of therapy being used in the study.

Question 4

A study is conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than eclectic therapy in alleviating the severity trauma symptoms among female victims of rape? Which of the following is the independent variable in this study?
A)Cognitive behavioral therapy
B)Severity of trauma symptoms
C)Gender
D)Type of therapy

Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study is the type of therapy, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy versus eclectic therapy. The severity of trauma symptoms is the dependent variable, as it is what the study seeks to measure and evaluate in relation to the two different therapies. Gender is not the independent variable in this study, as the study is focused specifically on female victims of rape, and thus gender is a constant or controlled variable.

Question 5

Which of the following variables could NOT be collapsed to a lower level of measurement?
A)Number of child neglect incidents.
B)Level of satisfaction with agency services.
C)Gender.
D)Severity of trauma symptoms.

Accepted Answer

Gender is already at the lowest level of measurement (nominal) and cannot be collapsed further. The other variables (number of incidents, level of satisfaction, severity of symptoms) can be collapsed to a lower level of measurement (e.g. groups or categories).

Question 6

Which of the following statements best resembles a hypothesis?
A)Gender includes men and women.
B)Our survey will find that 60 percent of our agency's clients are women.
C)Providing national health care insurance by the federal government will decrease our nation's cost of medical care.
D)All of these are equally good hypotheses.

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts a relationship between variables. Statement C predicts an outcome (decrease in medical care costs) based on an action (providing national health care insurance), making it a hypothesis.

Question 7

A study is conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than eclectic therapy in alleviating the severity trauma symptoms among female victims of rape.Clients are assigned to one or the other of the foregoing two therapies based on which seems most appropriate for them in light of a thorough, reliable and valid clinical assessment.The severity of trauma symptoms is measured before and after treatment, using a valid and unbiased form of measurement.Which of the following statements is/are true about this study?
A)The design enables us to rule out plausible alternative explanations for differences in outcome between the two treatment groups.
B)It uses an experimental design.
C)Both a and b above are true.
D)It is a quasi-experiment that is vulnerable to a selectivity bias.

Accepted Answer

The study is a quasi-experiment because clients are not randomly assigned to treatment groups but are placed based on clinical assessments, which introduces potential selectivity bias, as pre-existing differences between the groups (other than the treatment) could influence the outcomes.

Question 8

Which of the following best illustrates an operational definition of child neglect?
A)Leaving the child in a dangerous situation.
B)Not taking proper care of the child.
C)Court records showing that an incident of child neglect occurred.
D)All of the these.

Accepted Answer

An operational definition provides a clear, precise, and measurable definition of a concept, and court records provide documented evidence of child neglect.

Question 9

Quantitative methods are more likely than qualitative methods to develop precise and generalizable findings.

Accepted Answer

Quantitative methods involve numerical data and statistical analysis, which can produce precise and generalizable findings that can be applied to a larger population. Qualitative methods, on the other hand, involve subjective interpretations of data and are more exploratory in nature, making it difficult to obtain precise and generalizable results.

Question 10

In measuring quality of parenting, which of the following options is least obtrusive (eg., most unobtrusive?
A)Observe parents interacting with children in their home.
B)Having parents complete a self-report scale about parenting skills.
C)Court records showing whether an incident of child neglect occurred..
D)Ask children about how their parents treat them.

Accepted Answer

Court records are based on existing data and do not require direct interaction or observation, making them the least obtrusive method.

Question 11

A study is conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than eclectic therapy in reducing the number of future incidents of child neglect among substance abusing parents, and to assess whether the comparative effectiveness of the interventions varies depending upon the ethnicity of the parents? In this study what type of variable is parental ethnicity?
A)Independent.
B)Moderating.
C)Dependent.
D)Mediating.

Accepted Answer

Parental ethnicity is considered a moderating variable in this study because it is being assessed for its potential to influence the relationship between the type of therapy (independent variable) and the effectiveness of reducing future incidents of child neglect (dependent variable).

Question 12

At what level of measurement is the variable ethnicity?
A)Nominal.
B)Ordinal.
C)Ratio.
D)Interval.

Accepted Answer

Ethnicity is a categorical variable that cannot be ranked or measured on a numerical scale, making it nominal.

Question 13

Number of children is an example of a variable at the ratio level of measurement.

Accepted Answer

The ratio level of measurement has all the characteristics of interval measurement, but it also has a true zero point, indicating the complete absence of the characteristic being measured. The number of children is a variable that can have a true zero point and can be measured at the ratio level.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is correct regarding variables or attributes?
A)Female is a variable.
B)Gender is an attribute.
C)Variables must contain more than one attribute and thus be capable of varying.
D)Attributes should contain at least two variables.

Accepted Answer

Variables must have the capacity to vary, meaning they should contain more than one attribute or value.

Question 15

Ethnicity is an example of a variable at the ordinal level of measurement.

Accepted Answer

Ethnicity is a categorical variable, which is nominal in nature, not ordinal. Ordinal variables have a natural order or ranking to their values, whereas nominal variables do not.

Question 16

At what level of measurement is the variable number of future incidents of child neglect?
A)Nominal.
B)Ordinal.
C)Ratio.
D)Interval.

Accepted Answer

The variable "number of future incidents of child neglect" is measured at the ratio level, as it has a true zero point and can be expressed in quantitative terms.

Question 17

Male is an example of a variable.

Accepted Answer

Male is not a variable, it is a noun that refers to a biological sex. A variable is a symbol, often a letter, that represents an unknown or changing quantity or value in mathematics or programming.

Question 18

If clients who receive an intervention have better outcomes than clients who do not receive that intervention, then that is a sufficient basis for inferring that the intervention is effective.

Accepted Answer

This statement does not account for other variables that could influence the outcome, such as selection bias, placebo effects, or external factors. A controlled study with random assignment is needed to infer causality effectively.

Question 19

If a father who is abusive consistently denies being abusive, his self-report is reliable but not valid.

Accepted Answer

A self-report can be consistent (reliable) if the father consistently denies abuse, but it is not valid if it does not accurately reflect the truth of the situation.

Question 20

A hypothesis predicts a relationship between two variables.

Accepted Answer

A hypothesis is a statement that predicts a relationship between two variables, which can be tested through empirical observation and experimentation. Therefore, the answer is true.

Quiz 3: Review of Key Research Methodology Concepts and Terms

The ratio level of measurement can be collapsed to the ordinal level of measurement.

Which of the following best describes the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods?

A study is conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than eclectic therapy in reducing the number of future incidents of child neglect among substance abusing parents? Which of the following is the dependent variable in this study?

A study is conducted to test the hypothesis that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than eclectic therapy in alleviating the severity trauma symptoms among female victims of rape? Which of the following is the independent variable in this study?

Which of the following variables could NOT be collapsed to a lower level of measurement?

Which of the following statements best resembles a hypothesis?

Which of the following best illustrates an operational definition of child neglect?

Quantitative methods are more likely than qualitative methods to develop precise and generalizable findings.

In measuring quality of parenting, which of the following options is least obtrusive (eg., most unobtrusive?

At what level of measurement is the variable ethnicity?