Deck 8: Descriptive Research

Question 1

Advantages of questionnaires include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)large numbers of people can be contacted for a relatively low cost.
B)data can be gathered from a large number of people in a relatively short period of time.
C)participants may feel more confident about their anonymity and therefore respond more honestly.
D)because questions are in written form, they are less likely to be misunderstood by respondents.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Your chapter identifies several weaknesses related to survey data.Note one of these weaknesses and discuss the associated problems and possible ways to minimize them.

Answer 2

Weaknesses include the following: -Surveys are a "one-shot" look at a phenomenon. -Surveys rely on self-reported information. -Those responding to the survey may not be a representative sample of the population of interest.

Question 3

The typical return rate for a survey mailed to strangers is about:

A)80%
B)65%
C)50%
D)35%

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In descriptive research, the researcher typically studies a______, then draws conclusions about the______.

A)sample; population
B)population; sample
C)sample; sample
D)population; population

Question 5

Three of the following procedures or techniques are integral to observational research.Which one is NOT?

A)Pilot studies are used to test instruments and procedures.
B)Observers are carefully trained to follow specific criteria when recording the observation data.
C)Multiple observers may independently rate the same behavior.
D)Observation instruments are intentionally general so as not to constrain the observer.

Question 6

"How unhappy are you with your current salary?" This question violates which rule of good survey writing?

A)It is not quantifiable.
B)It makes an unwarranted assumption.
C)It fails to keep the respondent's task simple.
D)It uses technical language that may not be known to all.

Question 7

Paul Pollster, a political psychologist, wants to determine whether rates of voter participation in his home state vary between rural, urban, and suburban voters.He notes that there are more rural voters than suburban or urban voters in the state.Paul should use ______ in this study.

A)simple random sampling
B)cluster sampling
C)proportional stratified sampling
D)systematic sampling

Question 8

Danny Drive wants to know the relationship between intrinsic motivation and course grade among math students.He contacts a local professor who teaches several general education math classes and asks about the possibility of gathering data in her classes.Danny is using:

A)simple random sampling.
B)cluster sampling.
C)convenience sampling.
D)systematic sampling

Question 9

In writing the cover letter to accompany a mailed survey, novice researchers often stress the immediacy of their need for the data.Is this the best approach to take in the cover letter? If not, what do you recommend instead?

Question 10

Polly Petunia is Chief Horticulturalist for the Southwest region, encompassing Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.She wants to survey amateur gardeners in her region to determine what, if any, water conservation practices they employ in their home gardening.Polly sends her survey to 150 randomly selected gardeners in each state.Polly is using:

A)purposive sampling.
B)proportional stratified sampling.
C)systematic sampling.
D)stratified random sampling.

Question 11

A researcher wishes to study developmental changes in people's preference for action movies.The researcher locates 50 people at each of the following ages: 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 years.She asks them to rate their preference for action movies in relation to other sorts of movies.This is an example of a ______ design.

A)longitudinal
B)nested
C)cross-sectional
D)panel

Question 12

Observational research, as a form of descriptive research,

A)focuses on rich narrative description of the phenomenon of interest.
B)involves counting or rating of behavior in as objective a manner as possible.
C)relies on open-ended techniques that can respond to the evolving situation.
D)allows the researcher to gather behavioral data in a relatively quick and easy manner.

Question 13

Correlational research allows the researcher to answer questions such as:

A)what is the relationship between Variable A and Variable B?
B)does change in Variable A cause change in Variable B?
C)is there a significant difference between scores on Variable A and scores on Variable B?
D)does change in Variable B causes change in Variable A?

Question 14

A researcher wishes to study developmental changes in the music people prefer to listen to.The researcher locates 50 people who are about 20 years old.She sends these people a questionnaire every year for the next 10 years asking about the types of music they prefer to listen to.This is an example of a ______ design.

A)longitudinal
B)nested
C)cross-sectional
D)panel

Question 15

Simon Cinema wants to know what the audience thought of tonight's advanced screening of a heralded psychological thriller called "I Can't Sleep." He and his research assistants stand outside the theatre exit and ask every fifth person leaving the theatre to answer several questions about their impression of the movie.Simon is using:

A)systematic sampling.
B)stratified random sampling.
C)convenience sampling.
D)purposive sampling.

Question 16

Regarding the length of questionnaires to be used in survey research, which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)Including a large number of items on the survey assures that you will get useful data for all of your trouble.
B)Keeping the survey short makes it more likely people will be willing to complete it.
C)A relatively lengthy survey communicates your seriousness about the research endeavor so people will be more willing to complete it.
D)Shorter surveys produce data that are ambiguous and therefore not useful.

Question 17

The scatterplot to the right indicates a ______ relationship between Variable A and Variable B.

A)weak
B)moderate
C)strong
D)indeterminate

Question 18

Among survey methods, _____ generally generate the highest response rate, and ______ generally generate the lowest response rate.

A)face-to-face interviews; telephone interviews
B)telephone interviews; questionnaires
C)face-to-face interviews; questionnaires
D)questionnaires; telephone interviews

Question 19

The authors of your textbook suggest that sampling bias is virtually unavoidable and that it is important to disclose and discuss possible sources of bias in the study report.Do you agree? Explain your position.

Question 20

Edward Ethics is studying public opinion regarding prayer in public schools.He plans to gather survey data from a number of churches on Sunday mornings.He also wants to include a number of people who are not associated with an organized religion in his sample.Edward is using:

A)stratified random sampling.
B)cluster sampling.
C)convenience sampling.
D)purposive sampling.