Question 1

The survey question, "Rate your agreement: College students should receive grades in their courses because this prepares them for the competitive world outside of college" is not particularly well-written because
A) It addresses more than one issue in a single item
B) It is not exhaustive
C) It shows poor grammar
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

The question is asking for a rating on the topic of receiving grades as preparation for the competitive world outside of college, but it also brings up the issue of whether or not college students should receive grades. Therefore, it addresses multiple issues in one item.

Question 2

Often, the purpose of a survey is
A) To correlate two variables
B) To determine how people feel about an issue
C) To manipulate variables
D) To figure out cause and effect

Accepted Answer

The purpose of a survey is usually to gather information about people's opinions or attitudes on a specific issue or topic. While surveys can be used in correlation or experimental studies, the main purpose of a survey is to get a sense of what people think or feel about something. Surveys are not typically used to manipulate variables or determine cause and effect.

Question 3

For an item on a survey to be clear, the alternatives must be
A) mutually exclusive
B) exhaustive
C) mutually exclusive and exhaustive
D) either mutually exclusive or exhaustive

Accepted Answer

For an item on a survey to be clear, the alternatives must be both mutually exclusive (meaning that each alternative does not overlap with any other alternative) and exhaustive (meaning that all possible answers are included). This ensures that respondents can easily and accurately select the option that best reflects their opinion or experience.

Question 4

Bias in survey research can come from
A) The subject's reported level of pain
B) The general context of the survey
C) The reliability of the study
D) The validity of the study

Accepted Answer

Bias in survey research can come from the general context of the survey, as it can influence how respondents understand and answer questions, potentially leading to skewed results.

Question 5

The categories of "apples" and "oranges" are
A) Mutually exclusive
B) Mutually exhaustive
C) Biased
D) Subject to social desirability effect

Accepted Answer

Apples and oranges are mutually exclusive categories because they represent two distinct types of fruit, meaning an item can be classified as either an apple or an orange, but not both simultaneously.

Question 6

Open-ended questions are more appropriate for
A) preliminary studies
B) large-scale studies
C) follow-up studies
D) studies in which you don't want respondents to have to think too hard

Accepted Answer

Open-ended questions are useful in preliminary studies because they help gather more comprehensive and detailed information about a topic or issue. Since the purpose of preliminary studies is to gain an initial understanding of the research problem, open-ended questions allow respondents to express their thoughts and opinions without being limited by structured response options.

Question 7

The Mental Measurement Yearbook series
A) Is the official publication of MENSA
B) Reviews many standardized tests, including questionnaires
C) Is used to survey outgoing college seniors
D) Contains information about famous psychologists

Accepted Answer

The Mental Measurement Yearbook series reviews many standardized tests, including questionnaires. It is not the official publication of MENSA, used to survey outgoing college seniors, or contains information about famous psychologists.

Question 8

The survey question, "Rate your agreement: I believe in the death penalty because I think that murderers cannot be rehabilitated" is not particularly well written because
A) It shows poor grammar
B) It shows bias
C) It addresses more than one issue in a single item
D) It is not exhaustive

Accepted Answer

The question combines two distinct issues: belief in the death penalty and the belief that murderers cannot be rehabilitated, which could complicate respondents' answers if they agree with one part but not the other.

Question 9

Closed-ended questions are useful because
A) They are easily standardized and coded
B) Often all the possible responses are not needed
C) Participants can formulate their own responses
D) It's easy to anticipate the range of response alternatives for most questions

Accepted Answer

Closed-ended questions offer predetermined response options, making them easy to standardize, code, and analyze. Option B is incorrect because closed-ended questions should include all possible response options. Option C is incorrect because closed-ended questions do not allow participants to formulate their own responses. Option D is also incorrect because closed-ended questions have a predetermined range of response alternatives.

Question 10

Graduate student and undergraduate are terms that are
A) Mutually exclusive
B) Exhaustive
C) Mutually exclusive and exhaustive
D) Neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive

Accepted Answer

Graduate students are individuals who have completed an undergraduate degree and are pursuing further education, typically a master's or doctoral degree, while undergraduate students are those who are working towards their first bachelor's degree. These two categories do not overlap, making them mutually exclusive.

Question 11

One way to detect dishonest responses on a questionnaire is to use
A) a Likert scale
B) closed ended questions
C) the randomized response method
D) a verification key

Accepted Answer

The answer of One way to detect dishonest responses on...

Question 12

The survey question, "Do you believe that for every dollar of tax increase there should be $2 in spending cuts with the savings earmarked for deficit and debt reduction" is not a particularly well-written item because
A) It addresses more than one issue in a single item
B) It is not exhaustive
C) It shows bias
D) both a and c

Accepted Answer

This question is not well-written because it addresses two separate issues (tax increase and spending cuts) in one item, which can result in confusion or unclear responses. Additionally, the question shows bias by assuming that the respondent believes in a specific approach to deficit and debt reduction.

Question 13

The first step in conducting a questionnaire survey is to
A) select the sample
B) define the population from which the sample is to be taken
C) list specific objectives to be achieved by questionnaire
D) construct questionnaire items

Accepted Answer

The first step in conducting a questionnaire survey is to list specific objectives to be achieved by the questionnaire, as this guides the entire survey design process, including sample selection and questionnaire construction.

Question 14

A disadvantage of closed-ended questions is that
A) The issue being studied may be too complex to reduce to a small number of answers
B) Answers can be too simplistic to reflect the problem
C) You may suggest alternatives that the respondent would have never thought of
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

All of the above are valid disadvantages of closed-ended questions. Closed-ended questions may limit the scope of information that can be gathered, be too rigid and simplistic, or not allow for the exploration of alternative perspectives or solutions.

Question 15

Which one of the following is a major function of survey research?
A) To dispel myths
B) To collect as much data as possible in the shortest period of time
C) To collect only information that will prove to be significant
D) To acquire qualitative data

Accepted Answer

One of the major functions of survey research is to dispel myths and validate or invalidate assumptions. Survey research is used to systematically collect and analyze data to understand a particular phenomenon or population. By collecting data through surveys, researchers can gain a better understanding of the realities and experiences of the people being studied, which can help to dispel myths and misconceptions. Option B is incorrect as the quality of data collected is more important than the quantity. Option C is incorrect as it is important to collect all relevant information in order to make informed decisions. Option D is incorrect as survey research typically focuses on collecting quantitative data, such as numerical measurements and statistics.

Question 16

One of the reasons that researchers will often use an existing questionnaire rather than designing their own is
A) To minimize history as a threat to internal validity
B) In situations where the purpose of the questionnaire is poorly defined
C) To be able to compare their results to others who have used the survey
D) In situations where the variables of interest are unclear

Accepted Answer

Using an existing questionnaire allows researchers to compare their results to others who have used the same survey, which increases the validity and generalizability of their findings.

Question 17

Before finishing the creation of a questionnaire, you should try to anticipate
A) Questions of interpretation
B) The reliability of the survey
C) The validity of the survey
D) Questions of accomplishment

Accepted Answer

Anticipating questions of interpretation is crucial to ensure that respondents understand the questions as intended, which helps in collecting accurate and meaningful data.

Question 18

A major advantage of open ended questions is that
A) answers are easier to code
B) respondents do not have to think as hard
C) they allow respondents to expand on their answers
D) they lessen the chances that a clerical error will be made when coding the data

Accepted Answer

Open ended questions allow respondents to provide more detailed and nuanced answers, providing richer data for analysis. While coding may be more difficult and prone to clerical errors compared to closed ended questions, the benefits of richer data outweigh these concerns. Respondents may also need to think harder to provide meaningful answers, but this can actually lead to more insightful responses.

Question 19

If I answer a question differently on a questionnaire because I am afraid of what other people will think of me, I am showing
A) The social desirability tendency
B) The Stroop effect
C) Acquiescence
D) The good subject tendency

Accepted Answer

The social desirability tendency refers to the tendency of individuals to answer questions in a way that they believe will be viewed favorably by others or conform to societal norms. Choosing a different answer out of fear of judgement or social consequences is an example of this tendency. The Stroop effect refers to the phenomenon of delayed reaction time and errors in naming the color of words when the word itself is the name of a different color. Acquiescence refers to the tendency to agree or say yes to questions, regardless of whether or not it reflects one's true beliefs. The good subject tendency refers to the tendency of participants to behave in a way that they perceive as cooperative or helpful towards the experimenter, which may influence their responses.

Question 20

An advantage of open ended questions is that
A) You must categorize apriori
B) You cannot decide your statistical analysis in advance
C) They are easier to code
D) It is more likely that the questionnaire will discover something unanticipated

Accepted Answer

Open ended questions allow respondents to provide answers in their own words, which may uncover unexpected insights or perspectives that would not have been captured through closed ended questions. This makes it more likely that the questionnaire will discover something unanticipated. However, this also means that coding and analysis of these responses may be more complex and time-consuming than closed ended questions.

Quiz 9: Nonexperimental Research, Part Ii

The survey question, "Rate your agreement: College students should receive grades in their courses because this prepares them for the competitive world outside of college" is not particularly well-written because

Often, the purpose of a survey is

For an item on a survey to be clear, the alternatives must be

Bias in survey research can come from

The categories of "apples" and "oranges" are

Open-ended questions are more appropriate for

The Mental Measurement Yearbook series

The survey question, "Rate your agreement: I believe in the death penalty because I think that murderers cannot be rehabilitated" is not particularly well written because

Closed-ended questions are useful because

Graduate student and undergraduate are terms that are

One way to detect dishonest responses on a questionnaire is to use

The survey question, "Do you believe that for every dollar of tax increase there should be $2 in spending cuts with the savings earmarked for deficit and debt reduction" is not a particularly well-written item because

The first step in conducting a questionnaire survey is to

A disadvantage of closed-ended questions is that

Which one of the following is a major function of survey research?

One of the reasons that researchers will often use an existing questionnaire rather than designing their own is

Before finishing the creation of a questionnaire, you should try to anticipate

A major advantage of open ended questions is that

If I answer a question differently on a questionnaire because I am afraid of what other people will think of me, I am showing

An advantage of open ended questions is that