Question 1

Reflexivity in qualitative research refers to:

Accepted Answer

Reflexivity in qualitative research involves the researcher engaging in self-reflection to recognize and account for their own biases, beliefs, and influence on the research process.

Question 2

Multiple theoretical perspectives refer to:

Accepted Answer

Using multiple theoretical perspectives involves applying different theories or viewpoints to interpret and explain the data, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the research findings.

Question 3

Anna is writing up her qualitative research study. She took in depth notes on what took place with the participants as well as what she saw and heard when working with the participants. She did this to improve the study's:

Accepted Answer

Descriptive validity refers to the accuracy and completeness of the data collected, including the factual reporting of events, behaviors, and settings. Anna's detailed notes on what she saw and heard aim to ensure this accuracy.

Question 4

One way that a qualitative researcher can help reduce researcher bias is to use:

Accepted Answer

Negative case sampling involves looking for cases that contradict the researcher's expectations or hypotheses, which helps in reducing bias by challenging assumptions and ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the data.

Question 5

Roger is concerned with generalizing the results of his study to and across different groups of people, settings, times, and treatments. His concerns revolve around:

Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the generalizability of the results of a study to other populations, settings, times, and treatments.

Question 6

To most accurately measure a construct, it is recommended that:

Accepted Answer

Using effective items to measure the construct ensures that the measurement is valid and reliable, capturing the essence of the construct accurately.

Question 7

A major problem for research validity in qualitative research is:

Accepted Answer

Researcher bias can influence the data collection and interpretation process, potentially leading to invalid conclusions in qualitative research.

Question 8

Theoretical validity refers to:

Accepted Answer

Theoretical validity concerns the accuracy and defensibility of the theoretical explanations provided in a study, ensuring they are well-supported by the data and logically sound.

Question 9

In qualitative research, descriptive validity refers to:

Accepted Answer

Descriptive validity refers to the factual accuracy of the accounts reported by the researcher, ensuring that the descriptions of events, settings, and people are accurate and truthful.

Question 10

One common way to ensure descriptive validity in qualitative research is to:

Accepted Answer

Using multiple investigators helps ensure descriptive validity by allowing for cross-verification of data and interpretations, reducing individual bias.

Question 11

One way to promote theoretical validity in qualitative research is to:

Accepted Answer

Extended fieldwork allows researchers to gather in-depth data over time, enhancing the credibility and validity of their theoretical insights.

Question 12

Interpretive validity relates to:

Accepted Answer

Interpretive validity refers to the accuracy with which researchers capture and represent the participants' perspectives, thoughts, and meanings in qualitative research.

Question 13

Richard has made predictions about the data he will collect for his research study. After his data are collected he compares them to his predictions. He does this to assess which type of validity?

Accepted Answer

Theoretical validity refers to the extent to which the data supports the theoretical predictions or hypotheses. Richard is comparing his collected data to his predictions, which aligns with assessing theoretical validity.

Question 14

Sarah is conducting an ethnographic study of fifth grade classes using an interdisciplinary curriculum. After she collects her data, she goes back and asks each teacher to help her out by checking the accuracy of the descriptions she has written of the classrooms. This technique is called:

Accepted Answer

This technique is called participant feedback, where participants are asked to review and verify the accuracy of the researcher's descriptions or interpretations.

Question 15

In his study, Patrick obtained feedback from his participants and used many of their descriptive words in writing up the study for publication. These strategies provide evidence of:

Accepted Answer

Patrick's strategies provide evidence of interpretive validity because he used the participants' own words to describe their experiences, which helps to ensure that the study's findings are accurate and meaningful.

Question 16

An alteration of performance that occurs when an individual is aware that he or she is participating in a study is called:

Accepted Answer

Reactivity is the alteration of performance that occurs when an individual is aware that he or she is participating in a study.

Question 17

A researcher places a video camera in a classroom to tape lessons that are part of one of the treatment conditions. The video camera is likely to increase the probability of:

Accepted Answer

The presence of a video camera can cause reactivity, where participants alter their behavior because they are aware they are being observed.

Question 18

Pattern matching refers to:

Accepted Answer

Pattern matching involves comparing the actual data with a theoretically predicted set of results to see if they align, which is a common method in research to validate theories.

Question 19

The extent to which a study can be generalized across time is called:

Accepted Answer

Temporal validity refers to the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized across different times or time periods.

Question 20

To increase the theoretical validity of his study, a qualitative researcher should use:

Accepted Answer

Peer review is a process of having other researchers review a study to ensure that it is valid and reliable. This can help to increase the theoretical validity of a study by ensuring that the researcher has considered all of the relevant literature and that the study is designed in a way that will produce valid results.

Quiz 11: Validity of Research Results in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research