Question 1

Ralphie is conducting a research study investigating how widespread communication apprehension is at Ohio University. What type of survey should Ralphie use?

Accepted Answer

A descriptive survey is most suitable for Ralphie's study because it aims to describe the current status of communication apprehension at Ohio University, without delving into why the apprehension exists or how it can be changed.

Question 2

Kim is conducting a research study to investigate the effect of binge drinking on college students' academic success. Kim collects data at Ohio University and hopes to generalize to all college students. The participants in Kim's study (at Ohio University) may be described as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The participants in Kim's study at Ohio University are considered a sample because they are a subset of the broader group (all college students) to which Kim hopes to generalize the findings.

Question 3

Stella Pang is translating a scale from English to Cantonese. To help with this process, Stella recruits Cindy and Yuk to translate the English scale to Cantonese separately. Once the two translators finish their individual translations of the scale, Cindy and Yuk then compare their translations and ultimately agree upon a third translation that Stella is able to use in her study. What format for translating scales into other languages has Stella utilized?

Accepted Answer

The parallel blind technique is used here, as Stella had two translators independently translate the scale into Cantonese and then compare their translations to agree on a final version. This method ensures the translation's accuracy and cultural relevance without the translators influencing each other's work initially.

Question 4

Which of the following level of question is used the least on a questionnaire in a communication research study?

Accepted Answer

Ratio level questions are used the least because they require a true zero point and are more complex, making them less common in communication research studies compared to nominal, ordinal, and interval questions.

Question 5

Fallon is conducting a survey, but she only collects data from her participants at one point in time. What type of survey design does Fallon utilize?

Accepted Answer

Fallon is using a cross-sectional survey design, which involves collecting data from participants at a single point in time to examine a particular phenomenon. Unlike longitudinal designs that study changes over time, cross-sectional designs provide a snapshot of the current state of the variables of interest.

Question 6

Which of the following is not something Buckingham and Saunders (2004) recommend asking yourself before utilizing a survey?

Accepted Answer

Buckingham and Saunders (2004) emphasize the importance of understanding the purpose of the survey, the necessity of collecting new data, and whether the participants have knowledge about the topic. They do not focus on the speed of the research method as a primary consideration for using a survey.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a guideline to follow when piloting a survey?

Accepted Answer

Testing the entire survey is not a guideline to follow when piloting a survey. The purpose of a pilot survey is to test a small sample of the survey population to identify any problems with the survey instrument or procedures before the full-scale survey is conducted.

Question 8

Fabian is interested in studying newly married couples. He recruits 50 couples who agree to be surveyed every month for 2 years. Which type of longitudinal design has Fabian employed?

Accepted Answer

Fabian has employed a panel design, which involves studying the same group of individuals (in this case, 50 couples) repeatedly over a period of time (2 years). This allows for the observation of changes within this specific group.

Question 9

Which type of survey delivery system tends to be the least expensive?

Accepted Answer

Self-administered surveys, such as online questionnaires, tend to be the least expensive because they do not require personnel to administer the survey or costs associated with telephone or face-to-face interviews.

Question 10

Which key issue of translating surveys is concerned with norms not translating from one culture to another?

Accepted Answer

Normative equivalence refers to the issue where the norms, values, or behaviors measured by a survey do not translate or apply across different cultures, making it challenging to compare responses meaningfully across these groups.

Question 11

What is a social scientific method for gathering quantifiable information about a specific group of people by asking the group members questions about their individual attitudes, values, beliefs, behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions?

Accepted Answer

A survey is a social scientific method for gathering quantifiable information about a specific group of people by asking the group members questions about their individual attitudes, values, beliefs, behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions.

Question 12

Roy is putting together a new research study to examine a number of communication traits in a prison. He has prisoners fill out a communication apprehension measure, a willingness to communicate measure, and a verbal aggression measure. The three measures are combined into a single document containing the three measures. What has Roy put together?

Accepted Answer

Roy has put together a questionnaire, which is a set of written questions designed to collect data on specific topics, in this case, communication traits in a prison.

Question 13

What type of question is the following: "How would you describe a typical day at work?"

Accepted Answer

This is an open-ended question because it allows for a detailed, descriptive answer, rather than a simple yes/no or multiple-choice response. It encourages the respondent to elaborate on their experiences or opinions.

Question 14

Sarah is conducting a study on family communication over a period of 10 years. She recruits 20 sets of new parents (with children born in the previous 6 months) who agree to be surveyed every 6 months for 10 years. What type of survey is Sarah conducting?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sarah is conducting a study on family...

Question 15

While looking through a stack of newly collected questionnaires, Danny notices that a few people have missed items. Thankfully, there is no clear pattern of people skipping items. However, the nonresponses worry Danny. What type of nonresponse is Danny dealing with in this example?

Accepted Answer

Item nonresponse occurs when respondents complete a questionnaire but leave specific questions unanswered, as described in the scenario.

Question 16

Heyuun is an undergraduate from China taking a research methods course. She gets permission to collect data over the Internet from her family and friends back in China. However, most of her potential participants do not read English, so she takes the questionnaire her group members are using and translates it into Mandarin. She then has another one of her friends from China take her Chinese translation and translate it back into English to see if the two are equivalent. What type of translation is Heyuun conducting?

Accepted Answer

Heyuun is conducting translation/backtranslation, which involves translating a document into another language and then translating it back into the original language to check for equivalence.

Question 17

A __________ is designed to find out how common a phenomenon is within a given group of people.

Accepted Answer

A descriptive survey is specifically designed to assess and describe the characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. It aims to find out "what exists" with respect to variables or conditions in a situation.

Question 18

Charlene is completing a survey related to amount of alcohol consumption and public speaking anxiety. Even though Charlene drank a bit more than usual before giving her latest speech in her public speaking class, she doesn't admit this on the survey to make herself look better on paper. What has Charlene done?

Accepted Answer

Charlene has engaged in socially desirable responding, which means she has provided answers that she believes will make her appear more favorable or acceptable socially, rather than providing truthful or accurate information about her behavior.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a guideline provided when using multiple interval level variables?

Accepted Answer

Starting a study with the most controversial questions is not recommended because it can lead to early withdrawal or biased responses from participants. It's better to ease into sensitive topics gradually.

Question 20

A researcher's ___________ is the percentage of surveys returned compared to the percentage of surveys distributed.

Accepted Answer

The correct term for the percentage of surveys returned compared to the percentage of surveys distributed is "response rate."

Quiz 9: Survey Research