Question 1

Research methods that do not require interactions with participants are called ____________.

Accepted Answer

Unobtrusive measures do not require interactions with participants and instead rely on examining artifacts, physical traces, or archives. Survey research involves interacting with participants, covert observation involves observing participants without their knowledge or consent, and quasi-experiments involve manipulating an independent variable but not randomly assigning participants to conditions.

Question 2

Who coined the term unobtrusive measures?

Accepted Answer

Eugene Webb coined the term unobtrusive measures in 1966 in his book Unobtrusive Measures: Nonreactive Research in the Social Sciences.

Question 3

What did Webb and his team mean by examining physical traces as data?

Accepted Answer

Examining physical traces as data refers to gathering evidence left by people in their environments, such as footprints, fingerprints, or other physical remnants of activities.

Question 4

The examination of texts, including written and visual materials, with interest in how materials contribute to and reflect meaning is known as ____________.

Accepted Answer

Content analysis is the method of examining and categorizing various types of texts to derive meaning from them. This analysis considers the content, structure, and context of the text, whether written or visual, to determine what contribution it makes to the overall meaning. Options B, C, and D do not refer specifically to this type of analysis.

Question 5

Which of the following is not a data source for content analysis?

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed (photographs, diaries, and graffiti) are potential data sources for content analysis, so the correct answer is C - none of them is an incorrect option.

Question 6

The impact on research when participants know that they are being studied is called _____________.

Accepted Answer

Reactive effects are the impact on participants when they know they are being studied, and this can affect the validity and reliability of the research. Options A, B, and D are related to different aspects of research design and are not specifically related to participant awareness.

Question 7

A research criterion concerned with the integrity of a particular study's conclusions is called ___________.

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the extent to which a research study measures what it claims to measure and the degree to which the conclusions drawn from the study are accurate and trustworthy. It reflects the accuracy of the study's findings and how well they can be generalized to other populations or situations. Reliability, reactive effects, and interviewer effects are also important research criteria, but they relate to different aspects of a study's design and execution.

Question 8

Which of the following is not one of the criteria Scott recommended to assess the quality of the documents in unobtrusive research?

Accepted Answer

Scott recommended authenticity, credibility, representativeness, and meaning as criteria for assessing document quality, not validity.

Question 9

Which criteria refers to whether the contents of a document are free from error and distortion?

Accepted Answer

Credibility refers to the accuracy and truthfulness of the content, making sure that there are no errors, distortions or biases present in the document.

Question 10

Dr. Raine choses a special college sports edition of a newspaper for his study on sports coverage in local news. What criteria might he need to consider when assessing the inclusion of this edition?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Raine would need to consider if the special college sports edition is representative of the local news coverage as a whole. If it only focuses on one aspect of sports (college), it may not accurately represent the full range of sports coverage in the local news. Criteria such as authenticity, credibility, and meaning may also be important, but representativeness is the most relevant for assessing the inclusion of this specific edition.

Question 11

A method that emphasizes people's inner experiences and their connections to larger societal events throughout the life course is called _____________.

Accepted Answer

The biographical method focuses on individuals' life stories, emphasizing their inner experiences and how these experiences are connected to broader societal events. This approach allows researchers to understand how personal narratives reflect and are shaped by social structures and historical contexts.

Question 12

Which of the following is not a concern with using personal documents as a data source?

Accepted Answer

All of these (Authenticity, Accuracy, and Representativeness) are concerns when using personal documents as a data source.

Question 13

Which of the following is the best reason that personal documents may lack representativeness?

Accepted Answer

Personal documents such as letters and diaries of wealthy, literate people were more likely to have been preserved, while those of less privileged individuals may have been lost or destroyed over time. Therefore, personal documents may lack representativeness in terms of the diversity of experiences and perspectives they portray.

Question 14

Why was Thompson not able to find much evidence of Van Waters' sexual identity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why was Thompson not able to find...

Question 15

Which of the following is not a form of home photographs identified by Scott?

Accepted Answer

Scott identifies idealization, natural portrayal, and demystification as forms of home photographs, but not representativeness.

Question 16

An informal snapshot capturing action as it happens is which form of the home photograph?

Accepted Answer

The answer of An informal snapshot capturing action as it...

Question 17

A portrait of a wedding party is what type of home photograph?

Accepted Answer

Idealization is the correct choice because a portrait of a wedding party typically aims to present the event and the people involved in the best possible light, often emphasizing joy, unity, and perfection, which aligns with the concept of idealizing the moment.

Question 18

When using photographs for analysis, researchers need to keep in mind that

Accepted Answer

Photographs may not always accurately represent the social reality due to issues with representativeness. For example, a photograph of a group of people may not include individuals from all social classes or ethnic groups, leading to a biased portrayal of the social reality. Therefore, researchers should be aware of these limitations and attempt to use multiple sources of data to inform their analysis.

Question 19

What was the site of the photographs used in Sutton's study?

Accepted Answer

Sutton's study used photographs from Disney theme parks to analyze expressions of emotion.

Question 20

Which of the following is a reason that Sutton argues that positive feelings about visiting Disney parks are a post-visit reconstruction?

Accepted Answer

Sutton argues that people discard photographs that remind them of unpleasant experiences, while keeping photographs of pleasant experiences. Therefore, the positive feelings about visiting Disney parks are a post-visit reconstruction since the photographs only represent the pleasant experiences and do not accurately reflect the entirety of the visit.

Quiz 11: How Do Researchers Study the Ways Meanings Are Communicated in Everyday Life Content Analysis