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166 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
A major difficulty with knowledge based on personal sensory experience is that it |
is incomplete
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Knowledge arrived at by consensus or majority agreement:
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is often in error |
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Knowledge that is based on expert opinion |
is limited by the expert's experience |
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Knowledge based on logical reasoning |
has specific prerequisites |
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The essential characteristic of the scientific method is |
its public nature |
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6. An investigator wishes to determine how much coverage current high school history texts give to the contributions of African Americans to our history. She should conduct:
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content analysis
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Mixed-method research refers to use of both: |
Quantitative and qualitative methods |
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"Critical researchers" emphasize the importance of all of the following except: |
Weak methodology |
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Which of the following factors should not influence the decision when one is selecting a topic or problem for research? |
*B) Will I be able to prove that my previously held beliefs are true?
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In conducting research, which of the following steps should generally be taken first?
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Formulation of the problem to be solved
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Operational definitions are encouraged in research in order to:
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make terms used in a study as explicit as possible
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"In this study interest in science is represented by the sciences area score on the Occupational Interest Inventory, Grades 7 to Adult, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1956." The preceding statement illustrates a(n):
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operational definition
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5. Which of the following statements can be checked by means of scientific inquiry?
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The accident rate of driver education graduates is lower than the accident rate of those who have not had driver education.
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Which of the following definitions of the term "aggressive behavior" is operational?
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An "aggression" score on the XYZ behavior scale |
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A constitutive definition is one that: |
is obtained from a published dictionary |
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Justification for a study is generally based on the study's contribution:
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all of the above |
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A researcher who decides to deceive participants in a study should:
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all of the above |
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Whether or not a given study has the possibility of causing harm to participants:
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*B) must be determined by a review board established by the sponsoring institution
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Ethical behavior of educational researchers is guided primarily by:
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ethical standards established by the profession |
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Confidentiality requires that:
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access to collected data be limited to research staff |
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Which of the following groups are not protected by laws governing privileged communication?
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Researchers |
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Informed consent to serve as a subject in research requires signing a document that states:
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all of the above |
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Research with minors presents special ethical concerns because: |
hey are less likely to understand what is being asked of them |
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"Students taught first aid by programmed instruction will achieve at a higher level than those taught first aid by the traditional method." The independent variable in this hypothesis is: |
method of instruction |
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In the example in question 1, the dependent variable is |
level of achievement |
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Statements or predictions that are tested by collecting and analyzing objective evidence are called |
hypotheses |
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Learning disabled children who attend public school programs will show greater increases in social competence than will comparable children who attend institutional programs." This is an example of a(n): |
directional research hypothesis |
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Empirically testing a hypothesis is the process of determining |
if systematic observation confirms it |
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A research report states that Group A was exposed to a new teaching method and Group B was exposed to a traditional method. At the end of a four-month period, each group was given the same achievement test. Group A had a mean score that was higher than the mean score for Group B. The dependent variable in this study was the: |
achievement scores of the students |
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When a hypothesis is confirmed, one should conclude that |
the data provide evidence favorable to the belief that the hypothesis is true |
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If a researcher studies the effects of frustration on the frequency of aggressive behavior, degree of frustration should be regarded as a(n): |
independent variable |
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The dependent variable is so called because: |
scores on this variable are hypothesized to depend on, and vary with, the value of the independent variable |
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Characteristics of persons or things that can assume different values are called |
variables |
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A categorical variable is one that varies in: |
type but not amount |
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An outcome variable is most similar to a(n): |
dependent variable |
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In a study comparing methods of improving critical thinking, what type of variable is "critical thinking"? |
Dependent, outcome, quantitative |
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Which of the following is a quantitative variable? |
Self-esteem |
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Advantages of stating research questions as hypotheses include: |
all of the above
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Which of the following is a non-directional hypothesis? |
Boys and girls will differ in their attitudes toward school. |
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Which of the following is a likely moderator variable in a study of the relationship between church attendance and political party preference? |
All of the above |
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The first step in selecting a sample should be to: |
define the population |
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Generalizing research findings from a sample to the population is most likely to be justifiable when |
a large random sample is used |
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. A researcher drew a sample by selecting every tenth name in a telephone directory. Which of the following types of sampling did she use? |
Systematic |
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The most important consideration in selecting a sample is that the sample be: |
representative of the population |
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In random sampling, it is necessarily true that: |
each sampling unit has an equal probability of being selected |
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The entire collection of people, elements, scores, or measurements to which conclusions are applied is: |
a population |
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The validity of generalizations based on a sample depends on the: |
representativeness of the sample |
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The sample in a particular study is the: |
group on which data are obtained |
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The accessible population in a study is the: |
group from which one selects a sample |
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The most important feature of a table of random numbers is that: |
there is no pattern to the numbers in the table |
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Two-stage cluster sampling refers to: |
selecting groups and then individuals |
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Random sampling is least effective when: |
the sample size is very small |
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A stratified random sample is used when: |
the researcher wants to guarantee representativeness on specified variables |
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When a convenience sample is used, the researcher should not: |
generalize to a specified population |
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The term "external validity" includes |
population generalizability and ecological generalizability |
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Ecological generalizability includes the: |
characteristics of the environment |
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In reading a table of random numbers, the researcher begins: |
with any number |
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The best way to obtain a representative sample is to: |
use a large simple random sample |
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In which of the following would one be most likely to find a professional evaluation of a particular commercial standardized test? |
“The Buros Mental Measurement Yearbook” |
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The most serious limitation in the use of mailed questionnaires in research is in connection with: |
obtaining responses |
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Most widely used standardized achievement tests are useful because: |
they have been carefully prepared, tried out, and refined through research |
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One advantage that the interview has over the questionnaire is that it: |
is more useful in probing for underlying feelings and attitudes |
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Rapport is most essential when which data-gathering device is used? |
Interview |
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Which of the following are data? |
All of the above |
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Which is an example of a subject-completed instrument? |
Attitude scale |
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How is "instrumentation" different from "instrument"? |
Instrumentation includes the way in which the instrument is used. |
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Which of the following is the best synonym for validity? |
Truthfulness |
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Which of the following is the best synonym for reliability? |
Consistency |
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Objectivity in research means: |
minimizing personal bias |
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The use of previously developed instruments in a study is desirable because: |
instrument development is a complex undertaking |
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A previously existing instrument: |
may be inadequate for purposes of the researcher |
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A performance checklist: |
minimizes observer judgment |
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Aptitude tests differ from ability tests primarily in their: |
purpose |
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Which of these could be used as an aptitude test? |
The Stanford Achievement Test |
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Which of the following would be the least appropriate variable to assess with an observational tally sheet? |
Critical thinking |
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A score reported as 17-6 is most likely |
an age equivalent score |
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A commonsense definition of validity refers to an instrument that: |
measures what it is supposed to measure |
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Reliability of measurement is concerned with: |
consistency |
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An indispensable quality required for a good measuring instrument is that it produce evidence that is: |
valid |
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The validity of scores on a teacher-made classroom achievement test should be appraised in terms of: |
its relation to the content and objectives of the course |
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The longer the time interval between a prediction and the event to be predicted, the: |
smaller are the chances of making a good prediction |
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An arithmetic test is given twice within a few days to a student. The highest possible score is 40. He receives a score of 35 the first time and a score of 18 the second time. If similarly varying results are obtained with other students, the test is probably: |
) unreliable |
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Which of the following is the best way to control for the unwanted influence of maturation processes in an experiment? |
Use a control group |
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Which of the following is a question of internal validity in experimental research? |
Has maturation influenced the dependent variable? |
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Subjects performing well merely because they are being observed (and not necessarily because of any effect of treatment) are considered to be under the influence of: |
the Hawthorne effect |
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The threat of "subject characteristics" refers to differences among subjects on: |
an extraneous variable |
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Loss of subjects is a threat to internal validity because |
those "lost" may differ on the dependent variable from the remainder |
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Which of the following is not an example of a possible location threat? |
All tests are given in a noisy gymnasium. |
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Instrument decay refers to the possibility that: |
he instrument is systematically altered during the course of a study |
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Loss of subjects is a serious threat to internal validity in an experimental study if: |
more are lost from one group |
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Data collector characteristics may be a threat to internal validity if: |
all of the above |
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Loss of subjects in a study can best be handled by: |
making every effort not to lose subjects |
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When the same questionnaire is scored for opinions on two or more topics, a threat to internal validity may exist because: |
respondents may psych out the researcher's hypothesis |
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In an experimental study, a subject characteristics threat may be present if: |
age is related to the dependent variable |
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With which of the following findings would a maturation threat be of most concern? |
"Third-grade reading scores demonstrated substantial gains after six months of perceptual training." |
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Which of the following illustrates an attitudinal threat to internal validity? |
Students resented not receiving the new curriculum. |
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A regression threat to internal validity refers to the fact that: |
groups selected at extremes will score closer to the average on retesting |
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Which threat would not apply to a correlational study? |
History |
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The maximum possible correspondence or correlation between two variables is represented by a Pearson product-moment coefficient of: |
-1.00 |
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Which one of these correlation coefficients has the least predictive value |
.19 |
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The kind of graph on which one would determine the frequency of a given score by noting the height of the line is called a(n): |
frequency polygon |
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f there are only a few very high scores and a large number of closely bunched low scores in a distribution: |
the mean will be higher than the median |
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When scores are grouped in constructing a frequency polygon or scatterplot: |
all intervals must be the same size |
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A z-score is obtained by: |
subtracting the mean from the score and dividing by the standard deviation |
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In a normal distribution, ±1 z-score includes about: |
70% of the scores |
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The median is equal to: |
the 50th percentile |
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The standard deviation tells how: |
much the scores in a distribution are spread out |
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An advantage of z-scores is that: |
scores on different instruments can be compared
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A scatterplot can be used only when: |
both variables are quantitativ |
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Crossbreak tables are used when: |
both variables are categorical |
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A relationship is shown in a crossbreak table by |
a large discrepancy between actual and expected frequencies |
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The purpose of inferential statistics is: |
to permit inferences from sample results to a population |
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An assumption basic to all inferential statistics is: |
the sample(s) must be randomly selected |
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A sampling distribution is: |
a frequency polygon made from sample values |
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A disadvantage of nonparametric inference tests is that they: |
are less likely to show statistical significance than parametric tests |
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The magnitude of Chi-Square depends on the: |
differences between observed and expected frequencies |
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Why are control groups necessary in certain experiments? |
To make it easier to estimate the influence of the independent variable |
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One difference between the experimental and other methods in research has to do with the: |
control of variables |
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The feature that best characterizes experimental research is the: |
systematic variation of conditions |
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Experimental research is the most powerful research method for: |
determining cause and effect |
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A major problem with experimental research in education is that: |
the researcher may not have sufficient control over treatments |
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Which is not a serious threat in a one-group pretest-posttest design? |
) Characteristics of subjects |
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An important difference between experimental and nonexperimental research is that the independent |
manipulated |
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A researcher would be likely to use matching in a randomized posttest control group design: |
if the number in each treatment group is small |
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A researcher would use matching rather than random assignment when: |
random assignment is impossible |
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Which of the following is not possible in causal-comparative research? |
Random assignment to treatment or comparison groups |
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One way of providing some control in a causal-comparative research design is to: |
match the subjects in the groups to be compared on as many extraneous variables as possible |
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Causal-comparative research is so named because: |
it is a way of exploring cause-effect relationships |
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Causal-comparative studies are conducted when experimentation is: |
all of the above |
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The causal-comparative and experimental methods are similar in that both: |
involve at least one categorical variable |
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The appropriate statistical procedure when all variables are categorical is the: |
crossbreak table |
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In a causal-comparative study, comparison groups: |
are already in existence |
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The major threat to internal validity in a causal-comparative study is: |
subject characteristics |
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A correlation coefficient of -0.79 between time spent in typing practice and the number of typing errors means that: |
as time spent in practice increased, errors tended to decrease |
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In which of the following would one be most likely to find a correlation coefficient of zero or close to zero? |
Shoe sizes of adult males correlated with their salaries |
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A researcher studied the relationship between the use of alcohol and grades in college. She found that a larger proportion of drinkers received low grades than did teetotalers. She should conclude that: |
drinking habits and grades are related |
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Correlational research differs from experimental research in that: |
There is no manipulation of variables |
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Correlational research is used to: |
all of the above |
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A regression line is used to: |
estimate the score on one variable from the score on another variable |
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Multiple regression is a technique for: |
predicting a criterion from two or more predictors in combination |
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Survey research is concerned primarily with: |
reporting existing conditions |
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The purpose of most surveys is to: |
describe the characteristics of a population |
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Items used in survey research can include: |
all of the above |
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In a panel study, the researcher obtains information from: |
the same sample at different points in time |
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The primary advantages of the interview are: |
high response rate and opportunity for clarification of questions |
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An advantage of multiple-choice questions as compared to open-ended questions is that they: |
are easier to score |
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A cover letter should accomplish all of the following except: |
clarifying the researcher's hypotheses |
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Interviewers should be trained to do all of the following except: |
show their own views regarding the study |
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A basic difference between positivism and its critics pertains to: |
the nature of reality |
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Which of the following is more likely to be found in a qualitative study compared to other methods? |
A description of the patterns of interaction among the members of a group |
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Hypotheses in qualitative research usually: |
emerge as the study progresses |
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In qualitative research, "process" is seen as: |
an important aspect to be investigated |
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The unique perceptions of individuals are most likely to be viewed by qualitative researchers as: |
an essential part of an investigation |
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Data analysis in qualitative studies, compared to quantitative studies, is: |
inductive rather than deductive |
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Qualitative researchers prefer natural settings because: |
they believe context is crucial |
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Generalization in qualitative research is: |
different from quantitative research |
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Advantages of Mixed-Method studies are |
comprehensiveness and thoroughness |
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Essential features of a good action research study are: |
local focus and plan of action |
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“Stakeholders” in action research are those who: |
are affected by the problem |
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Which is not a criticism of participatory action research? |
It cannot provide useful knowledge. |
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Which method is appropriate for action research? |
All of the above |
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Action research and “formal” research differ in: |
generalizability |
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The role of the trained researcher in action research may be: |
all of the above |
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Extensive involvement of participants is often justified by their: |
all of the above |
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Generalization in action research is best accomplished by: |
replication |
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Action research and “formal” research are similar in: |
methodology |