Educational Research

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A major difficulty with knowledge based on personal sensory experience is that it

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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

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is limited by the expert's experience

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Knowledge based on logical reasoning

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has specific prerequisites

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The essential characteristic of the scientific method is

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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:

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Quantitative and qualitative methods

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"Critical researchers" emphasize the importance of all of the following except:

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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?

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*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:

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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:

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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:

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method of instruction

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In the example in question 1, the dependent variable is

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level of achievement

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Statements or predictions that are tested by collecting and analyzing objective evidence are called

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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):

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directional research hypothesis

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Empirically testing a hypothesis is the process of determining

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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:

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achievement scores of the students

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When a hypothesis is confirmed, one should conclude that

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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):

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independent variable

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The dependent variable is so called because:

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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

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variables

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A categorical variable is one that varies in:

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type but not amount

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An outcome variable is most similar to a(n):

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dependent variable

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In a study comparing methods of improving critical thinking, what type of variable is "critical thinking"?

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Dependent, outcome, quantitative

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Which of the following is a quantitative variable?

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Self-esteem

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Advantages of stating research questions as hypotheses include:

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all of the above

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Which of the following is a non-directional hypothesis?

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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?

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All of the above

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The first step in selecting a sample should be to:

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define the population

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Generalizing research findings from a sample to the population is most likely to be justifiable when

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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?

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Systematic

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The most important consideration in selecting a sample is that the sample be:

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representative of the population

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In random sampling, it is necessarily true that:

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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:

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a population

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The validity of generalizations based on a sample depends on the:

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representativeness of the sample

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The sample in a particular study is the:

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group on which data are obtained

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The accessible population in a study is the:

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group from which one selects a sample

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The most important feature of a table of random numbers is that:

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there is no pattern to the numbers in the table

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Two-stage cluster sampling refers to:

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selecting groups and then individuals

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Random sampling is least effective when:

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the sample size is very small

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A stratified random sample is used when:

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the researcher wants to guarantee representativeness on specified variables

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When a convenience sample is used, the researcher should not:

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generalize to a specified population

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The term "external validity" includes

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population generalizability and ecological generalizability

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Ecological generalizability includes the:

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characteristics of the environment

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In reading a table of random numbers, the researcher begins:

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with any number

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The best way to obtain a representative sample is to:

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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?

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“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:

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obtaining responses

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Most widely used standardized achievement tests are useful because:

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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:

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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?

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Interview

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Which of the following are data?

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All of the above

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Which is an example of a subject-completed instrument?

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Attitude scale

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How is "instrumentation" different from "instrument"?

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Instrumentation includes the way in which the instrument is used.

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Which of the following is the best synonym for validity?

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Truthfulness

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Which of the following is the best synonym for reliability?

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Consistency

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Objectivity in research means:

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minimizing personal bias

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The use of previously developed instruments in a study is desirable because:

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instrument development is a complex undertaking

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A previously existing instrument:

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may be inadequate for purposes of the researcher

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A performance checklist:

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minimizes observer judgment

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Aptitude tests differ from ability tests primarily in their:

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purpose

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Which of these could be used as an aptitude test?

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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?

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Critical thinking

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A score reported as 17-6 is most likely

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an age equivalent score

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A commonsense definition of validity refers to an instrument that:

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measures what it is supposed to measure

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Reliability of measurement is concerned with:

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consistency

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An indispensable quality required for a good measuring instrument is that it produce evidence that is:

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valid

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The validity of scores on a teacher-made classroom achievement test should be appraised in terms of:

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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:

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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:

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) 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?

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Use a control group

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Which of the following is a question of internal validity in experimental research?

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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:

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the Hawthorne effect

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The threat of "subject characteristics" refers to differences among subjects on:

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an extraneous variable

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Loss of subjects is a threat to internal validity because

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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?

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All tests are given in a noisy gymnasium.

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Instrument decay refers to the possibility that:

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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:

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more are lost from one group

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Data collector characteristics may be a threat to internal validity if:

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all of the above

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Loss of subjects in a study can best be handled by:

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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:

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respondents may psych out the researcher's hypothesis

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In an experimental study, a subject characteristics threat may be present if:

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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?

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"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?

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Students resented not receiving the new curriculum.

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A regression threat to internal validity refers to the fact that:

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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?

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History

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The maximum possible correspondence or correlation between two variables is represented by a Pearson product-moment coefficient of:

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-1.00

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Which one of these correlation coefficients has the least predictive value

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.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):

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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:

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the mean will be higher than the median

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When scores are grouped in constructing a frequency polygon or scatterplot:

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all intervals must be the same size

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A z-score is obtained by:

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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:

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70% of the scores

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The median is equal to:

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the 50th percentile

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The standard deviation tells how:

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much the scores in a distribution are spread out

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An advantage of z-scores is that:

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scores on different instruments can be compared

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A scatterplot can be used only when:

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both variables are quantitativ

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Crossbreak tables are used when:

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both variables are categorical

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A relationship is shown in a crossbreak table by

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a large discrepancy between actual and expected frequencies

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The purpose of inferential statistics is:

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to permit inferences from sample results to a population

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An assumption basic to all inferential statistics is:

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the sample(s) must be randomly selected

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A sampling distribution is:

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a frequency polygon made from sample values

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A disadvantage of nonparametric inference tests is that they:

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are less likely to show statistical significance than parametric tests

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The magnitude of Chi-Square depends on the:

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differences between observed and expected frequencies

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Why are control groups necessary in certain experiments?

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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:

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control of variables

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The feature that best characterizes experimental research is the:

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systematic variation of conditions

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Experimental research is the most powerful research method for:

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determining cause and effect

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A major problem with experimental research in education is that:

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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?

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) Characteristics of subjects

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An important difference between experimental and nonexperimental research is that the independent
variable in experimental research is:

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manipulated

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A researcher would be likely to use matching in a randomized posttest control group design:

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if the number in each treatment group is small

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A researcher would use matching rather than random assignment when:

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random assignment is impossible

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Which of the following is not possible in causal-comparative research?

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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:

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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:

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it is a way of exploring cause-effect relationships

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Causal-comparative studies are conducted when experimentation is:

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all of the above

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The causal-comparative and experimental methods are similar in that both:

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involve at least one categorical variable

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The appropriate statistical procedure when all variables are categorical is the:

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crossbreak table

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In a causal-comparative study, comparison groups:

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are already in existence

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The major threat to internal validity in a causal-comparative study is:

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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:

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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?

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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:

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drinking habits and grades are related

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Correlational research differs from experimental research in that:

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There is no manipulation of variables

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Correlational research is used to:

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all of the above

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A regression line is used to:

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estimate the score on one variable from the score on another variable

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Multiple regression is a technique for:

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predicting a criterion from two or more predictors in combination

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Survey research is concerned primarily with:

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reporting existing conditions

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The purpose of most surveys is to:

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describe the characteristics of a population

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Items used in survey research can include:

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all of the above

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In a panel study, the researcher obtains information from:

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the same sample at different points in time

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The primary advantages of the interview are:

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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:

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are easier to score

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A cover letter should accomplish all of the following except:

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clarifying the researcher's hypotheses

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Interviewers should be trained to do all of the following except:

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show their own views regarding the study

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A basic difference between positivism and its critics pertains to:

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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?

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A description of the patterns of interaction among the members of a group

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Hypotheses in qualitative research usually:

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emerge as the study progresses

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In qualitative research, "process" is seen as:

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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:

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an essential part of an investigation

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Data analysis in qualitative studies, compared to quantitative studies, is:

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inductive rather than deductive

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Qualitative researchers prefer natural settings because:

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they believe context is crucial

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Generalization in qualitative research is:

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different from quantitative research

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Advantages of Mixed-Method studies are

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comprehensiveness and thoroughness

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Essential features of a good action research study are:

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local focus and plan of action

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“Stakeholders” in action research are those who:

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are affected by the problem

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Which is not a criticism of participatory action research?

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It cannot provide useful knowledge.

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Which method is appropriate for action research?

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All of the above

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Action research and “formal” research differ in:

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generalizability

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The role of the trained researcher in action research may be:

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all of the above

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Extensive involvement of participants is often justified by their:

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all of the above

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Generalization in action research is best accomplished by:

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replication

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Action research and “formal” research are similar in:

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methodology