ChatGPT Sample Questions Flashcards
Is this passive or active participant observation:
“A researcher sits in a university library and quietly takes notes on how students use study spaces without interacting with them.”
Passive participant observation
Is this passive or active participant observation:
“A researcher joins a student club and participates in their meetings to understand how social groups influence academic motivation”
Active participant observation
Is this passive or active participant observation:
“a professor observes a classroom while sitting int he back, taking notes on student engagement but not interacting with anyone”
Passive participant observation
Is this passive or active participant observation:
“A researcher lives in a student dorm for a semester, attending events and engaging in daily student activity to study dorm life culture.”
Active participant observation
T/F: passive participant observation involves minimal or no interaction with participants, making it ideal for understanding humans in their natural settings.
True
T/F: active participant observation involves observing but not interacting with the group, making it ideal for gaining firsthand insights.
False
Which of the following is a type of passive participant observation?
A) full participation
B) collaboration/simulation
C) video/audio recordings
D) ethnography
C) video/audio recordings
What is the main goal of active participant observation?
a) to observe the group without influencing their behaviour
b) to gain a deeper understanding by actively participating in the group’s activities
c) to blend in without changing people’s behaviour
d) to observe without participants’ knowledge
B
Which of these categories is associated with ethnography in active participant observation?
A) shadowing or walk-alongs
B) video/audio recordings
C) full participation
D) immersion over a prolonged period of time
D
Scenario 1:
A researcher observes how students use study rooms in the library during exam season. They sit in the corner, taking notes on the behavior of students but do not interact with them. The researcher does this without informing the students and aims to gather natural behavior.
What type of observation is this?
a) Active participant observation – Full participation
b) Passive participant observation – Naturalistic observation
c) Active participant observation – Ethnography
d) Passive participant observation – Video/audio recording
B
Scenario 2:
A researcher joins a student club, participates in meetings, and sometimes asks questions about group dynamics while observing the interactions. They aim to understand how social dynamics influence academic motivation but also engage in the club’s activities.
What type of observation is this?
a) Active participant observation – Collaboration/simulation
b) Passive participant observation – Shadowing
c) Active participant observation – Full participation
d) Passive participant observation – Naturalistic observation
A
Scenario 3:
A researcher installs a hidden camera in a student dorm to record how students interact during their free time. The researcher watches the footage later to understand the social environment in the dorm.
What type of observation is this?
a) Active participant observation – Full participation
b) Passive participant observation – Video/audio recording
c) Active participant observation – Ethnography
d) Passive participant observation – Shadowing
B
Scenario 4:
A researcher moves into a student dorm and participates in daily activities, such as eating meals with students and joining social events, for several months to study dorm life culture in-depth.
What type of observation is this?
a) Active participant observation – Full participation
b) Passive participant observation – Naturalistic observation
c) Active participant observation – Ethnography
d) Passive participant observation – Video/audio recording
C
T/F: one limitation of passive participant observation is that it may not provide a deep understanding of participants’ behaviour because the researcher is not interacting with them.
True
T/F: active participant observation can lead to ethical issues, such as changing participants’ behaviour due to the researcher’s involvement
True
What is a limitation of passive participant observation when it comes to studying complex behaviours?
a) It provides too much direct insight into participants’ thoughts.
b) It might fail to capture the reasons behind participants’ behaviors.
c) It requires a lot of interaction, which can alter behavior.
d) It is difficult to conduct covertly.
B
What is a common ethical concern with active participant observation?
a) It may cause the researcher to lose objectivity by becoming too involved.
b) It doesn’t allow for accurate data collection.
c) It prevents researchers from gathering enough data.
d) It results in too little engagement from participants.
A
A researcher is conducting a survey about student health habits and decides to use a list of registered students from the university. They randomly select 50 students from the list and invite them to participate.
Which sampling technique is being used?
a) Simple Random Sampling
b) Systematic Sampling
c) Stratified Sampling
d) Snowball Sampling
A
A researcher is studying how students from different departments at their university prioritize sustainability. They first divide the students into three groups: Geography, Environmental Science, and Environmental Studies. Then, they randomly select students from each group to ensure their sample accurately represents the department proportions.
Which sampling technique is being used?
a) Cluster Sampling
b) Stratified Sampling
c) Convenience Sampling
d) Volunteer Sampling
B
A researcher is conducting a study on how students feel about campus food. They randomly choose 5 lecture halls and then systematically select every 5th student who enters each lecture hall to participate in the study.
Which sampling technique is being used?
a) Cluster Sampling
b) Stratified Sampling
c) Simple Random Sampling
d) Systematic Sampling
D
A researcher is studying student athletes and wants to collect data from varsity players. They start by asking participants in their first group to recommend others who would be willing to participate.
Which sampling technique is being used?
a) Judgemental Sampling
b) Snowball Sampling
c) Volunteer Sampling
d) Convenience Sampling
B
A researcher needs to survey students about their opinions on course load but doesn’t have a complete list of students. Instead, they choose to survey a group of students who are easily accessible on the quad during lunch hours.
Which sampling technique is being used?
a) Convenience Sampling
b) Stratified Convenience Sampling
c) Simple Random Sampling
d) Snowball Sampling
A
Which of the following is true about probability sampling techniques?
a) They guarantee a representative sample by only including the most accessible individuals.
b) They allow every unit of the population to have a known, non-zero chance of being selected.
c) They only involve selecting participants who volunteer to take part in the research.
d) They are best suited for smaller populations where access is easy and direct.
B
Which of the following is an example of systematic sampling?
a) Randomly selecting every 10th person on a list of students.
b) Randomly selecting 5 students from each of 4 departments.
c) Surveying people in a specific location without any pre-determined order.
d) Asking participants to refer others to join the study.
A
In stratified sampling, which of the following is true?
a) The population is divided into subgroups, and a random sample is taken from each subgroup to ensure representativeness.
b) Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.
c) Sampling is done based on participants’ willingness to participate.
d) It is most useful when you want to avoid any type of subgroup representation.
A
Which of the following is a limitation of cluster sampling?
a) It requires too many subgroups to be effective.
b) It can lead to high bias if the clusters are not chosen randomly.
c) It’s very expensive due to travel and data collection costs.
d) It works best when there’s no variation in the population.
B
What is the main issue with volunteer sampling?
a) It is usually highly representative of the population.
b) It often results in a biased sample, as those who volunteer may have specific characteristics.
c) It is difficult to implement because participants are randomly selected.
d) It is primarily used to study large, diverse populations.
B
Convenience sampling is best described as:
a) A method of selecting participants from hard-to-reach populations.
b) Selecting individuals who are easy to access or nearby, without considering representativeness.
c) Using personal judgment to select the most typical or illustrative cases.
d) A random selection process to ensure equal chances for all participants.
B
Which of the following statements best describes stratified convenience sampling?
a) The researcher selects individuals based on convenience but ensures each subgroup is adequately represented.
b) The researcher uses random sampling from each subgroup to ensure each characteristic is represented.
c) The researcher randomly selects people from each subgroup without considering convenience.
d) The researcher conducts sampling only from volunteers within each subgroup.
B
What is an example of spatial bias in sampling?
a) Sampling only students in the library during exam week
b) Sampling only students in the arts building during a study on student behavior
c) Surveying students at 8am, but not considering the time of day
d) Only interviewing students who volunteer to participate
B
What is temporal bias in the context of traffic flow studies?
a) Sampling the same locations across different days of the week
b) Focusing only on specific time periods, like 8am or 5pm, without considering other times of the day
c) Focusing on individuals who are easy to reach and willing to participate
d) Randomly selecting different time periods to balance the data
B
Which of the following best describes selection bias?
a) Selecting participants based on convenience, which leads to an unrepresentative sample
b) Stratifying your sample to include individuals from various groups to avoid bias
c) Choosing participants based on personal preference or appearance, which can lead to bias
d) Sampling from different times of the day to account for potential variations
C
How can temporal bias be minimized in a study on campus traffic flow?
a) By sampling at only one time of the day to ensure consistency
b) By stratifying the sample to include traffic flow data from different times of the day
c) By surveying only one pathway during a single time period
d) By focusing on only the busiest pathways during rush hour
B
Which of the following is a potential source of selection bias in a mall survey?
a) Surveying individuals randomly selected from the entire mall
b) Selecting participants who look similar to you or who approach you first
c) Asking a wide variety of people from different age groups and backgrounds
d) Using a random number generator to pick survey participants
B
What could be a result of spatial bias in a study about forest ecosystems?
a) A researcher only sampling trees from the forest edge, missing key data from the interior of the forest
b) A researcher surveying at the same time every day, ensuring a consistent sample
c) A researcher interviewing volunteers who represent diverse backgrounds
d) A researcher collecting data across several different forest types and locations
A
Make a 5-step sampling plan:
Research Topic: You want to study the sleep habits of university students (e.g., average hours of sleep, sleep quality, factors influencing sleep).
Step 1: Define the population – “The population is all undergraduate students at XYZ University during the Fall 2025 semester.”
Step 2: Construct a sampling frame – “The sampling frame will consist of students who respond to flyers or who voluntarily register for the survey.”
Step 3: Select your sampling design – “Since I don’t have access to a complete list of students, I will use volunteer sampling by distributing flyers around campus and encouraging students to participate voluntarily.”
Step 4: Specify information to be collected – “The survey will collect data on students’ sleep duration, sleep quality, and factors that may influence sleep patterns, including study habits, caffeine consumption, and screen time.”
Step 5: Collect data – “Administer the survey to the students who have volunteered, ensuring that I minimize bias during data collection.”
Make a 5-Step sampling plan:
Research Topic: You are conducting a survey on environmental awareness among residents of a specific city, aiming to understand how much people know about recycling and sustainable practices.
Step 1: Define the Population
Full-time residents of Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the 2025 calendar year.
Step 2: Construct a Sampling Frame
Full-time residents listed in municipal registry or census data within selected neighbourhoods.
Step 3: Select Sampling Design
Cluster sampling: Categorize Toronto into smaller neighbourhoods.
Randomly select 50% of clusters for participation.
Within clusters, apply systematic sampling to select residents.
Step 4: Specify Information to be Collected
Survey on residents’ awareness of environmental protocols (recycling, transportation, food packaging, sustainability practices).
Step 5: Collect Data
Administer surveys via mail to residents within systematic sampling parameters.
Use social media for additional outreach but not part of the formal sample.
Make a 5-Step sampling plan:
Research Topic: You’re studying how teenagers use smartphones, specifically focusing on daily screen time, app preferences, and how it affects their social interactions.
Step 1: Define the population
All Canadian teenagers (13-18) who use a smartphone daily in 2026.
Step 2: Construct a sampling frame
All daily smartphone users who log onto Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Age data is available through account registration, though accuracy may vary.
Step 3: Select sampling design
Volunteer non-probability sampling via social media platforms. This targets active users but may introduce self-selection bias.
Step 4: Specify information to be collected
Quantitative: daily screen usage, app usage.
Qualitative: feelings about screen usage, eye strain, social interaction.
Data will assess physical and social implications of screen use.
Step 5: Collect data
Survey link sent via Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, with targeted posts to increase participation. Risks of bias due to volunteer-based sampling.
