Comp exam practice test on research & program evaluation

Question 1

• *The credibility of studies published in refereed journals is usually higher than studies published in non-refereed journals because**
• there is a longer history of publication of good studies in refereed journals
• more methodological detail is included in refereed journals
• the ‘blind review’ of articles accepted for refereed journals ensures their quality
• the writing style in refereed journals is better

Answer 1

the ‘blind review’ of articles accepted for refereed journals ensures their quality

Question 2

• *If a counselor is conducting an observational study of children’s behavior in a classroom, he or she will have to take into account which of the following phenomena?**
• Hawthorne effect
• Placebo effect
• Halo effect
• Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 2

Hawthorne effect

Question 3

• *In a research study that users volunteers, the researcher should**
• give an account of how volunteers might differ from non-volunteers
• use a larger sample
• statistically control for people’s willingness to volunteer
• state the purposes of the study simply so that volunteers can understand

Answer 3

give an account of how volunteers might differ from non-volunteers

Question 4

• *The multiple correlations of 5 predictor variables with grade point average (GPA) is .50 This means that**
• the best single predictor has 25 percent shared variance with GPA
• average correlation between each predictor and GPA is .25
• combined predictors have 25 percent shared variance with GPA
• average predictor has a .50 correlation with GPA

Answer 4

combined predictors have 25 percent shared variance with GPA

Question 5

• *The statement, “there is a negative relationship between the number of older siblings and social maturity among six-year-old children” is an example of a(n)**
• null hypothesis
• directional hypothesis
• research question
• implication

Answer 5

directional hypothesis

Question 6

• *If a researcher is comparing the mean scores of rural and urban students and male and female students on a self-efficacy measure, the appropriate statistical procedure would be a**
• t-test
• one-way ANOVA
• regression analysis
• factorial ANOVA

Answer 6

factorial ANOVA

Question 7

• *‘Product’ evaluation, sometimes known as ‘summative’ evaluation, is focused on a program’s**
• efficiency
• outcomes
• face validity
• process elements

Answer 7

outcomes

Question 8

• *In a multi-authored journal article, the primary responsibility for the ethical conduct of the research falls upon**
• the author who is employed in the most senior rank
• the author whose name comes first in the list of authors
• all authors independently and collectively
• the authors who actually conducted the data collection

Answer 8

the author whose name comes first in the list of authors

Question 9

• *Research which is focused on developing and testing theory rather than on practical applications is called**
• descriptive
• deductive
• basic
• applied

Answer 9

basic

Question 10

• *Which of the following research designs allows for the greatest confidence with regard to external validity**
• one- group posttest only design
• one group pretest-posttest design
• posttest only control group design
• pretest-posttest control-group design

Answer 10

posttest only control group design

Question 11

• *Which of the following reasons explains best why longitudinal studies have rarely been conducted in counseling**
• results are this type of research are not so useful
• it takes too long to collect data of this kind
• it costs too much to do these studies
• the statistical procedures needed are too complex

Answer 11

it costs too much to do these studies

Question 12

• *If you are conducting a single-subject research design study the first thing you will do is establish**
• termination
• baseline
• membership of the control group
• treatment protocols

Answer 12

baseline

Question 13

• *When 2 or more independent variables simultaneously affect the dependent variable, at least some degree of a(n) ___________ effect can be expected to have occurred**
• experimenter
• Hawthorne
• correlational
• interaction

Answer 13

interaction

Question 14

• *A counselor studies student experiences of counseling with a series of statements followed by a scale of five responses for each statement ranging from Strongly agree to Strongly disagree. This is called a _____________ scale.**
• Thurstone
• Likert
• weighted
• bathroom

Answer 14

Likert

Question 15

• *A one-way ANOVA differs from a t-test in that it is used to test the difference(s) among**
• two means
• three or more means
• two means with at least 2 independent variables
• 3 or more means with at least 3 independent variables

Answer 15

three or more means

Question 16

• *Qualitative research is more context sensitive because human behavior is**
• abnormal only within certain contexts
• not manifest in all settings
• often not what it appears to a casual observer
• influenced by the settings in which it occurs

Answer 16

influenced by the settings in which it occurs

Question 17

• *The strongest argument for the validity of research results is when**
• previous research supports the results
• internal validity is well documented
• external validity is evident
• replications of the study support the results

Answer 17

replications of the study support the results

Question 18

• *The .05 alpha level of statistical significance means that**
• Decisions made on the basis of the study will be wrong .05% of the time
• 5 times out of 100 the null hypothesis will be rejected incorrectly
• there are 5 chances in 100 that the null hypothesis is true
• there are 5 chances in 100 that the statistical calculations will be in error

Answer 18

5 times out of 100 the null hypothesis will be rejected incorrectly

Question 19

• *Institutional review boards (or Human Subjects Committees) were created in the attempt to ensure that**
• researchers conduct research according to professional standards
• the viability of research activities is enhanced
• the legal rights of participants in research are protected
• researchers adhere to pertinent ethical standards

Answer 19

the legal rights of participants in research are protected

Question 20

• *Experimental research is always characterized by (at least)**
• random selection of subjects from a population
• 2 or more independent variables
• use of a control group
• manipulation of the independent variable

Answer 20

manipulation of the independent variable