Midterm Quiz

Question 1

What type of research obtains data about opinions, attitudes, preferences, and behaviors using questionnaires or interviews?
a) Experimental research
b) Survey research
c) Observational research
d) Case study research

Answer 1

Survey research

Question 2

What approach allows researchers to study private experiences that cannot be directly observed?
a) Experimental approach
b) Survey approach
c) Observational approach
d) Case study approach

Answer 2

Survey approach

Question 3

What advantage does an anonymous survey offer when collecting data on sensitive topics?
a) Increased response rate
b) Decreased response rate
c) Increased likelihood of biased responses
d) Decreased likelihood of biased responses

Answer 3

Decreased likelihood of biased responses

Question 4

What is a major limitation of the survey approach in testing hypotheses about causal relationships?
a) Inability to collect large amounts of data
b) Inability to draw inferences about causes of behavior
c) Inability to engage subjects effectively
d) Inability to analyze survey data

Answer 4

Inability to draw inferences about causes of behavior

Question 5

What is the first step in constructing surveys?
a) Analyzing survey data
b) Identifying specific research objectives
c) Deciding on the degree of imposition of unit
d) Deciding how to analyze the survey

Answer 5

Identifying specific research objectives

Question 6

Describe closed-ended questions and provide an example.
a) Questions that require a detailed response; e.g., “What is your opinion on climate change?”
b) Questions that can be answered using a limited number of alternatives; e.g., “Yes” or “No”
c) Questions that are ambiguous; e.g., “What do you think about it?”
d) Questions that are unrelated to the survey topic

Answer 6

Questions that can be answered using a limited number of alternatives; e.g., “Yes” or “No”

Question 7

Explain open-ended questions and give an example.
a) Questions that can be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No”; e.g., “Do you like ice cream?”
b) Questions that require a detailed response; e.g., “What is your opinion on climate change?”
c) Questions that are unrelated to the survey topic
d) Questions that are ambiguous; e.g., “What do you think about it?”

Answer 7

Questions that require a detailed response; e.g., “What is your opinion on climate change?”

Question 8

How do researchers typically analyze data from closed-ended questions?
a) Using content analysis
b) Reporting the number or percent of responses
c) Assigning responses to categories
d) Ignoring responses

Answer 8

Reporting the number or percent of responses

Question 9

What method can be used to analyze responses from open-ended questions?
a) Content analysis
b) Reporting the number or percent of responses
c) Assigning responses to categories
d) Ignoring responses

Answer 9

Content analysis

Question 10

What are three concerns to consider when constructing survey questions?
a) Clarity, relevance, and complexity
b) Complexity, length, and ambiguity
c) Simplicity, ambiguity, and relevance
d) Simplicity, ambiguity, and double-barreled questions

Answer 10

Clarity, relevance, and complexity

Question 11

Define nominal scale and provide an example.
a) Measures magnitude using ranks; e.g., marathon rankings
b) Assigns items to distinct categories without measuring magnitude; e.g., sorting professors into categories
c) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values; e.g., Fahrenheit temperatures
d) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values with an absolute zero; e.g., distance in meters

Answer 11

Assigns items to distinct categories without measuring magnitude; e.g., sorting professors into categories

Question 12

Define ordinal scale and give an example.
a) Assigns items to distinct categories without measuring magnitude; e.g., sorting professors into categories
b) Measures magnitude using ranks; e.g., marathon rankings
c) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values; e.g., Fahrenheit temperatures
d) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values with an absolute zero; e.g., distance in meters

Answer 12

Measures magnitude using ranks; e.g., marathon rankings

Question 13

What is an interval scale and provide an example?
a) Assigns items to distinct categories without measuring magnitude; e.g., sorting professors into categories
b) Measures magnitude using ranks; e.g., marathon rankings
c) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values; e.g., Fahrenheit temperatures
d) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values with an absolute zero; e.g., distance in meters

Answer 13

Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values; e.g., Fahrenheit temperatures

Question 14

Describe a ratio scale and give an example.
a) Assigns items to distinct categories without measuring magnitude; e.g., sorting professors into categories
b) Measures magnitude using ranks; e.g., marathon rankings
c) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values; e.g., Fahrenheit temperatures
d) Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values with an absolute zero; e.g., distance in meters

Answer 14

Measures magnitude using equal intervals between values with an absolute zero; e.g., distance in meters

Question 15

Why do psychologists often choose higher scales when working with variables like sociability?
a) Because higher scales are easier to use
b) Because higher scales provide less information
c) Because higher scales provide more information and allow analysis using more powerful statistics
d) Because higher scales are more expensive

Answer 15

Because higher scales provide more information and allow analysis using more powerful statistics

Question 16

Why is it important to engage subjects from the start of a survey?
a) To discourage them from participating
b) To make them feel uncomfortable
c) To encourage them to refuse to answer
d) To ask interesting questions they will not mind answering

Answer 16

To ask interesting questions they will not mind answering

Question 17

What are five considerations for the first question in a survey?
a) Relevant to the survey’s central topic, easy to answer, interesting, answerable by most respondents, closed format
b) Relevant to the survey’s central topic, complex, ambiguous, lengthy, open format
c) Unrelated to the survey topic, difficult to answer, irrelevant, open format, lengthy
d) Relevant to the survey’s central topic, irrelevant, difficult to answer, ambiguous, open format

Answer 17

Relevant to the survey’s central topic, easy to answer, interesting, answerable by most respondents, closed format

Question 18

Why should researchers use commonly used response options in surveys?
a) To confuse respondents
b) To make the survey more difficult
c) To increase the likelihood of biased responses
d) To make it easier for respondents to answer accurately

Answer 18

To make it easier for respondents to answer accurately

Question 19

What are response styles, and how do they influence survey responses?
a) Tendencies to respond to questions or test items without regard to their actual wording; they do not influence responses
b) Tendencies to respond to questions or test items without regard to their actual wording; they influence responses by making them biased
c) Tendencies to respond accurately to questions or test items; they do not influence responses
d) Tendencies to refuse to answer questions; they influence responses by making them inaccurate

Answer 19

Tendencies to respond to questions or test items without regard to their actual wording; they influence responses by making them biased

Question 20

Define manifest content in the context of survey items.
a) The underlying meaning of the words printed on the page
b) The tendency to respond to questions or test items without regard to their actual wording
c) The plain meaning of the words printed on the page
d) The likelihood of biased responses in surveys

Answer 20

The plain meaning of the words printed on the page

Question 21

What is yea-saying and nay-saying in survey responses?
a) Agreeing with an item regardless of its manifest content; disagreeing with an item regardless of its manifest content
b) Disagreeing with an item regardless of its manifest content; agreeing with an item regardless of its manifest content
c) Agreeing with an item based on its manifest content; disagreeing with an item based on its manifest content
d) Disagreeing with an item based on its manifest content; agreeing with an item based on its manifest content

Answer 21

Agreeing with an item regardless of its manifest content; disagreeing with an item regardless of its manifest content

Question 22

Explain context effects in survey questions.
a) Changes in question interpretation due to their position within a survey
b) Changes in question interpretation due to their wording
c) Changes in question interpretation due to their length
d) Changes in question interpretation due to their complexity

Answer 22

Changes in question interpretation due to their position within a survey

Question 23

Define the social desirability response set in survey data collection.
a) Representing ourselves in a socially appropriate fashion when responding to a question’s underlying meaning
b) Representing ourselves in a socially appropriate fashion when responding to a question’s manifest content
c) Representing ourselves in a socially inappropriate fashion when responding to a question’s manifest content
d) Representing ourselves in a socially inappropriate fashion when responding to a question’s underlying meaning

Answer 23

Representing ourselves in a socially appropriate fashion when responding to a question’s underlying meaning

Question 24

Compare structured interviews with unstructured interviews in terms of data collection.
a) Structured interviews provide more usable, quantifiable data; unstructured interviews provide more usable, quantifiable data
b) Structured interviews allow exploration of interesting topics; unstructured interviews allow exploration of interesting topics
c) Structured interviews ask the same questions each time; unstructured interviews ask the same questions each time
d) Structured interviews provide more usable, quantifiable data; unstructured interviews may not provide usable data for content analysis

Answer 24

Structured interviews provide more usable, quantifiable data; unstructured interviews may not provide usable data for content analysis

Question 25

What is a population in the context of sampling?
a) A subset of the sample
b) All people, animals, or objects that share at least one characteristic
c) A subset of the population of interest
d) A subset of the population

Answer 25

All people, animals, or objects that share at least one characteristic

Question 26

Define probability sampling and provide two advantages.
a) Sampling method that does not involve random selection; provides more representative samples and known sampling error
b) Sampling method that involves random selection; provides more representative samples and known sampling error
c) Sampling method that involves random selection; provides less representative samples and unknown sampling error
d) Sampling method that does not involve random selection; provides less representative samples and unknown sampling error

Answer 26

Sampling method that involves random selection; provides more representative samples and known sampling error

Question 27

List the four main probability sampling methods.
a) Quota sampling, convenience sampling, purposive sampling, snowball sampling
b) Simple random sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling
c) Systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling, quota sampling
d) Simple random sampling, convenience sampling, purposive sampling, snowball sampling

Answer 27

Simple random sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling

Question 28

Define nonprobability sampling and provide an example.
a) Sampling method that involves random selection; provides more representative samples and known sampling error
b) Sampling method that does not involve random selection; provides more representative samples and known sampling error
c) Sampling method that involves random selection; provides less representative samples and unknown sampling error
d) Sampling method that does not involve random selection; provides less representative samples and unknown sampling error

Answer 28

Sampling method that involves random selection; provides more representative samples and known sampling error

Question 29

List the four main nonprobability sampling methods.
a) Simple random sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling
b) Quota sampling, convenience sampling, purposive sampling, snowball sampling
c) Systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling, quota sampling
d) Simple random sampling, convenience sampling, purposive sampling, snowball sampling

Answer 29

Quota sampling, convenience sampling, purposive sampling, snowball sampling

Question 30

Which type of sampling is more likely to represent the population accurately: probability or nonprobability sampling?
a) Probability sampling
b) Nonprobability sampling
c) Both probability and nonprobability sampling
d) Neither probability nor nonprobability sampling

Answer 30

Probability sampling