Research Methods

Question 1

Case study design is most thorough when it is:

• a mixed methods design
• qualitative in nature
• a quantitative design
• conducted with multiple cases and multiple researchers

Answer 1

a mixed methods design

Question 2

ALL BUT WHICH of the following are acceptable case study design lines of inquiry?

• What is the racial and ethnic makeup of an elementary school?
• What contributes to the morale of graduate students?
• What factors impact resilience following a hurricane?
• What is the role of the supervisor in the supervisory relationship?

Answer 2

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of an elementary school?

Question 3

ALL BUT WHICH of the following are reasons to use case study design?

• You intend to manipulate the context or behavior of participants.
• You want to understand how or why a phenomenon exists.
• It is important to study the phenomenon within a particular context.
• The study will employ multiple sources of data.

Answer 3

You intend to manipulate the context of behavior of participants.

Question 4

A good reason to use a case study approach is:

• an interest in developing or building upon a new theory
• a desire to predict behavior based on existing variables
• a need to make conclusions about a phenomenon that are highly generalizable
• a desire to find significant differences between a phenomenon’s statistical outcomes

Answer 4

an interest in developing or building upon a new theory

Question 5

When a researcher wishes to provide a comparison between cases, the best context-oriented type of case study to use is:

• collective
• intrinsic
• instrumental
• collaborative

Answer 5

collective

Question 6

The purpose-oriented case study that enables researchers to elaborate on an issue is more detail in its natural context, helping to illuminate how and why any causal relationships may exist and is known as:

• explanatory
• exploratory
• descriptive
• collective

Answer 6

explanatory

Question 7

ALL BUT WHICH of the following types of data sources are useful in case study research?

• exhaustive, multi-case statistical data sets
• archival document review
• interviews and conversations
• surveys

Answer 7

exhaustive, multi-case statistical data sets

Question 8

According to Sheperis et al. (2017), one type of research question specifically used to guide case study research is the:

• theory-building question
• mixed methods question
• quantitative question
• compound question

Answer 8

theory-building question

Question 9

Case study design is most useful to answer the following types of questions:

• How or Why?
• What?
• Who?
• Where?

Answer 9

How or Why?

Question 10

Important questions to ask when selecting a case include:

• Does the case represent a unique situation?
• Is the case conveniently accessed?
• Does the case represent a culture other than my own?
• Has the case been studied before?

Answer 10

Does the case represent a unique situation?

Question 11

A single case is best used when the case under consideration is:

• extreme or unique
• able to be studied longitudinally
• critical to the validation, expansion, or challenge of a theory
• All of the answer choices are considerations for single case design.

Answer 11

All of the answer choices are considerations for single case design.

Question 12

Studying the experience of the president of Chi Sigma Iota (honor society for counseling students) in chapters at several universities would be an example of a __________ design.

• multiple case holistic
• multiple case embedded
• single case embedded
• single case holistic

Answer 12

multiple case holistic

Question 13

Which of the following reasons support the use of a pilot study?

• It includes revision of documents and questions for clarity.
• It enables the researcher to hide any potential obstacles to the research.
• Researchers are concerned they will not get the results they want.
• Pilot studies are a waste of time.

Answer 13

It includes revision of documents and questions for clarity.

Question 14

When the researcher is also a part of the context of the case, this type of data source is known as:

• participant observation
• direct observation
• interviews
• physical artifacts

Answer 14

participant observation

Question 15

A form of raw data that may be collected in case study research is:

• audio or video recordings
• Excel data
• informed consent forms
• IRB documentation

Answer 15

audio or video recordings

Question 16

Yin’s (2009) data analysis strategies include ALL BUT WHICH of the following?

• Copy all data to color-coded index cards.
• Start with the data most relevant to your research question.
• Create a structure of the study using a case description.
• Look for findings that contradict your assumptions.

Answer 16

Copy all data to color-coded index cards.

Question 17

The preferred technique for data analysis in case study design is:

• pattern matching
• explanation building
• time-series analysis
• logic models

Answer 17

pattern matching

Question 18

What is suggested in terms of anonymity of the case?

• Complete anonymity is preferred.
• Complete disclosure is preferred.
• Anonymity is not determined by the researcher.
• A compromise between complete anonymity and complete disclosure is preferred.

Answer 18

A compromise between complete anonymity and complete disclosure is preferred.

Question 19

Which is true of the four report structures suggested by Yin (2009)?

• The multiple case format provides a single narrative section for each case study.
• The classic single-case narrative is superior to the question and answer format.
• The cross case format is superior to the question and answer format.
• The multiple case format addresses different issues of the study rather than narratives of the individual cases.

Answer 19

The multiple case format provides a single narrative section for each case study.

Question 20

Generalizability is considered:

• a limitation of case study design
• important only in the mixed methods design
• an advantage to case study research
• irrelevant in counseling research

Answer 20

a limitation of case study design

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT an important consideration in the development of a methodological plan?

• funding source
• variable selection
• population sampling
• bias reduction

Answer 21

funding source

Question 22

Variables such as height, weight, and test score are considered:

• numerical
• categorical
• constants
• qualitative

Answer 22

numerical

Question 23

Variables such as religion and sexual orientation are considered:

• categorical
• numerical
• quantitative
• constants

Answer 23

categorical

Question 24

When studying the effect of maternal alcohol use and disruptive behavior in children, the child’s disruptive behavior is considered:

• the dependent variable
• the independent variable
• unrelated to maternal alcohol use
• qualitative data

Answer 24

the dependent variable

Question 25

When studying the effect of maternal alcohol and disruptive behavior in children, maternal alcohol use is likely: * a selected variable * a manipulated variable * unrelated to the child's disruptive behavior * controlled by the researcher

Answer 25

a selected variable

Question 26

An important consideration about traits is that they: * are always changing * are constant * are always categorical * can be changing or constant

Answer 26

can be changing or constant

Question 27

Operationalizing variables simply means that they: * are well-defined * are categorical * can be manipulated * can be easily entered into SPSS

Answer 27

are well-defined

Question 28

Obtaining a representative, random, and generalizable sample is typically a goal of what type of research? * quantitative research * single-subject design * educational research * qualitative research

Answer 28

quantitative research

Question 29

Highlighting a specific case example is typically a goal of what type of research? * qualitative research * predictive designs * educational research * quantitative research

Answer 29

qualitative research

Question 30

Considerations in determining appropriate sample size for a study generally include ALL BUT WHICH of the following? * the statistical program used to analyze data * the type of statistical analysis to be employed * sample sizes in previous studies * the likelihood of finding a large effect

Answer 30

the statistical program used to analyze data

Question 31

Which of the following types of data typically require larger sample sizes? * nominal * ordinal * interval * metric-level analysis

Answer 31

nominal

Question 32

Which of the following is true? * Larger sample sizes are recommended when studying heterogenous populations. * Small sample sizes are encouraged for studies that may lead to serious consequences if results are incorrect. * Larger samples are recommended when studying homogenous populations. * Small sample sizes are recommended when studying heterogenous populations.

Answer 32

Larger sample sizes are recommended when studying heterogenous populations.

Question 33

What is a primary concern of using a larger sample? * As the number of participants increases, the risk of finding significance where none exists also increases. * As the number of participants increases, the risk of finding true significance increases. * It is likely to be a representative sample of the target population. * It will be impossible to keep the sample random.

Answer 33

As the number of participants increases, the risk of finding significance where none exists also increases.

Question 34

Existing counseling research is largely based on: * non-White, low SES participants * White, under-educated participants * non-White, middle-class, educated participants * White, middle-class, educated participants

Answer 34

White, middle-class, educated participants

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT an important consideration for instrument selection? * whether the researcher personally knows the instrument's author * where, when, and how the data will be collected * the appropriateness of an instrument to the population being studied * psychometric properties of the instrument

Answer 35

whether the researcher personally knows the instrument's author

Question 36

In general, potential sources of bias include ALL BUT WHICH of the following? * having too large of a sample * unintentional errors * expectations of the researcher * observational recording methods

Answer 36

having too large of a sample

Question 37

The concept that research participants are more motivated to perform when they know that they are being studied is known as the: * Hawthorne effect * halo effect * experimenter effect * John Henry effect

Answer 37

Hawthorne effect

Question 38

When a researcher unintentionally influences the study's outcome, it is known as the: * John Henry effect * experimenter effect * halo effect * Hawthorne effect

Answer 38

experimenter effect

Question 39

A form of bias that allows a typically irrelevant trait to influence perceptions of another (typically more relevant) trait is known as the: * halo effect * experimenter effect * Hawthorne effect * John Henry effect

Answer 39

halo effect

Question 40

Which of the following is a step to establish validity in qualitative research that includes incorporating multiple forms of data collection, theories, or researchers? * triangulation * member checking * reflexivity * researcher bias

Answer 40

triangulation

Question 41

Measurement is best defined as: * a classification proposed to describe the nature of information contained within numbers assigned to objects and, therefore, within the variable * a management system for data * how a researcher classifies ordinal and nominal data * the manner in which data is transformed into descriptive statistics

Answer 41

a classification proposed to describe the nature of information contained within numbers assigned to objects and, therefore, within the variable

Question 42

ALL BUT WHICH of the following represent the four levels of measurement as proposed by Stevens (1946)? * metric * nominal * ordinal * interval * ratio

Answer 42

metric