Question 1

Which of the following examples would be considered "variables" in a content analysis? (circle all that apply)

Accepted Answer

A)  the word "literally" 
B)  the suggestion that baby boomers reflect the "Greatest Generation" 
C)  the front page of a newspaper 
D)  whether a newspaper advertisement is in color or black and white 
A)  the word "literally" 
B)  the suggestion that baby boomers reflect the "Greatest Generation" 
C)  the front page of a newspaper 
D)  whether a newspaper advertisement is in color or black and white A,B,D

Question 2

What are the two key approaches to content analysis? How is the coding system developed and applied in each approach?

Accepted Answer

Content analysis typically involves two key approaches: quantitative content analysis and qualitative content analysis.

In quantitative content analysis, the coding system is developed by creating a set of categories or codes that represent the key themes or topics within the content being analyzed. These categories are often developed through a process of pre-testing and refinement to ensure they accurately capture the content. Once the coding system is developed, it is applied by systematically coding the content according to the predefined categories. This approach allows for the analysis of large volumes of content and enables researchers to quantify and analyze patterns and trends within the data.

In qualitative content analysis, the coding system is developed through a process of inductive reasoning, where the researcher identifies key themes and patterns within the content and develops codes to represent these themes. The coding system is then applied by systematically coding the content based on the identified themes and patterns. This approach allows for a more in-depth analysis of the content, focusing on the underlying meanings and interpretations within the data.

Overall, both approaches to content analysis involve the development of a coding system to systematically analyze and interpret the content, with the key difference being the focus on quantifying patterns and trends in quantitative content analysis, and the focus on understanding meanings and interpretations in qualitative content analysis.

Question 3

Consider the following excerpt from a movie review: "Three Stories of the South left me wondering whether a fourth story of the South would help illuminate the meaning of the first three. This film is bad. Not only were many of the premises blatant copies from other prominent award-winning movies, but the execution of these copied premises was even worse. I mean, this film is really bad. Yet, it did have a limited budget with which to operate." Which of the following examples would potentially be considered content units? (circle all that apply)

Accepted Answer

A)  the word "bad" 
B)  every two sentences of the excerpt 
C)  whenever the critic tempers her distaste for the movie with additional information 
D)  the entire written review of the film 
A)  the word "bad" 
B)  every two sentences of the excerpt 
C)  whenever the critic tempers her distaste for the movie with additional information 
D)  the entire written review of the film A,C

Question 4

You are a conspiracy theorist, and you believe that all of the extremely successful and memorable speeches made by US presidents were written by an immortal extraterrestrial! However, the only way you can prove it is by content analyzing the Presidents' speeches.
(a) Describe how you would determine the sample of content that you would analyze, and what steps you would take to do so. (b) Describe three decisions you would have to make regarding the content you would analyze and the coding system you might use. For your first decision, you need to determine the type of content unit you will use. Explain what considerations would go into. (c) For each analysis decision that you discuss, provide an example for how it might manifest in your actual content analysis (e.g., for your first decision, provide an example of a content unit that you might include in your analysis).

Accepted Answer

To determine the sample of content that

Question 5

Yolanda was interested in the depiction of women in print-media (e.g., magazines, advertisements, newspapers), particularly the way that the features of the "ideal" woman have changed over the past seven decades. Should she use deductive or inductive content analysis? Provide justification for why she should use one type of content analysis or the other. In addition, provide an example of two coding units that might be relevant to her content analysis, and be sure to explain why they would be considered relevant coding units.

Accepted Answer

Yolanda should consider using both deduc

Question 6

What kinds of questions can be answered by the various forms of content analysis?

Accepted Answer

Content analysis is a research method us

Question 7

When arriving at the final sample of content that will be analyzed (from a very large universe of content), which of the following types of sampling processes will a researcher most likely have used?

Accepted Answer

A)  context sampling 
B)  source sampling 
C)  content sampling 
D)  A and B 
E)  B and C
F) all of the above 
A)  context sampling 
B)  source sampling 
C)  content sampling 
D)  A and B 
E)  B and C
F) all of the above

Question 8

Content analysis, broadly defined, is the method of describing and exploring various qualitative "communications" in a systematic, objective, and quantitative way. "Communications" in this context can refer to: (circle all that apply; if "e," only circle "e")

Accepted Answer

A)  the recorded minutes of a meeting 
B)  archived photographs 
C)  almanac entries 
D)  warning labels 
E)  all of these options can be content analyzed 
A)  the recorded minutes of a meeting 
B)  archived photographs 
C)  almanac entries 
D)  warning labels 
E)  all of these options can be content analyzed

Question 9

While you are content-analyzing magazine advertisements, you notice an emerging theme that was not currently part of your coding scheme - so you add that content unit to your coding system. This example would reflect what type of content analysis?

Accepted Answer

A)  deductive content analysis 
B)  inductive content analysis 
C)  contextual content analysis 
D)  inferential content analysis 
A)  deductive content analysis 
B)  inductive content analysis 
C)  contextual content analysis 
D)  inferential content analysis

Question 10

Which of the following statements is TRUE of content analyses? (circle all that apply)

Accepted Answer

A)  deductive content analysis is systematic enough to be used for hypothesis testing 
B)  it is rarely appropriate to conduct inference-based content analyses 
C)  the context unit in a text-based content analysis can be as little as two words 
D)  much like sampling considerations for some surveys, there is a law of diminishing returns with content analysis, wherein a sample of approximately 1,000-2,000 "source-units" is sufficient to approximate the population, regardless of the size of the universe of content 
A)  deductive content analysis is systematic enough to be used for hypothesis testing 
B)  it is rarely appropriate to conduct inference-based content analyses 
C)  the context unit in a text-based content analysis can be as little as two words 
D)  much like sampling considerations for some surveys, there is a law of diminishing returns with content analysis, wherein a sample of approximately 1,000-2,000 "source-units" is sufficient to approximate the population, regardless of the size of the universe of content

Question 11

In Krippendorff's (1980) discussion of determining the reliability of a content analysis outlines several types of "reliability" that are analogous to ways of determining reliability in a measurement scale. Which of the following reliability tests is NOT analogous to those included in Krippendorff's consideration of content analysis reliability? (circle all that apply)

Accepted Answer

A)  test-retest reliability 
B)  split-half reliability 
C)  predictive validity 
D)  interrater reliability 
A)  test-retest reliability 
B)  split-half reliability 
C)  predictive validity 
D)  interrater reliability

Question 12

You are content-analyzing network television sit-coms for their use of product placement, and the types of product placements that are present. You notice that a recurring product in many sit-coms is cans of soda, particularly when sit-coms included a kitchen (with refrigerator) in their regular repertoire of sets. Furthermore, product placement was especially successful when characters in the show verbally referenced the product in the same scene it was placed. In the present example, _____(a)_____ would be considered a content unit, and _____(b)_____ would be considered a context unit.

Accepted Answer

A)  the kitchen; the can of soda 
B)  mentioning soda; the can of soda 
C)  the can of soda; the kitchen 
D)  the can of soda; the specific show 
A)  the kitchen; the can of soda 
B)  mentioning soda; the can of soda 
C)  the can of soda; the kitchen 
D)  the can of soda; the specific show

Question 13

_____(a)_____ is the process of determining the unit of content underlying a coding system prior to the content analysis; _____(b)_____ allows for new coding categories to emerge empirically as the content is being coded.

Accepted Answer

A)  inductive content analysis; deductive content analysis 
B)  deductive content analysis; inductive content analysis 
C)  text-based content analysis; thematic content analysis 
D)  thematic content analysis; text-based content analysis 
A)  inductive content analysis; deductive content analysis 
B)  deductive content analysis; inductive content analysis 
C)  text-based content analysis; thematic content analysis 
D)  thematic content analysis; text-based content analysis

Question 14

Krippendorff (1980) discusses three approaches to reliability of content analysis coding schemes. The first, and weakest, type of reliability is essentially test-retest reliability for a single coder (which he calls stability). Describe the other two types of reliability that correspond to content analyses.

Accepted Answer

The second type of reliability discussed

Question 15

Researchers are interested in the portrayal of female leads (or the primary female character) in television shows between 1950 and 2010. How would they go about selecting their sample of content to analyze? Specifically, provide an example for the several steps they would take to determine their sample will be chosen from the universe of television content. For example, perhaps the first question to address is whether they wanted to focus on only television shows that were shown in the United States (let's assume they do). What other decisions would they make before they finally obtain their sample of content to analyze?

Accepted Answer

First, researchers would need to define

Question 16

Which of the following techniques are appropriate for hypothesis testing?

Accepted Answer

A)  semi-structured interview 
B)  deductive content analysis 
C)  inductive content analysis 
D)  A and B 
E)  all of the above
F) none of the above 
A)  semi-structured interview 
B)  deductive content analysis 
C)  inductive content analysis 
D)  A and B 
E)  all of the above
F) none of the above

Question 17

In content analysis, what does it mean to draw a representative sample? Why is it important?

Accepted Answer

In content analysis, drawing a represent

Which of the following examples would be considered "variables" in a content analysis? (circle all that apply)

What are the two key approaches to content analysis? How is the coding system developed and applied in each approach?

What kinds of questions can be answered by the various forms of content analysis?

When arriving at the final sample of content that will be analyzed (from a very large universe of content), which of the following types of sampling processes will a researcher most likely have used?

Content analysis, broadly defined, is the method of describing and exploring various qualitative "communications" in a systematic, objective, and quantitative way. "Communications" in this context can refer to: (circle all that apply; if "e," only circle "e")

While you are content-analyzing magazine advertisements, you notice an emerging theme that was not currently part of your coding scheme - so you add that content unit to your coding system. This example would reflect what type of content analysis?

Which of the following statements is TRUE of content analyses? (circle all that apply)

___(a)_ is the process of determining the unit of content underlying a coding system prior to the content analysis; _(b)___ allows for new coding categories to emerge empirically as the content is being coded.

Which of the following techniques are appropriate for hypothesis testing?

In content analysis, what does it mean to draw a representative sample? Why is it important?

Basic Concepts

Internal and External Validity

Measurement Reliability

Measurement Validity

Designing Experiments

Constructing Laboratory Experiments

External Validity of Laboratory Experiments

Conducting Experiments Outside the Laboratory

Nonexperimental Research

Quasi-Experiments and Evaluation Research

Survey Studies

Systematic Observational Methods

Interviewing

Questionnaire Design and Scale Construction

Indirect and Implicit Measures of Cognition and Affect

Scaling Stimuli

Methods for Assessing Dyads and Groups

Synthesizing Research Results

Social Responsibility and Ethics in Social Research

Filters

Exam 14: Content Analysis

Which of the following examples would be considered "variables" in a content analysis? (circle all that apply)

What are the two key approaches to content analysis? How is the coding system developed and applied in each approach?

What kinds of questions can be answered by the various forms of content analysis?

When arriving at the final sample of content that will be analyzed (from a very large universe of content), which of the following types of sampling processes will a researcher most likely have used?

Content analysis, broadly defined, is the method of describing and exploring various qualitative "communications" in a systematic, objective, and quantitative way. "Communications" in this context can refer to: (circle all that apply; if "e," only circle "e")

While you are content-analyzing magazine advertisements, you notice an emerging theme that was not currently part of your coding scheme - so you add that content unit to your coding system. This example would reflect what type of content analysis?

Which of the following statements is TRUE of content analyses? (circle all that apply)

_____(a)_____ is the process of determining the unit of content underlying a coding system prior to the content analysis; _____(b)_____ allows for new coding categories to emerge empirically as the content is being coded.

Which of the following techniques are appropriate for hypothesis testing?

In content analysis, what does it mean to draw a representative sample? Why is it important?

Basic Concepts

Internal and External Validity

Measurement Reliability

Measurement Validity

Designing Experiments

Constructing Laboratory Experiments

External Validity of Laboratory Experiments

Conducting Experiments Outside the Laboratory

Nonexperimental Research

Quasi-Experiments and Evaluation Research

Survey Studies

Systematic Observational Methods

Interviewing

Questionnaire Design and Scale Construction

Indirect and Implicit Measures of Cognition and Affect

Scaling Stimuli

Methods for Assessing Dyads and Groups

Synthesizing Research Results

Social Responsibility and Ethics in Social Research

Filters

___(a)_ is the process of determining the unit of content underlying a coding system prior to the content analysis; _(b)___ allows for new coding categories to emerge empirically as the content is being coded.