Exam 6: Descriptive Research

Edward Ethics is studying public opinion regarding prayer in public schools.He plans to gather survey data from a number of churches on Sunday mornings.He also wants to include a number of people who are not associated with an organized religion in his sample.Edward is using:

Advantages of questionnaires include all of the following EXCEPT:

Regarding the length of questionnaires to be used in survey research,which of the following statements is most accurate?

The authors of your textbook suggest that sampling bias is virtually unavoidable and that it is important to disclose and discuss possible sources of bias in the study report.Do you agree? Explain your position.

Among survey methods,_____ generally generate the highest response rate.

Correlational research allows the researcher to answer questions such as:

Geoffrey is conducting a descriptive study focused on women's rights.As part of his project,he reviews articles published in U.S.newspapers between 1850 and 1940.The best instrument for him to use would be:

Of the following research topics,which is most likely to be an observational study?

In writing the cover letter to accompany a survey,novice researchers often stress the immediacy of their need for the data.Is this the best approach to take in the cover letter? If not,what do you recommend instead?

A researcher wishes to study developmental changes in people's preference for action movies.The researcher locates 50 people at each of the following ages: 15,20,25,30,35,40,45,and 50 years.She asks them to rate their preference for action movies in relation to other sorts of movies.This is an example of which type of design?

"How unhappy are you with your current salary?" This question violates which rule of good survey writing?

Under what circumstances would a researcher choose a longitudinal study over a cross-sectional study? Give a specific example of a question that could be addressed with a longitudinal study and explain why that developmental design is preferred.

Which of the following is an example of a good research question for a correlational study?

The typical return rate for a survey mailed to strangers is about:

Paul Pollster,a political psychologist,wants to determine whether rates of voter participation in his home state vary between rural,urban,and suburban voters.He notes that there are more rural voters than suburban or urban voters in the state.Paul should use ______ in this study.

Simon Cinema wants to know what the audience thought of tonight's advanced screening of a heralded psychological thriller called "I Can't Sleep." He and his research assistants stand outside the theatre exit and ask every fifth person leaving the theatre to answer several questions about their impression of the movie.Simon is using:

A researcher wishes to study developmental changes in the music people prefer to listen to.The researcher locates 50 people who are about 20 years old.She sends these people a questionnaire every year for the next 10 years asking about the types of music they prefer to listen to.This is an example of which type of design?

Polly Petunia is Chief Horticulturalist for the Southwest region,encompassing Arizona,New Mexico,and Texas.She wants to survey amateur gardeners in her region to determine what,if any,water conservation practices they employ in their home gardening.Polly sends her survey to 150 randomly selected gardeners in each state.Polly is using:

Jody is interested in studying home schooling because she thinks that students who are home-schooled can't develop appropriate social skills.As part of her study she will be observing home-schooled children in social settings.Jody's planned study is particularly susceptible to

Angeline is conducting an observational study of aggression on the playground.She is especially interested in whether boys are reprimanded more than girls for aggressive actions.The best instrument for her to use to collect her data would be: