Deck 14: Nonexperimental Quantitative Research

Question 1

List and briefly describe the three major techniques of control that are used in nonexperimental research.

Answer 1

not answered

Question 2

When changes in X tend to produce changes in Y, this is called:

A) Perfect causality
B) A post hoc fallacy
C) A spurious relationship
D) Probabilistic causation

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When a relationship between two variables is partly due to a third variable, this is labeled a:

A) A spurious relationship
B) A direct relationship
C) A partially spurious relationship
D) A causal relationship

Answer 3

C

Question 4

List categorical and quantitative independent variables that cannot be manipulated by a researcher.

Question 5

The "third variable problem" refers to:

A) The difficulty created by manipulating three variables
B) The difficulty created when doing nonexperimental studies with three variables
C) The possibility that an extraneous variable accounts for the relationship between two variables
D) The possibility that three variables might cause a change in the dependent variable

Question 6

Draw the typology of nonexperimental quantitative research formed by crossing the time dimension with the research objective dimension.

Question 7

The first "simple case" of nonexperimental research involves:

A) One quantitative independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable
B) One manipulated independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable
C) One non-manipulated categorical independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable
D) One non-manipulated quantitative independent variable and one categorical dependent variable

Question 8

Explain the "third-variable problem."

Question 9

Identify descriptive research studies, predictive research studies, and explanatory research studies when examining published research.

Question 10

By definition, nonexperimental research is different from experimental research in that:

A) No dependent variables are measured in nonexperimental research studies
B) No hypotheses are tested in nonexperimental research studies
C) Nonexperimental research studies do not have independent variables
D) Independent variables are not manipulated in nonexperimental research

Question 11

Compare and contrast the two types of longitudinal research.

Question 12

One way to lessen the third variable problem is to:

A) Use a control technique to deal with the identified third variable(s)
B) Do quasi-experimental research
C) Only do studies with two variables
D) Use categorical independent variables only

Question 13

In Hector's study he discovered that the relationship between two of his variables was due to another variable he did not measure. Hector's study had:

A) A significant relationship
B) A causative relationship
C) A direct causation
D) A spurious relationship

Question 14

The number of police officers and the number of crimes are positively related. This relationship is:

A) A causal relationship
B) A direct relationship
C) A probabilistic causal relation
D) A spurious relationship

Question 15

Compare and contrast cross-sectional research, longitudinal research, and retrospective research.

Question 16

The post hoc fallacy is:

A) Because B preceded A, A caused B
B) Because A preceded B, A caused B
C) A and B must be related in order to state that A caused B
D) You cannot do post hoc analysis for all conditions

Question 17

Evaluate evidence for cause and effect using the three required conditions for cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 18

Explain the difference between a direct effect and an indirect effect in causal modeling.

Question 19

State the definition of nonexperimental quantitative research.

Question 20

The second "simple case" of nonexperimental research involves:

A) One non-manipulated quantitative independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable
B) One manipulated independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable
C) One non-manipulated categorical independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable
D) One non-manipulated quantitative independent variable and one categorical dependent variable

Question 21

A researcher established a sample of participants who were all born in 2000. She asks them questions every five years. This is an example of:

A) A panel study
B) A cross-sectional study
C) A trend study
D) A posttest only experimental study

Question 22

A researcher investigates the relationship between teaching style and student achievement in elementary school teachers. Since she is concerned that gender might be a confounding factor in her study, she includes only female teachers. The control technique she used was:

A) Holding the extraneous variable constant
B) Statistical control
C) Matching
D) Random assignment

Question 23

A research study found that household income is related to children's school achievement. Which of the following would suggest a partially spurious relationship?

A) There is no relationship once you statistically control for parent education
B) Parent income and school achievement are unrelated to parent education, but related to each other
C) There is a relationship, even when parent education is held constant
D) There is a smaller relationship once parent education is taken into account

Question 24

When data are collected at one point in time from different types of people, this is called a:

A) Longitudinal study
B) Prospective study
C) Panel study
D) Cross-sectional study

Question 25

One potential problem with prospective studies is:

A) Differential attrition
B) They deal with different independent samples at each point in time
C) Causal relations are difficult to show because it is hard to establish which factor occurs first
D) People have a difficult time remembering their previous experiences

Question 26

Using matching as a control strategy:

A) Is typically easy because correct matches are readily available
B) Does not require that the researcher matches on all the needed variables
C) Limits generalization because the sample was chosen for matching not generalization
D) Increases the generalization of the study in which it was used

Question 27

A problem with cross-sectional data is that:

A) The data cannot be collected on more than one variable
B) Independent variables cannot be differentiated from dependent variables because there is no theory
C) It is harder to establish cause and effect, because the data are not collected over time
D) There is differential attrition

Question 28

Prospective studies:

A) Are more expensive than cross-sectional studies to carry out
B) Deal with different independent samples at each point in time
C) Have difficulty showing causal relations because it is hard to establish which factor occurs first
D) Participants have a difficult time remembering their previous experiences

Question 29

A research study found that parental household income is related to children's school achievement. Which of the following would suggest that the relationship is completely spurious?

A) There is no relationship once you statistically control for parent education
B) There is a relationship even after statistically controlling parent education
C) There is a relationship, even when parent education is held constant
D) There is a smaller relationship once parent education is taken into account

Question 30

A researcher took independent samples from a population every year over a period of five years. He asked the participants in the samples the same questions every year. This study was:

A) A panel study
B) A cross-sectional study
C) A trend study
D) An experimental study

Question 31

Partial correlation analysis involves:

A) Examining the relationship between two or more variables controlling for additional variables statistically
B) Including only one group in a correlational analysis
C) Matching participants on potential confounding variables
D) Limiting the sample to individuals at a constant level of an extraneous variable

Question 32

A researcher does a cross-sectional study and she compares the recycling behavior in younger and older individuals. She finds that older people are more likely to recycle than younger people. She concludes that with age, people become more likely to recycle. A problem with her conclusion is that:

A) There was an attrition error
B) According to her results, age is unrelated to recycling behavior
C) Her older participants were from a different cohort or different generation than her younger participants and this might be the reason a difference was observed rather than the process of aging
D) There is no problem with her conclusion

Question 33

A synonym for panel study is:

A) Cross-sectional study
B) Trend study
C) Retrospective study
D) Prospective study

Question 34

Analysis of covariance is one type of:

A) Matching
B) Random assignment
C) Statistical control
D) The third variable problem

Question 35

A researcher studies the relationship between early reading and later school achievement. She decides that a potentially important extraneous variable is IQ. In developing her groups for her study, she pairs each child who was an early reader with a child of the same IQ level who was not an early reader. The control technique she used was:

A) Holding the extraneous variable constant
B) Statistical control
C) Matching
D) Random assignment

Question 36

Retrospective studies have problems with:

A) Differential attrition
B) Sealing with different independent samples at each point in time
C) Being expensive to carry out
D) Verifying the accuracy of accounts of past behavior

Question 37

The goal of a research study is to provide an accurate picture of the status or characteristics of a situation or phenomenon. This study is best described as:

A) Descriptive
B) Predictive
C) Explanatory
D) Confirmatory

Question 38

The basic form of Analysis of Covariance is used to examine:

A) The relationship between two categorical variables without control
B) The relationship between one categorical independent variable and one quantitative dependent variable, controlling for one or more extraneous variables
C) The relationship between two quantitative variables
D) How the variances for two groups differ

Question 39

A researcher is interested in researching what kinds of factors are important for someone to succeed in air traffic control training. Before the training program, she gives the students a battery of tests including personality measures. She then looks at which of these is related to successful completion of the program. The main purpose of this research was:

A) Descriptive
B) Predictive
C) Explanatory
D) Longitudinal

Question 40

The directors of a graduate program in educational research wish to see what types of jobs their graduates take after they finish their program. They randomly sample students from the program and have them fill out questionnaires with items asking about the types of jobs they have had. They also are asked to list the roles they play in their current positions. This project is best described as having what kind of objective:

A) Descriptive
B) Predictive
C) Explanatory
D) Confirmatory

Question 41

A path coefficient refers to:

A) A quantitative index providing information about a direct effect
B) A quantitative index providing information about indirect effects
C) A quantitative index providing information about total effects
D) An index of the overall fit of a model that is not specific to any particular variable

Question 42

Heidi conducted research on success in mathematics. She found that perseverance, motivation, and number sense had a direct effect on mathematics success. Student attitudes about math had an indirect effect. An indirect effect refers to:

A) The effects of a variable directly on another
B) The effect of the variable at the origin of an arrow on the variable at the receiving end of the arrow
C) The effect of a variable that occurs through an intervening variable
D) The path coefficient indexing the direct effect

Question 43

Nonexperimental research cannot involve which of the following?

A) Manipulation of an independent variable
B) Comparison groups
C) Explanations of the relationship between variables
D) Descriptions of the relationships between variables

Question 44

A researcher is interested in developing a model to predict first grade reading achievement. She includes in her model the following four factors: (a) the child's level of language development, (b) the highest level of education of a parent in the child's household, (c) the amount of time that the parent reads with the child, and (d) the quality of teaching that the child has received. Which of the following variables only has an indirect effect on reading achievement?

A) Parent education
B) Time joint reading
C) Quality of teaching
D) Language development

Question 45

Which of the following variables has both a direct and indirect effect on reading achievement?

A) Parent education
B) Time joint reading
C) Quality of teaching
D) Language development

Question 46

Which of the following variables has only a direct effect on reading achievement?

A) Parent education
B) Time joint reading
C) Quality of teaching
D) All variables have a direct and indirect effect.

Question 47

In which form of research are the data collected at a single time point?

A) Panel studies
B) Trend studies
C) Longitudinal studies
D) Cross-sectional studies

Question 48

There is a relationship between the amount of fire damage (dependent variable) and the number of trucks responding to the fire (independent variables). It is a positive relationship. If one controls for the size of fire, however, this original relationship will decrease or disappear. This is an example of using which procedure:

A) Holding an extraneous variable constant
B) Causal modeling
C) Statistical control
D) Matching

Question 49

The correlation between teachers' salaries and the price of liquor is:

A) Causal
B) Spurious
C) Predictive
D) none of the above

Question 50

An intervening variable is:

A) The dependent variable in a simple causal model
B) A variable that occurs between two others in a causal chain
C) An experimental variable in a causal model
D) Spurious variable

Question 51

Causal modeling refers to:

A) Causal comparative research
B) Experimental research that involves social learning theory
C) A form of explanatory research in which the researcher hypothesizes a causal model and then tests it empirically
D) A form of descriptive research in which the researcher has no hypotheses or model

Question 52

All of the following statements are true of nonexperimental research projects except one. Which one is not true?

A) Evidence for causality is more tentative
B) Evidence for causality is less important
C) One must control for confounding variables if one is to obtain some evidence for causality
D) Evidence for causality is less conclusive

Question 53

George is attempting to design a research study in which he uses grades in school and teachers' ratings to differentiate who will go to college and who will not. His research purpose is primarily:

A) Descriptive
B) Predictive
C) Explanatory
D) Confirmatory

Question 54

When research is done to test hypotheses and theories about how and why phenomena operate as they do, then the primary purpose of such research is:

A) Descriptive
B) Predictive
C) Explanatory
D) Exploratory

Question 55

Which of the following statements about nonexperimental research is true?

A) Nonexperimental research includes manipulation of the independent variable
B) Nonexperimental research is often conducted in laboratory settings
C) The researcher studies how variables are related in nonexperimental research
D) Nonexperimental research always contains multiple independent and dependent variables

Question 56

If a researcher finds an indirect effect, he should also be able to identify:

A) An intervening variable
B) A moderator variable
C) An interaction variable
D) An extraneous variable

Question 57

Which of the three required conditions for cause and effect is relatively easy to establish in nonexperimental research?

A) Condition 1 (relationship)
B) Condition 2 (proper time order)
C) Condition 3 (lack of alternative explanation)
D) All three conditions are quite easy to establish

Question 58

The Pearson Product Moment correlation coefficient is a measure of what:

A) Linear relationship
B) Curvilinear relationship
C) Linear and curvilinear relationships
D) Quadratic relationship

Question 59

If a researcher is interested in cause-and-effect relationships, which design should she use?

A) The first simple case of nonexperimental research
B) The second simple case of nonexperimental research
C) Either the first or second case of nonexperimental research would be sufficient for this study
D) Neither the first nor second case of nonexperimental research can provide evidence of causality

Question 60

A researcher is interested in developing a model of school achievement that includes home and school factors. She hypothesizes that some factors will have direct effects on achievement, whereas others will have indirect effects through other intervening variables. The main purpose of this research is:

A) Descriptive
B) Predictive
C) Explanatory
D) Exploratory

Question 61

Analysis of covariance is a "special case" of the general linear model.

Question 62

In nonexperimental research, which type of an independent variable IQ is?

A) Categorical
B) Quantitative
C) Achievement
D) Outcome

Question 63

At the conclusion of a study a researcher was able to claim that a finding was statistically significant. What did this mean for anyone who read their report?

A) The research finding was probably not attributable to chance alone and thus reflected a real relationship
B) The relationship in question is definitely a causal relationship
C) There was no effect as a result of the independent variable
D) The research finding is as likely to be caused by the independent variable as not caused by the independent variable but should be reported so that others will know this

Question 64

A typology of nonexperimental research was created by crossing the time dimension (retrospective, cross-sectional, and longitudinal) and the research objective dimension (descriptive, predictive, and explanatory). This typology includes nine specific types of research.

Question 65

What type of research are trend, panel, and prospective studies?

A) Cross-sectional
B) Retrospective
C) Longitudinal
D) Path

Question 66

Educational researchers are interested in determining:

A) The impact of chance alone
B) Probabilistic causes
C) Post hoc fallacies
D) Spurious correlations

Question 67

A post hoc fallacy means a researcher has made what type of error?

A) An error in the design of the pretest and posttest phase of the research
B) An error based on the belief that posttest scores can be understood without ANCOVA results
C) The belief that what came first necessarily caused whatever came after
D) An error of researcher ethics where the researcher has to inform participants of a change in the study

Question 68

A researcher surveyed all of the young people in a juvenile detention center and found that almost all of them had eaten white bread and drank Kool-Aid as young children. He concluded that these two items are causes of some of the teenagers' current problems. This is an example of what kind of reasoning?

A) Multiple hypotheses
B) Probabilistic causes
C) Curvilinear relationship
D) Post hoc fallacy

Question 69

Tina is conducting a nonexperimental research study. She is following a group of students born in 2005 through school and collecting data on their academic achievement each year. She will report on the patterns she sees in the data. Tina's study can be described as a:

A) Cross-sectional, descriptive study
B) Cross-sectional, predictive study
C) Longitudinal, explanatory study
D) Longitudinal, descriptive study.

Question 70

Wiley's study described the achievement test scores and reading grades of a cross-sectional sample of elementary school students. He took the students' scores on an achievement test and divided the students into three groups based on their scores: high, medium, and low. He then described the reading scores of the students in the three groups. Why did he do this?

A) To turn his study into an experiment by having a categorical independent variable
B) Because every research study has to have a categorical variable
C) To create a categorical variable from a quantitative variable
D) To create a quantitative variable from a categorical variable

Question 71

A researcher has identified multiple rival explanations as part of her research project. She is:

A) Planning for extra hypotheses
B) Method of multiple working hypotheses
C) Research hypotheses for extra variables
D) Multiple causation for research

Question 72

In order to have an indirect relationship, there must be at least one intervening (i.e., mediating) variable.

Question 73

In nonexperimental research, the most common way to control for extraneous variables is through the use of:

A) Matching
B) Holding extraneous variables constant
C) Statistical control
D) Using longitudinal designs.

Question 74

Marilyn developed a sample of individuals who had completed graduate school. She then had them complete questionnaires pertaining to elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. Marilyn's design is:

A) Cross-sectional.
B) Prospective.
C) Longitudinal.
D) Retrospective.

Question 75

Differential attrition is a problem in which type of research study?

A) Panel studies.
B) Cross-sectional studies
C) Trend studies
D) Retrospective studies

Question 76

Dr. Pugh is conducting a research study on student's mathematical abilities. Participants are tested once a year and they are asked to solve the same math problems every year. This is an example of a:

A) Panel study
B) Cross-sectional study
C) Prospective study
D) Trend study

Question 77

A spurious correlation is a noncausal correlation.

Question 78

Margaret worked on a research study where she asked children in different classrooms in the third, fourth, and fifth grades at her school to read a passage aloud during the spring time. She recorded the number of words they read per minute and graphed the data. This is an example of what type of research?

A) Cross-sectional, descriptive
B) Longitudinal, descriptive
C) Retrospective, explanatory
D) Cross-sectional, predictive

Question 79

Which of the following is an example of categorical independent variable that cannot be manipulated?

A) Student's special education status
B) High school GPA
C) Score on a personality test
D) Peer rankings of friendships

Question 80

Establishing the third required condition for cause and effect (lack of alternative explanation) can also be viewed as eliminating the presence of "the third variable problem."