Deck 3: Methodology of Cross-Cultural Research

Question 1

Which approach in cross-cultural psychology argues that psychological phenomena are basically the same in all cultures?

A) relativist
B) ethnocentrism
C) meta-analysis
D) absolutist
E) content-analysis

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The type of survey in which the researcher's personal impact is very small because there is no direct communication between the respondent and the interviewer is called: __________

A) content-analysis
B) direct survey
C) focus group methodology
D) indirect survey
E) psycho-biographical research

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What is the name of the type of survey in which the interviewer maintains a direct communication with the respondent and is able to provide feedback, repeat a question, or ask for additional information?

A) indirect survey
B) direct survey
C) focus group methodology
D) content-analysis
E) psychobiographical research

Answer 3

B

Question 4

__________ is a survey method used intensively both in academic and marketing research, during which a group of 7-10 participants respond to specific social, political, or marketing messages.

A) direct surveys
B) indirect surveys
C) content-analysis
D) group experiment
E) focus-group methodology

Question 5

The strategy used to establish the applicability of research findings obtained in one country or culture to other countries or cultures is called the________.

A) comparativists strategy
B) meta-analysis strategy
C) application-oriented strategy
D) absolutist strategy
E) direct strategy

Question 6

What is the name of the strategy that attempts to find similarities and differences in certain statistical measures in a sample of cultures?

A) comparativists strategy
B) indirect strategy
C) application-oriented strategy
D) absolutist approach
E) content-analysis strategy

Question 7

A research method that systematically organizes and summarizes both the manifest and latent content of communication is called:

A) survey
B) focus-group methodology
C) latent analysis
D) content-analysis
E) arrangement method

Question 8

Evidence that the methods selected for the study, measure the same phenomenon across other countries or cultures chosen for the study is called:

A) correlation
B) equivalence
C) random sample
D) comparativists strategy
E) application-oriented strategy

Question 9

_______ is the method of observation that involves the recording of people's behavior in an environment created by the researcher.

A) laboratory observation
B) content-analysis
C) meta-analysis
D) random sample
E) naturalistic observation

Question 10

What is the name for the quantitative analysis of a large collection of scientific results that attempts to make sense of a diverse selection of data?

A) psychological analysis
B) content-analysis
C) meta-analysis
D) indirect surveys
E) laboratory observation

Question 11

________ is a method observation that involves the recording of people's behavior in their natural environments with little or no personal intervention.

A) natural witness testimony
B) content-analysis
C) meta-analysis
D) hidden-camera method
E) naturalistic observation

Question 12

A longitudinal analysis of particular individuals, usually outstanding persons, celebrities, and leaders, representing different countries or cultures is called:

A) investigative journalism
B) sensationalism
C) focus-group methodology
D) psychobiographical research
E) content-analysis

Question 13

The ________ is a view in cross-cultural psychology that asserts that psychological phenomena should be studies only from "within" the culture where these phenomena occur.

A) internal investigation
B) application-oriented strategy
C) relativist approach
D) cross-cultural approach
E) absolutist approach

Question 14

What is the name for the investigative method in which groups of people answer questions about their opinions or their behavior?

A) content-analysis
B) survey
C) psychobiographical research
D) experiment
E) representative sample

Question 15

The term holistic is used to describe:

A) the study religious motivation
B) experimental medicine
C) the study of symptoms of mental illness
D) the study of systems with multiple interconnected elements.
E) a specific statistical method to study human behavior and experience

Question 16

The established cross-cultural correlation linking an increase in poverty in a community or country to an increase in violent crime would be an example of a_________ correlation.

A) positive
B) high
C) low
D) negative
E) high-low

Question 17

A clinical psychologist writes the following: "Psychological symptoms are similar around the world. If you are anxious, you are restless, not focused, and very tense. Cultural differences in symptoms are insignificant." This statement reflects which cross-cultural approach to comparing phenomena?

A) relativist
B) absolutist
C) correlational
D) systematic
E) random

Question 18

A graduate student tells you that she is going to travel India to collect comparative data for her dissertation. She indicates that she has chosen this country because she was born there and believes she will have a relatively easy time finding a research sample. What type of sampling strategy is she employing?

A) random sampling
B) systematic sampling
C) convenience sampling
D) experimental sampling
E) reliable sampling

Question 19

Which of the following is a description of a systematic sample in cross-cultural research?

A) groups for this sample are selected according to an assumption or theory (for example, collectivist groups and individualist groups)
B) groups for this sample are selected according to a systematic violation of a custom
C) cultural groups for the research are selected randomly
D) groups are selected so that each one represent one continent (Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia)
E) a sample including at least three countries

Question 20

If the strength of an ethnic group's religious beliefs are said to be positively correlated with their family values, which of the following statements is true?

A) A influences B but not the other way around
B) B influences A but not the other way around
C) A and B may influence each other
D) A and B are independent and do not influence each other
E) all of the above

Question 21

Thirteen exchange students received the following scores on a written aptitude test: 2, 5, 9, 3, 3, 4, 9, 6, 6, 9, 9, 1, 1. What is the median score for this group?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 6
E) 5

Question 22

In traditional cross-cultural psychology, cultural dichotomies were used to compare and contrast:

A) observation and experiment
B) Western and non-Western cultures
C) content-analysis and survey methods
D) random and other types of sampling
E) excellent and poor test translations

Question 23

If you are conducting an experimental study assessing the impact of videos games upon the academic success of Japanese and American students, the dependent variable is _________.

A) number of hours spent playing video games
B) skill of video-game playing
C) Japanese educational system
D) grades at school
E) U.S. educational system

Question 24

When assessing abuse against women, which of the following statements best reflects the absolutist approach to cross-cultural studies?

A) abuse is defined differently in various places; we should not judge it using our standards
B) there should not be a cultural justification of abuse against women
C) women are tolerant to abuse if they are in love with the abuser
D) women should understand the context in which abuse takes place
E) family members are mostly responsible for abuse against women

Question 25

If you were to examine African and European fairy tales to find out how often they refer to symptoms of mental illness, what kind of a methodology are you likely to use?

A) naturalistic observation
B) experiment
C) laboratory observation
D) content-analysis
E) sample selection

Question 26

Divorce rates around the world are negatively correlated with fertility rates. This means that the more children a family has

A) the greater chance of divorce
B) the less chance of divorce
C) the greater chance that the husband older that his wife
D) the greater chance of family conflicts
E) the greater chance of conflicts with in-laws

Question 27

Translating the original version of the method and then transferring this version back into the original language is called:

A) correlation
B) transfer of meaning
C) absolutist approach
D) content-analysis
E) back translation

Question 28

During World War II, between 1940 and 1945, the British and American intelligence "bugged" several thousand German and Italian prisoners of war to gather secret recordings of their conversations with one another. What did psychologists learn from these recordings?

A) they learned about correlation between two variables
B) they gathered information about critical thinking
C) they learned about people's war experiences
D) they gathered information about people's memory
E) they learned about the individual's anxiety and fears

Question 29

According to the absolutist approach in cross-cultural psychology, human behavior in its full complexity can be understood only within the context of the culture in which it occurs.

Question 30

A correlation establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables.

Question 31

Qualitative and quantitative methods are not mutually exclusive and in many cases psychologists choose both in their research.

Question 32

A typical focus group in psychological research consists of 100 people.

Question 33

One of the most serious weaknesses of the focus-groups methodology in cross-cultural research is that it typically relies on non-representative samples.

Question 34

A procedure called back-translation used in cross-cultural surveys usually helps researchers to make sure that a translated version of a test (survey) is as close to the original as possible.

Question 35

In a random sample, any country, a person, or group has an equal chance of being selected in the research sample.

Question 36

The term, "point of critical distinction" refers to the manners with which a person criticizes other people.

Question 37

According to the study by Matsumoto (1992), individuals from homogeneous societies tend to detect and identify other people's emotions less accurately than people from heterogeneous societies do.

Question 38

Naturalistic observation refers to studies conducted in rural areas, away from large metropolitan cities.

Question 39

In an experimental study designed to investigate academic skills, you ask students from five countries to complete a difficult computerized math test. This is an example of a focus-group methodology.

Question 40

There are three basic measures of central tendency: the mode, the median, and_________.

Question 41

In cross-cultural psychology the term "etic" refers to the absolutist approach, while the term "emic" refers to the_________.

Question 42

What type of measurement scale is being used in the following example: "Please rank order your favorite forms of transportation in New York City."
□ bus □ underground metro □ cab □ own car □ bike

Question 43

After developing a therapeutic technique for treating depression, you decide that you want to determine its effectiveness cross-culturally. You are having difficulty choosing the countries for your sample. Your colleagues in Canada, Bulgaria, and China offer to help. This would be an example of what type of sampling strategy?

Question 44

Imagine you have developed a test that measures a person "readiness" to get married and start a family. You find that the test is a good predictor of successful marriages. You then decide to pursue an application-oriented strategy. What are you trying to determine?

Question 45

If you created an experimental procedure to study the relationship between people's body weight and the way they are treated by their peers, the independent variable in your experiment would be _____

Question 46

What term stands for "research of research in psychological studies"?

Question 47

What racial group has the highest median income per household?

Question 48

Cross-cultural researchers pursue four major goals: to describe, to explain, to control, and_________.

Question 49

If you email your question to people in different countries but to not have an opportunity to communicate with them, what type of a survey are you conducting?

Question 50

What is cultural response bias in surveys?

Question 51

What is one of the most serious weaknesses of the focus-groups methodology in cross-cultural research (this weakness is related to sample selection)?

Question 52

Which procedure used in cross-cultural surveys usually helps researchers to make sure that a translated version of a test (survey) is as close to the original as possible?

Question 53

Explain the concept of cultural dichotomies. Give examples.

Question 54

Why should results of telephone (including cell phone) surveys in some countries be approached with caution?

Question 55

Give an example of the comparativist strategy in cross-cultural research.

Question 56

Describe the differences between the absolutist and relativist approaches in cross-cultural psychology.

Question 57

How would you explain the point of critical distinction (PCD)?

Question 58

Explain why the point of critical distinction (PCD) is thought of as a "conceptual fork" when comparing two phenomena. Why is this a useful conceptualization in the field of cross-cultural psychology?

Question 59

Name and describe the three steps that should be taken when translating a test (or survey) for a cross-cultural study.

Question 60

Discuss the four recommendations made for assessing cross-cultural research.

Question 61

One of the substantial weaknesses of cross-cultural research is its overwhelming reliance on research samples comprised of students. Why is it a weakness?

Question 62

To receive reliable survey information in countries under authoritarian regimes can often be extremely difficult. Why? Give several reasons.

Question 63

Studies show that people in countries such as Japan and Korea tend to evaluate themselves critically in surveys; they tend to consider self as not necessarily hard-working. Explain the reasons for such cultural response bias.

Question 64

Consider a situation. As a psychologist, you have developed a test that measures a person's "readiness" to get married and start a family. You find that the test is a fine predictor if a person could have a successful marriage. Next, you decide to pursue an application-oriented strategy for your test. What does it mean? What will you do as a researcher?

Question 65

Why are cultural dichotomies inaccurate?

Question 66

Why do psychologists use qualitative research in cross-cultural psychology?

Question 67

What is the name of the type of survey in which the researcher's personal impact is very small because there is no direct communication between the respondent and the interviewer?

A) Content-analysis
B) Direct survey
C) Focus group methodology
D) Indirect survey
E) Psycho-biographical research

Question 68

The ____________ is a view in cross-cultural psychology that physiological phenomena are basically the same in all cultures.

A) relativist approach
B) ethnocentrism
C) meta-analysis
D) absolutist approach
E) comparative approach

Question 69

Divorce rates around the world are negatively correlated with fertility rates. This means that the more children a family has _________________.

A) the greater chance of divorce
B) the less chance of divorce
C) the greater chance that the husband is older than his wife
D) the greater chance of family conflicts
E) the greater chance of conflicts with in-laws

Question 70

If the strength of an ethnic group's religious beliefs are positively correlated with their family values, which of the following statements is true?

A) A influences B but not the other way around
B) B influences A but not the other way around
C) A and B may influence each other
D) A and B are independent and do not influence each other
E) All of the above

Question 71

If you were to examine African and European fairy tales to find out how often they refer to symptoms of mental illness, what kind of a methodology are you likely to use?

A) Naturalistic observation
B) Experiment
C) Laboratory observation
D) Content-analysis
E) Sample selection

Question 72

Naturalistic observation refers to studies conducted in rural areas, away from large metropolitan cities.

Question 73

A procedure called back-translation used in cross-cultural surveys usually helps researchers to make sure that a translated version of a test (survey) is as close to the original as possible.

Question 74

If you created an experimental procedure to study the relationship between people's body weight and the way they are treated by their peers, the independent variable in your experiment would be ____________________.

Question 75

What is cultural response bias in surveys?