Deck 6: Observational Methods Watching and Being With People

Question 1

1) In participant observation:

A) A single participant is observed
B) Many groups of participants are observed
C) The researcher asks the participants to make some observations
D) The researcher is a part of the group under observation

Answer 1

D

Question 2

2) Which of the following is true:

A) Observation cannot be part of an experiment
B) Observation can be used in an experiment to assess the dependent variable
C) If a study is described as observational in design it is also an experiment
D) Observation can only occur in a naturalistic setting

Answer 2

B

Question 3

3) Observer bias occurs:

A) When one or more of the observers in a research study is severely prejudiced
B) When a researcher prefers the observational method to any other
C) When an observer's recordings are directionally affected by some characteristic of the observer
D) When participants act differently with one observer than with the others

Answer 3

C

Question 4

4) Event coding involves:

A) Recording previously defined behavioural events as they occur
B) Recording events that occur during specified time intervals
C) Recording events that occur during specified but non-continuous time intervals
D) Recording anything that happens during the observation period

Question 5

5) Time sampling involves:

A) Recording previously defined behavioural events as they occur
B) Recording events that occur during specified time intervals
C) Recording events that occur during specified but non-continuous time intervals
D) Recording anything that happens during the observation period

Question 6

6) Naturalistic observation occurs when:

A) Participants' behaviour is observed in a controlled laboratory environment
B) Participants' behaviour is observed in a situation that is natural for them
C) Any time behaviour is observed outside a laboratory
D) Researchers study nature and not people

Question 7

7) Coding occurs:

A) When participants' behaviour is grouped into defined categories
B) When researchers talk so that participants cannot understand them
C) When participants' behaviour is analysed
D) Whenever qualitative observations are made

Question 8

8) Archival data are:

A) Old data files on a computer
B) Books kept in a basement
C) Data gathered a long time ago which are being compared with new data
D) Data from public records used as evidence in research

Question 9

9) An ethnographic approach involves:

A) Creating thumbnail impressions of different ethnic groups
B) Quantitative research on members of a particular culture or group
C) Immersion in a group or culture and an attempt to reflect that group's perspective
D) Non-participant observation of a group's behaviour

Question 10

10) Which of the following is not an advantage of the case study?

A) A theory can be contradicted by one substantially investigated case
B) Ideas and phenomena can be revealed which researchers would not have guessed at unaided
C) Data from individual case studies can be pooled and common threads may be exposed
D) The findings of a case study can easily be replicated