Question 1

What is the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) and what does it establish?

Accepted Answer

The actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) is a statistical model used in social and behavioral sciences to analyze the interdependence between individuals in a dyadic relationship, such as romantic partners, friends, or coworkers. The model takes into account the influence of both the individual's own characteristics (actor effects) and the characteristics of their partner (partner effects) on various outcomes, such as relationship satisfaction, communication patterns, or health behaviors.

The APIM establishes a framework for understanding how individuals in a relationship are mutually influenced by each other, and how their behaviors and outcomes are interconnected. By considering both actor and partner effects, the model provides a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics within a dyadic relationship, and can help researchers and practitioners identify factors that contribute to relationship functioning and well-being. This model is particularly useful for studying the complex and reciprocal nature of interpersonal relationships, and can provide valuable insights for interventions and support services aimed at improving relationship quality and individual well-being.

Question 2

In studies where an original group of participants is slowed transplanted by new members, one at a time, one of the variables of interest is how group norms are perpetuated. This type of design is also known as a:

Accepted Answer

A)   rotational design
B)   generations design
C)   round robin design
D)   normative groups design B

Question 3

You are preparing to conduct a study of school behavior, and are interested in how different types of pairings produce different outcomes. Specifically, you want to design a study where you examine four types of student pairings (students who are familiar with each other from the same classroom; students unfamiliar with each other from the same classroom; students familiar with each other from different classrooms; and students unfamiliar with each other from different classrooms). What is still unclear is what sorts of variables you will use to determine the different effects of each type of pairing. (a) Provide an example of a within-dyad variable, between-dyad variable, and mixed variable that would be relevant to this study. (b) Describe a technique you could use to determine whether unfamiliar pairings or pairings from different classrooms would result in process losses or process gains, and provide an example for how that technique might manifest in the context of this larger study.

Accepted Answer

(a) 
- Within-dyad variable: The level of familiarity between the two students in the pairing. This could be measured through self-reported surveys or observations of their interactions.
- Between-dyad variable: The academic performance of each student in the pairing. This could be measured through their grades or standardized test scores.
- Mixed variable: The classroom environment, such as the teacher's teaching style or the overall classroom atmosphere. This could be measured through classroom observations or teacher interviews.

(b) 
One technique to determine whether unfamiliar pairings or pairings from different classrooms would result in process losses or process gains is to conduct a controlled experiment where students are randomly assigned to different pairings and then given a collaborative task to complete. For example, students could be asked to work together on a group project or problem-solving activity. Their performance and interactions could then be observed and analyzed to see if unfamiliar pairings or pairings from different classrooms lead to better or worse outcomes compared to familiar pairings or pairings from the same classroom. This would provide insight into whether certain types of pairings result in process gains (improved performance) or process losses (decreased performance).

Question 4

Which of the following statements are true of round robin designs? (circle all that apply)

Accepted Answer

A)   greater statistical power without increasing the number of participants
B)   researchers can determine general acceptance and rejection "balances" in a group of people
C)   researchers can control for individual members' general patterns of responding (e.g., consistently low scores) 
D)   more data about the same person (i.e., from different sources)  is a better approximation of that person's "true" score on a variable

Question 5

In research on friendship reciprocity, researchers asked best-friend pairs to each report how much they trusted each other. Tom rated his trust for his best friend Jerry as a 10 out of 10. Jerry rated his trust for Tom as a 7 out of 10. In this example, Tom is the _____(a)_____ and Jerry is the _____(b)_____.

Accepted Answer

A)   actor; partner
B)   partner; actor
C)   both are actors and partners
D)   neither are actors nor partners

Question 6

Your research advisor is interested in how the attitudes about workload held by members of a married couple influence intentions to take on additional responsibilities around the house. Draw this relationship using the actor-partner interdependence model.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your research advisor is interested in how...

Question 7

What are the three types of dyadic variables? Provide an example of each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the three types of dyadic...

Question 8

Researchers were interested in whether attitude similarity between partners in a dyad influenced the creativity of the outcome product they produced. To do so, researchers measured partner A's attitudes and partner B's attitudes toward hierarchy, and then computed a difference score to reflect an overall measure of (dis)similarity. In other words, the variable of interest is the extent to which partners A and B differ on the same attitudinal items. In this example, attitudes toward hierarchy is a _____(a)_____ variable, and similarity is a _____(b)_____ variable.

Accepted Answer

A)   within-dyad variable; between-dyad variable
B)   mixed variable; within-dyad variable
C)   monadic variable; between-dyad variable
D)   between-dyad variable; mixed variable

Question 9

Draw a sociogram that corresponds to the sociomatrix provided below. Be sure to indicate or otherwise label the types of relationships and in what direction.
 $\begin{array}{c}
\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\text { Person Being Chosen }\
\hline\begin{array}{cccccc}
\text { Choosing } & \mathrm{A} & \mathrm{B} & \mathrm{C} & \mathrm{D} & \mathrm{E} \
\hline \mathrm{A} & & + & + & 0 & - \
\mathrm{B} & + & & 0 & - & - \
\text { C } & 0 & 0 & & + & - \
\text { D } & + & - & - & & 0 \
\mathrm{E} & - & - & 0 & 0 &
\end{array}\end{array}$

Accepted Answer

The answer of Draw a sociogram that corresponds to the...

Question 10

Describe some of the techniques and approaches to studying groups (social network analysis, hierarchical linear models, computer-mediated communications, etc.).

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe some of the techniques and approaches...

Question 11

What are some important considerations that need to be made when conducting research with dyads? With groups?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some important considerations that need...

Question 12

Given the following sociomatrix, which of the following conclusions can be drawn? (circle all that apply)
$\begin{array}{ccccc}
&A & B & C & D & E \
\hline A&& + & - & 0 & - \
B&+ & & 0 & + & - \
C&+ & + & & + & - \
D&+ & - & 0 & & 0 \
E&- & - & 0 & 0 &
\end{array}$

Accepted Answer

A)   person E is generally rejected by others in the group
B)   person D is not very friendly
C)   person C generally does not accept or reject others in the group
D)   person D rejects person B

Question 13

The question "How much do you like your sibling" could be considered which of the following types of variables? (circle all that apply)

Accepted Answer

A)   a within-dyad variable
B)   a between-dyads variable
C)   a mixed variable
D)   a monadic variable

Question 14

Describe what is meant by data interdependence. Why is it a problem for dyadic or group measurements?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe what is meant by data interdependence....

Question 15

Researchers developed a study where an experimental group of six people were assigned to work together on developing creative solutions to an unsolvable problem. The control group consisted of a group of six people who were instructed to work independently, and then pool their individual efforts at the end of the allotted time. This type of study would also be considered:

Accepted Answer

A)   a group process model
B)   a round robin design
C)   a nominal group design
D)   a generations design

Question 16

The average score of two sibling-partners on the question "How much do you like your sibling" would be considered which of the following types of variables?

Accepted Answer

A)   a within-dyad variable
B)   a between-dyad variable
C)   a mixed variable
D)   a monadic variable

Question 17

The results of a round robin design showed that Darryl liked all of his group members very much, while Hannah did not like any of her group members, and thus rated them all lower than the average rating. These tendencies for individual members to show patterns of responses is called (a):

Accepted Answer

A)   participant bias
B)   response set
C)   sociomatrix
D)   trend

Question 18

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding social network analyses?

Accepted Answer

A)   social network analyses use individuals as the unit of analysis
B)   some social network measurements include connectedness, communication, or exchanges
C)   data for social network analyses can be obtained through self-report or archival records
D)   A and B
E)   A and CF)  all of the above

Question 19

Describe the "hidden profile technique," and explain how it is used to measure group process.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the "hidden profile technique," and explain...

Exam 18: Methods for Assessing Dyads and Groups