Deck 4: Specifying a Purpose and Research Questions or Hypotheses

Question 1

Rewrite this poor example of a qualitative central research question:
Poor example:
"What factors influence the meaning educational research students ascribe to the term,'statistical significance?'"
Improved example:

Answer 1

"What does 'statistical significance' mean to educational research students?"

Question 2

Which one of the following is NOT a variable?

A)Self-concept
B)Age
C)Gender
D)U.S.stereotype

Answer 2

D

Question 3

When qualitative researchers refer to the intent of the study as "emerging," they are referring to:

A)the new participants that will suddenly appear to be interviewed.
B)the clarification of the nature of the central phenomenon.
C)the gradual focusing of the research questions.
D)the uncertain characteristic of what they are studying.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following best represents a central phenomenon in qualitative research?

A)the age of the participant
B)stages in adolescent development
C)a concept drawn from the social sciences
D)measures of self-esteem

Question 5

An explanation or prediction for the relationship between two or more variables in quantitative research is called a

A)theory.
B)variable.
C)hunch.
D)framework.

Question 6

Rewrite the following poor example of a quantitative research hypothesis:
Poor Question:
"Student achievement in high school is influenced by entering ability levels,gender,and social interactions with other students."
Improved Question:

Question 7

Identify the central phenomenon in this qualitative purpose statement.
"What meaning do boys in junior high ascribe to being overweight?"
The central phenomenon _________________

Question 8

Identify the type of variables used in quantitative research when determining the interaction effect

A)Measured variables
B)Joint variables
C)Control variables
D)Moderating variables

Question 9

The difference between a hypothesis and a research question is that the hypothesis

A)predicts what the researcher will expect to find.
B)hypothesizes the relationship among variables.
C)is a statement of fact rather than a question.
D)requires statistical testing in a research study.

Question 10

Types of leadership styles,such as autocratic,consensus-building,and transformational,are examples of what type of scores of variables.

A)Continuous scores
B)Leadership scores
C)Ordinal scores
D)Categorical scores

Question 11

Examine this quantitative research question,"What is the relationship of substance use,gender,and academic achievement in high school?" The control variable would be:

A)Substance use
B)Gender
C)Academic achievement
D)There is no control variable

Question 12

A confounding variable is

A)a variable that cannot be easily explained.
B)a variable that contradicts what one expects to find.
C)a variable that cannot be directly measured.
D)a variable that affects or impacts an outcome.

Question 13

In the following quantitative purpose statement,indicate the intervening variable: "The purpose of this study is to test the theory that college students with good self-esteem engage in positive social interactions and in turn achieve high grades during their freshman year."

A)College students
B)Self-esteem
C)Social interactions
D)High grades

Question 14

What characteristic below distinguishes a quantitative research question from a research hypothesis?

A)One is a purpose of the study and the other is a question.
B)One is a question and the other is a hypothetical inquiry.
C)One is a question and the other is a prediction.
D)One is an objective and the other is a statement.

Question 15

Select the best reason below for why a purpose statement is important.

A)It justifies the problem for the reader.
B)It informs the reader of the central ideas addressed in your study.
C)It provides the reader with the question you are attempting to answer.
D)It informs the reader of your predictions about relationships among attributes.

Question 16

The following is an example of what type of quantitative research question: "How do feelings of alienation influence the ethnic identity of Hispanics in the United States?"

A)Descriptive question
B)Relationship question
C)Comparison question
D)Association question