Question 1

_____ are semi-structured interviews consisting of a moderator and 8-12 participants that uses an exploratory research approach and is considered a type of qualitative research.
A) Depth interviews
B) Panel surveys
C) Exploratory panels
D) Self-completed questionnaires
E) Focus groups

Accepted Answer

Focus groups are semi-structured interviews consisting of a moderator and 8-12 participants. They use an exploratory research approach and are considered a type of qualitative research. Depth interviews are one-on-one interviews and panel surveys are large-scale surveys. Exploratory panels are not a recognized type of research method. Self-completed questionnaires do not involve a moderator or group setting.

Question 2

The person guiding a focus group is called a(n) _____.
A) instigator
B) moderator
C) ethnographer
D) interviewer
E) catalyst

Accepted Answer

The person guiding a focus group is called a moderator. They are responsible for managing the discussion and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions.

Question 3

Focus groups are guided by a moderator who encourages discussion and keeps the group from straying too far from the primary topic. To be effective, moderators should possess several characteristics. Which of the following is NOT one of those characteristics?
A) personable
B) attentive
C) objective
D) professionally trained
E) should be older than the participants

Accepted Answer

Age is not a factor in being an effective focus group moderator.

Question 4

Which of the following is FALSE regarding focus groups?
A) Making decisions based solely on focus group research is risky.
B) Researchers usually recommend a minimum of 10 focus groups to find consistent opinions.
C) The group's size is very small, so the results are less likely to represent those of the population.
D) Opinions are very dependent upon a particular group's chemistry.
E) Conclusions drawn from focus groups are best tested using another more confirmatory approach.

Accepted Answer

Researchers usually recommend a minimum of 6-8 focus groups to find consistent opinions, not 10 as stated in choice B.

Question 5

Which type of interview is conducted without the use of an interview sequence, allowing the researcher to elicit information by engaging the interviewee in free and open discussion on the topic of interest?
A) focus group
B) structured interview
C) free-form interview
D) semi-structured interview
E) unstructured interview

Accepted Answer

An unstructured interview is the type of interview that is conducted without the use of an interview sequence, allowing the researcher to elicit information by engaging the interviewee in free and open discussion on the topic of interest.

Question 6

Which of the following is an unstructured one-to-one discussion session between a trained interviewer and a respondent?
A) depth interview
B) projective interview
C) case interview
D) primary interview
E) dyadic interview

Accepted Answer

A depth interview is an unstructured one-to-one discussion session between a trained interviewer and a respondent. The interviewer can probe deeper into the respondent's answers and explore their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs on a particular topic. The questions asked are usually open-ended and not predetermined, allowing for a more natural conversation to take place.

Question 7

A manager at a manufacturing company wants to know why some employees don't work up to their potential in the company. Because the manager feels that a questionnaire cannot capture the information he needs and participants in a focus group might not be honest due to peer pressure, he decides to hire a research consultant to conduct one-to-one discussion sessions with the employee remaining anonymous. This unstructured one-to-one discussion between a trained interviewer and a respondent is called a _____.
A) dyadic interview
B) private interview
C) primary interview
D) projective interview
E) depth interview

Accepted Answer

The correct term for an unstructured one-to-one discussion between a trained interviewer and a respondent, where the respondent remains anonymous, is a "depth interview." This method is used to explore deeper insights and personal perspectives that might not be captured through structured questionnaires or in group settings.

Question 8

Sarah is conducting an interview with Tom. After one of Tom's responses, Sarah asked "why?" When he answered her, she asked "why?" again. Sarah is attempting to identify possibly hidden reasons for the particular behavior in Tom's response. Sarah is _____.
A) being nosey
B) straying from the interview sequence
C) probing
D) conducting confirmatory research
E) pinpointing

Accepted Answer

Sarah is engaging in probing to uncover any underlying reasons or motivations behind Tom's responses. This is a common technique used in interviews and research to gather more in-depth information. It is not being nosey, as it serves a specific purpose in gathering information, and it is not straying from the interview sequence, as probing is often a planned part of the questioning process. It is also not conducting confirmatory research or pinpointing, which refer to different research methods.

Question 9

In which type of interviewing does a researcher present the respondent with an ambiguous stimulus?
A) probing
B) projective interviewing
C) structured interviewing
D) unstructured interviewing
E) depth interviewing

Accepted Answer

In projective interviewing, the researcher presents an ambiguous stimulus, such as a picture or word association, to elicit deeper, unconscious thoughts and feelings from the respondent. Probing is a technique used in all types of interviewing to encourage elaboration and clarification of responses. Structured interviewing involves specific, pre-determined questions and a set format. Unstructured interviewing allows for flexibility in questioning and conversation flow. Depth interviewing is a form of unstructured interviewing that focuses on exploratory and open-ended questions.

Question 10

The ink-blot test in which respondents are given a card with an ink blot on it and expected to "see" something that reflects their inner personality is an example of _____.
A) probing
B) free-form interviewing
C) projective interviewing
D) thematic interviewing
E) a case study

Accepted Answer

The ink-blot test is a classic example of projective interviewing, where the respondent is prompted to project their own thoughts, feelings, or personality onto an ambiguous stimulus. Probing refers to follow-up questions to clarify or obtain more information, free-form interviewing and thematic interviewing are structured but flexible approaches to gather in-depth information, and a case study is a detailed examination of a particular case or situation.

Question 11

One exercise used in projective interviewing is _____, which is a picture completion exercise.
A) probing
B) graphing
C) dual-coding procedure
D) visual interviewing
E) thematic apperception

Accepted Answer

The exercise described is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), which is a projective interviewing technique where participants are shown pictures and asked to create a narrative about what may be happening in the picture. This often reveals subconscious thoughts and emotions. Therefore, the correct choice is E - thematic apperception.

Question 12

A researcher was studying whether family pressures interfere with employee satisfaction, so she presented respondents with a picture of a man working in his office at night, shirt sleeves rolled up and tie loosened looking tired and frustrated. She asks respondents to "write this man's story." She believed that if family pressures are impacting a respondent, then his or her response will indicate that somehow in the story they tell. This is an example of using which type of exercise to encourage respondents to project their inner feelings and personalities in their stories?
A) thematic apperception
B) attribution focus
C) dual-coding procedure
D) probing
E) mental imagery

Accepted Answer

The exercise described is an example of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), where respondents are presented with a picture and asked to tell a story about it. This exercise is commonly used in personality assessment and can reveal how individuals project their inner feelings, personality, and conflicts.

Question 13

Which of the following is true regarding focus groups?
A) helpful in forming hypotheses
B) appropriate when discussing sensitive issues
C) an economical form of exploratory research
D) effective in testing hypotheses
E) useful for identifying personal problems of respondents

Accepted Answer

Focus groups are helpful in forming hypotheses as they allow researchers to gather qualitative insights and explore ideas in a group setting.

Question 14

Which of the following is FALSE regarding depth interviews?
A) helpful in forming hypotheses
B) aids measurement in future studies by providing an operational definition of some concept
C) helpful in identifying key sources of difficulties for respondents
D) an economical form of exploratory research
E) useful for discussing sensitive issues

Accepted Answer

Depth interviews can be time-consuming and require a skilled interviewer, making them a more expensive method of research compared to other exploratory methods such as focus groups or surveys.

Question 15

Which of the following focuses on collecting information about a specific event or activity, often about a particular firm or industry?
A) thematic apperception
B) case study
C) probing
D) exhaustive interviewing
E) exclusive interviewing

Accepted Answer

A case study is a research method that involves in-depth exploration of a specific phenomenon or case, such as a particular firm or industry. It involves collecting detailed information through multiple sources such as interviews, observation, and analysis of documents or archives. Thematic apperception is a projective technique used in psychology, probing is a technique of asking follow-up questions, exhaustive interviewing involves asking all possible questions, and exclusive interviewing involves talking to only one person or a specific group. None of these options specifically focus on collecting information about a specific event or activity, particularly about a firm or industry.

Question 16

_____ involves gathering numerical data using structured questionnaires or observation guides to collect primary data from individuals.
A) Thematic apperception
B) Ethnographic data collection
C) Probing
D) Qualitative data collection
E) Quantitative data collection

Accepted Answer

Quantitative data collection involves gathering numerical data using structured questionnaires or observation guides to collect primary data from individuals. Thematic apperception, ethnographic data collection, probing, and qualitative data collection all involve different methods of gathering data, but they are not specifically focused on gathering numerical data through structured questionnaires or observation guides.

Question 17

Methods of collecting quantitative survey data fall into three broad categories-self-completion, interviewer-completed, and _____.
A) observation
B) probing
C) sensing
D) monitoring
E) case studies

Accepted Answer

The missing category is observation, which involves directly observing and recording behaviors or events without intervening or asking questions.

Question 18

_____ means each answer on a questionnaire has a separate response category.
A) Exhaustive
B) Mutually exhaustive
C) Mutually exclusive
D) Nonduplicated
E) Separated

Accepted Answer

Mutually exclusive means that each answer option on a questionnaire is unique and does not overlap with others, ensuring that each response falls into one and only one category.

Question 19

A questionnaire included a question on age and gave the following categories respondents could select: 0-10 years old, 10-20 years old, 15-30 years old, 25-40 years old, 35-50 years old, and over 50 years old. What is the problem with this?
A) The categories are not mutually exclusive.
B) The categories are too broad.
C) The last category is too broad and will include too many respondents.
D) The categories are not exhaustive.
E) The categories are not reliable.

Accepted Answer

The categories overlap (e.g., a 15-year-old could fall into both the 10-20 and 15-30 age groups), making them not mutually exclusive.

Question 20

_____ means a response category has been included for every possible answer to a specific question on a questionnaire.
A) Exhaustive
B) Mutually exhaustive
C) Mutually exclusive
D) Nonduplicated
E) Complete

Accepted Answer

Exhaustive means all possible answers have been included for a specific question on a questionnaire, ensuring that respondents can choose a suitable response.

Quiz 8: Methods of Collecting Primary Data

_____ are semi-structured interviews consisting of a moderator and 8-12 participants that uses an exploratory research approach and is considered a type of qualitative research.

The person guiding a focus group is called a(n) _____.

Focus groups are guided by a moderator who encourages discussion and keeps the group from straying too far from the primary topic. To be effective, moderators should possess several characteristics. Which of the following is NOT one of those characteristics?

Which of the following is FALSE regarding focus groups?

Which type of interview is conducted without the use of an interview sequence, allowing the researcher to elicit information by engaging the interviewee in free and open discussion on the topic of interest?

Which of the following is an unstructured one-to-one discussion session between a trained interviewer and a respondent?

Sarah is conducting an interview with Tom. After one of Tom's responses, Sarah asked "why?" When he answered her, she asked "why?" again. Sarah is attempting to identify possibly hidden reasons for the particular behavior in Tom's response. Sarah is _____.

In which type of interviewing does a researcher present the respondent with an ambiguous stimulus?

The ink-blot test in which respondents are given a card with an ink blot on it and expected to "see" something that reflects their inner personality is an example of _____.

One exercise used in projective interviewing is _____, which is a picture completion exercise.

Which of the following is true regarding focus groups?

Which of the following is FALSE regarding depth interviews?

Which of the following focuses on collecting information about a specific event or activity, often about a particular firm or industry?

_____ involves gathering numerical data using structured questionnaires or observation guides to collect primary data from individuals.

Methods of collecting quantitative survey data fall into three broad categories-self-completion, interviewer-completed, and _____.

_____ means each answer on a questionnaire has a separate response category.

A questionnaire included a question on age and gave the following categories respondents could select: 0-10 years old, 10-20 years old, 15-30 years old, 25-40 years old, 35-50 years old, and over 50 years old. What is the problem with this?

_____ means a response category has been included for every possible answer to a specific question on a questionnaire.